Breakfast the next day was awkward, no one spoke a word as they ate. Yet, they kept stealing glances at each other especially the twins to their father.

They had always imagined how their reunion with their father would be, no one thought that the father they were so excited to meet had forgotten about them. They knew he didn’t forget them purposely, but it still peeved them.

Ashton stared at his sister’s father, Daniel, and then at his mother, Lia, and back at his father, Asher. He shook his head contemplatively, no matter how he thought about this, it was so awkward. How could his father stand another man, not even a human, but a werewolf, around his mate? Remembering he would have to go through the same process weakened his soul – one woman was enough for him.

He watched as his father Asher, picked a piece of meat from the meat bowl and put it for Lia to eat, but Daniel growled, took the meat, and eat, replacing the meat on Lia’s plate himself.

Asher junior shook his head. Fuck this, he was good with just a single woman. May his other mate never find him, he wasn’t sure he could deal with this kind of hassle. Take a look at his poor father, just because the anticipated chosen bridegroom, Daniel, returned, his father, Asher, had assumed the role of a concubine. Sigh, this was so unfair.

“I kind of have an announcement to make,” Lia announced, drawing everyone’s attention. 

They all fixed their eyes on her, anxious to hear what news she had this time. The last time had been rescuing Daniel, who knew what the next would be? 

“I’ll be getting married,” 

Hailey who had chosen that moment to gulp her juice spat it out from shock. What the hell. 

“What? Getting married?!” Ashton and Hailey shouted in unison. Even Asher was taken aback by the announcement, he seems to be taking it well than the others. Even better than Daniel, that was looking at Lia as if she was an alien. 

“Yes, I can’t wait anymore,” Lia told them. 

“But you just got father back, he hadn’t even recovered his memories,” Hazel pointed out with reason. 

“That makes it the more reason to get married, the faster he settled down, the faster his memories would return,” she turned to Daniel, ” Or don’t you want to marry me?”

“I-I… I” Daniel began to stutter unsure, but when she took his hand in hers, everything became clear to him, “Of course, I would marry you milady,” He brought the top of her palm to his lips and kissed it. 

Hazel and Hailey swoon. 

Ashton cringed. 

The boy couldn’t take it anymore and turn around to his father. He just couldn’t understand this man, he was quietly seeping his drink as if what was being discussed didn’t concern him. His rival mate was stealing his mate right in front of him yet he sat unbothered. 

He turned to his mother, “When you talk about getting married, do you mean to Daniel alone?” 

Lia gave him a stupid look, “How many mates do I have?” 

“Wait,” Hazel pointed to the both of them, ” You’re getting married to both father and Ash…” she trailed off upon seeing the livid look on Daniel’s face. 

“We don’t need him!” Daniel growled, wrapping his hands possessively around her waist as his inner beast came to life. 

Asher who had been quiet all these while sassed, “Sure, you don’t need me else I would have gladly taught you how to block off the bond last night when you both were going at it. Do you know hard it is to concentrate when you literally have porn playing in your head,” 

“I’ll kill you,” Daniel swore, ” You can’t take what’s mine,”

“Sure, if you’re that proud, let’s fight it out as real men do,”

Panic flashed across Hazel’s face, “Mom, do something! ” she yelled when she saw both men leave the table yet her mom was unaffected – including her siblings.

“You’re worrying over nothing,” Hailey said to her nonchalantly, blowing invisible specks of dust off her finger.

“What do you mean I’m worrying for nothing, father and Asher are about to kill each other yet you all behave as if it’s frivolity,” the girl couldn’t understand.

“Chill, sis, you worry too much” Ashton laughed at her, “Both share the same mate, they won’t be able to kill each other knowing doing so would break mom’s heart. They’d just smash their faces until they’re exhausted, nothing to be disturbed about,”

No wonder, their mom wasn’t troubled. 

“You don’t have to worry about them, Hazel. Fighting would only settle the tension between them and I need both mates to get along, not bite each other’s head off,” Lia finally explained to her daughter who nodded in understanding, “Just get a bowl of water and clean towels – I’ve got blood to wipe off,” 

“Ooh,” Hailey was excited, ” I want to watch this fight. Wonder who would win amongst our fathers,” she zoomed off with Hazel after her.

Ashton who couldn’t resist such sight was about to join them when he felt something. No way.

Instead of heading to the entrance, he retraced his steps and went further into the packhouse, walked up the step that led up the second stairs, and stopped at the door where he felt the pull the most.

He took a deep breath and went in. She was up, that was the first sight that greeted him. Sophia had her back turned to him nor did she seem to have noticed his presence.

“Sophia!” he called out softly, closing the door behind him.

The girl whipped around to him, a look of horror on her face.

“Calm down, I can explain,” He gestured to her.

“How is this possible?” she was panicking, ” I saw myself die… I saw things… Monsters.. that aren’t supposed to exist… h-how?”

“I’ll explain, just calm down, okay? I’m not going to hurt you,” He pleaded, taking cautious steps towards her.

Sophia gave him a skeptical look, yet did not attempt to move. She wanted to run as far away as possible from here, but there was this indescribable pull that rooted her foot. And why was she trusting Ashton? She remembered clearly what he did to her. She was supposed to be running from him, not waiting for him to catch up to her. 

When Ashton got within five feet of her, he told her, “You don’t have to worry, you’re going to be okay,”

Call it instinct or something, but Sophia threw herself at him, hugging him tightly as if she was hanging onto life.

“I’m so sorry for putting you through this,” Ashton patted her on the back while his other hand ran through her hair. He was so engrossed with comforting her that he didn’t notice the sudden change in Sophia.

At first, Sophia just liked the feel of his body; his scent washed over her and made her relax. But then, it got stronger and she felt this great pang in her stomach and an ache in her teeth.

Her sight rested on his silky throat, when did his neck become this attractive? She felt an overwhelming urge to reach out her lips and taste him – God, she must be crazy!

 Yet, notwithstanding the repel, she still tilted her head and brushed her lips across his throat and it felt good. 

Ashton stiffened up, what was she doing? Does Sophia even know she was treading on dangerous ground here? He felt his body heat up instantly, the fact it was his mate doing this to him made it ten times stronger to resist yet he strived.

“Listen, Sophia, I don’t think this is -“

He tried to pull the girl away but she now hooked her hand around his neck, pressing her flush against him. The last of his control dissipated, he gave himself to her.

Sophia continued to shower her attention on his neck, suckling on that sensitive spot that earned her a moan from him. It made her feel good neither did she get to see how darkened her eyes were.

All of a sudden, a ridiculous thought surfaced in her head and she began by grazing her teeth across his neck. Ashton’s hands slide down and grabbed her ass, rubbing her against his arousal, he was so damn turned on.

She bit his neck again, he moaned, the slight sting fading into pleasure. Then her primitive instinct kicked in as her fangs slowly descended and she slammed it into his neck.

The lust vanished from Ashton’s eyes instantly and he was filled with shock. How did she….? Could it be the transfusion really changed her? 

Sophia felt fulfillment like no other, his blood tasted like heaven, wait a minute, his blood?! She was disgusted and waited to pull her, yet she simply couldn’t. Sophia wanted more. 

So she continued to drink from Ashton who now had an ecstatic look on his face when someone crudely ripped her from him. 

The girl snarled and wanted to attack who had disrupted her, but the woman with a fierce look simply lifted her hand and some kind of barrier held her in place.