Chapter 251 His family and Mine

Chapter 251 His family and Mine
Riona

“No!” Nick shook his head, “Over my dead body!”

Demos smirked, “What? You were the one throwing a tantrum that I wasn’t taking you along with me before.”

Nick took it as an offense, “That was before I met my mate! I am not leaving this country now!!” Demos was teasing Nick only. We were leaving for Country C today. Our flight was in an hour.

And just to tease Nick, Demos had a ticket booked and printed out for him and even had his passport.

“You aren’t staying here.” Demos shook his head, “Not after how much you annoyed me for not taking you with me.”

“You never agreed before!” Nick was actually nervous. It was honestly very refreshing to see him panic. I could see the sweat forming on his forehead. And it was also heart warming to know that all of it was because he wanted to stay by Anna’s side.

“Well, I am now,” Demos said, “I’m leaving Riker here, so you can come alone.” He showed Nick his ticket. Riker also chose to stay since Ava is here as well but he’ll be going back and forth in between two countries according to the need. Although, that part hasn’t been told to Nick yet.

“Just take him!” Nick stepped back, “I’m not going!!”

It was very hard to control my laugh but Demos was doing an amazing job at it.

“No,” He shook his head, “You’re coming.” He began to walk ahead to grab Nick, making it seem like he was going to drag Nick along and Nick panicked so much, he turned on his heel and ran through the man door.

And I mean he ran through it.

He didn’t open it. He didn’t want to waste time opening it and risk getting caught. So he just destroyed the wooden door and ran away, which actually left both of us baffled.

For a second we stood there stunned.

Then we slowly turned to one another and burst out laughing.

The goodbye with my sister was emotional but getting on the plane was exciting. The flight was exciting and the landing made me anxious.
Our first stop was the forest where the misfits pack was. Because it was where my brothers were.
The wind carried the scent of pine and old memories as Demos and I stepped in front of the pack house. The place was very pretty, tucked between towering oaks like a secret it had no intention of sharing. My heart thudded against my ribs, too loud, too anxious, like it knew who I was about to see.
Demos brushed his fingers against mine, a silent anchor.
“You ready?” he asked softly.
No. Not really.
I nodded anyway.
The front doors opened before we could knock, and there they were—Azef and Matthew. And behind them, two women who could only be Seraphina and Calliope.
Azef looked older. His once wild hair was pulled back now, and though his stance was still proud, his expression faltered when his gaze locked with mine. I had to remind myself to breathe.
He stepped forward, eyes burning into me, as though trying to convince himself I was really here.
“Elara,” he said, voice low. “You’re...”
“Alive,” I finished for him, offering a small, uncertain smile.
Matthew didn’t say anything right away. He just stared. I remembered him best in motion. Younger, but he still had the same mature vibe he had then, “Hey, Matty,” I whispered, hoping the nickname would soften the edges.
That cracked something open. He moved forward in two strides and wrapped me in a hug so tight it stole my breath.
“I thought we lost you,” he said, his voice thick. “I thought—”
“I know,” I murmured. “I-” I didn’t have the word to convey what I was feeling, “I” I couldn’t manage to speak further.
Azef was next. He didn’t hug me—Azef never had been much of a hugger—but he gripped my shoulder, hard, grounding.
“You look different,” he said. “Stronger.”
“So do you.” I replied
A soft laugh, more breath than sound, escaped him.
Then Seraphina stepped forward, regal and warm, her deep black hair was just as stunning as her big belly. I could actually smell she was pregnant with twins. She smiled with a kind of knowing I couldn’t place and offered her hand.
“I’m Seraphina,” she said gently. “Azef told me stories about you. It’s good to finally meet you.”
I took her hand, grateful for the calm in her eyes. “You too. He’s lucky.”
“Don’t let him forget it,” she said, smirking.
Calliope followed, her eyes kind and curious. She stood beside Matthew with the grace of someone who knew how to handle storms. Of course, she was the luna too after all.
“I’m Calliope,” she said. “We’ve heard so much about you.” We shook hands and then she invited us in.

