Connection - Golden Lycans Sequel 3/3 [in progress]

Sunday Roast

***Ophelia***

"Perhaps you should lay down?" I suggest to Ares as I let us back into the flat. Lycans didn't suffer from migraines, but I had seen Amoya suffer from a fair few and I knew they weren’t pleasant. He looks sideways, out at the balcony.

"I think I might lay out on one of the loungers in the fresh air. They are quite comfortable. You should go back and enjoy your evening," he says.

"I mean I could...or I could keep you company?" I suggest. His expression is thankful.

"I think…I would appreciate that," he says gratefully.

I follow him out to the balcony. I haven't been out here yet, and it is not a bad size at all.

Half of it is covered by a bare arbor, while the rest is uncovered and juts out from the building. I wrap my cardigan around myself more as I gingerly sit down on one of the wooden sun loungers. The padded topper is thin, but Ares is right, it is otherwise quite comfortable.

"How do you know it's a migraine if you've not had one before?" I ask him as he lays down on the other lounger.

"I have heard and read enough about various maladies. My vision changed, and the disturbance would not go away," he explains.

"I find the word used to describe it quite interesting. It's called an aura. I have met people who can see the auras of others. I suppose there must be a similarity in the appearance," I reply, staring up at the starry sky.

"What do you know about them? I could imagine it is a useful skill to have," Ares asks.

"I know someone who can do it, and they can look at someone and know exactly how they're feeling, as well as if they're being truthful or deceptive. It is an intuitive skill. The better you know someone, the more you can see and interpret. Everyone's aura has a standard set of colours that may be shared by one or several members of their family. Ultimately, it gets to a point where they can just read people around them like an open book," I explain, staring up at the north star.

"It sounds rather intrusive," Ares mutters.

True.

"I totally agree. The person that I know, won't ever look at the auras of her children for that reason. She asks or they ask."

"I think I prefer that course of action. People are entitled to feel things privately," Ares says, almost as if he is speaking from experience.

We lay there in silence for a minute.

"Stars are very beautiful when the weather allows. A sky without stars would be...just soulless," Ares muses.

"I could bring out my telescope one evening," I reply.

"You have one?" Ares asks, curiously.

"In my room. Star gazing is a bit of a thing in my family," I tell him, pointing up to the sky, "right there is Leo Major, my star sign."

"So, you are a summer baby. You must've only just turned eighteen," Ares says.

"Yeah. I'm sure I am the youngest in this flat," I laugh.

"How was your eighteenth birthday? I know it is usually a cause for celebration to many," Ares asks, looking at me with intrigue. I falter a little, because it was bittersweet, if anything.

"Umm...it could have been better. My parents gave me this necklace; a family tradition. I saw some family that evening. My dad cooked. My aunt...bought me things that I would never have bought for myself," I laugh.

"What kind of things?" Ares asks.

"That’s between me and Ann Summers," I joke, my cheeks turning pink as I remember the contents of the bag. He frowns at me.

"Who is Ann Summers?" he asks. His expression is so sincere and curious I can only smile at him and laugh a little.

"It doesn't matter, Ares," I tell him, turning my gaze back to the sky.

"I don't remember mine."

"Oh, well I am sure many don't," I laugh. I turn my face to Ares and he turns to face me too.

"Do you really fear nothing?" I ask, curiously. His eyes travel around my face for a moment.

"What is there to fear? Really?" he asks seriously, “you know that you could never truly disappoint your parents, Lia. Look where you are. Your fear is not a real fear, and you know that."

"In reality I don’t think I could," I admit quietly, realising he is right, "they are so supportive of me, no matter what."

"Everything you've ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear," Ares replies, as if quoting somebody.

His words are unexpected, yet they are words that I immediately consider. Except...my wolf and my wings aren't sitting on the other side of fear...

...or are they?

"So really, Lia, do you fear anything at all?" Ares asks, his dark eyes glinting in the light coming from inside the flat. I shake my head slowly and a rather charismatic smile spreads across his face.

