Gravity

2. New Life

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

― Edith Sitwell

"She's settling in well," Sven says, throwing his hoodie off his sweating body. He has just finished his morning run around the territory and is now going to get ready for school. For some reason, their new neighbor sparked some curiosity in both him and his wolf, which led him to veer off his usual running route.

Mira looks at her youngest son. Her nose scrunching at the smell of his sweat that is slowly seeping into the room. She stands from the couch with a frown and set her book on the side. "Go get a shower, you need it, and also did she receive the new furniture?" 

He nods, "She was expecting just a couple of things. She didn't really expect us to give so much stuff. She wanted to give it back, but I handled it."

Mira smiles, she can't help but smile at the thought of the young girl in her mind. She never had a daughter, which made her endear more to the teenage girl. "That's good since that cottage is so old and cold. We just gave her the essential stuff."

"Äiti, are those kids really hers?" Sven asks, not being able to contain himself as he slowly wipes the sweat off of his body with a towel that he left on the coat hanger just for this purpose. 

"I think so I didn't really ask. I wanted to, but I thought it would be invasive, so I just assumed they were. She told me they were her kids, so" Mira licks her lips while sitting back down on her lounge. "Did you fix their plumbing? Maybe, I should come by later."

"I did, and she's starting school now, so I think that's not a good idea" Sven answers, he didn't realize his words until it was too late. Mira was already grinning at him like a Cheshire cat "Äiti, don't even start" 

"Baby, it's okay if you have a crush on the sweet human. She's a good girl but remembers you have a mate out there and it'll just—"

"I know Äiti! That's why I'm not doing anything. I'm just a friend and her neighbor" Sven sulkily walks up to the steps of his room. 

He knows that this crush shouldn't be encouraged since it's hardly a beautiful thing to do to a single teenage mom to just break her heart when he finds his mate. Plus, he was just helping out there didn't need anything else that comes along those lines. It's all platonic.

Sven was too mixed up with his thoughts that he didn't see his older brother in front of him, he snapped back into reality when the much taller behemoth ruffled his wet hair. 

"Ack! That's disgusting" His older brother retracts his hand back and wipes the sweat off on Sven's pants. 

"It's your fault, Ilti, and shouldn't you be in the packhouse and not bothering Ishä with your whining" Sven steps to the side while trying to get to his room. Laughing silently at his dark-haired brother who followed behind him.

"Hey, let's see if you won't be the same once your off age, and you don't have a mate" Filtiarn roll his eyes at his little brother. "Also, I'm here for pack business you, stupid pup."

"You're going to check our new neighbor? She isn't a threat, but just a teenage Mom with two kids" Sven pushes open his door and doesn't close it behind him as Filtiarn leans on the door frame while he goes to take a shower. 

"Yes, I know, but I still need to double-check. I tried to get some information from the vanhemmat, but all they know is that she's from a foreign country and left it with the hopes of starting a new with two kids. She might be a hunter for all we know."

Sven scoffs as he sits on the foot of his bed to take off his shoes and socks. "that small thing? I hardly think so. She's too busy trying to provide for her kids to hunt wolves, Ilti."

"Sven a dead werewolf is a high price in the black market, which makes her even more of a suspected threat."

Sven couldn't help but laugh at the image of Amihan in hunter clothing with a weapon that would probably be heavier than her small body. He just couldn't imagine the little thing to do such a thing "Trust me Ilti she is no threat. If you want, be here when Äiti invites her to dinner tomorrow with her kids."

"Äiti already invited her to dinner?"

"No, not yet, but I think she will ask me to ask the girl to. Just earlier, she asked me if the girl needed more furniture." 

"She already bought the human a whole house worth of furniture" Filtiarn rolls his eyes.

"I know," Sven laughs.

"I don't like the things Äiti spends her money on," Filtiarn gruffly says as he glowers at the floor. Of all the things to spend it on, it had to be a human who was stupid enough to get pregnant at a young age, twice and trying to get sympathy from a mother who wanted more than anything to have a daughter.

