Northwood

Adline sat back at the table awkwardly as she nodded for Kane to join her. It was strange and he was acting strange.

“I want to apologize for my behaviour the last few times we’ve encountered each other,” he began slowly as if unsure of the words he were saying.

“Excuse me?” Asked Adline quickly, it was not at all what she had expected and for a moment she completely doubted what she heard. He didn’t seem like the type of person to apologise for his actions, words or behaviour. Since being with the Northwood pack she’d only ever seen the tough side of him. She sat there eyes wide just staring at him, wondering if she were dreaming.

“I will not repeat myself,” he gave her a wry smile before continuing. “Understand that I don’t mean to berate or belittle you as much as I do it is just a natural response I have to this situation.” He motioned towards her putting extra emphasis on situation. “And with certain expectations placed on me by my pack they have grown accustomed to me being a certain way around them.” He concluded as he reached out and took a blueberry muffin from the basket of assorted pastries and baked goods.

“Blueberry, good choice.” Smiled Adline gently as she looked up at Kane trying to decipher what it is he meant.

“My absolute favourite,” he replied with a genuine smile that melted Adline’s heart. Why couldn’t he smile all the time?

She thought to herself with some humour that if nothing else at least they had blueberry muffins in common. They had been her favourite since as long as she could remember. Her mother would make blueberry and vanilla muffins on the weekends when almost everyone was home, it was their little family tradition. A wave of sadness washed through Adline as she dwelled on the thought, he couldn’t help but miss her family especially when many things reminded her of her recently lost loved ones.

“Did I say something wrong?” Her thoughts were soon interrupted by Kane who sat in his seat fretting a little that he’d screwed up again. She’d gone from a full blown smile to a look of complete and utter heart break in minutes, he was sure Victoria had always been similar, perhaps it was just what females did?

Adline’s head turned towards Kane and the look of worry made her feel at ease, she shook her head and cleared her throat of the sorrow that wanted so desperately to escape with her words, “no you were fine, it’s just this,” she motioned towards the spread before them, “it reminds me of my family.” Try as she might she couldn’t completely hide the sorrow from Kane, he saw how she held back the tears and how she tried desperately to look just a little bit happy.

As he sat there staring at her avoiding gaze a pang of guilt hit him, he really hadn’t been an ideal host to her, she was still dealing with the loss of her family and to do it all alone? He should have known better. Kane had lost his father and although it wasn’t as recent as Adline losing her family he still struggled with the pain and loss.

“Tell me about them.” He motioned gently, he didn’t want to scare her but as their eyes met he could tell she was a little apprehensive, a little guarded even.

“Only if you tell me about your family?” She questioned quickly. If she was to share anything with him he would have to do the same. She didn’t want him knowing too much about her if all she learned was second hand.

“Fair call I suppose.” He admitted with a slight nod of his head, if there were alcohol involved it would make things much more interesting. That thought left him quickly though as he realised he still had the rest of the day before him.

Taking a deep breath Adline hoped her voice didn’t crack and she hoped she didn’t end up in tears from talking about her family, “my mom made the best blueberry muffins in the world. Every Saturday morning we would sit at the round table in the kitchen and she’d have prepared a massive breakfast for my dad, my brothers and me. She’d wait for all of us to sit and fill our plates before she even thought about having any.” Adline smiled warmly at the memory, her brothers were animals when it came to their mothers cooking. If there were one chicken drumstick left they would fight over it and Adline often wondered and thought that if they could it would be to the death. Adline laughed and continued, “my brothers would always bicker about who got the best bits of bacon and my dad would whack them for being ridiculous and insist that I get the best bits, they were never too happy about that,” she giggled quietly.

From the way she spoke of her family he could tell they meant a lot to her and he could tell she missed them too. His guilt grew with every word she spoke but so did his desire to protect her and provide for her, he wanted to be her family he just didn’t know how.

“What about you? Harvey said you had a brother?” Adline questioned innocently. She felt sad for Kane having lost a brother but she didn’t know the circumstances.

As soon as Adline’s question registered with Kane he froze, he wasn’t expecting that at all and would have to have words with Harvey when he finished with Adline. “It’s complicated.” The tone of his voice had completely changed and Adline noticed how his shoulders had tensed up. Part of her fretted that he would revert back to the Kane she had met in all her encounters with him and that bothered her greatly.

If he was going to do that every time something came up that he didn’t want to talk about it would make life difficult for her. It would make their probable relationship difficult as well.

“It started after my father died,” he began slowly. With a big sigh Kane closed his eyes momentarily then stood from his seat. He looked ready to storm off and Adline was ready for it. Much to her surprise he began pacing slowly, his hands behind his back, his eyes down staring at the ground as he did so.

“You don’t need to tell me........you can talk about something pleasant if you want!” Adline insisted. She could see the difficulty he was having with his thoughts and she didn’t want him to spoil her day.

“No!” He insisted, “I need to talk about it eventually. If I keep pushing it to the side it’ll only distract me,” he looked up and stared at her blankly. “His name is Luce and he is the youngest.” Adline thought it odd that he referred to his brother in the present tense, she though Harvey had said there had been another brother or perhaps she misinterpreted his words.

