Their Whirlwind Love

Chapter 4: Patrick

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear, Layla! Happy birthday to you!”

I clap along with everyone as little Layla blows out her number two candle on top of the three-tier, pink and purple covered birthday cake.

Then more clapping follows when she starts to open the mountain of gifts next to her, with help from Camila.

A child’s birthday is usually not my scene but Beta Marcos insisted I be here, as well as Fae and Dem.

I know it’s just so they can keep an eye on me. Probably think that at any moment I will go off and end the misery that my life has turned into. I must admit, it does sound appealing. But there is no way I could put my sister through that. She has already lost so much.

Our parents are the main source of loss and abandonment for both of us.

I was a young boy when we lost them. Fae was a brand new pup. We went to the Candlelight Festival in the village. The Candlelight Festival is a yearly event that the Yellow Moon pack has. Many other packs come and participate. It is a special time in the year that is organised in honor of our Moon Goddess and the name-ceremony of many of the new pups in the pack.

Mother’s name was Calista. She was short in stature, thin, with dark brown hair and had a heart-shaped face. Fae looks just like her.

Our father was named William. He was a strong member of the pack guard and loved my mother with all his heart.

We were all excited by the arrival of Fae and were even more excited that she would finally be named. Mother chose the name Fae for my baby sister because of her strong faith in our beloved Moon Goddess.

We only stayed for the name ceremony and went home right after. I had wanted to stay to play with the other children from the other packs but Mother had cooked a big dinner to celebrate that night and we needed to get home to it.

We lived in a small cottage on the outskirts of the village. Our father had built it with his own hands for our mother when they first mated. It was a small cottage made of sturdy stones and a wooden roof. It had two small rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room. It wasn’t extravagant, but it was home.

We were walking on our normal path, through the woods. Father had me on his shoulders and Mother cradled Fae in her arms. We were singing out loud and the birds and owls in the words chirped along with us. We were so joyful.

Suddenly, the woods became silent. Father put his hand out to silence us and slowly took me off his shoulders. Mother hugged me close to her as Father phased into his brown wolf form. He growled in the direction of the path right in front of us. I looked ahead and at first I couldn’t see anything. Then I focused more closely and saw the glowing of eyes. I saw them for an instant and then they were gone. I looked around and then I saw them again, up in the trees.

I looked at the trees around it and saw three more sets of eyes. Father placed himself in front of us. Shielding us from the danger. Mother whimpered and Fae started to cry. She could feel our Mother’s fear. The first set of eyes jumped down from the tree and stalked towards Father. It was male, tall and lean. The closer he came, the clearer I was able to see his blood-red eyes.

Vampires.

Filthy, blood-sucking creatures that kill for pleasure. Vampires have always been our sworn-enemies. We have been at war for many years. They have never crossed our border lines though.

The other two soon followed the leader. Father was outnumbered. Mother knew it too. She handed me Fae. Kissed my forehead and before she phased into her wolf form she said, “Patrick, son. Listen closely. Turn around and run as fast as you can back to the village. Don’t stop running, no matter what you hear. Do you understand?”

I couldn’t even respond. The fear had me frozen in place.

“Go, Patrick! Save your sister. Run!” Mother screamed and then phased into her gray wolf. She barked at us and then turned to stand by Father.

I was still frozen in my spot and couldn’t move. Fae was crying and flaying in my arms. I was torn between helping our parents and following Mother’s orders. When the vampires ran towards our parents, I turned and ran with Fae.

I could hear the thrashing, growls, grunts and then painful howls.

I didn’t look back. I kept running towards the village.

Halfway to the village, the Alpha and three warriors ran past me towards Mother and Father. Father must have mindlinked them.

The Alpha didn’t even look in our direction. His son, the young prince Damian, who was in his black wolf form, stopped next to us.

He mind-linked me, “Get your sister and yourself to the castle, boy.” Then he ran after the Alpha and other warriors.

I kept running until I got to the castle with Fae in my arms. The omega wolves took us to the kitchen and kept us there until the young Prince Damian came back.

He came in his human form and got down on one knee in front of me.

“I’m sorry, son. We were too late,” he said to me.

Our parents were gone and we were orphaned.

That was the day that my hatred for the vampire species was born. We stayed with an omega family until I was old enough to work and raise Fae on my own. We moved back to our parent’s home and have lived there together up until a few months ago when Fae moved with her mate, Demetrio, to his species' lands.

The vampire lands.

In a weird twisted turn of destiny, my sister’s mate turned out to be a vampire.

At first, my prejudices took over and I fought their mating. I didn’t want to accept it. Then my sister was taken by a cruel warlock and Demetrio fought to get her back and, in a sense, healed her, but that’s another story.

If it wasn’t for Dem, I would have lost Fae. I would have been alone in this world. So, within time, Demetiro grew on me. Soon, they are going to make me an uncle, because my sister will be having two pups soon.

I look over at her sitting next to Luna Karime, with baby Luca on her lap. Luna Karime is mate to our current alpha, Alpha Damian. Before Fae found her mate, she was nanny to Luca, the first hybrid in our magical world, half wolf and half vampire.

Yes. Even our devoted Luna is a vampire.

I shake my head and smile. The irony never ceases to surprise me.

Dem walks over and stands next to me. “You okay there, Patty-cakes?” he says with a smirk.

I look over at him and flip him off.

“All smiles and giggles, I see,” he says to me.

“f**k off,” I respond.

“Now. That’s no language to be used at a kid’s birthday party.” Dem says with a laugh.

I roll my eyes.

“Dude, your moodiness is ruining the happy, bday vibe going on here. Fae is worried about you and as much as I am liking the misery you are in, I do not like to see my mate upset. So turn that f*****g frown upside down, eat some damn cake, and fake that you are having a good time.” Demetrio whispers to me with a fake smile on his face, then shoves a plate with a piece of cake in my hand, and walks away.

I look at Fae again and sure enough she is looking my way with a worried frown.

I do as I was told and I fake a smile and give her a little wave.

Her frown disappears and she waves back at me. I purposefully put a piece of cake in my mouth and “mmm” faking that it's good. Fae’s smile grows larger and she gives me a thumbs up. I look at Dem, standing next to Fae and he silently does a clapping motion with his hands. There is only so much faking I can take and I take that as my cue to head out.

I wave goodbye and walk out the fence doors. I throw the plate of cake and spit out what is in my mouth into the wastebasket. Food has no taste for me anymore. Nothing brings me joy anymore.

Not after I lost Kate.

Not after I lost Victoria.

Victoria.

My mate.

I was such a stubborn dumbass.

I was given the gift of Victoria as my mate. Victoria. A beautiful, vivacious female with a kind and caring soul. And what did I do?

What not even the most idiotic dumbass would do.

I let her get away.

I broke her heart and I have no idea how to fix it.

I won’t stop trying, though. I can’t stop trying.

Like she told me on the phone, the last time I heard her beautiful voice, even if it was an angry tone, I had “f****d up royally”. I don’t care if the only tone she uses with me is anger, I will take her any way I can get her.

Seeing her in her dragon form is the last image I see when I close my eyes and the first image that comes to mind when I wake up. She haunts my dreams and I can’t stop thinking about her.

That is the only thing keeping me going. The hope that I can win her back. That I can put back the pieces of her shattered heart. I don’t care how much she pushed me away, I will not stop till she accepts me again.