Alpha's Legacy (Black Moon Saga Book 3)

10. A Surprise Invitation

Our morning starts as early as promised, with Tian knocking on my door to get me up just before dawn. After a shower and packing up my things so they can be loaded back into our vehicle, I follow him down to the kitchen for a special breakfast that he has apparently prepared for me.

“It will be about another hour or so before the cooks start making breakfast for everyone else, and I didn’t want you to leave here hungry,” he explains in response to my surprised interrogation. “But we can’t linger here much longer, so you’ll need to eat quickly.”

When we make it to the kitchen, there’s another surprise waiting for us. Rowan. He’s sitting at the counter island munching on a bowl of cereal, and when he looks up and sees us coming into the room, he looks about as shocked as I feel.

“Anna,” he greets me, saying it as though he’s disbelieving that I’m here.

“Anna Jade,” Tian corrects him, though he does it rather gently considering how much he seemed to dislike Rowan the night before. “It’s considered disrespectful to address a caster by nicknames or shortened versions of their names, because for casters more than anyone else, names hold significance.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” Rowan apologizes, a sheepish expression on his face. “Any of that, actually. I didn’t know about casters and their names, and I also didn’t realize you were one, Anna Jade. I could swear you smell like a wolf, and plus I know your mother is a powerful werewolf, so I just assumed you were as well.”

“I’m a hybrid,” I explain, dreading the reaction I know is coming. It makes sense that he didn’t realize. That would explain why he’s been so friendly. “Both a witch and a werewolf.”

“Oh wow. That’s really cool.”

I can’t believe it’s happening, but he seems genuine when he says that.

“So, are you adopted?” he wonders next.

How can he know who my mother is, as he should because she’s his Alpha for crying out loud, but not seem to know that one of her mates is a warlock?

“You do understand that Alpha Kylie has three mates, one of which is a caster?” Tian questions him, apparently thinking along the same lines that I am. “Alpha Eramund is Anna Jade’s biological father. And no, she’s not adopted.”

“Oh,” Rowan answers him, his face as red as the berries on his cereal. “I’ve never met Alpha Kylie personally, and the only one of her mates I’ve met other than you was Adam, another Alpha wolf. I’ve met some of Anna Jade’s siblings as well, and they were all his. I guess I assumed that all of Alpha Kylie’s kids were. I didn’t even know hybrids were a thing, but now that I do, I think it’s pretty cool. So, I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone.”

“I’m not offended,” I tell him honestly, giving him what I hope comes off as a friendly, reassuring smile.

In fact, I’m rather thrilled by his reaction. People usually have to get to know me before they can get past the fact that I’m part-witch, and most of them aren’t interested in doing that.

He continues chatting with me as I wolf down my breakfast, trying my best not to be the reason why we end up behind schedule. I really do want to visit the zoo, which I end up telling Rowan about. He seems as excited about it as I am.

“What responsibilities do you have on your schedule for today, Rowan?” Tian asks, suddenly cutting into our conversation.

“I’m on sorting and stocking today,” Rowan responds, seeming uncertain about being questioned like that by Tian. “I, uh, I suppose I should probably leave you to it and get ready for work. Hope you have fun today, Anna Jade.”

“I’m not trying to kick you out,” Tian clarifies, chuckling a little bit. “I was wondering if it was anything important that couldn’t be covered by someone else because I thought that maybe you’d like to come with us.”

“Okay, wow. Give me like five minutes,” Rowan says, hopping up from his stool excitedly. “Because yes, I’d like that very much, and I’m pretty sure I can find someone to cover my shifts. Be right back.”

“If you get a chance, pack a quick overnight bag as well,” Tian calls after him.

After he’s gone, I’m still sitting there in shock, slowly chewing my food as I process what just happened.

“I spent much of the night thinking over your desire to be friends with that boy and remembering our previous conversation about the troubles you’ve had making and keeping friends,” Tian begins to explain softly, standing right behind me to grasp my shoulder, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb as he speaks. “He may be ignorant, sheltered, and uninformed, but I think I might agree with you that he’d make a good friend.”

I snort a little laughing at how haughty and judgmental he sounds while saying that, but I must admit that it’s progress from where he was about it all last night.

“He seems open-minded and accepting, and that’s the important thing,” he goes on. “Perhaps I should have cleared it with you first, but I saw an opportunity to snag you a companion for a couple days, and I impulsively took it. I can bring him back tomorrow or the next day, depending how things turn out with our visit to Luna’s Grace.”

“I’m fine with it,” I assure him. “Excited even. As much as I love having you along, it will be nice to share this with someone more my age.”

Luckily, Tian is quite used to people taking jabs at his age, my own father most of all, so he only laughs at that comment.

“If ‘more your age’ is your only specification, then even Anya fits the criteria,” he jests in return.

I don’t know exactly how old Anya is, but I think it’s at least multiple centuries. He’s obviously having his own bit of fun here, and I’m glad to see it. He was kind of crabby just last night.

He leans in to kiss the back of my head and gives my shoulder one last affectionate pat.

“I’m going to track down Commander Blake and run our plan to take your friend Rowan by him, and then I’ll meet you out front in a few minutes.”

Impressively, it’s actually Rowan who gets there first and sets right to helping me load up our luggage. Tian joins us only a couple minutes later, sauntering up to where Rowan and I are waiting with a smirk on his face.

“Shotgun!” he calls out without warning. “You’re in back, blondie.”

Rowan just sort of stands there in shock for a moment before allowing his face to break out into a huge smile.

“You’re not at all what I expected,” he comments, shaking his head.

“From your Alpha, from a vampire, or from your friend’s father?” Tian wonders, returning Rowan’s smile.

“All of the above,” Rowan admits somewhat sheepishly before adding, “but mostly from the guy who didn’t seem to like me much yesterday.”

“I’ve reconsidered,” Tian tells him, reaching to open the front passenger door so he can get in. “But just keep in mind that I am still all of the above, so keep your attitude in check and your hands off my daughter.”

“Noted,” Rowan chuckles, opening his own door to join us in the truck.

“You know, I was born and raised here at Redwood and have never really been many places,” he starts saying once he’s seated and working on buckling himself in. “I’m not really anybody special, not even a warrior or anything, so this is probably the coolest thing that will ever happen to me.”

Tian turns in his seat and looks back at him with the same warm, affectionate smile he always gives me.

“I have a feeling that you and Anna Jade will turn out to be the best of friends,” he tells him. “And we’re glad to have you along. I never pictured myself chaperoning two practically grown werewolves on a day trip to the zoo, but now that this day has come, it very well may prove to be the coolest thing I’ve ever done as well.”

I know he’s exaggerating. He’s been around for some of the most profound events in both human and supernatural history, so a day trip to the zoo is nothing. But I also know he means he’s glad and maybe even honored to be able to do something so simple that will mean so much to two young people who haven’t experienced much in their short lives. I also hope he’s right about Rowan and me as friends because I could really use one.