Pucking the Shifter (Shifter World - Book Seven) (Series of 13 Short Stories)
Chapter Eight: Father's Home

“Hey, Mom, can we borrow these books?” Dustin asked as he carried a stack of books out of the secret room where they housed the Supernatural books.

“Of course,” Amirah Kraftman said, smiling at her son.

“Hey, Mrs. Kraftman, where’d you get this book?” Tate asked as he walked out of the room carrying a book on the original Fated Mates.

“I do believe my mate found that one,” Amirah said as she took the book from Tate. “He never would tell me where he got it from.”

“Dad had plenty of secrets,” Dylan said as he flipped through pages of a book he had open on the coffee table.

“Are we moving the mansion to the community, Mother?” Daryl asked as he leaned against the wall, watching his brothers and their mates.

“I’m still thinking about it,” Amirah said as she moved over to one of the twin’s bassinets and lifted her grandson into her arms.

“Looks like you’re going to need another babysitter.”

The room got so quiet they could have heard a needle drop on the rug.

“What are you doing here?” Amirah growled as she turned to the man she had once loved, who was now a ghost.

Pike Kraftman looked his mate up and down and grinned. “Nice to see you too, Amirah.”

“I never said anything of the sort,” Amirah said as she placed the cub back into the bassinet.

“What the fuck do you want, father?” Daryl demanded as he pushed himself off the wall.

Pike turned to his eldest and grinned. “I see you took my advice and looked for your memories.”

Daryl snorted. “Like you knew I would need it later in my life….”

“But I did,” Pike said as he moved to his eldest. “I knew you would need to know how to control the Alpha powers.”

“Are you saying you knew you were going to die?” Dustin asked as he moved to block his mate from his father.

Pike snorted at his second eldest. “Don’t need to hide your mate from me, boy. I already know her,” he said, then disappeared and reappeared before Sharissa. “Don’t I, Sharissa.”

Sharissa stared at the man for a minute, then her eyes opened wide. “No, can’t be.” She breathed. “Why hadn’t I seen it when we saw you in the morgue?”

“Because, my dear. I wasn’t fully corporal then. I was but a ghost….”

“And what are you now?” Dustin demanded as he pulled Shar away from his father.

“I’m still a ghost, just more… well, let me show you.” He leaned down, lifted the coffee table off the floor, and set it back down.

“Easy to learn,” Daryl growled.

“Okay,” Pike said with a snort as he disappeared and reappeared before his mate. “Then how about this?” He took Amirah into his arms and kissed her.

For a moment, Amirah kissed him back. It has been so long since she has felt her mate’s lips upon her… She came out of her daze and gave Pike a shove away from her.

“No,” she growled.

Pike smirked. “To be continued, Mafilia.”

She snapped her head away from him. “You lost that privilege when you abandoned me and our five sons.”

He took hold of her hand and held it in his. “And I have regretted not giving you that daughter you so desperately wanted.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

She pulled her hand away and wiped the tear from her cheek. “I have daughters now,” she said, pointing around the room at her sons’ mates.

“Indeed.” Pike nodded.

“What are you doing here, father?” Daryl asked again.

Pike turned to Daryl. “It’s my time to come into play,” he said with a smile.

“What the hell?” Dominic asked as he glared at their father.

Pike smiled at Dominic. “Dom, my boy. I’m so proud of you,” he said as he looked at the boy’s mate, then at his other sons. “I am proud of all of you.”

“Do you really think we give a shit, dad?” Drezden asked from his corner of the room.

Pike sighed. “Where’s the rest of your pack?” he asked, looking at Daryl.

“They’re all at their homes, living their lives,” Daryl said.

Pike nodded. “Bring them all in; we’re having a pack meeting,” he said, then disappeared.

“Who does he think he is?” Dustin demanded.

“Maybe we should listen to what he has to say,” Shar whispered.

Dustin stared at her. “What?!”

She shrugged. “Maybe he has something important to say.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Dustin asked as he studied his mate’s face. “And how do you know him?”

Sharissa looked around the room; everyone was staring at her. She took a deep breath. “I saw him at a restaurant. I was hiding from one of Johnny’s men, and he walked over to me and asked me what was wrong. I don’t know why, but I told him everything.” She paused as she sat down in the nearest chair.

“He told me about your company. Told me you guys would keep me safe. Said that I’d replace what I was looking for there. I thought he meant a bodyguard, but I don’t know. Maybe he meant you.” She looked up at Dustin.

“If it wasn’t for him, I would have never found you. He made me promise not to tell anyone who told me about you guys. And for some reason, I felt duty-bound to keep that promise.”

“He put a promise spell on you,” Pearl said from across the room.

“How did our father put a spell on anyone?” Dustin asked as he leaned against Shar’s chair and held her hand.

