Triad Mates: Of Wolves & Dragons

Chapter Two

-Harley's POV--

I love apples, my favorite fruit, and eat one almost every day.

People go about their lives as normal as I walk out. We have enjoyed years of peace with other packs—except for the small bands of rogues that sometimes attack. Other packs are too afraid of my mother and with good reason. She alone could decimate an entire pack if she wished it but also hurt our allies in the process if not careful.

I started showing my powers when I was two. I was too young to control them so my mother had an enchanted bracelet made that would suppress my powers until I turned five. The enchantment at that point had no effect because my powers had grown and there was nothing that could suppress them anymore. Luckily, I was at an age where I understood better and so with my mother's help, I started training.

Mom keeps telling me that I am stronger than even she is but I don't see it. I can't seem to always control my powers especially when I am angry. She says it's normal but it is a nuisance really.

As I walk, I spot Titus—that slimy old man— watching me from afar.

“Nasty old fart.” I say.

Normally in a pack, a werewolf can hear you from far away and so I always try to be a bit more hushed but I want him to hear me.

I ignore him and continue walking.

When I get to the area I always train with papa, I bite into my apple as I lean on a tree. When finally I see papa Isaac walking in my direction, I narrow my eyes at him like he has done to me many times when I am late for training.

"Do I need to say it?" I ask.

"Harley, no. It's not the same. I am allowed to come late." He says.

"Ha! It's eating you inside, isn't it?" I tease him.

He is a man of habit and strict—but a loving father. So I know it really bothers him that I point it out.

"Let's just start, girl." He says. "Like always, no dragon powers."

"Fine papa, but I'm not going easy on you." I say.

He opens his mouth to answer but I don't let him. I throw my apple at him. He immediately lifts his hand to catch it and when he does, I am already rushing him. His eyes widen but my fist connects with his cheek before he can do anything.

He stumbles back and squints his eyes.

"That was a cheap shot." He says.

"It is you who always told me to always have my guard up and to expect anything in a real fight" I respond.

He smiles but rubs his cheek. "You are right. Glad you are listening to me."

The minute he finishes that sentence, I rush again. He dodges my fist but I immediately elbow him and it makes contact with his ribs.

This is when I stop and stand back, staring at him confused as to how was I able to hit him again. The first one was definitely a cheap shot but this should have been easy for him to see coming. I am able to keep up with werewolves but they have a natural speed ability that I don't possess. So he really should have seen that coming. Especially because he is an Alpha and much stronger and faster than normal werewolves.

“I thought you said that you were going to go extra hard on me... seems you are going extra soft.” I say.

Eeww... that sounded bad. My mind is so dirty. But why is he so distracted? I am good and I am fast but I am still not at his level and so I shouldn't have been able to hit him that second time.

"Dad?"

"It's fine. Come at me again." He says.

I am concerned. What could be that has him so distracted? Now thinking, Daddy Luke has been the same and even mom has been a bit odd lately.

But why?

For the next few minutes, we continue our training and he finally starts to focus. I throw a kick but dad stops it and holds my leg against his waist. He then grabs my front shirt and twirls around while I dangle as he holds me and spins, then lets me go. I fly and hit the ground, rolling on the dirt.

"Ow! Grrr!"

"Harley, you have to remember that your opponent is most likely always going to be physically stronger than you, so you have to be faster."

"I am as fast as I can be. I don't have physical superpowers." I grunt out.

"Then you gotta train more." He says.

"Uh! That doesn't help with the fact that I am still not going to be fast enough!"

"Harley... calm down." He says and now I notice that the wind has picked up and the trees rock back and forth violently.

I take a deep breath calming myself. This always happens when my emotions go haywire.

"Harley, I want you to be prepared in case someday you have to fight without your powers. That even if your powers don't work, you still have something to fall back on. There will be times when you won't be able to use them, especially if you have allies with you. Your powers are a force of nature and you can hurt them in the process." He says.

"I get that but physically I have limits!" I tell him.

"Don't be mad..." My stupid cousin—Dylan—suddenly says. "It is just a fact that my kind is just physically superior to yours."

"Do you want me to burn that fat ass of yours?" I say.

"Hey! I don't have a fat ass." He almost breaks his neck trying to look back at his butt.

"Yes, it is. It's bigger than mine."

He huffs. "Then you should probably invest some of your time in squats... flat ass."

We are always joking around like this. It is very passive-aggressive but it is all just in good fun. We get along well but he sometimes does piss me off.

