Shadow Heart Pack House

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Griz shook his head at her as he simply held her, his large hand moving up and down her back soothingly. After a moment, he spoke, keeping her head against his chest as Dancer and Cass walked in silently behind her.

"I understand that it was traumatic for you, kitten. But none of us have ever held those moments against you. You are still so very young and you need training desperately to control your powers properly. Luna never held Gurzils death against you and you know that. Your dad has never held the pack incident against you either. And if any of us knew anything about Sebastet, she knew what her fate was going to be when she went after you. She was so very tired, sweetheart... She was ready to go and she would have seen her death as fitting. Ash has never held her death against you either. He knew her mental state better than you do," he explained softly to her.

"All this guilt you feel is from yourself, not anyone else. It's long past time for you to forgive yourself for things you did without knowing what you were doing. We're only upset now because we could have been helping you instead of being left out. We wanted to help and support you in any way that we could," he added, still in that soft tone, knowing that she'd always found his deep voice soothing.

Dancer gently ran his hand down her spine and gave a soft sigh, "I was about four when I killed for the first time... My father wouldn't let me clean up for about a week. I was six for the second time, then I killed eight. After that, he started teaching me to be a pleasure slave," he offered in a soft whisper as he moved around to kneel beside Griz's knee where she could see him and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, "What you did was a self-defense reaction. No one holds any of that against you but you. You need forgiveness, Bit..." he added, then he got to his feet and offered his hand to her.

"I can soften the edges for you for now. I can even dampen your powers down for a little while. I would have offered it sooner but I didn't know that you needed it," he knew that he was offering her a temporary lifeline that would help her with her new lessons, but he felt that it was necessary for now, "I'm also going to suggest that you do a little bit of counseling with Egan for a bit. As an empath, it's part of what he does. You can choose either Egan or Casee. I know Casee is young, but he's a soul healer and has been doing it behind everyone's back since he came here. That choice is yours but you need to choose one of them," he added, knowing that she needed the help to deal with the trauma.

Then Cass probably surprised her, "And you'll be coming to my training sessions. You need to learn control and you'll get that as you learn to fight physically. You've only ever reacted with your powers, never with physical skill. Fighting with magic is a different class. You need to keep your skills hidden like I do, so you'll be in my classes. I know that Sebastet gave you your weapons. You need to learn to use them," he added in his bit but didn't get any closer. If he did, he was going be looking at her in a completely different way and he knew it. So a little bit of distance was going have to happen until he had his reactions under control.

Alright, that was probably a losing battle, but he has to try or he was going to try to kiss her before they went too far...

Griz gave a nod to both males then looked down at her, "It's time to learn, kitten... It's time to become who you actually want to be..." he whispered to her then gestured to Dancers hand as if suggesting that she accept the help that was being offered instead of being stubborn about it...  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Samirra did her best to calm down fully as Griz held her and tried to sooth her. She sensed Dancer and Cass walk in but didn't acknowledge it while she paid attention to Griz as he started to speak. She closed her eyes and took a few shaky breaths as he explained that no one had ever held the things she had done against her, that her guilt was coming from herself and no one else. She shook her head a bit as he said that it was time for her to forgive herself for the things she had done because she had done them without knowing what she was doing.

She shifted her gaze towards Dancer as he moved to where she could see him and started to explain about his past and the first times that he had killed. She trembled a bit as he told her that what she did was self-defense and that no one held any of it against her. "I do," she whispered, barely loud enough for anyone to pick up.

She shook her head a bit when Dancer said that he could help and even dampen her powers for a little while. "He won't let anyone dampen my powers. He gets really mad when I try to go down that route." She didn't explain that any further, but Cass would probably be able to guess that she was referring to Gurzil. Her projection of him seemed even more unhinged than the real one had been in some ways, even going so far as to break his rules against harming children.

She looked over to Cass when he stated that she would be coming to his training sessions. She hesitated a bit as he described what he had in mind. "I haven't even looked at those swords since that day. I haven't been able to bring myself to pick them up."

She let out a soft sigh at Griz's words and his gesture towards Dancer's hand. "I don't know who I want to be. There's so much swirling around in my head. Thousands of years of memories from Gurzil's life, and even more from Sebastet's. It's overwhelming. It's hard to figure out where they end and I begin."

