Welcome Home Mate

Chapter 11

ROXIE

I walked down the stairs and noticed my Uncle shaking Sofia’s hand.

As I reach the bottom step, he turns around and faces me. “Roxie,” he says.

I c****d my head to the side and smirked. “You know you could have explained this on the phone and never had to leave your pack,” I said to him.

Uncle Keith looks at me with a pretend shocked face. “You swear you never want me here,” he says. His shocked expression changes into a smile, and he holds out his arms to me.

I couldn’t help but walk over and hug the big buffoon. He has been there for me through everything. He also knows more about what happened with the school here, after he followed me to school to see how I was coping. He witnessed his only niece get bullied.

Let’s just say it didn’t go down too well for the kids who did the bullying.

I pulled back and looked up at him.

He looks down at me. “Sweetheart, we had no choice in not telling you about Lex being your mate,” he says.

I nod.

“I know and understand, but how did you know about it?” I asked him as I walked over to the couch and sat next to my father.

My father smiles at me and places his hand in mine.

I looked at my Uncle, who had taken the chair opposite me, while Jason and Sofia took the two-seater sofa on the other side.

My Uncle looks at me and sighs. “ Well, I was here on my annual visit to see your dad. I didn’t know what was happening until Alpha Frank asked me to join him in the office. When I got there, Lex was there with him. Lex explained that he was your mate and that Blaze found it hard to be around you. I offered to take you to my pack and for you to live with me.”

I looked at him; his eyes were searching my face.

“I wanted to tell you about all of this, but I knew it wasn’t my place to tell you,” he says. “I know you were suffering, especially after the confrontation with Lex.”

I sigh.

“I don’t blame any of you,” I said, looking at them. “I know you had to keep it from me, and it was for my own good.”

They all looked relieved by what I said.

I leaned back onto the couch, “I need to train,” I said, trying to change the subject.

“We train every morning,” says Sofia.

I looked at her and smiled.

I glanced at my Uncle, who was staring at me; he knew why I asked for training.

“I’m going to make a cup of tea,” says my father. He gets up from the couch after gently squeezing my hand. He lets go and walks into the kitchen.

I glanced at Jason; he had a blank expression on his face. He must have been mind-linking someone.

“I’m going to go outside for some air,” I said.

I got up and moved toward the front door.

I opened it and closed the door after me.

I stood outside and closed my eyes.

I let the freshness of the breeze take over me as I take in deep breaths.

I open my eyes, and they instantly opened on the swinging chair seat. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I felt down or needed space. The swinging chair was my place to go; I walked over and sat down.

I couldn’t help but stare out at the flower bed, and I needed to plant some more flowers. Maybe add new ones in.

“You okay?” asks Bex as she comes closer.

I know she heard everything that Uncle Keith told us.

“Yeah,” I say to her.

She stares at me, “You think we could go for a run later,” she asks.

I smile.

“Yeah, sure we can,” I said.

I leaned forward and looked at the flowerbed.

“Bex, do you think we could be happy with Alexander?” I asked her.

Bex looks at me and smiles, “I think we can, but I’m letting you decide that one out,” she says as a slow smirk forms on her face. “I will only take over if you make it harder for us.”

I smirked, “I know you will, and I also know you liked hearing about Blaze,” I said to her.

Bex grinned. “Too right, if I remember rightly, he was a huge wolf and even had a huge c**k,” she says.

I looked back at her, stunned.

“How the hell do you remember his c**k?” I asked her. But something clicks, and I can’t help but groan.

“Really,” I said to her.

Bex burst out laughing, “only you would think it would be time we caught him outside the forest clearing before he shifted into his human.”

I groaned, “well, it was the only time we saw his wolf,” I said to her.

Bex smiled. “Oh yes, it was, but I know full well he has a big c**k, like his human is huge too.”

I groaned out and leaned back onto the swinging chair.

Damn wolf, now I can’t get the image of Alexander shifting and standing completely naked in front of me.

Bex laughs, but she stops when I speak again. “I don’t want to remember that day Alexander brought that girl from school back with him, and they were f*****g in the spare room.”

Bex glares at me. “I remember, especially what happened after, even though you blocked me,” she says.

I stare back at her.

I remember it well; the girl in question walks out of the spare room. She was one of the most popular girls. I was downstairs in the kitchen, and I could hear everything that was going on in the room as it was right next door to mine. Why the hell did we have paper-thin walls?

The girl was about to leave but must have noticed I was there. She went into the kitchen and demanded a drink. I was never one to please anyone, but let’s just say she wasn’t too happy when I told her no. I never saw it coming. She gripped me by my hair and slammed my face into the kitchen counter, hard. I remember her breath on my cheek as she pushed my face down onto the counter, telling me I was worthless and only good for one thing, and that was for letting her be here with Lex.

She pulled me up and punched me in the face; she walked away as I slumped down to the ground. I placed a block on Bex all that time as I didn’t want her to come out to defend me.

I could hear growling in my head, which brought me back from my thoughts.

I looked back at her, “I would have killed her,” she said, snarling.

