1 all of us.

#Chapterfor all of us.

/"So clean it's sparkling. The grounds have been refreshed, everything scrubbed, and the manor is in top shape for this royal visit./" Meadow drolls with that sarcastic tone of hers. Standing with her head propped to one side as she scans all the details on her tick list. Still not onboard with an alliance between our kinds or accepting my father as a guest, but she's trying. A lot of the pack are still reserving judgement until they see how life continues for themselves. This visit has already caused so much upheaval and mutterings among them.

/"And Colton?/" I ask, looking around for my invisible mate who has been AWOL since first light. Off doing whatever he does every day.

/"Patrolling the grounds with Radar and Jasper. Still trying to acclimatize your brother into the pack and bickering with him at every opportunity. I swear it's become a hobby for those two and they only hang out to argue./" Meadow sighs heavily and then goes back to her clipboard.

I can't say I disagree. The past week has seen my brother move into the house of his own accord and spend all his spare time goading my mate into verbal spats. They're always together and always fighting but don't seem to think that giving one another space should be a thing. We offered him one of the village houses on the edge of the patrol line for some solitude, and yet he moved right across from our bedroom just to piss Colton off.

He was meant to be here to protect me, and yet I have barely seen him since he dropped off his luggage. I guess because I have kept Carmen close by in hopes that their proximity would help things along and she acts as a natural deterrent for his presence. He's still holding out on her, and she's so stubborn and hurt that she's avoiding him like the plague. It's frustrating to have two of them in a small space like this manor and yet see them never get within thirty feet of one another. I don't understand why he's being so certain about this given his acceptance to living here now.

/"They'll be here at noon. I have no idea what food we should serve, seeing as they are vampires./" Carmen appears almost by magical thought, hands on her hips and looking unusually beautiful in a simple white summer dress which flows around her legs in a carefree manner. Ethereal today and her blonde hair is almost golden like a halo of softness.

/"Look, there was a time we didn't think vampires could be out in the sun. Maybe they can eat human food too./" Meadow shrugs and both Carmen and I raise a brow in unison at her.

/"Isn't that the problem with their species…they eat human food?/" Carmen widens her eyes to emphasize the words human and food and I start to giggle at the word play.

/"Ughhh, you know what I mean. Let's just serve steak. Leave it raw and they can suck it for all I care. I mean, who doesn't like steak?/" Meadows huffs at her.

/"Angelics… they're vegans!/" Demi casually wanders in looking mischievous at his quick—witted remark and winks our way. All pale skinned, sandy hair and blue eyes which hint at far off DNA in his past bloodlines. For once no sign of his identical shadow and I roll my eyes at him.

/"I guess that gene was missed on you two then./" I point out. /"You two could eat your own weight in steak in a three—minute sitting./" For Angelic mix breeds they lack anything good natured or pure in their genetic makeup.

/"We're Lychans, baby. The wolf DNA dominates everything else./"

/"Speak for yourself./" Sierra appears in the room waving about her hands that are shrouded in a blue glow as if to prove her point and then smiles sweetly as Domi moves out of her way to let her in. She has been walking around with that honeymoon glow, mate mark on show at her collarbone, and making me and Colton seem like we are not even lovers in comparison. I never knew Radar could be such a touchy feely, attentive, and mushy mate if I hadn't seen it myself these past days. Glued together most of the time, and always touching. Sierra is like a new woman. Glowing, bubbling over with brightness, and her magical gifts seem to have ramped up to crazy levels. I guess all she needed was real happiness and mutual love. No more fear of dwindling gifts anymore for her.

/"I think as a Lychan pack we pretty much fail. Most of our main hierarchy are mongrel bloods of mixed breeds. And I'm a freakin part human./" Carmen plops her ass on the edge of the new long polished dining table and tosses her hair casually over one shoulder, with that sassy manner of hers that I've missed. No hint of denial anymore in admitting what she is.