The Tribrid's Return

The Pack House

Athena's P.O.V.

Gavin, Callan, and my dad just stare at me after I finally reveal my secret. My dad already knew about my other two halves, but didn't know about my vampire side. The look on Callan's face is one of amazement, like I'm the most spectacular thing he's ever seen. Gavin's face is just one of surprise as he stares at me, questions obviously flooding his thoughts. Lastly, is my dad's, though, his is one of disgust. I would be lying if I said a piece of me didn't break inside, when my eyes landed on my dad. He's always loved me, but he will never accept me for what I am. My dad is stuck in his old school, elder ways, and his mind will never change when it comes to what I am and I've come to accept that.

"You're...you're a vampire?", my dad asks with pure disgust, being the first one to finally speak.

I look down at the ground as shame fills me, but then I remember what my grandma told me and lift my head high again, "No dad, I'm not a vampire, I'm a tribrid. I'm equal parts of all three, it's not that hard to understand.", I say to him with annoyance flooding my tone.

My dad's mouth turns downwards into a frown before he speaks again, "You're not welcome here, Athena."

"Fine. I don't want to be anywhere, I'm not accepted, anyway.", I say to him as I grab my belongings and start walking towards the door.

When I go to pass Callan, he grabs my duffel bag from me and looks deeply into my eyes, "You're always welcome in my pack here at River Crescent, and I fully accept what you are. You can stay at the pack house from here on out, if you're okay with that and if you still wish to stay here in the pack, instead of having to leave town again. I don't want you to be living with anyone who tries to make you feel ashamed or disgusted with the fact that you're a tribrid, anyway."

"You've got to be kidding me! The elders will NEVER tolerate this!", my dad yells at him.

Rage fills Callan's eyes when my dad's aggressive words reach his ears, as his jaw ticks as he clenches it, before he slowly turns around, "Sebastian! You are out of order and are summoned to the dungeon for a week! If you hate these new rules that I'm putting into effect so much, you are welcome to leave my pack anytime you want and never return! If you are unwilling to leave, I will have one of my guards come to collect you within the hour for your sentencing! There are going to be changes coming to this pack, and I suggest you learn to accept them. Nature did not create an abomination when it created Athena. If anything, a rarity and an indestructible weapon came into this world the day she was born. If you'd get your head out of your ass and stop thinking like an ignorant piece of trash, you'd see that and understand that there's something much larger going on at hand.", he roars at my dad while he towers over him.

My dad's face goes pale and scrunches up, before he finally walks away to the back of the house, not giving me a second glance.

Callan turns to face me again as a soft smile covers his lips the moment his eyes meet mine, "Athena, I would love it if you would come live at the pack house. You will always have a place in this pack, and I would love to talk with you about your future here. If you choose to leave, I will understand, but I hope you consider my offer."

I give Callan a soft smile back, "This is my home and I will not run away just because I'm not accepted by some. I will not be ashamed of who I am. However, you're going to have a hard time on your hands trying to explain this to the rest of the pack."

"I will handle the rest of the pack, don't worry about them. I have big plans for you, Athena.", he says to me as he nods his head towards the door, gesturing for me to follow him out.

"Wait!", Gavin calls out, making both of us turn around to look at him, "I love you Athena, no matter what. I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

Gavin turns and looks towards the back of the house where my dad disappeared, before turning back and looking at Callan, "Alpha Callan, I don't want to stay in a house where my sister isn't accepted or welcomed. I've never felt ashamed of my father, until now. If it's alright with you, I would like to join the two of you. Athena and I can share a room, if she's okay with that. I won't be in the way, I promise."

Callan lets out a sigh before looking over at me, "Would you be more comfortable in the pack house with your brother staying there? I don't want you to feel out of place. You two would have to share a room, though, because I have no more room for him anywhere else. Not unless he stays on the second flour by himself, but I would prefer he not since it's meant for visiting Alpha's and their ranked members."

I smile at Callan when I hear his offer, "I wouldn't have it any other way. Gavin and I shared a room growing up, anyway. Plus, we have a lot to catch up on. He's my best friend, my life hasn't felt right without him in it these past five years."

Callan nods at me, before looking back at Gavin, "Go and pack your things, quickly. We will wait for you."

Gavin takes off running towards his room, returning only a few minutes later with a large duffle bag. The two of them walk out of the door and I follow behind as the realization hits me that I never even got to see my mom. I turn around to look at my old house one last time, before closing the door behind me.

***

We walk into the pack house twenty minutes later. Six other wolves, who I'm assuming are Callan's ranked members, are gathered in the living room playing cards. They all turn to face us, before everyone's eyebrows furrow in confusion as they look at both me and Gavin. No one questions Callan's motives, though, as they go back to playing their game without saying a word.

"William, I need you to go to the Gerard residence and pick up Sebastian Gerard. Take him to the dungeon and keep him there for a week. He knows of his sentencing, so if he gives you a hard time and doesn't go willingly, contact me through the mind-link and I will come handle the situation myself.", Callan says to a man with sandy blonde hair and stubble all over his face.

The guy, who I am now assuming is William, stands up and nods at him in understanding, before he leaves.

"To the rest of you, we will be having a meeting in my office in fifteen minutes. Gavin and Athena will be joining us. Finish up whatever game you're playing while I get them settled in the spare room, and meet us there as ordered.", Callan says to them before turning around and walking down the long hallway.

I turn and look at the group of men surrounding the table, as they look around at one another with unanswered questions written all over their faces. One of the men looks up at me and stares at me with a questioning look. I stand confidently in my spot as I stare back at him in a daring manner. He rolls his eyes and goes back to whatever he was doing before they were interrupted. I turn away from them and walk down the hallway to where Callan and Gavin disappeared, before finally finding them in a room four doors down on the right.

