Chapter 466 Chapter 466
He wanted to look down at her, but he couldn’t look away from the three people walking toward him. The boy was probably twelve, maybe a bit older, it was hard to tell. He reminded Noah of how he used to see himself before… he shook his head; he couldn’t think of that right now. The boy had fear in his eyes and Noah found himself inhaling, trying to find the threat that was scaring the child. He watched the eyes so similar to his own look him up and down and it dawned on him that it was him scaring the boy. Sucking in a breath, he blew it out and clenched his jaw to focus on calming down. Emersyn shifted to stand closer to him and he drew on her closeness to stay calm. His cat seemed to agree with that.
It took persuasion to look from the boy to the woman standing there with her arm around him. It was his mother, older, but it was her. He remembered needing to see her for so long, then her image faded from his mind, and in its place was a dark blank space that should have been filled with her and loving motherly memories. He noticed she was shaking and cocked his head, trying to figure out why.
Our dying sister… “What was wrong with Carlene?” He growled it. For years he’d pictured seeing them and saying how sorry he was that he failed them, but now those feelings of guilt and sorrow were gone, in their place was anger. They’d kept something from him.
His mother gave his father a hesitant look. He stiffened and then turned to look at the man he could barely remember a thing about. He had a hard look on his face. Noah remembered that look, it used to go with the fear and respect he felt for his father. Now, an older man stood before him, looking him eye to eye and he felt no fear by his presence. In fact, he realized, he felt nothing for him. Noah turned back to his mother. “Was she sick?”
She nodded, a pain in her eyes. “It’s a very rare disorder that our kind has.” Her voice shook with emotion. “We didn’t tell you because we didn’t want—want…” She put her hand over her mouth.
“She wouldn’t have lived to her tenth birthday, Noah.”
Noah’s head snapped back to look at the man in front of him. The way he’d said it, so cavalier, made him tense, “she was fifteen when she died.” It was the first time he said it out loud and admitted that it had happened. “She lived through hell that long.” His voice shook.
“Noah.”
He flinched and looked to see Everett and Julian running toward him. Emersyn squeezed his arm tighter.
Everett slid to a stop, “is it okay if we go for a run with McKenna, Harrison…”
“And Kelsey,” Julian said in a high-pitched voice. “We’ll be careful.”
Noah blew out a breath and looked at how excited they were.
“Kelsey said we had to ask you first.” Everett looked over toward the backyard.
Noah glanced to see Kelsey standing there beside McKenna. He nodded and turned back to the boys, “you make sure you follow them.” He looked directly at Everett.
Placing his hand over his heart, Everett nodded, “promise.”
Noah nodded again. “You have to do your schoolwork as soon as you come back.”
Julian nodded, “absolutely.”
They both grinned at him.
Noah watched them take off running back to Kelsey, he caught the look Blair was giving him and scowled. “They need run packs.”
Blair nodded. “Beth is picking up several today.” He smirked, “new tigers left and right lately.”
Noah felt some of the pressure ease inside him. The air was easier to pull into his lungs until he turned back to his family. He looked at his brother, whose name he didn’t even know, “have you shifted yet?” His attempt of using a friendly tone failed.
He shook his head, a nervous look on his face.
“Ollie just turned twelve.” His mother said quietly.
Ollie? What kind of name was that? Noah glanced down at Emersyn so he wouldn’t blurt it out and embarrass the kid. He cleared his throat and turned back to the boy, “Everett is twelve, his first shift was yesterday.”
Ollie jerked his head to look in the direction they had gone, “I’m kind of scared to, but really excited at the same time.” When he looked back at Noah, his eyes were filled with that child excitement that was seriously lacking with the clan here. Their life had prematurely drained all childish feelings from their young bodies.
Noah gave Blair another quick look, “you could, uh, come to stay here sometime if you want,” he motioned to the fence, “there’s a lot of lands to run.”
Ollie gave him a surprised look and then turned to his mother, “that would be cool.” He bobbed his head a few times, “it’s different having a big brother.” He shrugged, “but after Tia, anything would be better.”
