The Demeter Twins - Hellhound Sequel

Perseus’s POV ~

We are out front.. waiting for Mom and Dad. She’s so excited about spending time with Paulina.. and getting the Luna ceremony set up. Roman and I have decided we do not want to be crowned Kings yet. We want to wait until our child is old enough to ascend.

Their cars pull in, and Dad steps out. Helping my mother from the car. Grandpa gets out of the front passenger side, while our Uncle Kenneth was driving. Roman and I stepped forward to hug Mom and she pushed us aside.. grabbing Paulina in a huge hug. Dad chuckles “She hasn’t shut up since we left home. Let her have this moment.”

Mom pulls back and says “Paulina.. I am Renata.. but you call me Mom… or Reni.. Mom is good.. but you may need time. Do you need time to warm up to it? You’re my only girl! I have a daughter now. I am so happy! Are you happy? Are the boys behaving? You can tell me! I’ll straighten them right the hell out! Just let me know!”

Paulina is looking at Rome and me with a shocked, confused look and I am biting my lip to keep from laughing. There is no better introduction to my mother, than when she is lost in her head! They turn to walk in and Mom tells us to help Dad with the luggage. Relegated to bellhop.. apparently. I love my family!

We ordered all the luggage delivered and met up with our parents in the conference room. Kenneth was talking to Paulina and Dad and Grandpa were sipping whiskey. Grandpa calls me over and says “What do you know about your mate?” I furrowed my brow and said “All I need to know.. why?” He pats my shoulder and said “Slow down, boy! I think you need to tell us a story.”

I walked over to our mate and asked “Baby, is it okay to tell my family about what happened to you? Do you feel better telling it?” She shook her head “No.. I don’t like repeating it. It just reminds me of who I used to be.” I nodded and Roman pulled her into his lap, whispering “You just cuddle with me, and we will let them talk.” I smiled at them both and kissed her forehead.

I sat down in my chair, beside them.. and began “Paulina, as far as we know, is an orphan. When she was around four years old, Alpha Brennan of Orange River Pack found her wandering the forest. She became, virtually, their slave. She was starved, beaten, locked away… for whatever infraction someone claimed she was responsible for. The Alpha gave her the last name of Albright… however, they knew her given name was Paulina.. she had a cashmere, mink lined blanket wrapped around her, with her name embroidered on it.”

Grandpa speaks up “Paulina, has your wolf searched your memories?” She nodded and told him “She won’t tell me what she’s seen. She keeps saying it’s not time yet, Charles.” He smiles at her, and asks “Do you still have that blanket?”

She jumps up and leaves the room… Roman chuckles “She’s gone to get it.. bet!” He was proven right, when she walked back in and handed it to Grandpa. He took it.. and held it close to his face.. With tears in his eyes, he said “Now, I will tell you a story. Your grandmother was the daughter of Alpha Emory Williams of Red Lake Pack… her best friend was the Beta’s daughter. Her name was Desiree Harris.. I met your grandmother at the mating ball.. Desiree met her mate. Alpha Raymond Greene over at Mountain Trail Pack in Colorado. Kenneth and Matthew played with Desiree’s son, Henrick.. we just called him Ricky. Good kid.. weak.. though. Not a leader, for sure”

He stood and handed the blanket back to Paulina.. grabbed another whiskey, and sat back down, with a sigh “Ricky met his mate about the same time you mother and dad met. Her name was Elena Burgess…her dad was Alpha of some pack in the south.. can’t recall the name.. Probably should look that up. She was only sixteen, so Henrick had to wait two years for his mate. In that time, he ascended to Alpha.. like I said, though.. he wasn’t a strong Alpha. Would have made a great Gamma, but I digress.”

I looked at my dad.. he linked me not to interrupt. And I knew better, anyway. Grandpa is a storyteller.. and he gets upset, if we ask questions before he’s finished!

Clearing his throat, he says “Two years after Ricky and Elena mated, she was pregnant. I lost touch with them after my mate passed.. but that blanket.. I recognized it immediately. Grandma made that blanket. Embroidered the name, with her own hands.. and she gifted it to Henrick and Elena at their baby shower.”

Roman yelled “Pers.. HELP!” And I jerked my head to them, seeing Paulina gasping for air and her eyes rolling up. Mom rushed to her and hugged her… whispering and taking her panic away. Paulina passed out, and Roman panicked even more. I lifted her into my arms. And sat down, while Dad snapped Run to Rome. Beau took off before he started breaking shit.

Mom said “Panic attack. Our poor girl has been through it. I’m telling all of you right now! This Alpha Brennan!? Evil man! Cruel! Brutal!! Her wolf has blocked her memories! It won’t be pretty when she releases them. Be prepared!”

Fuck me! I leave the mindlink open to Roman so he wouldn’t miss anything we talk about. I ask Grandpa “Is Henrick still alive? Elena? What happened? How did they lose their daughter? And why didn’t she remember them?” Grandpa shakes his head “No one knows.. by the time everyone realized the pack hadn’t been responding to emails.. or phone calls, it was too late. The council at the time did a cursory investigation and said the pack was like a ghost town. All the buildings are standing.. but the place is deserted.”

I ask my dad “You weren’t King yet?” He nodded and said “I was.. but we were five years getting rid of the corrupt council, and replacing them with decent people. We were still transitioning and it slipped through the cracks.”

I said “Well.. it looks like we have some investigations to conduct! Paulina will want to know what happened. And I want to give her that. She needs answers!” Roman walked back in and said “Brandon and I will go tomorrow. I want to see this pack.. maybe get a clue as to what happened!”

Paulina says softly “I want to go. No! I Need to go! There has to be a clue as to what happened! I had parents! My name is Paulina Greene! I have a name!” And Grandpa said “You look just like your mother.. with your father’s eyes, honey.. They are why I questioned you, at all. That color blue is rare!”

She looked at me and whispered “I have my dad’s eyes and I look like my mom!”