“It’s easy to get a spell if you know who to go to. All he had to do was read the words, and the spell would do the rest,” Pearl said, wrapping her arms around her belly. “I have this feeling we should listen to what he has to say.”

“A feeling, like a Goddess feeling?” Dylan asked, looking at his mate.

Pearl nodded. “Yes, exactly like that.”

“I guess we can give him the benefit of the doubt,” Dustin said as he helped Shar to her feet and pulled her into his arms.

“What if he makes us doubt him all over again?” Drezden asked as he stood.

Daryl moved to stand in the middle of the living room and looked around at his family. “Then we send him back to wherever it is he came from.”

~🏒~

“Okay, Dad, we’re all gathered. What do you have to tell us?” Daryl asked as he stood back away from the table to see everyone.

“I see you invited everyone, including those who aren’t a part of the pack.” Pike looked around the table.

“Whether they’re Fated Mates or not, they will always be a part of this pack,” Daryl said as he pushed away from the wall.

“Okay, okay.” Pike grinned. “You’re a good Alpha, Son.” He looked around at everyone again. When he saw the Demon, he chuckled.

“Get on with it, Pike,” Amirah said with an annoyed growl.

Pike smiled at her. “As you wish, Mafilia.”

Amirah snorted but didn’t correct him.

“It started shortly after Drezden was born,” Pike started to say.

“What did? You finally figured out you’re gay?” Dominic asked.

“Great, I made my father gay,” Drezden grumbled.

The others at the table chuckled but said nothing.

Pike grumbled. “Stop interrupting me, or I’ll glue your mouths shut until I’m finished.”

His sons glared at him, but they didn’t say anymore.

Pike nodded, then turned to his mate. “You know what happened, Mafilia; you just don’t remember.”

Amirah blinked at him. “What kind of bullshit is this?”

Pike shrugged. “It’s the truth.” He looked at his boys. “You all knew it was coming. That’s why I worked so hard with Daryl, preparing him to be the next Alpha. The strongest this pack has ever seen.” He smiled at his eldest.

“How do we not remember?” Dylan asked.

Pike looked at Dylan. “The Goddesses took your memories and replaced them with the knowledge that I… oh, God, I can’t believe I let them talk me into this.” He took a deep breath.

“The Goddesses are the ones who made you believe that I was gay and ran off with a human male. Even though he did run off with me, it was not for sex or anything else,” he said with a shiver.

“The man became my personal butler, driver, anything I needed. And when he retired, he was paid well to live the rest of his life wherever… and I do believe he bought himself an island,” Pike finished with a smile.

“Wait… you mean you’re not gay?” Amirah asked, staring at her mate.

Pike looked at her and shook his head. “No, Mafilia. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved and the only one I will ever love.”

“Then why did you leave us?!” Amirah demanded angrily.

Pike took a deep breath. “The Goddess Senshire came to me in my dreams for weeks. Preparing me for this future. She showed me what was going to happen to this very moment. Then, she showed me what would happen if I stayed in my family’s life….”

“When they killed you, it would have destroyed everything the Goddesses worked so hard on,” Daryl said as he moved away from the wall again. “We’d have been attached to you, which would have broken us….”

“Oh, dear Lord,” Amirah said with wide eyes.

“But now that I’m dead, and Daryl is the Alpha, who can’t be killed, well, now I can join you guys….”

“Bastard!” Amirah shouted as she slapped her mate across the face.

“Mom!” her sons yelled at the same time.

“You made us think you didn’t give a shit about us!” she cried out as she went to hit him again.

Pike caught her wrist in his grip and looked into her eyes. “I am sorry, Mafilia, it was the only way to save you all….”

“What good are you to us dead?” Amirah cried.

“A lot of good, actually.” Pike smiled. “I’m not fully a ghost, but I’m not alive either. The Goddesses have me somewhere in between. The only thing I can’t do is give you more cubs,” he said as he pulled her against his chest. “But with our boys popping out cubs left and right, we’ll have plenty of grandcubs to look after,” he said, then kissed her.

“Okay, this is officially the strangest day of my life,” Dustin said as he watched his parents practically make out at the dining room table.

“Me too,” Drezden said as he turned away from the view of his parents still kissing.

“Maybe we should move the meeting to the living room,” Shar said, her cheeks turning a bright red.

“No need,” Pike said, then he and Amirah were gone.

“Do you believe him?” Dominic asked, looking at their Alpha.

Daryl shrugged. “It makes sense.”

“I can create a spell to bring back those memories you lost,” Pearl said, watching her family.

“I can help,” Kota offered.

“Let’s do it,” Daryl said with a nod.

Two hours later, Pike and Amirah rejoined their clan, and Pearl and Kota had the spell finished.