"To be fearless is liberating. The world can be yours," he jokes, "your dad fearing for your safety, though, that is a legitimate fear."

The idea of this is striking.

My dad.

The great Golden Alpha.

Afraid of nothing.

He'd charge into a hall of demons and think nothing of it. But his actual fear is centred around me. Not because I don't have a wolf...but because he worries about me. Because, fearsome alpha or not, he is my dad.

"I think true fear in life may be grounded in the affairs of the heart," I say out loud to the sky.

"Exactly," Ares replies quietly.

"How is your head doing?" I ask, turning to him.

"I am feeling okay, thank you," he replies.

...

***Ares***

"Oh I get it. They snuck back here to spend time alone!" I hear a loud and obnoxious voice say above me.

I open my eyes, brightness creeping in through my lashes as I see Madeleine standing there looking rather amused. I turn my head toward Lia and see her curled up asleep on the other lounger, facing me.

"Oh my god, did you tuck her in?" Madeleine adds. I shush her and get off the lounger, dragging her inside the flat by the forearm.

Ash is in the kitchenette.

"Do you have the ability to drop your volume? Yes. She fell asleep, and I did not want her to be cold. I grabbed a throw from the sofa," I explain. Madeleine smirks at me a little.

Now face to face with someone else, I wonder if I can get my new skill to work once again.

"Why are you scowling at me?" Madeleine asks curtly, a few seconds later.

"The guy had a migraine Mads, leave him alone," Ash replies, getting out his large egg carton. I can't get it to work on Madeleine, so I look over at Ash; I still get nothing.

Was it just Lia?

"I'm going to have a shower," I announce, going to my room to gather my things. While I am showering, I cannot help but think about last night, because I could see Lia's aura the entire time.

We had talked about all sorts of things for several hours, and I had found it absolutely fascinating how her aura had changed depending on the topic of conversation. The downside was that I had no clear idea of what I was seeing, as I was not touching her. My empathic ability would have greatly aided last night's little experiment, but...perhaps there may be other opportunities?

When I emerge from the bathroom, Lia has woken up and is asking Ash and Madeline about their evening.

"Well, I don't want to brag, but I have a date with Jason on Wednesday," Madeleine says proudly.

"Oh, that's great, where are you going to go?" Lia asks kindly, looking genuinely interested. I take a deep breath as I get closer, and Lia's aura easily comes into view once again.

"Go? Eh...Dunno. In my car...somewhere. I guess we can get a drink and then he can f**k me senseless in my back seat. He's an omega Lycan, but he is still Lycan, and his ass is hot as f**k," Madeleine says brightly.

"Romance not applicable to you, then?" Ash calls from the stove where he is cooking himself eggs, "or apparently Lycans for that matter. People have hearts, Mads. What if he wants an actual date?"

"Oh come on, that is what he's expecting from me, and I am happy to indulge for the both of us," she says candidly.

"He may only expect that from you because of how you are, Mads," Ash explains, "act a little more chilled and ladylike and you might have a proper date and make a real connection with someone." Madeleine laughs, walking up to Ash.

She leans upward, staring up into his face from mere inches away.

"Ash. I just want to solidly connect to his d**k," she says softly. Ash smirks at her and shakes his head.

"One day, Mads, you'll find that special person, and you'll chat for hours under the stars and you will realise that not everything has to be about s*x," Ash says knowingly. Lia and I glance briefly at each other.

"Maybe. Until then, feel free to knock on my door, Ash," she replies, blowing a kiss to him and sliding onto a bar stool.

"Anyway, you guys missed a good night. Hope your head is feeling much better, Ares," she says to me with a little smile.

"It is, thank you. Did you both sleep on the beach? You are wearing what you wore last night," I ask.

"Yep. Guess who was finally the little spoon?" Madeleine smirks, looking back at Ash.

"Oh really?" Lia teases, "for all the comments you just made towards me when I woke up out there, you guys cuddled by a camp fire? That's adorable."

"Mads got cold. Probably because she should've worn more down the beach in September than a low-cut top and tiny jean shorts," Ash explains.

