IN FULL COLOUR - Dark Fantasy
Chapter 37

Axel

Not wanting my sister to wait for too long, I showered as fast as I could, washing away the sweat, dirt and blood from my brawl with John earlier.

I knew our encounter only intensified the tension between us and was certain it wouldn’t be the last time he tried to attack me. I huffed in annoyance. It took a special kind of bastard to attack a man from behind, one I should definitely be very wary of and never underestimate. John was strong, fast and skilled, but he was also vain, deceitful and smart. A deadly combination.

Dressing in casual blue jeans and a crisp white t-shirt, I jogged down the stairs, anxious to hear what news my sister had brought with her from Shadow Creek.

When I reached the charming, lush garden in Dire Mountain’s village centre, my sister, Ray, Alpha Blake, Luna Enola and Gabrielle were already seated around a white stone table with various refreshments and drinks scattered about. Each white wooden chair had two colourful cushions on it and only one empty chair remained, obviously belonging to me.

It was situated in between my sister and Alpha Blake, Gabrielle’s father. Great.

Ray sat to my sisters right, with his large, muscular hand protectively placed in her lap. They truly were the perfect couple. Ray always seemed to understand Lily’s needs and she respected him as her Alpha and husband, obeying his every command and enforcing his will within the pack. The only man she had ever bowed before willingly. He was her king, and she was his queen.

They complimented each other perfectly. Always had. Where Lily was weak, Ray was strong and vice versa. They worked together as a team in every aspect of their lives, making their pack strong with their powerful relationship in its centre.

Lily had given up her eyesight for him and he had given seven years of his life, all in the name of love. I had no doubt in my mind that they would gladly die for one another if it ever came down to it.

The lively chatter around the table quieted momentarily as I stepped closer, carefully taking a seat in between the two people who probably despised me most out of everyone already seated there.

I nodded awkwardly and cleared my throat to grumble a string of polite hello’s.

Gabrielle sat across from me and gave me a small reassuring smile after I finally greeted everyone and lifted my face to appreciate her lovely presence.

Her father was the only person who didn’t greet me back and merely grunted his acknowledgement of me when I greeted him.

The tension after my greeting remained thick and uncomfortable. No one spoke and it seemed everyone was waiting for someone else to say what was on everyone’s lips. Lily's fingernail tapped irritably on the wooden armrest of her chair and Alpha Blake's jaw tightened.

“So, Lil,” I finally started, but my sister couldn’t hold it in any longer and exploded.

“Care to explain what happened back there!?” She growled, that dull pale-blue eyes of hers lighting up in anger.

All faces snapped towards me. All except for Gabrielle’s, who had lowered her face to the ground.

“I,” I wasn’t sure what Gabrielle would want me to say and what not to, it was her business with John, and I had no right to interfere, especially since I didn’t even know what had happened between them in the first place. Why he had grabbed her and why he had been there, in my room to even begin with.

“Axel-uh, he,” Gabrielle searched for the right words, “stood up for my honour.”

Now everyone was staring at her, but I glanced towards her father. His reaction. Did he know what was going on between her and John? Was I supposed to be concerned?

His eyes pulled into thin lines as he studied his only daughter.

She didn’t explain any further and took a casual sip of her drink, indicating that there wasn't anything more to say about the matter. That it was dealt with.

Luckily, Ray spoke up and broke a bit of the tension, “well, that’s a relief, for a moment there I thought you were going to send him back with us.” Raiden chuckled at his own joke. Gabrielle also smiled, but no one else seemed to think it was very funny.

Alpha Blake’s eyes lingered on his daughter even as all others had looked away. His face remained solemn, serious. Chatter started up again as Luna Enola added to Ray’s half-ass attempt at a joke and soon the tension lifted completely. Everyone was happy again.

Thanks, brother.

As the conversation flowed, Gabrielle’s fingers slid unintentionally over the faint remains of light-blue finger-marks still edged into the tender skin around her wrists, and her father caught it immediately. The watchful Alpha’s eyes studied it and hardened. A deep frown formed across his forehead, and he stood up abruptly, muscles taught, and said to no one in particular, “excuse me,” in a gruff voice.

No one seemed to think anything of it as the Alpha took large deliberate strides back into the main building with his fingers already balling at his sides.

“Did you hear what I said, Axel?” Lily spoke up again, drawing my attention away from Gabrielle’s father and back to the table.

Everyone was staring at me with unreadable expressions on their faces as they waited for my reply.

“Uh-sorry, say that again?”

“I said, you are going to be an uncle.”

Everything around me stopped.

My breathing stopped.

“Wha-” my mouth fell open.

Lily’s face glowed with joy. Even her pale, lifeless eyes had gained a glimmer of light in them.

“You’re pregnant!?” She nodded like an excited little schoolgirl. As if I couldn’t believe it myself, I turned to Raiden for confirmation and he nodded too, mirroring the smiles that had crawled onto everyone’s faces around the table.

I couldn’t contain myself. Jumping out of my chair, I hauled her out of hers and pulled her into my chest for a brother-sister-bearhug. She was giggling in pure delight, and it was like music to my ears. My sister deserved every bit of happiness that came her way. She, they, Ray and herself had been through enough hell already. They needed this. We all did.

A little sparkle of light in our dark world full of misery and despair.

We, all of us, would make sure that little pup was happy and safe and cared for even if it killed us.

I would be the best damn uncle the world had ever seen, that was a promise I could live by.