The Tribrid's Return

What are you?

Callan's P.O.V.

I was walking back to the pack house after meeting up with the second patrol team, when I came across this random she-wolf. Her scent had suddenly hit me only seconds before seeing her, which is what initially made me stop dead in my tracks. My wolf had immediately started howling, mate, in my head and wouldn't calm down. He wanted me to mark her right then and there, but I was more cautious of her. I had never seen this woman before, and I didn't know how she had made it into our pack territory without being caught. Every bit of her was perfect, though, as I stood there and watched her look around at all of the shops, seeming to be stuck in her own little world. She had long black hair that went down to her waist in soft curls. She was a tiny little thing, maybe five foot three inches and probably only one hundred and thirty pounds. I had never seen a she-wolf so small. She was very tan and had a muscular build, but curvy in just the right spots. When she turned around to look at me after I finally spoke to her, I noticed that she had piercing blue eyes. Blue eyes that I had seen before, but that I couldn't quite put my finger on where.

The conversation didn't go quite as I had planned with her, though. I was sure she was my mate, but the way she acted towards me made me think that maybe something was wrong. Usually, when wolves finally find their mates, they both instantly fall into one another's arms like they've known each other their whole lives. Not her, though. She just acted normal, like any other person meeting me for the first time. I've never seen a wolf act calm and collected with a mate bond, so I was really confused when she didn't act interested in me whatsoever.

What really caught me off guard, though, was her laughing at me when she realized I was the new Alpha she had heard about. Usually, people cower down to me when they stand in my presence, but not her. The fact that she laughed about it made me even more intrigued by her. I had so many unanswered questions floating around in my head, as I watched her walk away from me through town, towards the south side of the river. Where did she go for five years? Why was she back all of a sudden? Why were the Gerard's hiding her? Why was my heart on fire for her, but she didn't seem to return that feeling? And what did she mean when she said she was too much woman for me to handle?

"Sir, the perimeter is secure. Anything else you need me to do?", I hear Gavin say from behind me, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I turn around to see him standing obediently with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for my next orders, "Yes. Do you know who that girl is?", I ask him as I point towards Athena as she walks away.

Even though she already told me he was her brother, I decide to play dumb to make sure she's telling the truth.

Gavin looks over to where I'm pointing and chuckles, "Yeah, I do."

"And? Why are you laughing?", I ask him, quickly growing irritated at the fact that he didn't instantly answer my question.

"She's my older sister. I'm just happy to see her back.", he says as a wide grin covers his face, while a slight protectiveness takes over his features as he watches her retreating figure.

He turns to look back at me, and I suddenly realize where I've seen those familiar blue eyes that Athena has. They're the same eyes that are featured on Gavin's face as well, "Your sister? Really?", I ask him, still playing dumb so he'll continue explaining.

"Yes, sir. She just got back into town because of our mom's illness. She's been gone for five years.", he says to me as his smile falls and sadness takes over.

I furrow my brows at him, "Five years?! You were only, what, ten at the time? How old was she?"

He nods his head, "Yes sir, I was ten. I hadn't even had my first shift yet, which is why she didn't instantly recognize me earlier when I ran up on her in the woods while in my wolf form. She was thirteen at the time, had only had three or four shifts herself, I think.", he explains to me as he furrows his brows, "I haven't seen her since she left. I haven't even been allowed to have contact with her. I ran into her in the woods while on patrol. I didn't even know she was coming back home, so it was a big surprise. I hardly even recognized her at first. Her scent has definitely changed, too. Almost as if there is something wrong with her."

My eyebrows lift in surprise when I hear that her scent has changed. Maybe that has something to do with her not feeling the mate bond?

I cross my arms over my chest, "She said something about your guys' parents keeping her a secret. Do you know where she went for five years? Why she left? Why you weren't allowed to have contact with her?"

Gavin swallows hard as he shakes his head, "No sir, they would never tell me why she had to leave. They wouldn't tell me where she was living. We were very close, so it's been hard on me and I've been really worried about her all of this time. I honestly started to think that she was really dead and they just weren't telling me."

"Thirteen is a young age to be leaving the pack. I don't understand why they would make her leave and then keep everything a secret, especially from you when you're her family as well.", I tell him as I look back towards where Athena disappeared into the woods at.

"I don't know either, but she was surprised as well when I told her they never told me anything.", he says to me.

