Hades was leaning on his bureau thinking about a thousand things. Most of all, how he would finish the papers in front of him. There were thousands of them and Siran was not at his side as his wife was in heat and they had a certain matter at hand such as the task of creating a puppy of their own. In a way he smiled. It was about time his beta settled down and gave him a godson. He heard the door to his office being opened slightly and a clump of dark hair followed by a laughing silver eye peeked out softly.
Hades' smile grew brighter and he beckoned his daughter with his finger to approach. Priscilla entered politely closing the door and walked over to her father sitting on his lap. Hades looked at her for a few seconds. In the last four years, his daughter had grown considerably looking now like a tender teenager and becoming more beautiful by the day. He didn't want to argue with Nebraska but she had inherited the best features from both of them. Her dark hair had grown to waist length and her ends curled just like his with a dark purplish highlight. There was no doubt that she was his daughter.
His wife had managed in recent times to put Priscilla on a rigorous training schedule but it had paid off. There was no further indication of any loss of control on the part of the puppy, rather her skills with the mind were even capable of surpassing her mother in short order. Luckily her mother had instructed her not to use them on anyone unless the situation warranted it and Priscilla was too obedient so she always did as she was told.
-Pa, you'll go running with me today, you promised me yesterday,- her voice was still low but not as it had been a little while ago.
Hades ran his hand over his head with a disappointed face.
-Sorry Pris, but I can't,- he kissed her cheek, -I just got a letter this morning, it's for an important meeting on behalf of the Council. The wolf that brought it was delayed because of a lesson in his paw and arrived a day late- -Hades was looking forward to that meeting.
Hades was looking forward to that meeting. Partly it was because he would be dealing for the first time with the new leader of the iron pack, which would lighten the load on all of them, and secondly because he needed to talk about a solution to resolve the issue of his daughter's growth. He wouldn't touch the dead wolf issue, that might doom her despite being a puppy, but he couldn't extend the issue any further. They had been looking for a solution on their own all these years and had been unsuccessful.
-There it was again, her puppy's smile, no accusation of any kind, always accommodating, -Some other time,- she hugged her father, -but I won't let you break your promise again.
Hades guffawed.
-Okay, I'll run with you, only if you promise to stay away from Layan.
This time she pouted.
-Again with that Pa,- she snorted. Pris never asked for much and always settled for what she got but she was quite stubborn when it came precisely to the red-haired wolf- I promise you nothing- she raised her nose.
-My little trickster, you're trying to play a trick on your alpha,- Hades tickled her waist.
-You are not my alpha- she laughed- You are my pa- she kept laughing for in the end, no matter how much they refused she knew she was going to win in the end, it was only a matter of time. She couldn't wait long but long enough.
That afternoon was a complete uproar throughout the mansion as it always was as when the Council met. Ever since the headquarters had been moved from Layan's castle to Hades' pack to hide the secession of his converted and unchecked sister, this was a routine that the wolves had admitted without protest.
Pris was sitting next to Nicholas on one of the huge sofas in the main room. Both she and her brother were each reading a book. His was more about pack economic records and hers about history. She had already devoured most of the library so she was repeating books. Thanks to that she had more knowledge than many of the wolves in the same pack who had much more time than she did.
-Nico, Ma and Pa are going to be very busy today,- she said to her brother, closing the book.
-He patted her head, -There's some important unfinished business, and the council meeting will be about three days so we shouldn't be bothering them too much. They will end up very tired.
-Do you think I can ever lighten their load- the question took him by surprise- His sister was too young to make comments like that, although he had noticed her rapid and abnormal growth.
He had practically raised his younger siblings and knew exactly what each phase was like. He had asked his parents but they seemed to avoid the conversation, claiming everything was fine. It wasn't fine, he wasn't stupid, but for the moment and until they told him he would just look at her.
Pris then began to shake her head from side to side.
-What's wrong?- Nico suddenly paid attention to her strange behavior.
-Did you hear that?- she rubbed her temple and shook her head again as if she had something inside her ears.
Nico sharpened his hearing but only heard the footsteps of wolves throughout the mansion but from other rooms. The main one was in total silence, that's why they were there reading.
-No, Pris, what is it?
She looked at him and shook her head when she realized that he did not perceive the same. She had heard it. Several voices in his head, not one, not two, several, many, they were faint but it was becoming uncomfortable, it was not that he could identify them and less concentrate on one, he only understood words as the sentences were intertwined. He closed his eyes and took a sigh. It must have been her own ideas or maybe she was tired. Her mother was firm with her training even though it wasn't hard, but she did use her concentration quite a bit.
Half an hour later the voices in her head didn't stop, rather, somehow they got louder and started to make her dizzy. She put a hand to her forehead and massaged it.
-Pris- Nico put down his book and focused on his sister massaging the back of her neck as he noticed her frown.
The pup was about to speak when some wolves lined up at the door before opening it. Seconds later a few council members began to arrive. Pris opened her eyes and stood next to her brother though she leaned back to him, it was impolite, not to greet them politely. Besides, it meant she would see Layan again after years.
First he recognized the oldest wolf on the Council, Asule, shortly after that the twins entered, one dressed entirely in white and silver and the other in red and gold. They were so alike and yet so different, they commanded attention. They waited a little longer, though no one else came in and the door closed. Disappointment crossed Pris' face, she expected to see Lai Lai but it was not to be.
-Pris- her brother touched her shoulder- let's put you to bed, rest-.
She wanted to refuse but the voices were coming back in her head, even, this time, there were new ones, adding her brother's, that said different words than the ones coming out of her mouth. She nodded and stretched out her arms.
-You're spoiled,- Nicolas laughed and pulled her into his arms. Somehow, when he touched her the voices diminished a little, just a little.
She had been lying down for a while when she couldn't sleep a wink. Even though she was alone there was still a lot of noise in her mind, so much that it was overwhelming and every time she closed her eyes it increased. She hadn't said anything to her brother next to her so as not to disturb him, enough that he had to accompany her as she could never sleep alone, so she always rotated the beds. Her room was only for storing clothes, as she always managed to invade her parents' bed with ease.
She got up without making much movement and left the room. He wanted to know if Lailai had returned. He closed the door behind him and when he turned around he bumped into someone almost falling to the floor.
-Are you all right?- a melodic voice filtered through both her skin and her mind.
Pris raised her head in surprise. In front of her was a woman with pale skin, as well as her hair and eyelashes were completely white and her eyes were red, but not crazy red, that's just the way they were. She was an albino she-wolf, the most beautiful she-wolf she had ever seen before.
She smiled at the younger girl and turned as she heard footsteps coming from behind Priscilla.
-I finally found you, where did you go,- Priscilla tensed at the sound of that male voice.
-I'm sorry, I just got lost- she smiled openly -Don't scold me, Layan-.