"But then I'd never have a good excuse to cuddle up to someone who looks like an underwear model," Madeline replies, getting off the stool, "and don't think for a moment, Ash, that I didn't feel 'not so little Ash' when I woke up."

Ash looks momentarily embarrassed as Madeleine walks past me, winking at me as she does so.

"Not so little ash?" I ask curiously. Ash almost drops the spatula and Lia looks down at the floor and smiles.

"My p***s, dude. Even you must know what happens most mornings," Ash says, picking up the spatula.

Lia gets on a stool and looks at Ash in amusement.

"You know...I could see you guys ending up together," she teases. I know she is changing the subject, and I appreciate it.

"Mads?" Ash asks incredulously. Lia nods with a big smile.

"She's a challenge and I think that deep down, you love that. You would love to be the guy that chilled her out," Ash leans forward on the worktop in front of Lia.

"I want to romance a woman, Lia. She's too immature for that," he says succinctly, continuing to prepare his eggs. I look at Lia in amusement and she smiles back.

...

***Austin***

I pinch the bridge of my nose in irritation as I hear my father over the phone, awkwardly detailing what my son had been caught getting up to at Exton.

"...What would you like me to do?" he asks.

"I was never like this," I reply.

"Oh, I know, I had it easy," he laughs down the line.

"He’s just being…he’s just listening to his biology. You know that," I remind us both, "another Lycan, or?"

"Wood-nymph, this time. Not the first indiscretion she has been involved in either," dad adds.

"Wow. Well, he needs discipline and a reason to go to bed early on a Friday. Make tlhim help out in the kitchens, particularly with the Saturday morning breakfast. He'd hate that," I suggest with a smirk.

"Fair. How is my granddaughter doing at Vale?" he asks.

"She is very happy, and she is excited for classes to start tomorrow. She is making friends with her roommates, which is great. I grabbed her for a few hours yesterday and had a chat with her about a few things," I reply.

"How is her training going?" he asks.

"Paused for now. She is remarkably intelligent, dad. She has the right answer every time. She is just like her mother," I smile, "but also a little like I was...before Ella."

I hear dad chuckle a little on the other end.

"Ah, so she lacks confidence in her ability to be a leader?" he correctly states.

"Exactly. I didn't feel complete in myself until I had bonded to my mate. It's probably why our community is in such insane disarray these days," I say, being reminded of all the issues I'd dealt with during the week.

"It is like I always said, Austin-"

"-the leader sets the tone. If the leadership is uncoordinated, everyone under them will be too," I recall.

"Exactly. Which is why our pack works so well, now. Much better than when I was alpha, admittedly. You are calm, controlled and focussed and, particularly with Ella in your ear, your decisions are smart," dad says fondly. I smile, because it isn't too often that he says things like this.

"This is why I get so irritated when Ella and Ollie repeatedly suggest training Joshua, 'just in case'," I say bitterly.

'I get that. Only alphas know the feeling they have when it comes to their heir," he agrees down the line.

"Of course I worry," I admit for the first time, "she has no wolf. She is a vulnerable target. The only saving grace we have is that only people who went to Exton really remember what she looked like, and she kept to herself so much that no one cared to involve her. Particularly during her sixth form years. I know she found it terribly hard socially as she could never join in on a full moon. She just...studied."

"It'll happen, keep faith," he says. We shortly exchange our goodbyes, and I hang up the phone.

So young Joshua Landry has been caught with his pants down in a cleaning cupboard? Atlas asks with an edge of amusement.

His Uncle would be so proud, I joke.

His uncle was probably the one who told him about the cupboard, Atlas points out.

But this behaviour...a cupboard...after curfew? I know he is young, but what we have built together is strong, and I won't have Joshua damage that. We have worked too hard, I say bitterly.

Agreed. But he is still your SON, Austin, Atlas says gently.

I am a father and I am an alpha. They rarely go hand in hand, in my mind. Joshua IS going to make his mark on this world, but it won't be as a leader of this pack. It will be Ophelia, I know it.