The start of conversation was awkward but eventually as we began to recall our childhood, things eased down. Then we went to have lunch.
The table groaned under the weight of lunch—roasted meats, glazed ribs, buttery potatoes, and warm bread that seemed to vanish the moment someone reached for it. Laughter bubbled up between bites, and even Demos looked relaxed, leaning back with his plate piled high, his arm draped behind my chair.
I tore into a piece of chicken, savoring the garlic and herbs, while Seraphina passed a bowl of something rich and fragrant to Calliope. Matthew was recounting some ridiculous story involving a malfunctioning security alarm, a baby fox, and a very embarrassed beta.
Demos wiped his mouth and glanced around the table. “By the way,” he said casually, setting his glass down. “I hope there are no hard feelings about the deed to Royalroad Casino.”
The table quieted slightly—not uncomfortably, but with the kind of shift that comes when everyone’s listening closely.
Matthew looked at Demos, then at me, and a slow smile spread across his face. “No,” he said. “No hard feelings.” He stabbed a piece of sausage, chewed, and added, “It’s in the hands of the original owner now, isn’t it?”
His eyes met mine, and there was something warm there—fondness, a hint of old affection, and a little bit of pride.
I blinked, surprised, and then grinned, ducking my head slightly. I didn’t say anything, but my heart thudded at the weight of that quiet recognition.
Azef leaned forward, setting down his fork. “Truth is, we did want the deed for business reasons, sure. It’s a big name, big revenue—but that wasn’t the real reason.”
He looked between Demos and me.
“We were hoping there might be something left behind. Some kind of clue. The safe in the back room—nobody’s ever managed to open it. We thought maybe, just maybe, it’d have something about Elara. Maybe she had remembered it and gone to it.”
Matthew’s hand rested over Calliope’s on the table. His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.
“But there was nothing,” Azef finished. “We couldn’t open the safe and we found no traces of you. So after that… the deed didn’t mean much to us.”
Demos gave a slow nod, then glanced at me with a flicker of guilt—like he’d expected anger or resentment from them, maybe even tension. But there was none. Just history. Shared losses, missed chances, and the weight of everything we were all still carrying.
“Then I’m glad it came back to Elara,” Matthew said, raising his glass slightly. “And she found her way back to us.”
My throat tightened at that. I took a sip of water just to give myself a second.
“Me too,” I murmured. “I’m happy I’m here.” I truly was.
Calliope and Seraphina smiled at me, warm and soft.
So much time had passed and nothing could be done about that but still, seeing both my brothers happy brought me a great sense of joy.

Life goes on and doesn’t stop. Everyone finds their path sooner or later and where they are meant to be.
Like Matthew and Azef had their own families now, Demos and I were going to visit my soon to be in-laws now.
We said our goodbyes and left the pack and the forest.
The drive to the city wasn’t long and before we knew it, we both were standing in front of the Soma house. The house that loomed ahead of us was wide and sprawling across the hill like it had grown straight from the land.
I wasn’t nervous.
That’s what I told myself as Demos reached for my hand.
“They’re going to love you,” he murmured, thumb brushing my knuckles.
“I don’t think they’ve even met me yet.”
He grinned. “Doesn’t matter. You’re mine. That’s all they need to know.”
The door opened before we even knocked.
A tall man stood in the doorway, with Demos’s same proud jaw and unreadable eyes. His posture was relaxed but watchful, like a man used to knowing everything happening in a room before he walked in.
“Father,” Demos said, the smile in his voice unmistakable. “This is Riona.”
He stepped forward, extending a firm hand. “It’s good to finally meet you.” His handshake was strong, grounding, but it was his nod—approving, almost relieved—that said more. “Come in. She’s been pacing by the oven for the last hour.”
I barely had time to process that before a woman rushed past him in a blur of warm cinnamon and wild hair.
“Oh, stars,” she breathed, wrapping me in a sudden, firm hug. “You’re real.”
I laughed, startled but not unwelcome. “I am. Last I checked.”
“Layla,” she said quickly. “And you must be starving. Come, sit, breathe—Demos, did you make her walk the whole way here?”
“I drove,” he muttered.
“Then you drove too slow.”
The Soma house was impossibly warm, like someone had tucked comfort into every corner. The fireplace crackled softly in the next room, and the scent of roasted meat and garlic butter filled the air. I had barely settled into the couch before footsteps thundered down the stairs.
“Is she here—?”
A girl with thick, dark curls came skidding into the living room, socks sliding on polished wood. She looked young—maybe eighteen—and her eyes were full of curiosity.
“Riona, meet my little sister, Zephyra,” Demos said with a sigh. “Brace yourself.”
“You’re taller than I thought you’d be,” Zephyra announced. “And way too pretty. Ugh. No wonder he got all poetic when he talked about you.”
“Zeph—” Demos began.
“I stand by it!” she said, hands on her hips. “She’s cool.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, and Zephyra grinned like she’d just scored a point.

