The Forest

Thirty-One.

I trust Lyk.

He had proven himself to be a good person multiple time over. In the end it's my dad that I don't trust.

Every child likes to put their parents in a good light when they are young. But then you grow up and all the bad sides come full force at you. The once great man I saw in my dad diminished into an angry man.

I still love him just as I love my mom. But he definitely has some issues and Lyk may not be aware of that.

I had also been the one to push Lyk into telling my father. So, it's only fair that I be there to perform any type of damage control that could be needed.

I do believe Lyk telling him will be better than someone else or in the worst-case scenario my dad finding out himself. I'd much rather hear it that way if something like that was ever to happen to me. Or at least some big things such as this.

I moved out into the meadows pulling up my dress to prevent myself from tripping on it. I didn't struggle too much with my dress when it comes to moving through soft snow but running is a different situation. 

Lyk had stopped in front of my dad who had started on a stall for one of the horses.

I got there just as my dad turned around to face Lyk. I stopped in front of them and leaned down to catch my breath.

"Are you okay Ruby?" Lyk asked.

"I'm fine. Go ahead." I murmured.

"Is something wrong?" Dad asked as he set down his hammer.

"No, I came over to talk to you. . . if you have a minute of course." Lyk answered.

Dad turned around. "Yeah, what is it you need to talk about?" Dad asked.

It was finally happening. My entire family was about to become one, well what's left of it? My grandmother had died, and I don't know about any of my mom's siblings. She never spoke of them, and I never recalled meeting any.

I have a new family here though. Thorin is someone I'm related to even if he doesn't seem too fond of me. Lotus seems to like me which is what counts. Thorin goes along with anything she tells him.

"So, I know this may come as a surprise considering how you have grown up." Lyk started.

"When I offered to guide you and your wife to the cities it wasn't just out of the kindness of my heart. I am a selfish person at heart, but like all wolf-shifters here I have a very large sense of family duty and loyalty."

I'm not sure if there is a correct method to going about telling your son that you are his father. Especially after all the time that has passed.

"Are you related to the wolf that has been courting my daughter?" Dad asked.

"Court? No, not at all. Our two packs are decently close, but incest is very frowned upon in our culture. I knew his mother and his father, but we come from two separate lines, my only relative here is my pack leader Thorin. His father was my brother." Lyk answered.

"What does incest have to do with my daughter?" Dad asked.

Lyk sighed. He glanced at me, and I gave him an encouraging smile. He must get this done. He's too far in now to back out of it.

"Incest has nothing to do with your daughter. As I said I am not related to Court so there is no incest being committed. There has never been any familial relation between Court's line and my line." Lyk answered.

"Why would incest even be a subject if you and Court were related?" My dad asked.

He set down all his tools and turned over to give Lyk his full attention. There was a tension in the air now, most of it coming from dad.