“Okay, here we go,” Pearl said as she looked from her brother to her mate and then to the rest of their family.

“I’ll go first,” Kota said, holding up his piece of paper and clearing his throat.

As he said his incantation, the Kraftmans drifted off to sleep. All but Pike Kraftman, who watched his family as they were put under a strong spell that will break the memory bond the Goddess Senshire had put on them more than seventy years ago.

“Is it working?” Shar asked as she watched her mate twitch in his sleep.

“I hope so,” Pearl whispered as she watched Dylan.

“Time to bring them back,” Kota said when the Kraftmans started to twitch more.

Pearl clapped her hands together and shouted two words that made no sense, but the six Kraftman jumped awake.

“Fucking hell,” Dustin growled.

“Are you okay?” Shar asked as she moved closer to him.

He looked at her and smiled. “I’m fine, Mafilia.”

“Dylan?” Pearl whispered.

“I’m fine,” Dylan grumbled.

“It’s all true,” Daryl said as he got to his feet. “Everything my father said tonight is true.” He looked at Pike. “How could you agree to desert us like that?”

“Son, it was desert you and have you hate me, or stay, and have you all destroyed by the darkness of the dark witches and wizards.”

“Well, I guess that’s a good reason,” Drezden grumbled.

“This is a good thing,” Amirah whispered.

“If you say so,” Daryl said as he turned and left the room.

“I’ll talk to him,” Pike said, then disappeared.

“I don’t care to hear what you have to say,” Daryl said as he sat on one of the patio chairs.

“What’s wrong, Son?” Pike asked as he joined him.

Daryl snorted. “Really? You’ve been gone all this time, and now you ask me that?”

Pike sighed. “I was hoping you knowing the truth would give us a chance to make up for it. I’m here now, and I want to be there for my grandchildren. Like I couldn’t be there for you and your brothers.”

Daryl sighed. “Dad, this is all so nuts.”

“Tell me about it.” Pike laughed. “I’m dead, yet I’m not dead. I can’t be killed again, but I can be banished from this plane.”

Daryl studied his father. “Did you know what kind of Alpha I would be?”

Pike nodded. “The Goddesses showed me. But I didn’t know how easy it would be for you….”

“That’s because I love them.” Daryl looked out into the yard. “I love them more than my own life.”

“And when you replace your mate, you will love her even more.” Pike smiled.

“Yeah.” Daryl smiled. “Something I can’t wait to happen.”

“And it will,” Pike said with a heavy sigh. “Just like your mother and me.”

“Yeah.” Daryl looked at his dad. “Wait. Like you and mom?”

Pike laughed. “Didn’t your mother tell you?”

Daryl shook his head.

Pike sighed. “Must have been something else the Goddesses made her forget.”

“What?” Daryl asked.

“Your mother and I are Fated Mates, Son.”

“What?!” Daryl asked as he jumped to his feet.

Pike nodded. “The Goddesses created us specifically to have you, boys.”

“Fuck,” Daryl said as he fell back in his chair. “I thought Tate’s parents were the last Fated Mate couple.”

“They are the last of the old Fated Mates, yes. Your mother and I were special. There was no one else but us.”

“To create the next Fated Mates.” Daryl nodded.

Pike shrugged. “Whatever the reasons were, your mother and I are bonded, and as you see, not even death can keep us apart,” he said with a laugh.

“I’m glad your back, Dad,” Daryl said as he looked up at the stars.

Pike smiled. “So am I, Son. So am I.”

~🏒~

Drezden looked out the patio door at his oldest brother and father. To think, all these years, it was just a lie to save them. Their father had lied about everything to keep his family safe. Then stayed away for over seventy years.

All of his life, he has thought he was the reason their father left them. That one more boy was just too much. Then come to replace out, it had nothing to do with him.

He wasn’t so sure how he felt about that.

It was hard to go from thinking one thing about yourself, then replaceing out you were totally wrong. You’re not a burden; you never were a burden…

“Drezden!”

Drezden jumped and turned to his newest sister, who happened to be a witch. Great, now the others are going to know…

“Have you really thought that all these years?” Pearl asked, perplexed.

Drezden shrugged. “I was the last one born, and I know Mom always wanted a girl.”

Pearl shook her head and clicked her tongue.

“Please don’t tell anyone,” he begged.

She sighed. “I won’t, but you should.”

He shrugged. “Maybe after I get my mate, I’ll be brave enough to tell my family that I’m a loser.”

She slapped her hand on his shoulder, which made his body jerk forward. Damn, she’s getting strong.

“You’re not a loser, nor were you ever a loser.” Pearl reached up and kissed his cheek. She smiled at him, then turned and walked back to the living room.

Drezden turned back to the patio doors and watched his brother and father as they talked.

It really is good to have their father back in their lives.