Adrian & The Triplets.

"Yay, Mags!" Martin cheered as he sat in the back of the car, whilst Kent rolled his eyes and Mark just ignored them both. "I thought you guys would be more excited to be going to the Demair?" Adrian questioned and that's when they all smiled. "Wait, —we aren't going to the dentist again, but that's what you told older brother Jax." Martin argued and Adrian chuckled to himself. "I only told him that so he wouldn't worry about us, we are actually going to the Demair, to see Mags, and do some shopping then we go into the city and have lunch, just you three and me." Ari explained and the three boys cheered loudly.

"Road trip!" Kent cheered in his car seat, they always protest how they're older now and don't need the seat, which was true, they were all older and bigger now but dad still worried about them, so they would stay with the seats until they were a bit older. "So what do you want?" Ari asked as he drove down the street with Mag's shop looking for a spot to park and he found just the right one. "I want the everlasting candy." Mark stated seriously. "Pops got that for you last week." Adrian protested. "Yeah, last week." Kent rebuffed as Ari's jaw just hung loose, everlasting candy was hard to finish, it was in the name, everlasting, yet these three were finishing it in a week.

"We might just want a dentist." He whispered to himself as he parked and got out of the car whilst the boys unbuckled themselves. "Please make sure you have the phone pops gave you, —in fact where is it?" Ari asked as Martin held it up and showed it to Adrian before putting it back in his pocket. "Great, let's go." He smiled as the car flashed it's lights showing how it was locked. "Mags, hello!" Adrian called out as the three behind him all ran into the store with a few more patrons than usual. "Ari, over here!' The woman replied as she waved her hand above an isle at the back of the store.

"Here you go Jen, —Ari hello, it's been a while, you haven't visited lately, only Johnny or your pops." She addressed him with a pout and Ari chuckled hugging the woman. "I've been busy, we've all been busy honestly, but what I needed, I needed to get myself." Ari told the woman who was intrigued right then. "Well then, over here it is, —Linda can you watch  those three, they're quite the troublesome trio." She asserted calling out to her assistant and Adrian was grateful to have someone watch them too even if the shop's magic prevented any children to leave if they hadn't originally come in alone, and he himself had put a charm on the trio before leaving home, they wouldn't stray far from him, even if they wanted.

"So what brings you?" Mags asked. "About two weeks ago, a were-Jaguar and a kitsune tried to abduct my mate, of course we saw them before they saw us, and were able to get out, Mags I need to know if there is a way that any members of house Malain are alive, or even the alpha of the kitsune pack?" Ari questioned as Mags hummed before turning to Adrian with eyes filled with worry. "Ari I'm sorry first of all, I guess I should've warned you a long time ago about this, the kitsune pack began rebuilding about a few months ago, they're being led by a very powerful alpha with a were-jaguar beta, he wants any and all weres, except wolves, their natural enemy, his goal is to take back the land the wolves took when they  were displaced by the patriarch after the rebellion, but that's not all, —the alpha, he's been looking for something, —or someone or both, I don't really know, which is a source of very powerful magic that could aid him in his march." Mags explained as Ari finally understood.

"What I don't get is why my family, all over again." Ari questioned as Mags laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Your mate is the most powerful kitsune I've seen in centuries and he hasn't even reached full maturity yet, this alpha would want him in their ranks, and I don't know but he might be under the impression that Jax might be the key to whatever source he's looking for." She explained and Ari held a hand to his stomach, he was entering his fourth month and baggy clothes weren't doing much with hiding his obvious pregnancy bump. "How's the littlest one?" Mags asked and Ari chuckled, if only she knew the restless nights he had because of the cravings that never ceased.

"Growing strong." He supplied as Mags smiled happily. "I need to find a way to protect my family again, it's starting to get on my nerves." Adrian mumbled and Mags laughed heartily. "You're good at that, you're the freaking witch of protection, who better to do so than you, and I know you'll find a way out this." She reassured and Adrian nodded gratefully. "So can I get everything on this list, and I was hoping you had serpent hearts." Ari explained handing over the list and the last statement had Mags quirking a brow. "You can't perform sacrificial magic while pregnant." She chided. "I'm performing no magic at all, dad has a tracker on me, lighting a candle has punishments, and he's pregnant too, anyway, Enzo is the one performing the spell, his hubris with sacrificial witchcraft is surprisingly good." Adrian explained as Mags just chuckled shaking her head.

"And you wonder why most threats come for you, with a blended family like that." She added and they both laughed. "Adrian look what we got?!" The boys screamed as they ran to where Ari appeared away from the back of the shop. "Show me." Adrian told them as Kent was first with an enchanted pendant that glowed when he pressed a bit of magic in it. "That's a great protection enchantment, but you always have better ones, so I settled on making them night lights." Mags explained as Ari just nodded with a light chuckle. "I got an alarm clock, it has a dragon inside." Martin explained as he showed off his prize and when it was midday the dragon did come out and hailed tiny sparks but roared. "Don't worry the sparks are just theatrics they won't light anything." Linda was the one to explain as Mags gathered their stuff.

