Surprise, Surprise. -Closed-

“I can’t fucking believe you talked me into this,” I hissed at my brother.

TJ turned from in front of me and flashed a handsome smile. I stuck my tongue out at him like a small child. The day was hot, the sun high in its peak and here I am marching through the town of Corone to find the father that was never there.

“Hey, what do you think dad is gonna say when he finds out that you nearly seduced one of towns men then punch him in the nose? What was his name again? Oh yeah, Fredrick!” Thayden chuckled with amusement as he pressed forward leading the way.

I rolled my unique eyes but couldn’t hide the smirk on my plush lips as the memory was fresh in my mind. The poor human never stood a chance. A swing of my hips, a lick of my lips and a few sweet words and his was like butter left out in the sun. His loose lips let me know that my father was shacked up with some redhead in the only cottage in the forest. When he tried to lean in for a kiss that’s when I punched him right in his sniffer. Never mind the fact that he panic when TJ told him exactly who I was. I shook my head and placed a menacing look on my angelic features.

“He isn’t my dad..” I quipped.

Thayden snorted but didn’t push the matter any farther. I ran a flustered hand through my brown locks streaked with blonde-white. Talking about Joshua the “Breaker” Cronen always left a sour taste in my mouth and a ball in my throat. The fact that he was with another woman playing house while my mother raised us, his children just showed the type of person he was. A coward.

“Are we almost there?” I growled with frustration.

Thayden stopped so abruptly that I almost ran right into the back of him. He pursed his thin lips together tapping his chin. “I think once we get into the forest we are almost there.” He took off without another word into a slow steady jog. I groaned and quickly followed in pursuit.

Our feet pounded against the soft earth as we pushed passed the forest entrance, dodging the trees. It was nice to stretch my muscles, I pushed myself faster and faster passing my brother as I flashed him a wicked smile. A rare sound of laughter coming from me as we raced one another. For a moment we didn’t have a care in the world, all troubles rolled off of us like the beads of sweat.

Suddenly I stopped, my twin sister mimicking my motion. We were there, the cottage tucked in the meadow of the forest. My heart skipped with excitement, a smile dancing across my lips as I straightened up. I glanced a werry look towards my twin. She stood frozen like a child paralyzed with fear. Placing a strong hand on her small shoulder, I gave it a squeeze. She shook her head as if she was in a trance and rolled her eyes.

“Let’s get this the fuck over with.” She growled stomping forward.

I sighed but even her fowl attitude wasn’t going to damper my mood. I was going to see my father. The great Thayne slayer, the Breaker, a demigod! My beloved mother had told me many stories of his triumphs, how he laid with Goddess, his fighting skills. My father was a legend, damn near a Thayne.

I pressed forward, my broad chest slightly puffed out. My long legs easily caught up then passed my sister as we approached the cottage. My gaze had been focused on the door as we closed the distance that I hadn’t noticed the large dire wolf before it was nearly on top of us. With unhuman like speed and strength I moved my sister behind me and crouched down to give the beast a small target to hit. Just as the beast was about to pounce an angelic voice called out to it.

“Nymeria!”

The calico beast stopped mid stalk as a petite redhead came from the back of the cottage. Even with the dirt that covered her, her delicate hands, smeared on her slightly upturned nose and just on the corner of her lips that looked like plush pillows. Quickly she ran towards the beast, I held out my hand to protest but the large dire wolf chuffed cuddling her.

I cleared my throat and wetted my dry lips. I can see why my father was with her. Her beauty was breathtaking. Her bright orbs snapped to me as she wiped her hands on what looked to be her gardening apron. Her head tilted slightly with question and curiosity.

“Can I help you?” She said softly, a nervous hand tucking a strand of her striking red locks behind her ear.

“Certainly, we are looking for our father, Joshua Cronen. We were told he was here…”

Certainly, we are looking for our father, Joshua Cronen. We were told he was here…

McKinley choked on the air she had just sucked in. She sputtered as his statement slowly sunk in. Joshua was there father? She sucked in her lower lip as she tried to breathe, it was like her body was going into shock.

“Are you okay?” The boy-man stepped forward with concern.

Her head snapped up as she nodded softly, her words failing her for a response. Nymeria growled softly as a warning to him. He retreated with his hands up showing he was not a thread.

The small redhead put her best face on as she offered him a kind smile. “I am sorry but your….” McKinley choked on the next word.

“Father,” the girl behind the man grunted.

“Right your father isn’t here.. He left in the middle of the night.”

The girl with brown hair that had streaks of blonde-white throughout it snorted with annoyance. She tapped the large man infront of her and gave him a narrowing look. McKinley watched the two as they seemed to have a silent conversation between each other.

“Right, well my name is Thayden.” The man smiled dimpling his cheeks a look that mirrored his father’s. “This here is Koreena, my twin sister.” He pointed behind him to the girl. She gifted the redhead with a half smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Nice to meet you, I am McKinley Parish.” She held out her still slightly dirty hand towards Thayden. Who quickly accepted it but instead of shaking it like she had intended turned her hand over. Her petite wrist was left facing upward as he dipped his head and kissed it gently. Such an odd gesture almost felt too intament from a stranger.

She pulled her hand away when he released it and held it to her chest. Her cheeks painted with crimson as she let out a nervous laugh. Swiftly she cleared her throat before looking back at her cottage that their father had just help rebuild.

“Would- would you like to come inside. I know the trek from town to hear can be tiring sometimes.” She offered anxiously.

McKinley watched the two as the sister seemed to not wish to accept her offer while the brother on the other hand seemed set on coming in. She turned slightly to give them a moment as the discussion seemed to become heated.