...

***Ophelia***

It is ten o'clock on a Sunday, and that meant one thing...

"Whoa. Is that what I hope it is?" Ash asks, pointing to the large, bloody lamb joint I have in my hands.

"Something to slow cook with rosemary and garlic and a large knob of butter?" I ask with a smirk.

"You cook?" he asks with intrigue.

"Ohh I do. My dad is epic in the kitchen,and this is perhaps the only way I can honour him," I say with a little sigh.

"You heard that I love a roast, right?" Ash asks. I nod.

"Who can blame you? They're great. I want to do this maybe every other Sunday from now on. I didn't get to meet the others last night...so...I mean this joint is big," I say with an expectant smile.

"Ahh...you want me to go invite the underlings?" Ash jokes.

"Yes! I grew up with huge group meals and a big family. I do miss it a little. I can cook for twelve," I say happily. Ash looks at me fondly.

"You're a sweet person, Lia. I'll go rally the troops," he says brightly, disappearing out of the flat. I wrap the joint carefully in tin foil and let it rest on the side.

I begin chopping my peeled potatoes and Ares comes out of his room and takes a seat on a stool.

"You were not joking last night, then?" he asks, harking back to when I told him last night I'd be making a roast dinner for everyone.

"No, I was not joking, and uh," I say, bringing up a bag of beetroots from inside my cupboard. His eyes light up; I found out last night that he likes beetroots.

"You're going to roast beetroot?" he asks. I nod.

"It is messy, but it is delicious."

"So, what smells so good already?" he asks, his eyes going to the joint hidden in tin foil.

"Er...nothing yet...unless you enjoy the smell of rosemary and garlic," I laugh.

"No, the meat, is it lamb?" he asks, looking intrigued. I narrow my eyes at him a little.

"It is lamb. How could you tell?" I ask.

"Lucky guess," he says, his cheeks going a little pink, "is there anything I can help with?"

"Depends. Have you ever cooked, oh sheltered one?" I tease. He opens his mouth to answer and then bites his lip and makes a face.

"Ohh no! Okay, well this is all going to take a while anyway while this is slow cooked, so saddle up Sir, and grab a knife," I tell him happily, taking another chopping knife out the drawer. He gets off the stool and comes to stand next to me and I demonstrate the basics of peeling and then chopping potatoes.

"...you need a different number of sizes, really. Some people like a big fluffy potato and some like a smaller crunchy one..."

Ash returns at this point and opens his arms out wide, looking happy.

"Looks like you're cooking for twelve, Lia," he says gleefully, "although....where are we going to seat everyone?"

I now feel a little stupid. I hadn't thought of that. My eyes drift to the balcony and inspiration strikes.

"We can eat outside. The tables and chairs fold up. They can bring theirs up," I suggest. Ash looks out and considers it.

"There is enough space. I estimate that if they are lengthways, they can stretch across the length of the balcony and there will be enough room for people to get past either end," Ares says, his eyes narrowed at the balcony too, now.

"Got a tape measure in those eyes of yours?" Ash asks.

"I have excellent spatial awareness, remember?" Ares counters, dropping some chopped potatoes into the large saucepan.

"Ohh, he isn't wrong. You need to come see this guy on the basketball court," I exclaim, remembering the other afternoon where he didn't miss a single basket. Ash stares back at me with a lopsided smile for a long moment before wandering off to knock on Maddy's door.

..

Two hours later I'm checking in on our fluffed up, roast potatoes and looking happily at the browning edges.

"I can make Yorkshires?" Maddy offers, sidling into the kitchen and looking at everything with intrigue.

"What are Yorkshires? Ash said he liked them, didn't he?" Ares asks, pausing while he chops broccoli.

"Oh, Ares, honey, where have you been? Like...all of your life?" Maddy asks, draping an arm up over his shoulder and looking pitifully up at him. He says nothing and narrows his eyes down at her for a moment before he shakes his head.

"I am looking forward to trying whatever they are," he says before clearing his throat.

