The things your parents never tell you

Chapter 8

Mark's POV

"Alpha, We need to talk." I heard Joe, my Beta, Through the mind link. I didn't want to leave my little mate, but we did just have a hunter attack, again. I slowly get up, careful not wake her and threw on clothes. I jogged down to the kitchen finding my parents, Joe, Grant and Leah's friend Carter all sitting at the table talking.  

"Hey, Joe, What's up?" I asked as I took a seat next to him. He started to talk then a face-splitting grin took over his face, it was almost creepy. I cocked an eyebrow at him. "What?" then the whole table, minus Carter, erupted in laughter. I looked around at all of them, puzzled. Then it hit me, the mark. I blushed a bit and they all laughed harder. Grant leaned over and whispered in Carter's ear and he joined in the laughter. My Father looked at me, smiling widely. "I am so happy for you son. I know you have been waiting a long time for her. You couldn't get a better mate and Luna. I saw her fighting today, she didn't run, she faced the hunters with courage and grace." My Mother nodded, "Just like her mother." I smiled and the other lunatics kept laughing. Children. I smelled her before I saw her. I looked up at Leah, she was wearing my clothes, her hair was damp, hanging down her back. She smiled at me and walked over to me. I pulled her into my lap. 

"You know, you boys sound like a pack of hyenas." She laughed at the faces as they stopped laughing and gave her a slack-jawed, bug-eyed looks. Then I joined her and parents in laughing the three stooges. When the laughter died down I asked her, "So, what was that earlier? The skill you showed with a sword, that I didn't even know where you got, was incredible." "Thank you, from as back as I can remember, my Mom would train me to fight. Hand to hand combat, sword skills, archery, knives, and firearms. She told me that being a girl, shouldn't mean that I was weak. She told me someday, I would need all she taught me and that someday, I would be someone important. I always thought it was just something you told your children. I took all her lessons to heart. My Father and Mother both trained me to be strong and independent. Dad would wake me early every morning for endurance and strength training and my Mom would teach me combat skills. I was in sports in school, that is part of my scholarship. My parents pushed me to study hard and I enjoyed learning so my grades were always top notch. Carter always teased me that I was easy to sneak up on, but he is the only person that can do that. I'm a fucking ninja." she finished by sticking her tongue out at Carter.  

Everyone snickered. "So, you are trained to be a warrior?" She nodded. I looked at my parents. My mom spoke first. "Leah, I was best friends with your mother when she first met your father. She was human and felt weak around us because we were wolves, so Roland agreed to train her. She took to it like a duck to water. She ended up being our best warrior, human or not. When the hunters decided to end your line, for reasons we don't know yet, your parents were terrified for you, so they left. We were all devastated. They didn't know how to keep you safe so they took you far away." She sighed. Before she could continue, Leah spoke. "It didn't work, they killed them anyway, I barely made it out alive. I had just graduated high school and I was getting ready to start college in the fall. It was two weeks before the start of the fall semester and I was getting ready for bed when I smelled the smoke. I ran to my parent's room and I saw them, they were laying in their bed, both of their throats were slashed and there was blood everywhere. Flames surrounded the bed, I couldn't get to them, not that it would have made any difference, they were gone, still holding on the each other. I heard a noise behind me and turned to see three large men heading straight for me. I fought them off, I killed them. I ran downstairs just as the flames took out the entire top floor and a huge beam fell from the ceiling almost crushing me. I ran next door and called 9-1-1 from the neighbor's house, by the time they arrive, there was nothing left. Everything I knew, everyone I loved, gone in a pile of ash. Leaving me alone with a pile of debt and nowhere to go, but school. I went to school, I worked my ass off in a diner, I still trained every morning. I met Carter a week later and he helped me pull myself back together." She shrugged when she finished and I wiped the tears from her face. 

"I am so sorry, Leah. Thom didn't tell us that he found you or we would have helped you. You were family." Grant sniffled. Everyone was crying. Leah looked at each of us one at a time, taking in the tears and smiled. "I know that now and you are. You have to know that it means a lot to me to be here now. I feel like I finally came home. I don't remember ever being anywhere but Houston, but I never felt at home there." My dad nodded. "That is because this has always been your home. We have always been your family and you have always been destined to be our Luna. Welcome home, Leah." She beamed him a beautiful smile and I kissed her forehead. She shivered. "Are you cold?" I whispered and she shook her head and blushed making me laugh. Joe snickered then sobered,  "Mark, we need a plan to take out these hunters, Matt knows Leah isn't dead now and he will come after her."   Before I could say a word, Leah spoke. "Let him come, he has taken out several generations of my family, I will end him. He has no idea who he is dealing with." The venom in her voice sent a shiver through us all, my little mate was very angry.