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Dancer gave a soft sigh at her refusals then looked at Cass for a silent moment. He finally gave himself a small nod, "Then Cass is right. You'll need to start training in the special group. We started it up after you left. It'll be new to you. It will be something completely different for you that neither of them will be able to influence you either way," he said simply without offering any other information on it.

In truth, he thought that she needed more blocks to help her deal with both personalities, but she was the only one that could put them up at this point.

Griz gave a nod at the suggestion, "Dancer and I run the training for that group. Egan and Wind know about it but they deliberately don't ask us any questions about it. It's specifically for defending the pack. Sometimes we have a guest trainer in, but we keep that quiet," he explained to her, hoping that she'd be able to understand.

Cass gave a shrug of one shoulder and crossed his arms as he leaned back against the wall, "Sometimes Alpha Egan needs a helping hand that he doesn't know about. What he doesn't know, he doesn't have to answer for. And we all know what Alpha Mate Wind thinks about the darker side of fighting..." he added his bit in, not speaking badly about Wind but knowing that they'd all understand about Wind's big heart.

Of course, it didn't escape Dancer's notice that Cass was trying to distance himself from the upper ranks of the pack...

And when Griz narrowed his eyes at the boy, it was obvious that the bear had noticed it too, "What's going on with you, Cass? Why the distance? Why the formal titles? Tell me the truth and I'll try to work around it," he demanded softly, still moving his hand over Samirra's back soothingly.

Cass gave a heavy sigh and looked down, "I keep getting reminded to remember my place. Being informal with the upper ranks sets me up too high. I was never formally adopted. I was a stray that they took in. I have to keep to my place in the scheme of things," he said softly. He'd told the truth, just not all of the truth.

He didn't tell them that he was thinking about leaving. He still wasn't sure when he was going to go. But he could feel it... The instinct for a male cougar was to leave, to wander until he found a territory and a mate. He couldn't ignore his instincts. Especially when he had others in the pack reminding him that he didn't really have a solid place here.

Dancer frowned over that one and looked at Griz, "I haven't heard anything about this. Griz?" he asked the bear.

Griz shook his head as well, "We wouldn't hear any of it. We're in the upper ranks. They suck up to us and make sure that we never hear about the problems. I've seen it before. Not even Samirra would hear about any of it since she's one of the Alpha couple's kids. The ones formally adopted get special treatment. It's part of how basic pack structure works, how positions change as people work their way up the structure. Unfortunately, it's one of the fights that Cass has to deal with on his own. If we tell Egan and Wind about, it makes Cass look weak. He's a bit stuck in the middle with it. We just have to see if we can get the Alpha and his Mates to catch it in action..." he offered the explanation, hoping that it would be easy to find a solution.

Cass snorted and shook his head, "There's always a lookout. And they've always turned it against me. Eg-" he hesitated and corrected himself, "Alpha Egan caught it twice and still had to punish me for it because I couldn't deny the accusations they used. I did throw the first punch every time it happened. I admit that. So Alpha Egan commanded that I stop punching others," he shrugged there, knowing that there was nothing to be done about it now, "If I stick around the upper ranks for protection, I'm hiding behind them. If I avoid the upper ranks, I have to deal with the backlash. I can handle it," he finished without moving from his position against the wall.

The other two went silent, knowing that anything they tried to do would only backfire.

After an awkward silence, Cass spoke up again, "Samirra... You'd start out from the beginning of learning to fight. You don't touch even a practice weapon until you're ready for it. So the weapons that were made for you can wait for a bit. But you do need to start the training," he offered to her then pushed away from the wall, "Look, I have to get ready for my runs today. My vote is for Samirra to stick with you two today and handle dealing with the Alpha and Alpha Mate then get her settled for the classes and maybe lessons with Saber. That's my suggestion. But I get going or I'll be late," he said before he gave her a nod and a small smile then left the room.

Griz gave a sigh over the situation but said nothing about it for now. Instead, he looked down at Samirra, "Well kitten? You ready to deal with your dads?" he asked her softly as Dancer gave her an encouraging smile. They knew that she could do it, but they'd still give her a little more time if she needed it.  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Samirra flinched a bit when she heard Dancer's soft sigh, clearly unable to bear the thought that he might be disappointed in her. She wanted to say something, wanted to tell him that he was right and that she would let him try to dampen her powers. She noticed a tiny bit of motion in the corner of her vision and swallowed hard as she noticed a grinning Gurzil giving a simple shake of his head at the idea, doing her best not to let anyone else notice her fear of the clear warning that only she could see.