"You're so weird," Maddy says, getting out some milk from the fridge and one of the many boxes of eggs we have in there.

"I have had many international foods that I am sure you have not tried," Ares points out, boldly.

"Honey, I'm well traveled," Maddy replies.

"That's for damn sure," Ash calls from the sofa. Maddy shoots him a look.

"Fugu?" Ares asks.

"What on earth is Fugu?" Maddy says. Ares looks at her in amusement.

"Madeleine, honey, like...where have you been for like... all of your life?" he teases her in a voice uncannily similar to her own.

Ash and I cannot help but burst out laughing at this; it was perhaps the first funny thing Ares had come out with.

Maddy looks back at him in surprise, looking a little intrigued, if anything.

"Careful, Ares, I happen to find a sense of humour very sexy," she says, wiping a bit of flour onto the tip of his nose.

"Is there anything you don't find attractive?" Ash asks as there is a knock at the door.

"Halitosis," Maddy replies bluntly, cracking eggs into a bowl. Ash proceeds to let the eight people from the other flats into ours and with them they have brought their outdoor tables and chairs.

"Damn, it smells great in here," one of the lads says, approaching the kitchen, "Oh! and who is our lovely chef?"

I can tell immediately; he is one hundred percent Lycan.

Tall, dark, handsome, totally jacked...

"Hi, I'm Lia," I answer happily, shaking his hand.

"Well, we missed you last night, Lia. Shame, really," he says, looking at me in an obviously flirty way, which unnerves me a little.

"Whoa, Jason, remember who you're taking on a date on Wednesday," Maddy says, waving a whisk in the air towards him.

"Right..." he sighs, continuing to look me up and down one more time before helping Ash out on the balcony. He doesn't even look at her, causing Maddy to start whisking the contents of the bowl rather aggressively.

I am not sure what to make of this strange back and forth and I feel a little weird.

I feel Ares put his hand on my arm and I turn to look up at him.

"Why don't you go chill in your room for ten minutes, Lia, I think you have the time," he suggests in a rather calming manner, yet his eyes look rather fierce. After a second or two I nod slowly, because that does feel like a great idea.

"I do have the time," I say calmly, feeling relaxed as I drift off towards my bedroom.

...

***Ares***

I am amazed that it worked so well.

I had just used my persuasive skill for the very first time, and it had actually worked.

I feel a little guilty, but I could tell Madeleine had become quite angered by Lia and Jason’s short exchange.

"Do you cook often, Madeleine?" I ask as she continues to beat the mixture with pursed lips. I move my arm slightly to connect with hers, feeling...jealousy.

But, why?

"This was always my bit. Big family...not always a lot of money, Yorkshires are cheap to make, and they're filling," she shrugs, now feeling a little nostalgic sadness, "generally no, not a cook."

"Me neither, but Lia has now taught me a few things today," I say brightly.

"Yeah, she's just wonderful," she says in what I believe is a sarcastic tone, looking around in a large drawer and taking out a few metal tins with depressions.

"Good job the powers that be here figured that we would want to make muffins or Yorkshire's, huh?" she mutters, frowning as she fills the sections with oil.

"Are you okay, Madeleine?" I ask her quietly. She looks at me with a scowl and shrugs before glaring out at the balcony occupants.

"He just came in and....he made a bee-line for Lia, like I wasn't even here. He didn't even meet her last night, the same night when he wouldn't leave me alone. Why are guys such dogs?" she pouts.

Quite possibly this was the real Madeleine, right now. She puts the tray of oil into the oven.

"The guy who is Lycan? Madeleine..." I turn her to face me, and I look at her earnestly, "you are a very beautiful woman, inside and out. I believe you deserve to be treated better."

She looks up at me, her eyes traveling all over my face, evidently hunting for truth.

"You think so? Prettier than Lia?" she asks. I had not thought she would have a low self-esteem, but what I don't think Ash and I need is for Madeleine to be jealous of Lia through something she has no control over, for a situation she had no part in. The penchant for young women to compare themselves to each other was more real than I had realised. This feels like a dangerous question to answer.

