"Athena!" Ethan exclaims, clearly shocked at my arrival.

I could feel the tears brimming up in my eyes as I looked at my brother, who has now grown into a handsome young man. His steel grey eyes stare into mine as he walks towards me. I half expected him to engulf me in a hug, but  instead, he pushed me aside and walked past me, anger evident on his face.

''Ethan!'' I call after him, but he shifts into his grey wolf and runs before I could get to him.

I turn back and see the dejected look on my parents' face. "If you're going to push past me and run too, please be my guest,'' I tell them as I move away from the door to give them space.

"You're here not even for ten minutes and you've already started sassing us Athena." My mom scolds me. The waterworks started flowing as soon as I heard her voice. I took a step forward to hug her,  but she took three steps back and raised her hand, signaling me to stop.

"Why have you come back Athena, after all these years?" she looks at me with spite.

''Victoria, honey, calm down our daughter's back home after so long. Look, why don't we all come in and talk like civilized people, okay?" Dad tries to reason with her.

He motions me towards him and I wrap my arms around him, engulfing him in a bear hug. "I missed you dad."

"I missed you too princess, "he replies and plants a kiss on my forehead. Then we all move to the living room.

"Wait a minute so you knew where she was all these years and you've been helping her with her mundane human life!" shouts my mom, who was visibly angry with dad too now that the secret was out.

"Yes dear, I have been keeping tabs on our daughter from the moment she left. You didn't think I would've left a sixteen year old to wander out on her own. did you? I made sure she went to college and graduated, I also helped her in getting her first job, but the fashion line, that's all Athena." Dad explains with a look of pride in his eyes.

"You have a fashion line?" mom asks with interest.

I smile at her knowingly, "Yes mom I do, and you can have all the outfits you want,but you have let go of your anger towards me,  because deep down you know what I did was right and in the best interest of everyone, especially Ethan."

After much convincing she sighed in defeat knowing that I'm right. "Okay, come here," she says and envelops me in a bone crushing hug. phew, thank God for werewolf strength.

"I'm going to talk to Ethan, I'll see you guys soon," I say as I walk out the door.

"Be home before it gets too dark we are having dinner together today,'' Mom calls.

I walk towards the meadow that we grew up playing in, knowing that Ethan would be there cause it's his safe haven. That's where he goes when he's upset and wants to brood after his fights and breakups.

I see him facing the daffodil fields and try to sneak up on him, but damn those werewolves senses, "I know you're behind me Athena, I don't want to talk to you, go away."

I choose to ignore him and sit down next to him, "what's up brother, long time no see huh?" I try to make light of the situation and chuckle, but it backfires when he looks at me in complete bewilderment.

"You think this is funny 'Ena? You just left without saying anything and the only thing you leave is a measly note. You don't bother to call or even message for eight long years and then you just decide to show up and have the nerve to tell me long time no see! What's wrong with you?" he shouts at me.

"You know what Ethan, I expected you of all people to be happy to see me, heck even mom has calmed down and I expected her to throw a tantrum not you!!" I shout at him too.

"Throw a tantrum, really Athena? What are we, twelve? " He shouts back. You are the one who left. You are the one who decided to go your own way, so you don't get to come back and tell me that I'm throwing a tantrum!!'' He yells and walks further away from me.

I take a deep breath and pinch the bridge of my nose to calm myself down. "Okay, okay you're right Ethan. What I did was completely impulsive but it was for the best, trust me when I tell you this, if I would have stayed things would have taken a turn for the worse."

He looks at me with confusion, "what do you mean for the worse, what would have happened Athena? " 

"Some answers are best left hidden Ethan, please trust me on this for once, and besides I'm back now and I don't intend to run away anytime soon," I joke again and this time a small of a smile appears on his face and I know I'm forgiven, at least for now.

"So how's Camilla?" I ask while nudging my elbow at him in a teasing manner.

We decided to stay back for a while and I told him about my life in Toronto and how our father knew about my whereabouts. He was miffed at first but was content that I was not alone out there all these years. "Camilla who?" his face scrunches up and he look at me.

I look at him with wide eyes as I playfully push him. "Wow Ethan, I know that a lot of girls crushed on you back in the day but Camilla was all you could see, and now it's come down to Camilla who? that's savage brother, even for you."

He stifles a laugh then replies, "it's not that I dumped her or anything I genuinely liked her but she found her mate five yrs ago and moved toShadow Pack, I do see her occasionally when I visit Alpha Benjamin. She is a mother of two kids now.''

"Wow! Camilla, a mother? Gotta tell you didn't see that coming.'' I laugh.

We continue joking for a while until I see someone approaching us from the direction of the pack houses.

"Athena! Oh my god...uhh wow, I mean how? When? God it's been so long, when did you come back?''  He asks while looking at me from head to toe.

"Ahemm," Ethan clears his throat and the guy stops checking me out to look at my brother.

''Oh umm sorry, Ethan, bro I've been looking for you all over it's almost dusk we need to go for the perimeter check," He says.

"Oh yes, I totally lost track of time, come on Axel lets go." Ethan responds.

"Oh my god Axel! Axel Cooper! "I almost yelled, as realization struck me. "I'm sorry I couldn't recognize you wow, it's really been that long, how are you?'' 

''Umm...I'm good, great he says while scratching the back of his neck, if I hadn't known him better, I'd say he was nervous.

''So um, what are you up to these days,'' he asks me.

"Ehh, nothing much just here and there, but I know I'm here to stay ,no running away this time'' I reply.

''Okay. cool.cool, cool, cool, cool'' he says nervously.

I sensed Ethan shifting uncomfortably behind us, making me smirk knowingly. ''Hey Axel why don't you walk with me to the house,'' I say loud enough for Ethan to hear too.

''Uhh yeah sure why not, after you, ''He replies. 

 I pretend to walk ahead, when Ethans' voice pipes up from behind us,''uhh, excuse me Axel, but aren't you forgetting something?''

''Ohh shoot! The perimeter check! I'm sorry Athena, I have to go, maybe some other time?'' He apologizes.

"Sure, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool,'' I say imitating him, before laughing out loud and making my way towards our house, I did however catch Ethan glaring at me, and let's just say if looks could kill, I'd be a pile of ash by now.

I walk into our house and see my mom preparing dinner. ''Hey mom, what's cooking?'' I ask, as I peer over her shoulders to peep.

''Spaghetti and meatballs Athena, now go freshen up, your dad and Ethan will be home soon.

I walk up the stairs to my room and I'm shocked to see that apart from the pile of dust that had gathered on the furniture, nothing else had changed. My room is exactly the way I had left it eight years ago.

I cleared the dust of my dressing table and got my laptop out, I saw tons of emails from Nancy and our suppliers, turns out the clothing line was a hit and most outfits were almost sold out in some of the outlets.

The supplier was looking forward to collaborate in the near future, so I must start thinking of new designs. Guess I've got my work cut out for me already. As I lay on my bed my mind drifts off to how life would now be for me, I will practically be balancing two different lives.

I just hope I made the right decision by coming back.

***
Thoughts on this one?
What do you guys think of Athena's family
Let me know in the comments below.
-Jessica.S