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Artem
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"Th..thank you." Star blushed from the praise they were giving her. Mom and aunt Criztie could be a bit much at tis, kind of overwhelming really. I wrapped an arm around my mate, offering her my support but also taking so from her as well.
"There is sothing else that we should tell you." I grinned happily at my little Star at my side and then at my parents.
"Oh? Sothing else you didn't tell us before we got here?" Mom glared at . "Well go on, Artem, what is it?"
"Star is pregnant, and our cub is due in January."
"JANUARY?!" Aunt Criztie yelled while Mom just looked at flabbergasted.
"Congratulations, son." Dad was the only one to look happy for .
"You've known for this long and you didn't tell us?" Aunt Criztie smacked out with a hand that struck my arm hard.
"Ouch. I am telling you now, in person. I wanted to see your faces. I wanted us to share in this joy together."
"Uh huh, sure. You were just being a man and not telling us at all. What, are we the last people in the world that you're telling? You should be telling your parents first. Her parents and yours. The grandparents are the most important." Aunt Criztie's glare was so sharp that I was sure I was bleeding sowhere. There had to be a spot where that look punctured and was actually causing damage. I was so not going to survive this ti with them here and I knew it.
"I'm sorry Star. I think you'll be a widow before you get the chance to be a bride."
"Oh don't be so lodramatic, Artemis. We're not going to kill you, but your aunt is right. We should have been told sooner. That makes sad, now I have less ti to prepare for the baby's arrival." Mom pretended to pout, making smile.
"I'm sorry, Mama, I should have called sooner. But, to be fair, we had a lot of stuff going on. We will tell you all about it over lunch later today." I put an arm around my mom's shoulder then and led her and my mate out of the room and toward the sitting room that we had everyone waiting in. "Right now, I want you to et so people."
"et who? Who else is there? Artem, what have you been doing up here?" Mom sounded like she was accusing of doing sothing wrong.
"Nothing Mama, I've been a good Alpha that is all. I have been taking care of everyone, just like I'm supposed to."
"I sll sothing fishy here, Gabby. This boy of yours is hiding sothing." Aunt Criztie's words were sort of harsh but she was grinning at nonetheless.
"I don't know about that, Criztie. What do you think, Gabriela? Is our son hiding sothing?"
"Co on, even you're teasing now. Dad?"
"We're just giving you a hard ti, Artemis." Mom smirked at . "You're the one who wanted to be the Alpha. We need to hold you to a higher standard."
"I know. I can't be like normal people and all that, but you're my parents, you need to trust in ."
"And we do." My dad clapped on the back. "But we also want you to do what you need to do."
"Oh hush, Aries, you should not have approved of him so quickly. He needed to prove himself more than that. Honestly you two are too soft on the boy."
The three of them laughed as I marched Mom and Star into the room. The welcoming party that Star's cousins and all the kids had prepared for my parents was ready and they were all waiting to surprise them.
"WELCO!" All the kids yelled out at the sa ti when I brought my family into the room.
"Oh my. So many children." I saw the smile on my mother's face. "You are all so adorable."
"Ooh, little ones. I want to pinch all of your little cheeks." No matter how harsh they could be Mom and Aunt Criztie were both very much enamored with kids. They loved kids and the more that were around the better.
"Artem, son, who are all these people." My dad loved kids too, but he was a little more reserved.
"Well, first off we have so of Star's family, they've all been mated into our family. Bailey, the elder brother is Chay's mate, Reed is Sydney's mate, by the way, Criztie mated with my friend Toby and Dakotah mated with Morgan. Ella, that you saw in the hall, is their sister and she mated with Kent. Star's great great grandfather Daniel is sitting over there. And this couple here is Vivian and Aaron, they are Star's parents. And all of these children are ones that we rescued from abusive families. There were fourteen of them in all and I am adopting thirteen of them."
"Wait, what?"
Mom's voice was filled with shock. They had been following along just fine until that point but now they were looking at like I was crazy.
"You are adopting thirteen children?" Aunt Criztie was just as shocked.
"Yup, so most of these kids are your family now." From there I introduced all of the kids, even Nico even though he wasn't being adopted. All of the kids were happy to be eting more people that weren't bad. Mom and Aunt Criztie did exactly what I thought they would and fawned all over the kids.
I noticed sothing odd though. Dad was staring at Aaron, and it looked like he had been staring at him for a while now. It had been going on for long enough that even I was getting uncomfortable with the intensity of the look.
"Dad, is sothing wrong?"
"Artem, is that man a Fae?"
"Wow Dad, how did you know?" Chay was shocked to hear his question and answered it with one of her own.
"I have t a few, plus he doesn't sll like a wolf. And on top of that he looks as old as Artem but is Star's father, he would need to be an immortal for that to happen."
"It is my pleasure to et you, Sir. I am indeed a Fae and I am indeed Star's father. I am so glad to finally have my daughter in my life." Aaron introduced himself then smiled at his daughter as he spoke.
"So, my new daughter in law is a half Fae?"
Dad looked at with stern eyes when he turned. I was nervous, I didn't think that he would object to this situation.
"Yes, she is." I kept my voice steady and firm as I responded to him. I felt Star tense next to as if she were scared. "Is there a problem with that?"
"Not technically, but what are you going to do if she outlives you?" So was he thinking about or her?
"We have been given a charm by the Fae Queen that will help with that."
"The Fae Queen?" Mom gasped. "What was she doing here?"
"We went to see her. She is Star's aunt. That is sothing we found out recently, but she is very helpful when it cos to her family."
"Son, I think you need to explain so things; before lunch if you can."
I did just as he asked. I had them sit on a couch and Star and I told the three of them her story. They needed to know what it was that she had been through. Everything that she went through was vital to the outco of what had happened.
Mom and Aunt Criztie gasped, scread, and growled angrily at all the right parts. Dad however, just looked like he was angry the entire ti.
"Oh, Star." Mom ran to my mate and hugged her, Aunt Criztie hot on her heels.
"You poor girl, you must have suffered so much."
"Artem, why didn't you tell about any of this?" Dad was looking at angrily. "Why didn't you call for help? I an, to involve the new King and Queen, and the Fae royalty as well. How could you have done so much without even telling ?" My father, upon closer inspection, was actually hurt and worried. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you."
My dad ca and hugged , sothing he rarely did, and then he went to hug my mate as well. I hadn't expected this reaction but at least it wasn't the worst that it could have been.
"It's alright, Dad, we managed." I rubbed his back while he hugged Star.
"We all survived and ca out stronger in the end."
"I know you did. You're my capable son after all." He pulled away. "And you have an amazing mate." I couldn't believe my eyes. My dad was crying. He was looking at Star with eyes that held anger and sorrow. The story of my mate's family had broken through his shell and touched the heart of the man underneath.
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