"Who are we talking about?" a smaller version of Filtiarn walks by but stops in front of Sven's doorway. 

"It's the human" Filtiarn answers him, "What is that Tapio?"

"Oh, so you know, Sven has a crush on her," Tapio grins while taking another pile of chips into his mouth. "Chips, quite new."

"Tapio! The whole family does not need to know about it! I am not going to do anything to the human" The last sentence was directed at Filtiarn, who had a questioning yet judging look in his eyes. "It's nothing, Filtiarn."

With a raised brown, Filtiarn crosses his arms and says, "So, that's why you're defending the girl." 

"Oh, please like that cutie would say yes to your ugly ass" Tapio grins while loudly chewing his chips. "Want some? They are really delicious."

"What are those?" Filtiarn asks him while reaching in and taking a few bites himself. To his surprise, it was actually quite good. The cheesiness of it was lovely. It wasn't really on your typical chip form but circular ring ones.

"The human gave it to me when I stumbled on her house. I thought it was a good day as any to meet her and Ilti! She is so pretty but so f*****g small like it could fit in our f*****g pockets" Tapio tips the whole bag to his mouth, finishing off what's left.

Filtiarn suddenly stops chewing and immediately swallows. "I see you as humans, as well."

"There is nothing wrong with liking a person who is likable," Mira says from behind her sons. She looks with a bored gaze at her eldest, who smiles at her direction. "I heard all of you, and I don't appreciate you suspecting a sweet innocent thing of being a hunter. She is a nice girl."

Filtiarn frowns, "Where did you even pick up that human?"

"That human's name is Amihan, which means wind in her language. I also met her when I had a trip to Japan with the Aoki pack. She's a truly genuine girl that helped me out when I got lost in the middle of suburban Japan."

"So, this golden girl with a good heart just suddenly asked your help, huh? A rich foreign lady. Can't you see she just took advantage of you?" Filtiarn's frown turns deeper.

"She is nothing like—" Sven started but was cut off when Mira growls.

The three sons were surprised that their sweet and kind Mother had actually growled at them. It was rare unless their father cursed in front of them, but that was when they were kids not now when they are adults. 

Mira sighs, there is a softness to her eyes now. She cups her eldest's cheeks and couldn't help but give him a sad smile. "You want information? She's a human girl who lost all of her family by some sick, cruel fate, and she landed in our lives. She lost her Mother, father, and only sister within a year and had to raise her children with the pain of losing everyone she ever loved.

"Son, I know you're an Alpha, but it shouldn't take an army to soften your heart a little. I know your title, and you've done so well with the pack. You made us stronger than anyone could ever have, but would it kill you to show an inch of kindness to a person who has your Äiti's affection? Do you not trust me to be able to gauge out someone's validity? I have been Luna far longer than you have been an Alpha. You should trust me."

Filtiarn sighs while gently taking her Mother's hands off of his cheeks, "Äiti, we are strong because I am the way I am."

"I feel sorry for your mate then, or rather I cannot wait until you meet her, and you'd finally have the softness you needed."

Filtiarn scoffs at that. He didn't think it would be possible to change for a person you hardly knew. Whether it would be by the Moon Goddess or fate, he doesn't f*****g care. It wouldn't be possible, but he hopes his mate is submissive beauty that accompanies every decision he does. 

It's not that he was misogynistic, but he is an Alpha first, and he has so many people relying on him that he couldn't let them down by handling an unruly mate that wanted all of his attention. He needed a capable Luna, but he didn't need a Luna that would change him but actually support him. 

"Okay, I don't want to ruin anyone's moment, but I need a shower since school is going to start soon" Sven stands and heads off to his shower.

"invite Amihan and her babies to dinner later and tell her she doesn't need to go to her shift in the bakery later!" Mira yells after him

Sven freezes while throwing a knowing look at Filtiarn, who just rolls his eyes at how childish his youngest brother. "Okay, Äiti!"

"Can we just please establish how hot the girl is?" Tapio suddenly says out of the blue.

"I've seen your internet history, you just have a thing for Asians" Mira grins at her son. 