Dinner was served at a long oak table, already covered in bowls and platters that Layla refused to stop adding to. There were roasted lamb shanks glazed with herbs, peppered sausages, piles of buttery vegetables, and grilled flatbread crisped just right. I tried to thank her—once, twice—but she waved me off every time.
“Don’t thank me until you’re full. And even then, don’t thank me—just eat more.”
The conversation was easy, full of teasing and old family stories. Zephyra leaned in often to whisper questions she thought were subtle. But I actually did enjoy answering them.
When the plates had cleared and the wine was poured, Demos leaned back, his voice low and sure.
“They like you,” he murmured.
I glanced toward his parents, who were laughing at something Zephyra said with no tension in sight.
“I noticed,” I whispered back. “I think I like them, too.”
Layla stood then and brought out something wrapped in a soft cloth—an old family dessert she insisted was “an acquired addiction.” Sweet, sticky, and full of toasted nuts, it was impossible to eat without smiling.
As the fire crackled on and Zephyra fell asleep curled on one end of the couch, Father-in-law leaned forward.
“You’re always welcome here, Riona. This is your home, too, now. If you want it.”
I looked at him, at Layla, and then at Demos, and felt something shift in me.
“Thank you,” I said softly. “That means more than you know.”
That night, as Demos and I stepped out into the cool night air, the Soma house glowing behind us, I laced my fingers through his.
“You were right,” I said. “They’re wonderful.”
He didn’t say anything. Just brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
The night was gentle.
Moonlight spilled like milk across the garden paths, catching on the dew-laced petals of sleeping flowers. The breeze was mild, barely enough to lift the hem of my dress or stir the strands of Demos’s hair as we walked side by side, shoes forgotten somewhere on the porch.
My hand was tucked into the crook of his arm. We weren’t saying much, but there was no need to. The silence between us had long since stopped being something that needed to be filled.
“I like the sound the wind makes here,” I murmured.
He hummed a soft note of agreement. “It’s always been peaceful at night.”
A moth flitted by, pale wings catching the silver light, and somewhere deeper in the trees, an owl stirred.
I looked up at him. “Did you imagine this?”
“This?”
“This life,” I whispered. “Us. Like this.”
He smiled faintly, as if the question had traveled a long way to reach him. “Every wolf imagines this.” He pauses, “Hope for it.”
“And now?”
He stopped walking, turning toward me. The moonlight caught in his eyes like starlight caught in still water. “Now it feels like I’m finally awake.”
My fingers curled into his sleeve, holding onto the softness of the moment.
“I used to wonder if I’d ever feel safe again,” I admitted.
“And do you?” he asked, quiet, but steady.
I nodded. “When I’m with you, I do.”
A beat passed. He bent slightly and pressed his lips to my temple, his hand brushing down my back in a touch so gentle it felt like a lullaby.
We walked on.
The garden rustled softly around us, earth and leaf and blooming life breathing in time with the night. The stars above blinked slowly, patiently, as if they, too, were content to just watch us be.
And everything felt perfect

The End