I sighed, “I know you would have, but I had it worse than anything,” I said.

Bex stopped snarling and looked at me. She sighs. “I wish I could give you a hug,” she says as she lays back down in my head.

I nodded, “Me too Bex,” I said to her.

I look at the flowerbed, but my mind wanders to the whole incident with the girl. I didn’t see anyone that day as I stayed in my room, as I had a bruise on my face. I made out that I was ill.

I also vowed to never stay in the house when Alexander was there; that night was the first and last time he did it. My father never knew about it, but Jason did.

As I stated before, no one knows what happened to me during school. They would if they ever bothered to read my diaries. Jason told Alexander that I had a crush on him as he read one of my diaries, but I know he read the one I left out for my father and him to read. The decoy one, not the actual one.

“Penny for your thoughts,” says a voice, as it draws me out of my mind as I turn to look at them.

Uncle Keith.

I smiled at him.

“You okay?” he asks as he joins me on the swinging chair.

I looked ahead, not looking at him.

“I don’t know,” I said to him, “I understand everything everyone has told me, and I believe that part, but Alexander never saw me as a human, just a little girl who was his best friend’s sister.”

I looked over at him, “You know more about what happened here than anyone, as I told you when you made me open up to you,” I said.

I glanced at the house, “I don’t want people to feel sorry for me because I was picked on or because I was different,” I said as I looked back at him. “I worked my ass off in your pack to be the best I could be, and I did it all on my own and with you and Bex by my side.”

Uncle Keith nods, “You have grown up more over the last six years, and I know there was more that you didn’t tell me, but I was happy that you told me what you did even though I would love to see those people do it now to you,” he says with a smirk.

I looked at him, and I could see the smirk on Bex’s face.

I sighed, “I noticed the look when I mentioned training,” I said to him. “I won’t hurt anyone. I just need to keep it up as it helps me concentrate more, and besides, I want to be prepared for anything.”

Uncle Keith looks at me but doesn’t say anything for a while, but he turns to look at the flowerbed, “I trained you because I knew you would be a Luna, and I wanted you to be able to fight,” he says, and looks back at me, “I wanted you to know how to look after yourself and also others.”

I smile.

“Thank you for showing me how,” I said.

He nods and smiles, “You know, we had best go in before your father thinks we are planning your escape back to my pack,” he says.

I looked at him, confused. “Why would he think I would be going back?” I asked.

Uncle Keith looked at me, “Well, considering you punched Lex in the face and haven’t exactly spoken about your plans, he thinks that he might lose you,” he said.

A smirk formed on his face, “So you punched the alpha,” he said.

I smirked and nodded at him.

Uncle Keith laughs, “I would have loved to see that,” he says.

“Well, if he keeps making the comments he told me earlier, he probably will have a few more,” I said.

Uncle Keith smirks, “Jason told me something about breaking your fingernail,” he says.

I nod.

“What an ass?” he says.

I couldn’t help the slight laugh, “I know,” I said.

I got up off the swinging chair and stood in front of my Uncle.

He gets up and stands at the side of me, “I think if you do train, don’t show your true hand. Leave it for when you need to,” he says as we walk toward the house.

I nodded, “I know,” I said to him. “I can do more damage if I want to; all the training I have had over the last six years has made me stronger. I want to make you proud,” I said to him, making him stop in his tracks.

Uncle Keith looks at me, “I’ve been proud of you since day one,” he says as he pulls me to his side.

He looked at the door, “I think I will stay awhile longer; I need to make sure your father is alright,” he said.

I look up at him, and I have to admit, I hate being short.

“He seemed okay, but now, he seems fragile since this has come to light,” I said.

Uncle Keith nods, “I agree, I think I will take him out, and with your permission, I want him to show him the videos of your fights,” he says.

I looked at him for a moment. I know my father would have a heart attack if he ever witnessed the fighting I do, but I think he has the right to know.

I nod my head, “Okay, but show him a mild one,” I tell him, but he smirks, “You never did mild.”

Bex smirks. “Too right, we always went full pelt at the person and then wondered why we were slow at healing.”

I couldn’t help but agree with her.

I began fighting to get rid of frustration; all I had to think about was a memory of my past, and away I went. Fighting in street fights was my specialty, but I also go in a cage; no one would think I could beat them due to my size, but that was the irony. No one would suspect that I would hurt them.

Uncle Keith moves and opens the front door as I pull myself from my thoughts. I needed to go in and spend some time with my family.

I looked around the lounge; Jason and Sofia headed toward the kitchen while my father was back on the couch. I walked over to him and leaned my head on his shoulder, “You okay, pumpkin?” he asked as he placed his hand back in mine.

“I am, dad,” I said to him. I pulled his hand up to my lips and placed a kiss on the back of his hand.

“I love you,” I said to him.

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he said.

Uncle Keith heads to the kitchen.

I think this is a good thing; all I need right now is to spend some quality time with my family.

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” says Bex. I look back at her, and she smiles, “Dad’s scent is calming.”

I couldn’t agree more.

It was so good to be home.