Chapter 42
Sunday 20th September, 2020 (Continued)
Star’s POV
When I dared to, I slowly turned around. Harper was already looking at our father. I glanced up at him, a bit nervous to meet his eyes. He had a very imposing sort of aura. He was a little taller than Harper and the Quads at about six foot six inches. He had the same thick, wavy, shiny, dark hair as Harper. It reached his shoulders though it was shaggier than Harper’s was. His eyes were dark and intense. He looked as if he were scrutinising us. He had a moustache and beard. He had a very rugged sort of appearance but I was sure if he cared to groom more, he would be classically handsome.
Seeing him, as if earning a corner puzzle piece, made me want to know and pieced together more. Now, I wanted to know what my mother looked like and what her voice sounded like but she was perhaps lost to me. I tried not to feel heartbroken at that when my father was standing right in front of me. The sadness of my mother’s passing battled the happiness at finally meeting my father.NôvelDrama.Org content.
“Dad?” I said, unable to remain quiet.
“Hannah,” he said in a measured tone as if he were holding back some emotion. He waited for me to say more.
“Father,” said Harper stiffly, nodding.
“Son,” said Dad with a hint of pride.
“We don’t know your name actually,” I pointed out.
He stared at me without acknowledging what I had just said.
“What’s your name?” Said Harper more loudly, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Heath,” he said in his deep rough voice with a slight smile. “Though I won’t be called that by my own children,” he said sternly.
Harper looked taken aback.
“You’ve only just met us and already you’re laying down the law?” Asked Harper incredulously.
Heath, our father, was silent. He had returned to staring at me in particular. I stared back at him, wondering what he was thinking about.
Harper grumbled quietly to himself.
“Dad? Dad!” Exclaimed Harper, annoyed and trying to regain his attention.
Dad looked at Harper. Without another word, he grasped Harper by the shoulder and pulled him into a big bear hug.
“I’m sorry,” I heard him say.
I heard Harper sniffle. I could tell my twin was very emotional at receiving this apology from our father after all this time. Dad pulled me towards him after he had relinquished Harper. It was surreal to hug my father. He smelled a bit like Harper.
“You look just like her…just like your mother,” he said quietly.
He kissed my forehead and released me.
When I turned back to the couch, I realised Marco and Mia had left the room. I went to sit next to Harper and Dad sat opposite us in an armchair. Harper linked arms with me. I could tell he was emotional and was trying hard not to show it.
“I owe you both an apology and an explanation,” said Dad in his gruff deep voice.
It was so strange that he seemed so decent but had such a voice. He was an intimidating man but there was a softness to him.
“The apology first. I’m sorry Hannah and Harper. I wish I could’ve raised you. Perhaps, I should’ve but I’ve been living under the radar for the past eighteen years for a reason. Your mother’s people think you are dead, Harper, and Hannah, they don’t know you exist. They think that she had only one baby, a boy who was stillborn. That story has protected you both so that you could come of age without enemies who are still lurking trying to do away with you. All Hesper wanted was for you two to grow up happy and healthy and I tried my best to arrange that without me in the picture so as not to compromise you…” said Dad.
My heart was racing. Did he just say Hesper?
“Wait! Did you just say Hesper?” Asked Harper.
I thanked my lucky stars for my twin and our twin telepathy.
Dad nodded. Tears filled his eyes but he quickly composed himself. He was still proud. His demeanour was definitely that of a top pack warrior. Stoic.
“Hesper, as in the daughter of the Ice Moon Pack’s last Alpha?”
He nodded.
“And the Winter Queen Faerie’s granddaughter?” I added.
He nodded again.
“Hesper is our mother?” Confirmed Harper.
He nodded.
“And your mate?”Harper asked.
Our father sighed impatiently.
“Do you want that in writing?” He asked.
I had thought he was being sarcastic but he actually pulled some papers out of his jacket pocket. He gave them to us. We leafed through them. There was an ultrasound scan labeled Hesper Hortencia that showed two foetuses. There were two birth certificates! One for me, one for Harper. Heath Waldron was listed as our father on both and Hesper Hortencia was listed as our mother.
