Chapter 4 - Almost an impossible task!
1314 Words
“Well, if your sister said no, I’m afraid it is no. You will have to find something else. Something reasonable!” Melissa sighs.
“Ugh! Fine.” Glinda stomps her foot. I roll my eyes when I close Glinda’s door behind me, going back downstairs to find Frank cleaning his guns on the kitchen table.
“You do realize, husband, that you have an office desk to do this and that I don’t want those things on the kitchen table!” Melissa frowns at Frank, and he grins at her for only a split-second.
“You do realize, wife, that this way, I can make sure our girls stay on their toes and pick very carefully when it comes to boyfriends.” He doesn’t look very happy and growls slightly when he says it.
“Oh Frank, they are going to have to find mates at some point in their lives! You just said you wanted them hitched and out of the house!” Melissa laughs at him. He shakes his head and has no defense when she kisses him, handing him his second cup of coffee.
“Besides, I think having the Alpha of the pack as your father is scary enough!” She whispers.
“MOOOOOOM!” Isobel’s voice echoes down from the room.
“And there it goes again!” Frank rolls his eyes. “They are your daughters. The lot of them.”
“I remember you being there when they were...” Melissa starts, but Isobel interrupts them.
“Noooo mom, dad eeeuuuwww!” Isobel shouts from the top of the stairs.
“What?” Frank looks confused.
“Isobel, what are you dressing up for?” Melissa walks to the stairs and glares up at her daughter.
“Beltane festival.” Isobel shrugs.
“And what are you wanting to find there?” Melissa sighs.
“A mate, hopefully.” Isobel starts to hesitate.
“Exactly. Husband, you were present when they were conceived, that is for sure!” Melissa winks at him when another “eeeuuuw” can be heard further down the passage on the top floor. Frank decides to put away the guns.
His daughters can fend for themselves! They scare the living sh!t out of him on a good day. They will put any guy in his place! They sure as hell don’t need his help. Lunchtime finally arrives and Melissa calls everyone to the kitchen.
Being one of the few rules that Frank does not budge on, their family has to sit together for meals. However, on Beltane festival day he sometimes hates his own rule. First, come the excuses … “I am busy, I will be there in a couple of minutes, Hang on!”
Finally, when they are all here, the food has to be reheated! Frank watches his family excitedly discuss what they are looking forward to. Then there is Willow. He has always been worried about Willow, but Melissa tells him that she is just being herself.
His wife is the kind of person who believes in giving children the space to be who they are destined to be. Accept with Glinda! Frank’s gaze goes around the table. He notices that Isobel is nervous and not her normal chatty self. She has also been shouting for her mother more than normal today.
“Isobel, honey, everything okay over there?” Frank keeps his voice calm and kind.
“Yes dad, kind of, thank you.” She smiles shyly.
“Remember I am also here to talk to. It’s not just mom.” He winks and she nods. The conversation goes completely silent for a moment, only to burst into fits of laughter. Even Willow joins in.
“What?” Frank asks, confused by their reaction.
“Frank, you usually listen for the first six seconds, then ask them if it is a girl problem or in any way related to a girl problem, and if so, to come and speak to me.” Melissa frowns as amusement dances in her eyes.
“Well, yes … I can still listen … sometimes.” Frank tries defending himself against this army of women that he let into his house.
“Ah honey, we love you for trying.” She holds his hand and the girls all happily agree. After lunch, the madness carries over to the kitchen where the girls help their mother clean up. Then the living room is changed into a beauty parlor!
The girls taking turns doing each other’s hair and make-up with Melissa giving a helping hand. By now, Frank was taking a leisurely walk over to his Beta’s house.
“Hey, boss.” Greg smiles the instant he sees Frank coming.
“Hi, Greg.” Frank sighs deeply.
“Girls driving you insane?” Greg laughs.
“Yeah, you are lucky you have a son.” Frank laughs.
“No, take a whiff of the smell coming from the inside of my house. It’s the same even with a son!” He rolls his eyes.
“Okay, well, then it must be the number of them.” Frank sighs, taking a seat.
“Beer?” Greg looks hopeful.
“Whiskey?” Frank raises an amused brow.
“Better idea, I’ll get us some.” Greg returns with two glasses of whiskey on the rocks.
“Thanks.” Frank nods, and they sit on his porch in silence until they hear…
“DAD!” The shout is coming from one of the other houses in the pack, making both of the men burst out laughing.
“Are there any further arrangements you want me to take care of Alpha?” Greg sighs deeply.
“I don’t know, these kids have scrambled my brain this morning, but don’t tell anyone!” Frank looks a little wide-eyed. But I do think we covered everything. Are the warriors ready to keep an eye on the young ones?”
“Yes boss, the new warriors have all passed the tests. I was astounded at the power some of them have shown.” Greg shakes his head, looking shocked.
“That is good to know. How is the mood? I know some don’t want to say anything in front of me.” Frank sighs. He could never understand why some warriors seemed so scared of him.
“It seems to be getting better Frank. It has been a long time and there haven’t been any big issues. I think the pack has settled into accepting the new tradition and some even look forward to the festival.” Greg looks happy.
“Good, I would hate for the pack to turn against me after all these years. My daughters are more than enough to deal with!” Frank rolls his eyes. They finish their drinks before he stands up. “Well, I guess we better check on the rest.”
Greg follows him. They walk through the pack-house that has turned into its own little town, checking in with some of the members to make sure they know when and where to find the transport. Frank finally steps onto his porch just as Melissa is about to run out in search of him.
“I should lock you up on Beltane afternoon!” She looks furious only for a moment. She can never stay angry at him for long.
“Why? Here I am, Greg and I checked that the others were all sorted and would be ready...” Frank instantly tries to defend himself, but she is hearing none of that.
“Get that sexy butt of yours into your festival clothes. NOW! It won’t look good if the Alpha’s family is late!” She doesn’t give him half a chance. An hour later, the pack meets up in the recreational room before leaving, and Frank walks onto the stage.
- Writer