"What did you get big boy?" Ari asked Mark who just sighed. "Nothing, I couldn't find anything." He pouted, almost in tears. "That simply can't do, —you two, wait for Mags here, tell her to bring you more candy, nomore than five per each of you." Ari instructed as he took his baby brother into his arms. "Don't tell pops I carried you, he'll make us sit on the chair of shame." Ari whispered to Mark who giggled and nodded. "So what were you looking for?" He asked the now smiling boy. "I wanted a pendant, but Kent had one, then a dragon clock, and Martin had one, I want something of my own." He whispered as Ari found the perfect thing well things.

"It's okay to want to be different and separate from the others, to be your own person, it means growing up, you still love your brothers, you just don't have to like the things they do, —this when you go to sleep will turn your ceiling into the milkway just put a little magic in it and you'll see all the beauty of the stars, and then this is your own special wake up clock, it'll wake you everyday with a different song that you like or a bird tune, or animal sound, you just tell it, and it makes a great hiding spot for your candy." Ari explained to Mark who beamed a smile from ear to ear. "I love them, thank you Ari!" The boy cheered as Adrian just laughed.

"You're so good with him." A new voice mumbled behind Adrian, it caused him to shiver holding Mark close. Beware the deceiver, he wears the mask of the damned, beware child of elder blood, he wants your power. Adrian knew that warning came from the ancestors, how he knew, no idea but he knew and that warning wasn't lost on him, so he held out his hand toward his siblings protecting them in a barrier no one could penetrate. "Impressive, you're already calculating which way this will go, but not to worry, I'm just here to look at you, ever so closely, —the medium, I thought you were myth honestly, a cautionary tale to baby witches. Beware of the medium, his punishment is swift and unforgiving." He finished as Ari tried to read his mind.

He forced his way in and what he saw caused his stomach to tighten. "Ah, hmmm, I should've known you could get into my head." The man mumbled as he forced Adrian out with a lot of power, to resist him like this was astonishing, it took a lot of will. Adrian inhaled deeply when he was forced out completely. "There we go, don't be rude, —you ask anything of me I will tell you." He added and Ari didn't want to know anything more. "I've seen enough to know that in the end it's not enough, even if you tell me." He argued and the very tall equally built man chuckled. "That's where you're wrong, witch of protection, you see I want you to know something before my massacre of this city begins, you won't and can't stop me, —even if you try and I know you will, I will kill that growing little one in you, you along  with your precious little brothers, I've watched you for a very long time, so I know how you think, how you act and how you'll try rescue her, but ultimately, you will fail and there will be no one to stop me, and I thank you for that, the Sovietro's are weaker than ever, who'll stop me now." He concluded as a tail, dark purple appeared behind the man, it glowed and as it did, the man vanished.

Adrian was in shock, there were no words to describe it, he knew what the kistune had said was all true, he couldn't be lied to therefore all he said was true, he just couldn't get to the accepting part of things, things were certainly different this time. This man whoever he was, he was out for blood and Adrian had one more life to worry about besides his own or his mate, their child. So he breathed in deep, he couldn't afford to weaken now. "Ari is the bad man gone?" Mark whispered as he finally came out from his hiding spot behind Adrian. "He's gone sweetie, let's go home, we can buy our lunch on the way and eat it in the movie room, watching a movie." Ari suggested as Mark nodded. "Don't forget your stuff." He reminded and the boy quickly grabbed his stuff and another random item.

"That was intense, thanks for the protection." Mags muttered as Adrian nodded, she further grabbed the boys and helped them over the counter to where Ari was. "Thanks for watching them." He told Mags who waved him off. "I've known them since they were two, they're practically my little brothers too, now you take care, I know you must be shaken up." Mags added and Ari just chuckled. "Shaken is not the word but yeah, —best we get home, here." Adrian explained handing over his card, he paid for all his items. "Hey Mark, you were brave kid, I added two for you." Linda called out as she gave Mark the candy. "Thanks." He beamed before joining his brothers, they walked out of the shop and to the car which seemed perfectly intact, at least the scary kitsune didn't touch it but Ari couldn't help want to be safe.

He snapped his finger and all their items appeared in the car, then he held out his hand open and created a portal, it was large enough to fit the mercedes so he waved it over the car sending it through a purification gate and a portal back home. "Martin, port us home." Adrian told the boy who nodded eagerly as they held hands and in an instant they appeared in front of their large home, it's safety putting them all at ease. "I couldn't get past the wards on the house." Martin whined as Ari chuckled in delight. "I'd be worried if you could." He told him as he began typing furiously on his phone. "So I ordered, wraps, burgers and pizza, we have juice at home so no need for that, anything else you boys want?" He mentioned to the three who nodded right then. "Chicken fingers!" They all yelled before running toward their papa giggling.