I squint my eyes at him and will his pants to catch fire. The hem of the bottom of his basketball shorts ignites in a small flame.

"Ah! You did it! You actually did it!" He screams as he pats his pants.

"Harley!" Dad shouts.

"It was an accident. He got me too angry and you know what can happen when I get angry." I say, putting all the blame on Dylan and lying through my teeth cause that was no accident. It was completly intentional though I wasn't really going to hurt him, just make him jump a bit.

Dylan gasps.

"Hehehe." I give Dylan a mocking smile and walk away as he puts out the small tiny flame.

Papa sighs but doesn't say anything else and goes to start training with Dylan.

Dylan is next in line to be Alpha. Daddy Isaac is the Alpha of our entire pack. But since he has me and my brother Eliam as his children, Dylan—who is his nephew and blood— was named next in line to be Alpha.

The reason why Eliam nor I can be Alpha to the pack is that when a draconian reproduces with another supernatural being, the predominant bloodline prevails. Meaning that the offspring inherits the race of that predominant bloodline. In our case, as of yet, nothing is more powerful than my kind, draconian. Not even the pureblooded werewolves. So every child that my mother, my brother, or I have will always be draconian no matter who we mate with. Therefore papa will never have an air to take over the pack but he is content with Dylan since he is his nephew and of his own blood.

I walk inside the house and head for the kitchen where Eliam—my brother—sits on the counter.

"Harley, Harley! I levitated today with wind magic." He says with excitement.

"Oh! You did? That's awesome."

He is eight years old. He is an excitable, cheerful, and definitely loud kid.

"You two are definitely much stronger than I was at your age." Mom says.

"But then again, you didn't have the training that we have had." I say, remembering her stories of when she was growing up and also when she was in the Waver Academy where she met both my fathers. I am homeschooled but always wondered what it would be like to be in a magic school for supernatural beings like she was.

"True but still." She says.

"I am going to be so strong that I will summon Archion when I grow up." Eliam cheerfully exclaims.

Mom smiles but I can see a hint of sadness behind that smile. As much as she argues with Archion, he has been a part of her for a long time. I am sure that if I or my brother summoned him, she would feel a loss. As if she has lost a part of her. I hope it never comes to that. I hope we never have the need to summon Archion.

A pack member suddenly walks in. "Luna..." She gets close to mom and whispers in her ear.

What I would give to have super hearing right now like werewolves have. They all have been so secretive lately. It's so annoying.

My mom nods and then gives Eliam a kiss on the cheek. "Harley, take your brother with you when you go practice."

"Why?" I ask. I don't mind taking him with me at all. He is no bother. He is actually a really good kid. But I am curious as to why since she is the one that always trains him when it comes to magic.

"Just... do it. I have a meeting to go to."

"A meeting? With who?"

It is strange because most meetings involving the pack are done by the end of the month.

"Harley, just do it." She leaves the room before I can say anything else. She knows I would give her an endless supply of questions if she doesn't rush out.

"Let's go! I am ready!" Eliam says.

Carefree, he gets up and walks out while I start to follow him. As I walk, I can see a few cars arriving at the front of the house.

"Water magic! Water magic! I want to do water magic!" Eliam says.

"Yeah, okay." I say, distractedly watching.

I immediately recognize my uncle Archer. He is daddy Luke's oldest brother and Alpha to our allied pack.

"Why..." I start to mumble.

"Hey, were you in trouble this morning?" Jessie asks now walking next to me.

"Oh...No. I managed to lie my way out of that one." I say but I am distracted as I talk and walk.

He and I are not a thing. We just gave fun together. I find him attractive like all the other guys in the pack but since all werewolves have a mate somewhere, including him, there is no point in pursuing a relationship with him. We are good friends... with benefits.

"Hey, why are all those Alphas here?" I ask Jessie, pointing at the cars.

He looks in that direction. "I don't know but that is strange." He says.

I hold Eliam by the hand, stopping him from walking into the woods. "Change of plans."

"But... I want to use my magic." Eliam whines.

"You will." I say as I lead him back to the direction of the house while I also drag Jessie with me.

"I don't want to be a part of whatever you are planning." Jessie complains.

"Too bad. You already are." I say.

I stop in front of a large tree that overlooks the Alpha office.

"Okay, Eliam, you are going to use your magic to make Jessie levitate."

"What?! Me?! Why?!" Jessie panics.

"Because you are the only one who can hear from here and you are going to tell me everything they are saying."