“Luce was always clinging to my mother as a child, he refused to train with the rest of us when we were ordered to by my father. Instead he clung to my mother’s skirts and cried like a girl if he were forced to do anything that involved physical activity and violence. Instead he spent much of his time lost in books and helping my mother bake in the kitchen, you can imagine my father’s disappointment at having a son like him around.” Sneered Kane as he continued pacing.

For Adline the whole idea of their father not loving a son because he was slightly different didn’t sit right with her, what kind of family were they to think like that?

“As Luce grew older his love of books intensified and he thought that if he read how to fight the ability would come to him naturally. It didn’t. When we started high school he’d always challenge me to a fight and always lose, he was scrawny and weak but he persevered.” The sound of depreciation in his voice gave way momentarily to admiration. “I always thought that if he would just spend a little time training he would have beaten me after my father’s death.”

Adline watched him as he continued pacing, the emotions that graced his face numbered many in just a short time, he seemed confused as to how to feel about the whole thing and she felt sad for him.

“You banished him?” She questioned lightly.

He looked towards her with a dark look on his face, “Harvey and I are going to have many words later,” the anger she saw shocked him. “That night there was nothing I could do. He’d made up his mind after my father’s death that if he couldn’t be the Alpha he wouldn’t be part of this pack at all. He left of his own accord. He could not live with me as his Alpha and he didn’t want to.” Much to Adline’s surprise he chuckled softly, there was no humour behind it however it just seemed empty, “my mother still sends him money, she thinks I don’t know but I do. The last trip she took was to go and see him and make sure he was alright.” He admired his mother for her caring nature. She acted like a completely careless woman to many of the pack but deep down she cared about most of them.

“She doesn’t want to lose him?” Adline questioned carefully.

“No it’s not that,” began Kane as he took his seat again, “Luce looks like my father in many ways and being around him makes it easier on my mother. She and my father were true mates like you and I are so his loss hit her hard.” He smiled warmly, “even if she doesn’t like to admit it.”

“Your mother is very nice, I appreciate her humour,” Adline grinned slightly. She had only encountered the woman twice but the impression she had left was great.

“I am glad. She is already fond of you and I’m sure she didn’t hesitate to tell you that once upon a time she was in a similar position to you?” He questioned gently Adline couldn’t help but chuckle in response.

“Well she may have mentioned something about that.” She wanted desperately to keep her guard up, to keep the walls from cracking but sitting with Kane like this made it extremely difficult.

“Alpha?!” Shouted a voice from the lawn.

Both Kane and Adline looked up towards the source and saw Harvey waving his hands and pointing towards the car park area.

“Oh yes I almost forgot, Babel will return to keep you company.” Mentioned Kane casually.

Adline’s face lit up completely, Babel had been the best thing to happen to her in a long time, “really?!” She exclaimed loudly as she stood from her seat.

With a gentle nod of his head Kane stood as well, “yes. It seems she was hiding something from me when I sent her to the border to patrol.” Kane couldn’t help but shake his head, it was like Babel to want to please her Alpha but to keep something so big hidden from him had the exact opposite effect on him.

With a confused look on her face Adline frowned, “what do you mean hiding something?” The worst thoughts popped in to her mind as she thought about what it was that Babel would hide from her Alpha.

“There’s going to be a new addition to the pack in six months or so, so she has been assigned to the mansion for light duties.” He smiled down at her as Adline came to stand next to him as they waited for Babel and Neal.

Adline squealed and looked up at Kane excitedly, “she’s pregnant!?” She couldn’t help but confirm with Kane as she finally spied the pair walking towards them, Neal had a protective hand placed on Babel’s lower back as he gently guided her.

Kane beamed with pride seeing Adline so happy, it was pure joy and elation as she jumped about and hugged him awkwardly. He hoped that one day soon she would be that excited about her own announcement.

“I realize being stuck in your room all day isn’t good for you so from now on you are free to roam the mansion and the grounds but you are to have someone with you at all times.” He thought about it a little longer, “besides Babel that is.”

She turned to look up at him with a full blown smile that took his breath away and before he realised what was happening he felt her press her body against his, her arms wrapped around his mid-section tightly, “thank you,” she whispered carefully as he closed his arms around her shoulders and revelled in the feeling of holding her close. It was better than he thought it would be.

“Ahem don’t mean to break up this cosy little moment,” came the very familiar voice of Babel. Adline broke away from Kane quickly and wrapped her arms around Frosty.

Kane felt dejected but he thought to himself quickly that he’d at least had something other than tears and anger form Adline, at least he was doing something right. For now.

Pushing the thought from his mind quickly he congratulated Babel and Neal and asked for Neal to join him in his office.

“We shall leave you here ladies, Babel take it easy and next time you have something important to tell me don’t hesitate.” The looks that were exchanged between Babel and Kane seemed like there were unspoken words there but Adline was too excited to care.

“You are having a baby!” Shouted Adline as Babel laughed happily.