"Come on Gavin. I'm going to walk you home. I need to talk to Sebastian and Allison about all of this.", I say to him with frustration filling my voice now.

Gavin and I walk the half mile down the river, to the small cabin he lives in with his parents on the edge of town. I rarely come this way, but I still know my way around since it's pack territory. Gavin seems to be nervous about something, probably the fact that it was almost four in the morning and he was showing up to his house with the Alpha. His parents will probably think he's gotten himself into trouble. When we get to the cabin, we hear people yelling at each other inside of the house. Gavin and I both look at each other in confusion, before we quickly walk onto the porch and listen to the argument through the cracked door.

"How could you keep me a secret this entire time?! I'm not something to be ashamed of, DAD.", Athena yells at her father, as disdain fills her voice when she calls him dad.

"Honey, you need to calm down before you wake your mother up. She and I were just trying to protect you. We didn't know what else to do. Sending you to New Orleans was the only thing we could think of doing for you, because we didn't know how to handle it.", Sebastian says back to her calmly.

"Oh, yeah?! And when were you two going to tell me you weren't my real father?!", Athena says, her voice cracking as her emotions take over.

"She told you?! She had NO RIGHT to tell you about that. That was supposed to be me and your mother having that conversation with you!", he screams at her as the sound of panic settles into his voice.

Gavin goes to open the door to say something to diffuse the situation, but I hold my hand up to him and shake my head, stopping him in his tracks so I can listen to more.

"You two just dropped me off in the middle of nowhere and left! What did you expect her to do?! Someone had to explain to me why the only family I've ever known abandoned me! I can't help what I am, and I'm never going to apologize for it, either. Because of your guys' decision to keep it a secret from me, you made me feel completely ashamed and disgusted with myself for so long! You acted like I was some kind of an abomination or something. I was just a kid! I didn't know what was going on with me, either!", she screams at him, her voice cracking as she starts to cry.

"Athena, we love you, but what you are is not going to be accepted by our pack. This pack has been full-blooded werewolves for generations. I don't know why he was chosen to be your mother's fated mate, but it goes against our rules here. That's why she left with him in the first place. We had no choice but to send you away!", he says to her as he tries to explain the disgusting decision he and his wife made.

"There is nothing wrong with what I am. I will never be ashamed of it and you will not make me feel like I am a bastard child. There has not been anything like me in centuries. I am a rarity in this world. If you'd pull your head out of your ass, you'd realize that nature doesn't make mistakes. The pack will soon come to realize that, as well.", I hear her sternly say as confidence starts to fill her voice again.

I look over at Gavin, who looks just as confused as I am. It's written all over his face that his parents really never told him what was going on. I knock on the door and both Athena and Sebastian go quiet inside. A few seconds pass before Sebastian finally opens the door. Fear takes over his face when his eyes land on me, before he looks over at Gavin questioningly. I know that look, he thinks Gavin has gotten himself into some sort trouble.

"Sebastian, mind if I come in?", I ask him.

"Um...right now really isn't a good time, Alpha Callan. We, um....", he says to me before I interrupt him.

"I was only asking out of courtesy, Sebastian.", I lowly say to him as I let out an authoritative growl, "How dare you deny me entrance into your house when I show up on your doorstep."

"I'm really sorry, we just have some family matters going on and...", Sebastian quickly rambles out as he looks behind him into the house.

"MOVE!!!", I loudly command him.

Sebastian ducks his head submissively and pulls the door open for me, finally giving me entrance. I hate demanding entrance into someone's house, but I need answers. Gavin follows me in, not saying a word to his dad as he passes by him. I turn and look at Gavin, and he's staring at his dad with disgust written all over his face, before he finally walks over to Athena and hugs her. She is standing in the corner of the room with her arms crossed over her chest angrily, as she glares at Sebastian with dried tear stains all over her cheeks.

I look over at Sebastian and walk towards him, towering over him for a few seconds before I let out a low growl, "When I, the Alpha, ask for entrance into your home, you give it to me IMMEDIATELY. If I, the Alpha, ask of anything from you, you do it right then and there. Do not be disobedient with me again Sebastian, or there will be serious consequences. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Alpha." Sebastian says to me as he stares at the ground.

"Now, I want answers, and you're going to give them to me." I say to him sternly.

Sebastian looks up at me, his face turning pale as fear floods his face, "Okay, what...what exactly do you...do you want to know?"

"Why are you telling Athena she will never be accepted as a part of this pack?" I ask him.