"Hey there, —my beautiful boys, I hope you didn't tire out your brother." Nik stated as they refused. "We only went to Demair then here papa." Kent argued as Nik nodded. "Alright, just checking, —get inside, I already got your stuff from the car." He told them and they giggled running in. "Are you alright?" Nik demanded as Adrian nodded but despite his self control, he moved so fast and hugged Nik. "There there my love, you're here, —you're home, safe." Nik reassured as Adrian couldn't help it and cried, it was the build up of emotion that he'd been pushing down, ever since Neill came around, Kyle's betrayal, the game that got ruined, now this incident, it was all beginning to be too much and he hated it, couldn't he be normal, just have his family be normal, so he cried, cried until he felt better in the arms of a true father, he did not waver, doubt or break, he was there, he would be his stronghold.

"Every time I think I've pushed through the darkness, something comes and drags me back into it, I'm so tired pops." Adrian confessed as he wiped away what remained of his tears. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but sometimes that's how fate works, we are given the burden it knows we can carry despite how heavy it definitely is, and we have no choice, but you're not alone, you're never alone, you have a support system unlike anything else, we are here for you along with this baby and we will stand with you, —I will stand with you, always." He reassured and Ari nodded hugging him again, tightly, it just felt nice to have his father hold him and assure him, it would be okay.

"So what happened?" Nik asked as they sat my the porch, the afternoon sun warming them up. "His name is Jose Malain of the fallen house of Malain, he's Jax's uncle, also the man who wanted to kill him when he was born with more claim over the clan, he believes all wolves should feel what was done to his people, and he will attack once he finds the golem source, he's been watching us for a long time, he knows us more than anyone else, it's how he found Jax, how he found me, he has a growing network of spies in the city, and he's aiming to garner the support of Neill, and the other Sovietro siblings to overthrow the patriarch wheh his plans have been completed, —he won't sit on the patriarchal seat, he'll have one of the siblings do that, so he can control everything from the shadows." Ari revealed and all of it was shocking.

"I thought Jax was free of his burden, Jose is a dangerous man and an even more powerful mystic, he was only over thrown because Jax's mother sacrificed herself and her mate to strip him of his power and imprison him, it seems he got out, but not at full power, I'm guessing that's why he wants the golem source." Nik responded as Ari sighed, but the golem source was a myth to everyone else, but not to him. "There's something else isn't there?" Nik stated and he couldn't deny it. "When we were at Jax's game, a woman came to me and warned me about Jose, I thought she was an ancestor, but today confirmed my suspicion, Jose is holding her captive, she's a hybrid fae and vampire, a rare combination which gives her abilities none of the normal species would have, he's holding her captive, I don't know where and I'm scared because she's outrun her use." Ari explained and he could feel the conflict that bubbled in Nik.

"We can't let her die, she's innocent." He mumbled and Ari agreed but the how to help part was missing. "How do we do that?" Ari asked and Nik stood up patting him on the back. "I'll call your dad and Enzo to come home right away, Jax was already on his way to the cafe, they can come together, sit tight sweetheart, your pops has got this." Nik assured as he left Ari by the porch who nodded but he also needed answers, yet first protection, so he allowed his power to take over and his physical being completely vanished, then he summoned magic in the form of glowing orange runes that circled in his palm. "Protectus navidante veltus khatur." He cast the spell as he activated a spell that had been dormant for a very long time since he first cast it and created another version of it when they moved to their new home, the deity's blood protection.

Once he was done he breathed deep, he needed answers and he knew the one place to get them and also make sure the source was safe, a gate way opened as the orange symbols on Adrian's arm glowed again, he walked through the milky white swirling vortex and once he was on the other side it closed. "Adrian, what a pleasant surprise." The older woman stated as she stood by the door to her quaint cabin in the woods. "Granma!" Adrian hurriedly hugged the woman, he'd missed her so much. "I've missed you too, —look at you, you're so big and healthy, my great grand son as well, I'm so happy and proud of you my child." She appreciated as Adrian just happily smiled and hugged her even more.

"I know a lot has happened and you want answers, but first come inside, meet everyone." She suggested and Adrian nodded walking inside but he couldn't help notice a large statue of a black kitsune in the distance, next to it was of a wolf, next was a jagur, then he noticed that these scattered statues represented the were clans. "We will explain everything, but first you get off your feet." His granma coaxed and he nodded going inside where several more people were waiting for him, the ancestors of his line.

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Saint Jay.