Chapter 21

'Home' definitely wasn't what I had been expecting. It consisted of various wooden structures and tepees, and there were so many people. When we arrived at the camp, it seemed as if the full place had turned out to greet us. There had to be at least a hundred people there, including small children and the elderly. All of them were staring at me as if they expected me to do something or say something. It was unnerving and made me wonder what kind of role I use to perform in the pack, being the Alpha's mate.

Jasper must have sensed my distress as he pulled me to his side and started talking to me, though I couldn't have told you a word he said. I was too busy looking all around me.

Edward was occupied speaking to the crowd. A lot of them seemed to be shaking his hand, and congratulating him, and all of them looked relieved to see him return. It must have put a look of stress on the pack, having their leader away, for god knows how long over the past two years.

I glanced over at Alice. She looked as comfortable as I did here. I was half inclined to ask her if she wanted to leave.

That was when I spotted a giant of a man, carrying a boy on top of his shoulders. The boy was the spitting image of Edward.

I glanced at Jasper, panicked. Was he? No. He couldn't be.

"C'mon on, I'll show you to your den," Jasper said as he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away.

I yanked my arm away from him. My full body was shaking. I felt sick.

The ground began to sway and then everything went black.

..

"Mom?"

I turned around as Edmund walked into the den, looking upset. "What's wrong?" I asked him as I crouched down and cupped his face.

"I can't find Dad."

I sighed, gently pinching his cheek. "Daddy is away hunting. He'll be back in a few hours. Why don't you go and play with Alec?"

"No," he whined. "Edmund wants to go hunting."

"Well, Edmund is too small to go hunting. He has to stay at home with Mom and all the other children."

He huffed out a breath and folded his arms over his chest, pouting his lips.

I started to answer him when I heard someone screaming in fear outside our den. I grabbed a hold of Edmund and glared into his eyes. "Go and hide under Mom's bed and don't come until Mom or Dad says it's okay."

Thankfully he didn't argue and did as he was told.

I waited until he was hidden before I stepped outside and gazed at a face I hadn't seen in nearly eight years.

My father had come for me.