"Because it's against the rules." he answers me.

"Who's rules?" I ask him calmly.

Sebastian looks over at Athena, before looking back at me, "River Crescent rules. These rules have been in this pack for generations. Only full-blooded werewolves are allowed to be a part of the pack."

I shake my head in annoyance as I let out a frustrated breath through my nose, before I start slowly pacing around the room, "Gavin?"

"Yes, Alpha?" Gavin answers me as he furrows his brows with confusion.

"Who's pack is this?" I ask him.

Gavin chuckles under his breath a little, "Yours...sir." he says as he coughs to cover his chuckle.

I walk back over to Sebastian and look him directly in the eye, "Mine." I say to him as I tower over him, "This is my pack, Sebastian. Whatever rules there were before, there aren't now. This is my pack, and I will be the one to make the rules, or change them as I see fit. Let's also not forget the small little fact that I was an outsider once as well. You will not be making her feel ashamed of what she is, whatever that might be. This is her home, and if she is not welcome here, then she will be welcome at the pack house. Do you understand me?"

Sebastian looks at me with annoyance written on his face, as he answers me through gritted teeth, "I understand...sir."

I turn to look at Athena, who is standing confidently in the corner with a smirk on her face. She stares at her dad for a couple of seconds before looking at me. I see admiration fill her face for a split second when she looks at me, before she quickly composes her facial features. I feel my heart spark a little at the look she just gave me, giving me a little hope that maybe she actually can feel the mate bond. Maybe I was wrong earlier when I thought she couldn't feel it.

"Athena." I say to her with a playful smile on my face.

"Callan.", she confidently says back, lifting one eyebrow at me questioningly.

Did she just refer to me by Callan, instead of Alpha? Irritation builds in me at the fact that she's disrespecting me in front of other pack members, but it quickly diffuses when I see the corner of her mouth twitch into a cute, playful smirk.

"Athena, what exactly did you mean when you told Sebastian that you can't help what you are? That there hasn't been anyone like you for centuries?" I ask her when my curiosity finally gets the best of me.

Athena looks down at the ground chuckling, before looking back up at me, "Are you sure you want to know? I warned you earlier that I was too much woman for you to handle, and I meant that."

Gavin starts laughing uncontrollably from beside her, looking over at her, "YOU SAID, WHAT?!" he asks between laughs.

I clear my throat to get his attention, making Gavin quiet. He lets out a couple of snorts while trying to control his laughter, before deciding to just walk over towards the couch and sit down, excusing himself from the conversation to avoid annoying me. Gavin and I are friends, which means I let him get away with a lot more than I do other pack members, but that doesn't mean I'm patient when it comes to tolerating him. In front of others, Gavin treats me just like any other pack member would, just so others don't think I'm a push over. He knows, though, that I see him as a friend and that I respect him, which is why he's comfortable enough to let his walls down in front of me like he just did. I'm considering making him my beta when he turns eighteen for exactly these reasons.

I look back over at Athena, as I try to hide an amused smile that made it's way onto my face from Gavin's sudden outburst, "I think I can handle whatever you throw my way, Athena."

"Okay, but just remember, you asked for it.", she says to me as she lifts her hand in the air.

She quickly throws her hand sideways, and I watch in amazement as all of the candles in the house light up with flames simultaneously.

"You're a witch?!", I ask her as I stare at all of the candles, before looking back at her.

Athena chuckles, "No." she says, before I see her eyes light up from their regular sky blue to a bright neon blue, as she lets out a low growl.

"You're a hybrid?" Gavin asks her as he stands back up from the couch, looking at her with bewilderment and curiosity.

"Wrong, little bro." she says to him as she chuckles, before picking up a letter opener from the desk beside her.

Athena lifts her left arm, before she slowly slices the letter opener over it to make a large gash. Where it would take a few hours to heal for a werewolf and a week to heal for a witch, the cut healed almost instantly right in front of our eyes. I furrow my brows at her as the entire room becomes stiff with silence while everyone stares at her.

"You aren't just a hybrid?", I hear Sebastian whisper to her from behind me.

Athena's forehead scrunches together as she stares at him angrily for a few seconds, before looking back at me.

I cross my arms over my chest defensively, "What...what are you, Athena?"

A mischievous smile covers her face as she slowly brushes her hair out of her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest, mimicking my stance, "I'm the one and only Tribrid."