Blair chuckled quietly.
Noah found if he focused on his brother, he was able to keep his cat calmer. He was still there, right under the surface, but under control—so far.
“Mommy.”
Emersyn’s grip loosened as she turned to see Aspyn running toward them. Nora, he thought her name was, stood by the corner holding her son, Mason’s hand. Aspyn slammed into her mother and clung to her leg, then looked up at her.
“Nora is going to go look at wild—” she frowned the turned to look at her.
“Herbs.” Nora called out, “we’re going to look for wild herbs to see if any are still good to pick.” She motioned to the big gate, “Weston is coming with us.”
“Can I go, Mommy? Please?”
Noah looked down at the way she was looking up at her mother. Every time he looked at her, he searched for signs of trauma and abuse in her eyes, but he never saw any. Emersyn glanced up at him as if asking his opinion. “They should go out back and not along the road.” He flicked his gaze to see Blair’s opinion. He gave him a slight nod.
“I’ll go tell them,” Blair said and backed up a few steps before turning to walk.
Emersyn put her hand on Aspyn’s head, “you listen and do as you’re told.”
Aspyn nodded, then squeezed her leg in a hug. She looked up at him and smiled, then turned around and looked at his parents. “Noah is a real tiger.”
His mother smiled down at her. “That’s exciting.”
“Can I ride on your back again?” He looked down to see she was looking up at him, her blue eyes huge.
“He’s not a pony,” Emersyn said in a light tone.
“No, he’s a tiger.” Aspyn nodded and then took off running back toward Nora.
“She’s adorable.” His mother said to Emersyn.
Emersyn smiled but continued to hug his arm.
Blair came back over, “There’s tea and coffee inside, why don’t we head in?”
Noah looked to see he had his charming smile beaming at them. He was having a hard enough time just remembering how to breathe evenly, but Blair would charm the hell out of them with his magic skill and that would give him the space to adjust to this.
Emersyn didn’t move from his side as they walked back to the front of the house with Blair. Blair paused at the corner and looked back at him, his expression asked if he was doing okay. Noah lifted one eyebrow at him and then blanked all expression from his face again.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. When he opened them again, he was looking into those brilliant emeralds of Emersyn’s. “My sister was dying.” He whispered it.
“I heard.” Her expression was pained but compassionate.
Noah could have stood here and looked at her face for the rest of the day—if his cat wasn’t pacing inside him. “I didn’t know what I’d feel when I saw them.” He gave his head a small shake, “I didn’t feel much, they’re strangers.”
“Your brother seems nice.” She smirked, “and your sister has some spunk to her.”
He grinned, “what kind of name is Ollie?” He shook his head, “poor kid will probably be teased for the rest of this life.”
Emersyn gave his hand a gentle squeeze, “I think he’ll be fine.”
He nodded and hoped she was right. “I do want to get to know them, I think.”
“Take some time, there’s no rush.”
The patience in her tone was soothing and guilt went through him, she deserved so much more for a mate than he could ever be.
“Noah.”
He blinked, forcing his thoughts to stop and not suck him into that darker place.
“Go for a run, check on the boys and keep an eye on Aspyn.”
Inhaling a deep breath, he nodded. That idea sounded much better than going into the house and drinking coffee with strangers. “Thank you.” He mumbled. “I don’t think I could have stood here if you hadn’t held me here.”
She smirked, and then released him like she just realized she was still holding onto his arm. “I expect you to hold me up if I ever have to re-meet my family.”
Noah looked at her mouth and thought of bending down to kiss it lightly. His cat rolled through him again. “Deal.” He stepped back before he did something like grab her and freak her right out.
“Go run.” She whispered as she backed toward the front of the house.
He watched until she disappeared around the corner and then turned and headed with long strides to the side gate. A tear rolled down his cheek. It was like they hadn’t even cared that Carlene was dead. He growled a low noise. Although they’d known she was going to die, had known before they were taken. He’d get to know his brother and sister, if only to protect them from the horrors of this world—beyond that, he didn’t feel he was the child of Elona and Vinson Reyes anymore.