"I am not-Ah!" Before Jessie can finish his argument, he is clumsily—and almost dropped a few times— lifted off of the ground as the wind violently pics up around us.

"This is not natural for a werewolf! Put me down! We are not meant to fly!" Jessie shouts.

"Just grab onto the branch, you big baby."

Jessie grabs onto the branch I pointed to and latches at it as if he was a cat about to fall.

"Good job Eliam." I say.

He gets excited and starts doing a dance while I use my powers to get up the tree with Jessie. Eliam then gets distracted by doing fighting moves as if he was fighting someone invisible.

"You don't even need me. The window is opened." Jessie says.

I put a finger across my mouth. "Shh."

"What are they after?" My uncle Archer asks.

"The same thing as always." Papa says.

"But these are werewolves. What use do they have for that?"

"They are probably working for another, as it always is." Dady Luke says.

"And the other packs?" Mom asks.

"There is a treaty in place and they all honor it." Uncle Archer responds.

"Good." Papa says.

Daddie Luke's eyes suddenly go in my direction and when he sees me, he narrows his eyes.

"Excuse me." He says and leaves the office.

"Quick! get down!" I say with urgency.

I push Jessie, telling him to hurry up but we both lose our footing and fall.

"Uh!" When we hit the ground, we both groan but I was lucky enough to fall on Jessie who broke my fall.

"That... really hurt." He grunts.

"Harleeey."

Dad's warning tone makes me quickly lift myself up and stand straight.

"Yeah!" I say but that came out panicked and awkward.

Jessie sprints away stiff as a board. He is always so scared and paranoid when any of my parents catch us together.

"Harley, this is grownup business. Why are you listening in?"

"Daddy look. Look what I can do!" Eliam says as he does fighting moves.

"Uhm... Ooh, come on daddy. You all have been so secretive. It's not fair. I should know too. Isn't a werewolf considered an adult at around my age?"

"It's eighteen which you are not so why should you know? And even if you were eighteen, are you a werewolf?"

I roll my eyes. "No."

"Exactly."

"Look at this kick!" Eliam says lifting his leg up but falling flat on his butt, but we are definitely ignoring him.

Time to be a brat.

"But... but... Daddyyyy." I whine.

He sighs.

It always works with him. Papa Isaac is a bit more strict but he still can't resist my puppy eyes and daddy Luke always gives in immediately. Mom is the one that can see through me but even then, she still goes easy on me.

I have such great parents. I love them so much.

"Harley, these are not things you should be concerning yourself with."

"But daddy, if this is something serious, then the whole pack has a right to know."

"I can do this too daddy!" Eliam shouts making awkward movements that don't even look like fighting moves anymore.

"Sweetheart, focus on your tasks for today-"

"You know I am not stopping." I say before he can finish.

"Harley, okay, look... some people have been making threats. That's all." He says.

"Threats?" I ask. "It has to be serious if it has pops concerned and has uncle Archer drive all the way here."

"It's just because we haven't had a threat in years." He explains.

"Are you sure it's nothing big?" I don't know if I believe what he is telling me.

"Yes. Don't worry, okay?"

I nod. "Okay...fine..." I give him the sweetest smile I can give him. I am not stopping, I will ask again later but now I want something else because it seems like the appropriate time to ask.

"What do you want?" He asks, knowing that I am now trying to butter him up.

"Can I get a Lamborghini for my birthday.... pleaaaaasse."

"No."

"But daddyyyy."

"Harley... no."

"It's because mom said no, isn't it?" I give him a pouty mouth and puppy eyes.

He sighs. "You can drive mine on your birthday and we'll see if we can... persuade your mother. But she has the last say."

I nod because at least it's not a definite no.

Daddy has a silver Lamborginy Veneno and it is sick. I want it so bad and it is my birthday next Monday so why not ask?

"So I can really drive it?" I am excited.

"Yes, but only if I am with you and you need to stop sneaking around like this." He points to the window and back at me.

I vigorously nod. "Okay!"

"Okay, good. Now show me those moves again, Eliam." He says to my brother.

We both watch my brother do his moves. None of it looks right but he is just a kid. We still clap to be encouraging.

"Awwoooooooo!" There is a sudden howling in the distance that gets me alarmed because it does not sound familiar or like a normal howl to me and it is very close to our pack house.

"Harley, take your brother inside! Get inside now!" Daddy yells.

"Why? What is going on?!"

I am so panicked. This has never happened before and not even with rogues. They have never gotten this close to the pack houses.