"Everyone is beautiful in their own way. You and Lia look very different, but I think you are both attractive," I say a little awkwardly, "but Madeleine...your problem is with Jason, not Lia."

She contemplates my words for a moment and then she nods.

"Valid point. I just felt so...worthless," she mumbles.

"Your self-worth is not tied up in...physicality," I reply. She rolls her eyes at me.

"Oh my word Ares, just say it... s*x!" she laughs, "come on...coz one day you might actually get to do it..."

I clear my throat.

"My point, Madeleine, is-," I begin to say.

"-Why do you keep calling me Madeleine?" she whines. I laugh.

"Madeleine is a lovely name and shortening it to Maddy makes you sound like a child. You are not a child," I explain.

Madeleine starts to beat the mixture again and a minute or two later, Lia emerges from her room.

"I chilled for ten minutes," she says happily, her expression vague. I nod, still feeling guilty about what I did, but at least I have managed to calm Madeleine.

"I believe the grand finale is very soon," I tell her. She nods and gives me a big smile, her expression normalising.

She fills a saucepan of water and puts it on to boil. Maddy takes her pan of hot oil out of the oven and starts spooning mixture into the wells before returning the pan to the oven.

I start cleaning up the mess and putting things into the bin while Madeleine and Lia move silently around each other in the kitchen. I am starting to worry that Madeleine is going to cause a rift, but at a point Lia ducks down to look through the front of the oven.

"WOW! Those Yorkshires look INCREDIBLE, Mads!" she exclaims, smiling up at her sweetly. Madeleine pauses for a moment before she looks rather happy with Lia’s comment.

"Thanks, Lia," she says with a little smile.

Lia grabs some thick gloves and comes up next to me to get the lamb joint out the oven. Something smells mouthwatering, and it is making me very hungry, even though she hasn't even unwrapped it yet.

I had forgotten about a particular side effect of the persuasive skill that I knew about.

The ability was mostly used to calm a human before we fed on them, and then to wipe their memory of the event. The use of my ability on Lia has firmly put my instincts into that mindset. Feeding on a human was something I had never done nor ever wanted to, but for the first time, though, this side effect is happening, and it is driving a particular thirst that I have never felt before. I can feel my fangs starting to emerge from my gums.

I immediately panic, running to my room and locking the door behind me as I look at myself desperately in my mirror.

I am horrified.

My eyes are glowing faintly red, a change which I knew helped us along with our other senses, to locate the blood supply under the skin on any part of the body. I feel my heart beating faster as I look at my fangs. I had never seen them since they had first appeared when my voice had fully deepened, and I do not like looking at them.

It had been nice, pretending to be human.

I feel a panic inside me as I realise what happened in the kitchen.

Using my persuasive skill had encouraged my fangs to appear, my senses to heighten and a basic instinct was dragged to the surface; one that as a natural born, I should not be feeling!

It wasn't the lamb my enhanced senses could smell, it was the smell of Lia's blood.

Why hers?

Why was it only her aura that I could see? I could not see Madeleine's, even when I had touched her.

I breathe deeply and try to calm myself.

So much for telling Lia that I would protect her.

She might need protection from me.

Slowly...thankfully...the fangs recede into my gums and I breathe a sigh of relief.

...

***Ophelia***

"That, was fantastic. Kudos to the head chef and her assistants," Ash says happily, patting his still decidedly flat stomach.

"Er, can we do this every Sunday, please? All I've had this week are noodles. We can chip in of course, coz' none of us can actually cook," laughs Natalie.

"You guys could come the third Sunday of every month?" I suggest, "it does take a lot of time to cook for twelve."

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Yorkshires," Ares says, earning a large smile from Maddy.

"Well, while we are all here, I'd like to invite everyone to my costume birthday party in December...costumes are mandatory," Maddy says with a mischievous glint in her eye.

They talk among themselves a little and I lean back in my chair, feeling rather happy that I had provided for the people in my home. This time tomorrow, I will have had my first few lectures, and I couldn't wait.