WHERE SHE BELONGED

CHAPTER 14

"Alright, we're here," Alfred said and pulled up to the front of the Castle. It was bigger than I had thought. This place was massive, and I was in complete awe as we step out of the car.

"Vasty! Alfred! Welcome home," another really good-looking guy with chocolate hair and brown eyes said.

"What's up Jason? Glad to see you didn't burn down our home while we were gone," Alfred said. So, this was the Gamma.

"Jason, where is Mulan?" Vasty asked.

'She's going to get your parents, they should be right out," we stood there for a minute or so, then a really pretty girl just a few years older than me came to Jason's side followed by an older couple, but not that much older. The man was just a smidge shorter than Vasty but have the same tea-colored eyes and cheekbones. This had to be Vasty's dad. Why did he look so familiar to me? The woman was so very lovely as well. She looked to be in her late forties, possibly fifties, but she had a very good complexion at the same time. She was a brunette with some blue eyes, but not a lot.

"Son, glad to see you made it back in one piece," the man said.

"Vasty, baby, welcome home," the woman said and kiss his cheek. I just stood behind Vasty not knowing what to do.

"Mom, Dad, Jason, Mulan, there's someone I want to introduce you to," he gently grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

"Good gracious, who is she?" his mother asked.

"Son, did you?" his dad questioned.

"I did. I found my mate while at Blue Moon pack,"

"She's very lovely," his mother said and I smiled.

"I love her red hair, it's so healthy," Mulan said.

"Son, are you going to tell us her name?" his father asked. I looked up at him and just winked.

"Hello, it's very nice to meet all of you, my name is Erah," all of the sudden his parents gasped.

"Did you say Erah?" his father asked. I nodded. Was there something wrong with my name?

"Son is this..."

"Yes Dad, this is the same Erah. She survived the attack all those years ago,"

"Oh my heavens, Helen's baby," his mother said and started to cry. She knew my mother's name. Well, I guess it would make sense since Vasty his Dad, and my Dad are friends.

"Vasty, you said you found her at Bluemoon?" his father asked, and Vasty nodded. "How did she end up there?"

"Father, you and I need to speak in private," he nodded.

"Well dear, my name is Caren," his mother introduces herself.

"My name is Arnold," his father said. I nod my head at the name. It sounded familiar.

"I'm Jason, I'm the Gamma, and this here, is my Mate, Mulan,"

"It's such a pleasure to meet you, Erah. I hope you and I can be friends," she said and hugged me.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you all," I replied.

"Mulan, will you show Erah around the castle and take your time,"

"Of course Alpha. Please come with me Erah," I looked up at Vasty and he gave me a nod of assurance.

(VASTY'S P.O.V)

After I watched Erah go inside the palace, I let out a small smile. She was finally where she has belonged.

"Son, tell me, how this is possible, how is she alive? And what the hell was she doing at Bluemoon?" my father asked.

"Not here, too many ears, let's go to my office, "I ushered all of them inside. Once we all situated and the door was locked, my father once again asked the same question,

"Son please explain, because I need to know what happened."

"Dad, Mom, Erah survived the attack because Uncle Damian and Aunt Helen had hidden her away during the attack. She said that Maximianus found her when they were clearing the house,"

"Oh, my Goddess, that poor child," my Mom started to get teary-eyed again.

"Maximiano thought she was a surviving Omega pup and took her in; however instead of taking care of her, they turned her into a child slave."

"What? THEY DID WHAT?" my parents and Jason shouted.

"She cooked, she cleaned had been sleeping in the shoe closet under the stairs on a cot, she was beaten, mistreated, abused, starved, and even had to bath in the pond behind the packhouse," I explain to them. I look at my dad and his face is red with anger and my mother's eyes were gone dark. Aunt Helen was her best friend and is Erah's godmother.

"The night of Max's Alpha Ceremony, we witnessed he getting beaten by Luna Nefali and their daughter Nicole," Alfred added. "We also found out that her just birthday just passed, Erah just gained her wolf a few days ago,"

"What?" my mother gasped.

"What's even crazier is that MAximiano's son, Max, was Erah's first mate," I told them.

"Vasty, if that was the case, what is she doing here with you?" Jason asked.

"Max rejected her the morning of her 18th birthday, and Erah accepted," I told him.

"His family had the nerve to keep harassing the Luna even when the Alpha and I had told them to back off," Alfred said. Both of my parents were on the verge of imploding.

"Max even had the nerve to try and reclaim her before we left, claiming he loved her," I conclude.

"What did Erah say?" my mother asked.

"She called him on his bullshit. He only wants her for Alpha blood, which they had no idea who she was until she accepted Max's rejection. After that is when she said Max started to be nice,"

"Then when MAximiano found out, he kept trying to force her to take Max back and even threatened her if she didn't," Alfred replied.

"When did that happen!?" I asked.

"Uh, right after Nicole made Erah sprained her wrist," I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. "I can tell you this, the Luna can definitely hold her own. Even after all the shit, she has been through, she's one tough wolf,"

"Well, if she's anything like Helen was, then Erah won't have a filter on that mouth," my mother says. Alfred and I look at each other and start laughing.