"Äiti!!" Tapio's ears have gone red. "That's an invasion of privacy, but you are right, but still! I don't want my own Mother to know that"

Mira and Filtiarn laugh while the youngest son runs downstairs in embarrassment. A 6'4" 20-year-old stomping like a toddler on the stairs is something only you'd see in sitcoms but a common occurrence in their home 

"Anyway, you need to come to dinner since you're so suspicious of her then meet her. You'll see for yourself how amazing that girl truly is."

"I doubt it, especially for a human." Filtiarn grumbles

Mira sighs, "What did I do for you to hate humans so much?"

"You didn't do anything. I learned it myself."

"Go, just remember we have dinner with her, and if you don't come, I'll go to your office myself and drag you by your ear. Do you really want Anna and your whole pack to see their Alpha being dragged by his Mother?"

Filtiarn frowns but didn't deny nor said anything but just nodded. 

"That's my good boy" Mira kisses his son's cheek while he excuses himself then left his old home. She stares after his fleeting's sons back and can't help but sigh at her son "Moon Goddess, I hope you make that boy a good match because from where I see it, the ferocious Alpha of the North needs some of your gifts."

Amihan

The school looks incredibly modern as I look at it from the curb of the road. The white snow blankets the ground and makes the brown building stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of this winter wonderland. 

There were a lot of students with their coats on walking around their groups and happily chattering away. Mostly they were tall blondes with blue eyes or light-colored eyes. I suddenly felt like the brown building, sticking out for looking so different from everyone. Remember what you told Sana, don't be a hypocrite. If they don't like you, then so be it. 

Clutching the car keys in my palm, I shove it deep into my coat and walk to the front entrance's cleared path. I feel everyone's gaze on me, and I've learned that it's already getting warmer as spring is coming. Still, it didn't matter to me since I lived in a tropical country for all of my life, I don't see any difference nor feel any different even when it's already been a week since we arrived.

Slowly stepping on the stairs, fearing that there would be sleet of ice and I have to slip and fall in front of all those peering eyes, I walk even slower to the doors and the warmth of the building. To make myself less anxious at the thought of having to face another social situation, I thought of how Sana looked when I first dropped her off at her new school. This must be what she felt like.

I suddenly feel incredibly guilty for forcing her to adapt to this situation we're in, but I reminded myself that this is what we needed to do, that this was the right choice. Yume, on the other hand, had enjoyed everything about his new friends in the daycare center. He sounds so excited every day last week to go to school while it took Sana a few days before actually liking the prospect of school

She finally made new friends that she's comfortable with. I've always known she's a fast learner, too, as she has started to speak longer sentences in Finnish. I was so shocked when she began to talk to Finnish that I just hugged her and cooked her favorite meal for dinner.

I never thought parenting would be like this. It's like a f*****g roller coaster filled with anxiety and worries, and there would rarely be good times, but it makes it seem all worth it.

My thoughts stopped when I hit someone's body. It was hard like a wall that throws me to my bum, and I land unceremoniously on the floor. 

"Watch it, a new girl," a massive behemoth says. It took me a while to realize that it was a girl rather than a boy who said that. It was a tall, well-built girl, which made me wonder, what the f**k are they feeding these kids here? Steroid fish?

"Uh, I'm sorry," I say, my face red as I pick myself up from the floor. It took me a while to notice that many people were looking, and I could even hear them talking to themselves probably thinking that I couldn't understand Finnish

"isn't she the new girl with kids?"

"I think so too, Alpha warned us about her."

"she might be it."

"She's beautiful, though."

I leave towards the direction of the nearest restroom. I look at the mirror in front of me and see that I am beet red since I did just humiliate myself. It didn't surprise me that much that they knew I had kids. I counted on it, hoping that they knew little things or basic things about me

It's better they talk about me being a w***e than them talking about my kids being orphans I wash my hands on the sink and splash some water on my warm face. Welcome to high school Amihan, there is nowhere like it that even in another country it's all the same with a different name.

Translations:

Äiti- Mom

Ishä- Dad

Vanhemmat- Parents