"Nice of you to join us! Measuring up my ranked members to see which one's going to give you the biggest fight?", Callan says to me while he chuckles playfully.

I snort out a laugh, "They can try, but they won't succeed.", I tell him as I cross my arms over my chest and lean my body onto the door frame.

"I don't doubt it. I'm actually ready to see you in training with them. They won't know what hit them.", Callan says as he grabs some sheets and blankets out of the closet, "Anyway, this is your guys' room. The couch is a pull out bed, for future reference, just in case you couldn't figure it out on your own. My room is one more room down and on the left, if you two need anything. The bathroom is across the hallway, and the kitchen is back up front, right beside the living room. Make yourselves at home, please. Just don't get out of line, and don't go snooping.", he says as he turns to leave the room.

"And your office? You said we were joining you for the meeting in fifteen minutes.", I ask him, curious as to what the meeting is about, even though I can almost guarantee it's about me.

"The large black door at the very end of the hallway.", he answers, smiling at me before walking out of the room.

I turn to look at Gavin, who is pulling the couch out into a bed and spreading the sheets out onto it, "Thank you, little bro. For standing by my side, no matter what."

Gavin turns to look at me as his eyes brim with unshed tears, "So, this is why they sent you away? They sent you away because they were ashamed of you? I missed out on having you in my life for five years, because of their backwards thinking?"

I nod my head at him, "Yes, but honestly, I needed them to send me away, even if they shouldn't have kept it a secret. Sending me away to New Orleans was better for me, because I needed to be there. My paternal grandmother lives there, who's a full-blooded witch. She was teaching me how to control my powers, teaching me everything that I needed to know about that side of me. You'd love her Gavin, she's incredible.", I say as I start spreading the blankets out onto my bed.

"Your biological dad, he's a full-blooded warlock?", Gavin asks me as he furrows his brows at me.

I cringe at the fact that he used the term warlock, because I've never liked the word, even though it's the proper terminology, "Yes, he's a full-blooded warlock. He died before I was born."

Gavin stares at me with confusion etched on his face before finally speaking, "So, if he's a full-blooded warlock, and mom's a full-blooded werewolf, how do you have vampire in you as well?"

I let out a small sigh, before sitting down on the bed while I stare back at him, "It's a long story, Gavin. Dad isn't mom's fated mate, my biological father was. She left the pack when she met him and moved to New Orleans. One day they were attacked by a group of vampires in the woods and mom was fatally injured. My biological dad used this forbidden magic, called black magic, to save her. The magic is forbidden because it's dark and powerful, it was too much magic for him to handle, so it killed him in the process of saving her. Because I'm part witch, the bite mom got from the vampire bonded to my witch side, since witches are technically human too. She didn't know she was pregnant with me at the time. So, that's how I'm a tribrid. I'm a werewolf from mom's side, a witch from my biological father's side, and a vampire from the bite that mom got. Since vampire bites don't turn werewolves into vampires, but can only harm them or kill them if they're bad enough, mom never turned and neither did I. My werewolf side keeps my vampire side in balance. I get the benefits of being a vampire; like super speed and instantly healing, without having the blood thirst of a vampire, since I'm actually still alive. All sides of me equally balance out the other's."

Gavin walks over to me and sits beside me on the bed, "You know, I've always noticed that you healed really fast, I just didn't know why. Plus, you've always been WAY faster than me, but I just chalked it up to our age difference. I think the most shocking revelation out of all of this, is that you aren't my full-blooded sister. That's probably what pains me the most.", he says to me as he looks down at the ground.

I wrap my arm around Gavin's shoulders, "Hey little bro, look at me.", I say to him, making him turn his head towards me as his eyes meet my gaze, "NOTHING is going to change our relationship and how much I love you. It doesn't matter if we're full-blooded siblings or not. You are my best friend, my rock, and my shoulder to lean on. You always have been, and always will be. I'm not going anywhere, okay?", I say to him, before I pull him into a tight embrace.

Gavin hugs me back as his tears land on my shirt, "I was so scared for you these past five years, Athena. It felt like a part of me was missing this entire time. You have no idea how good it feels to have you back home. It's like I can breathe again."

I pull away from him and smile softly at him, "I'm not going anywhere, ever again. I'm going to be around for a very long time. I'm sorry they never told you. It was wrong of them to keep you in the dark like that. I'm here now, though. No more worrying, got it?"

Gavin nods his head in understanding as he wipes his tears away, "Come on, we need to get to that meeting. Hope you're ready for a lot of judgement. They aren't going to accept you as easily as Callan thinks they are."

"They don't have to accept me, they only have to respect me. I'm strong-willed and confident, traits that come along with being a tribrid. As long as Callan and you accept me, I've got nothing to worry about. This is where I belong and the rest of the pack will have to learn how to get on board with that. Besides, their Alpha is my mate. I will one day become their Luna. They have no other choice.", I say as I raise my eyebrow at him mischievously.

Gavin chuckles, "Callan's your mate? Really? You don't act like someone who just met their mate, Athena. However, I sensed it a little bit from Callan, though, by the way he looks at you and instantly takes up for you and accepts you. I thought maybe I was mistaken, though, by the lack of interest on your end."

"You see, little bro, the great thing about being part witch, is the fact that I have complete control over everything in nature, even my wolf's nature. I decided it would be best to earn loyalty and acceptance from our pack, myself, rather than those things being forced onto them because I'm his mate. Besides, you know I've always been one to enjoy a nice little game of chase.", I tell him as I give him a playful wink.

Gavin starts hysterically laughing, "Ooooh, man...he's going to have his hands full with you, Athena."

"Just don't tell anyone, okay? I don't want him knowing that I know that he's my mate just yet.", I plead with him.

Gavin nods his head at me, "Your secret's safe with me."