"Mother, your spot on,"

"I can not believe the nerve of Maximiano. Taking a child only to turn them into a slave! Don't they have an Elder in their pack?" my father shouted.

"They do, and from what Alfred and I witnessed in the meeting this morning, he knew of what Maximiano was doing and turned a blind eye. Their pack doctor even said that he was prohibited from ever treating Erah's wounds or injuries," I answer.

"What!? Are you saying they made the pup heal from injuries with no medical treatment!?" Jason asked infuriated.

"That's exactly what I am saying. It appeared that the only person in the entire pack that actually cared about her well-being was the doctor. But because of Maximiano, he had to stand by and watch,"

"I need to speak with the Elders, this is absolutely outrageous!" my father growled.

"Don't worry Uncle Arnold, Alpha Ray said that he would be doing that already. Vasty revealed to all the Alphas in attendance what happened to Erah and who is she, a lot of them withdrew their pact with Bluemoon,"

"I'm not surprised what happened. Damian was loved by many packs, and they were all allies with him before everything occurred. Unfortunately, the challenge by Maximiano came out of nowhere, and no one expected that he would kill the pack after winning," my father said.

"VAsty, does Erah remember you?" my mother asked.

"I don't think she does, I only saw her that one time when she was eight. All the other times, she was even younger, so I don't think she remembers me at all,"

"So, hold up a minute, this Erah, your mate, our Luna, is the same eight-year-old you were bragging about when you were 18? The one you said that you had waited for but didn't care and would go find as soon as she turned 18?" Jason asked.

"One in the same,"

"Damn, no wonder you never found a mate, yours was still alive," he said. I nodded. "What's more ironic is that you did find her when she turned 18,"

"What I don't understand is why the moon goddess even paired to Maximiano's son in the first place?" my mother said.

"Caren, it could be because she knew Max would reject her, and then come to realize his mistake. Now Max must live with the fact that Erah belongs to Vasty," my father said grabbing my mother's hand.

"Aunt Caren, I think it's a form of karma," Jason said. "I mean, Vasty and Alfred said themselves, the Luna was basically tortured for ten years because they didn't know who she was, and it's good that they didn't because then they would have possibly killed her instead. Whatever the case, they turned into a slave, and now their pack has to deal with the fact that they missed out on one of the most powerful she-wolves out there,"

"What do you mean most powerful?" Alfred asked.

"Oh yeah, you don't know,"

"Alfred, Erah isn't just an Alpha because of Damian's bloodline, but also Helen's," my Dad answered.

"Wait, what? Aunt Helen was also an Alpha?"

"Helen was the first female Alpha on her side of the family in many generations, her family only have boys, and they all have their own packs eventually, or became high ranking Betas," my mother explained. "Helen and I came from the same pack, and she was technically my superior because of her Alpha blood, but she never made it seem that way. She became my best friend. Then after I met Arnold, and moved away, we invited her to my Luna ceremony where Damian was also in attendance,"

"Oh, so Aunt Helen met Uncle Damian at you Luna ceremony,"

"Exactly, and she didn't know he was an Alpha because he hadn't taken his title yet. Damian's father wasn't going to give him the title until he had a mate, and luckily, he found her at 20, and Helen had just turned 19," my father said.

"They took a while to have a pup, but it was all in due time because nine years later, Helen got pregnant with Erah," my mother concluded.

"Erah may not know yet, but she is a very powerful Alpha wolf, and that's probably why Maximiano and his son are kicking themselves," Jason responded.

"Son, it may even be possible that Erah is more powerful than you, just by DNA," my father said to me in the most serious tone. Having a mate more powerful than me? Yes, please!!!

"So, when are we going to plan her Luna ceremony?" my mother asked a little excitedly.

"Um, when she actually accepts me as her mate," I say with caution.

"Excuse me,"

"Erah hasn't exactly accepted me as her mate yet," I bite my cheek.

"Why not?" my father asks.

"Well, given all the shit she's been through, and having been rejected on her birthday by her first mate, I'm sure she has trust issues," I told him. Both of the faces fill with empathy and understanding. "I'm trying to give her time to accept me, I don't want to push it. I am able to give her some affection without her freaking out, but I have to take it this slow. With everything Erah has been through in the last ten years, I don't want to give her any reasons to not trust me, or this pack,"

"We understand Son,"

"I wish there were some way we can remind Erah of what we are to her. I mean, eight is an age where she would remember a lot of things," my father said.

"Why not just tell her?" Jason said. "I mean, it's going to be a huge blow, yeah, but I don't think keeping it a secret is a good idea either. At this point, Aunt Caren, you're closest relative to Erah's Mom, and Uncle Arnold you're closest relative to her Dad,"

"Honey, the photo," my mother said.

"What photo?" he asked.

"The one you took while you and Vasty went to go visit, the one that I didn't go. It was the last time you two saw them before the attack,"

"Darling, you're a genius," he said and kissed her forehead. My dad ran out of the office. We waited a few minutes, and then my dad came back clutching a photo in his hand.

"This photo should help her remember," he said and handed it to me. It was a photo of Uncle Damian, Aunt Helen, dad, Erah and me. Only the crazy thing was, I'm carrying Erah in my arms and she's kissing my cheek. I remember taking this photo.