“How did you obtain these birth certificates if you were trying to hide Hannah’s existence and pass me off as a stillborn baby?” Asked Harper bluntly.
Heath shrugged.
“Your mother was a princess essentially, a rich and powerful noble though her father’s family schemed against her…she arranged it somehow without having the records readily available. The records are shut, sealed off somehow,” explained Dad.
I lay my head on Harper’s shoulder. We had discussed our birth certificates in the car. They both said the names of those who we had believed to be our parents. Those must be counterfeit.
“What’s the point of all of this?” Harper said, brandishing his birth certificate.
“I know Hannah’s adopted grandmother told you the story of the Ice Moon Pack. How they wanted your mother to marry her cousin not me. How he plotted against us. How your mother and I tried to escape him. I took down all his warriors but I was injured. Many of my loyal fellow warriors were wrongfully imprisoned actually. Unable to assist me and your mother. And I know Marco told you the other half about the two of you and how your mother hid you but was forced to stay with her pack. They say she thought me dead and killed herself. I don’t know if I believe that but I have searched for her in the meantime. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t hope to see her face,” he said more to himself than to us. He paused and looked at me. He smiled.
“You’re beautiful just like your mother,” said Dad.
I blushed.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
“Those half-wit Alphas don’t deserve you but who am I to come at this late hour and tell you what to do?” Said Dad with an annoyed look on his face.
Harper snorted with laughter.
“You mean the Quads?” I asked, my heart racing.
How did he know all of that?
My Dad responded as if he had heard my thoughts.
“I’ve been watching over you two. My wolf is white too, like your mother’s so I expected both of you to be the same,” said Dad.
The white wolf on the mountain was my father watching over me! I smiled.
Dad smirked suddenly. “I’m glad when you hear the word half-wit you immediately recognise I must mean your mates, Hannah,” commented my father with a wry smile.
Harper burst into laughter but he stifled it as best as he could when I gave him an indignant look.
I was stunned, staring back and forth between the two of them.
My father smirked again. His l*p quivered and then he too burst into laughter but he didn’t stifle his. He laughed openly and raucously.
“Dad!” I whined, shocking myself at how naturally and quickly we interacted.
“What?” He said.
“They’re nice boys,” I said feebly.
“They’re young so hopefully they grow up soon. Forget about them and their melodrama. You have your own pack and titles to worry about,” said Dad sternly.
Harper straightened up in his seat. Dad was very difficult to argue with. He spoke of things as if that was how it was. End of story. I saw where Harper got his brazen attitude from.
“Wait, what do you expect of us?” Asked Harper.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Asked Dad.
“Is it?” I asked.
“You’re spending too much time with those stupid boys. They’re rubbing off on you. You’re usually sharper than this! Come on, Hannah,” said my father impatiently.
He looked at Harper expectantly.
Something dawned on Harper.
“You can’t be serious? You expect me to what…to…march into the Ice Moon Castle and take over their pack as Alpha though the Winter Faerie Queen has put herself on the throne?” Asked Harper.
“The Queen did that out of vengeance on Hesper’s behalf. You will have your twin, Hannah, with you who is a dead ringer for her mother. The Queen will vacate the throne,” said Dad confidently.
“And the people will just accept us? Just like that? Because we have birth certificates?” Asked Harper incredulously.
Our father roared with laughter.
“Documentation is great, sure. But they will accept you because you are you. You are their rightful Alpha. They are wolves, Harper. They will know their Alpha, sense it, smell it. They will know it as one knows one’s fated. Alphas are also fated to their packs in a sense as they are to their Lunas. You will both have Fae powers. They will know,” said Dad.
“We don’t have Fae powers!” Said Harper, annoyed.
“You do,” said Dad simply.
“What? Lie detecting? That’s nothing…” Harper began.
“Enough!” Said Dad.
Harper fell silent.
“Your mother put a spell on both of you to suppress your magic to help hide you. The Fae can sense Fae magic and would be drawn to it. Some traitorous Fae could have revealed you before you were of age,” said Dad.
“How do we take the spell off?” I asked eagerly. My Fae powers could help me fight the curse too!
Dad smirked.
“It will be broken the moment you step into the Ice Moon Castle,” said Dad.