Chapter 40

Ulyssa. She was a hard one. I took a deep breath and began, "Ulyssa is fifteen. She's difficult. I don't get her either, we can get along great and then the next second we're yelling at each other. She's I think the smartest of us, she has a brain that I don't quite understand. My mom took her to have a test done, and she was very high in fluid reasoning or something. She has a sense of humour that I don't fully understand, and she can be quite morbid sometimes, but… yeah." I paused, Ulyssa was kind of crazy, but I loved her.

"So, that's my family." I said with a smile.

~~~~~~~~

Raphael watched his mate's face light up as she talked about her family. She seemed to love them, he was glad. He was still thinking about how her family would react if or when Brooke left again with him, because there was no way he was leaving his mate behind. He wasn't sure they would let him bring her back.

He thought about the fact that Brooke was part Lycan, that was why she had her ability. But it also meant that one of her parents was part Lycan too, and her siblings would be as well. He wouldn't be allowed to shift, and neither would the guards.

Brooke had stopped talking and was now waiting for his reply. "They sound interesting." Was all he said, she seemed fine with it because she rested her head on his shoulder and said, "Well, they are."

He thought back to when Duma had asked her about her screaming, he had wanted to ask how she was doing but had forgotten.

"Brooke, honey, how are you doing?" He asked.

"Hm, fine." She replied in a happy voice.

"I mean with the whole mind linking stuff, are you doing okay?" She shifted so she was looking directly at him. Her eyes moved and she looked very deep in thought. After a few minutes she answered, "Fine."

He didn't want to push her so he just pulled her back in.

"Raph?"

"Hmm."

"Does Thresh know that we left?" She asked.

He laughed, "Yes, he knows."

She gave a little exhale, "Okay."

"Brooke, how do you know Thresh?" He asked, curious.

"Um… well one of the times I woke up, he was there, and I heard Nathan call him Alpha, so I mind linked him and we talked." She answered.

"Hm." He hummed in reply.

They sat, comfortable in the other's presence, till the plane landed, then they got off and into a rental car that the Alpha over this area, Alpha Johnson, had left for them.

He put his suitcase in the trunk, while Brooke put her bags in the backseat protectively.

"Thanks by the way, for all the clothes." She said, looking at the road ahead.

He smiled, "Brooke, you never need to thank me for buying you clothes, okay."

"Okay." She said with a slight laugh to her voice.

On the drive to her house she pointed out a bunch of things; like where her brother worked and friend's of hers houses, a couple playgrounds and parks. It was a nice neighbourhood.

He parked in front of her house, it had the same blue paint and flat roof that it had when he'd gotten her clothes and belongings. He then turned to her, "Okay, so remember, you were kidnapped by someone, you don't know who, I found you on the side of the highway on my way to Victoria, I took you back home with me to care for you, then you woke up three days ago and I called your dad to tell him that you're alive and well." He said all of this very quickly.

Brooke nodded slowly then confusion dawned on her face, "Wait you called my dad?" She asked.

"Yes, last night while you were sleeping." He answered simply.

Her eyes widened and she answered, "Oh."

"Okay then, you ready to see your family?" He asked with a grin.

"You ready to meet them?" She asked with the same grin, revealing her adorable dimple on her right cheek, he was tempted to kiss it, but then she laughed and got out of the car. She went to open the back door, but he quickly said, "It's okay, I'll get those later."

They walked up to the white front door, it was surrounded by a huge, gilded, glass window. Not as big as his but…

Brooke raised her hand and knocked.

~~~~~~~~

I was worried they wouldn't buy the story, but they had. The moment my mom opened the door and saw me she pulled me into her arms soon the entire family was hugging me a checking to see that I was alright.

I found it strange that that they hadn't reported my disappearance to the authorities, and when I'd asked them they'd simply said that I was a grown woman, and I could leave when I please. Which made the whole thing a lot easier.

They shut the door on Raph and I laughed and opened it back up. It felt weird, we weren't touching each other, he wasn't holding me. We were both standing very stiffly next to each other. My mom and dad thanked him and Brad watched him warily. I could see Ulyssa watching Raph with interest. And Judith was still a mystery.

My house was a split level, so we walked up the stairs and sat down in the living room. Raph sat across the room from me in one of the dining room chairs, we didn't have a lot of couches.

"So how are you?" My mom asked for the hundredth time.

I smiled, slightly exasperated at her, "I'm fine." I answered.

My siblings remained quiet.

"We can't thank you enough Mr…?" My mom asked.

"Rivers, Raphael Rivers." He said casually, with a charming smile.

'Rivers,' I thought in my head, 'That means when we get married my name will be Brooke Rivers.' I wanted to laugh at the thought, but I didn't.

"Is there any way that we can repay you?" My dad asked.

"I was actually hoping you could let me stay here for the night, just until I can find a hotel here in town." Raph replied in his most charming voice yet.

I bit my lips trying to hold in a giggle, he was being hilarious.

"Sure, you can sleep in the spare bedroom downstairs." My dad said, then he clapped his hands together, "So Brooke." I raised my eyes to look at him, "What would you like for dinner? A seafood pasta or would you like to go out?"

I smiled and started drooling over the idea of seafood pasta, "Seafood pasta sounds delicious." I said with a laugh.

"Okay, great! We'll go get the stuff for it." My mom said then got up to go put her shoes on. I laughed again, I loved my parents. But they were being weird, like I hadn't been "kidnapped" and I wasn't missing for over a week. I pushed the thought aside and returned my focus to the present.

As soon as my parents said goodbye and left to get dinner. My siblings all turned to me, I looked at Raph across the room, and gave him an 'I told you so.' Look. They were a little crazy.

Ulyssa spoke first, "We all said that the first thing we would do, would be to watch Hamilton."

My lips spread into a broad smile, Hamilton was my favourite Broadway musical, it may have been the only one I'd ever seen, but it was still my favourite. The combination of the music and history was perfect, and no I was not American but I loved history of any kind.

That was the way my parents had raised me.

"Great! turn it on!" I said. They all cheered and Brad turned the TV on.