She forced herself to focus her attention on everyone else again when she heard Dancer state that she would need to start training in the special group. She listened to the explanation about the training and hesitated a bit. She wanted to do what they thought would help. She wanted to stop feeling like she was disappointing them. But she could still see Gurzil watching with his sadistic grin, and she knew that he was dangerous to anyone who might try to help her.

She did her best not to stare at the image of Gurzil that she could see, knowing that trying to give an explanation about that could go wrong very quickly. Instead, she shifted her attention to Cass when he spoke, giving a slight frown at his words and feeling concerned about the distance that even she could see him putting between himself and the upper ranks.

She wasn't exactly happy as Cass spoke to Griz and Dancer, finding herself getting a bit infuriated that anyone would be mistreating Cass. She only got more irritated about it as the conversation drew to an end, with Cass stating that he could handle it. She noticed that Gurzil had finally vanished and found herself relaxing a bit for the first time in a while.

She gave a simple nod to Cass as he explained that she would start from the beginning of learning to fight and that she would touch any sort of weapon until she was ready for it. "Okay," she said softly, allowing them to see that she was actually open to accepting help. She felt her cheeks burning a bit as Cass gave her that small smile, and she hid her face a bit for a few moments in an attempt to hide her blush from Griz and Dancer so that they wouldn't figure out about her crush on Cass.

She looked up to Griz when she heard his question and hesitated a bit as she saw Dancer's encouraging smile. "No, I'm not ready," she admitted. "I'm not ready because I'm scared and I know that Dad will be really sad and concerned when he sees what I've done to myself. I can't stand to break his heart by making him realize that I skipped pretty much my entire childhood and that there are some moments that we'll just never get to experience because of that. But I have to do it now. Because I know that I'll get scared and hide again if I don't."

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Dancer gave her a soft smile, "Little Bit... He won't be disappointed in you. He'll be sorry that you felt that you had to do this on your own. But you know Wind better than that. He loves you so much... He only wants to help you and be there for you. I don't think it's possible for you to disappoint him," he pointed out to her simply.

He'd noted her behavior but said nothing about it. Her fear of Gurzil wasn't that easily hidden but it was justified so he left that alone for now. As for her crush on Cass... Well... He wasn't the hopeless romantic that Wind was, but he was turning out to be a good matchmaker when he put some effort into it. That one was going to be fun... But he just filed it away for now and moved on.

Griz put his arms a bit tighter around her briefly the pulled back so she could look up at him, "We'll take care of helping you with your dads and with your training, Kitten. But do you want to camp out in here with me for a few nights? You know you always sleep peacefully when you camp out in here," the bear offered. There were many mornings that he'd woken up to find her cuddled up with him and she'd always been at peace because he never triggered her instincts.

In a way, he was a big protective teddy bear for most of the younger ones in the pack.

For now, though they really needed to get the meeting with Egan and Wind over with so that she wasn't dreading it all the time. So Griz just nodded for Dancer to go get them while he simply held her and soothed her. He trusted Dancer to explain the situation before they got to the room so they were prepared for it.

And while she was one of the most powerful psychics in the world right now, Griz knew that she had no idea just how powerful Dancer was. The unique hybrid had kept his abilities hidden so well that not even his mates knew how powerful he was. Egan suspected, but hadn't talked to Dancer about it yet.

But Griz had actually tested Dancer's magical abilities and the boy was a powerhouse in combat! His cat was pussycat, but Griz wasn't sure if he'd win in a fight against Dancer...

Dancer simply nodded and placed a light kiss to the top of Samirra's head and winked at her before he left the room to get Egan and Wind, making sure to update them in their room before heading back to Griz.

That gave Griz and Samirra plenty of time to figure out if she wanted to stay with the bear for a bit.

For now, Griz tilted his head at her, "Anything else on your mind, Kitten? While we've got a few minutes?" he asked her softly. While Ash had given her The Talk, it had been Griz that she'd come to about relationships, boys, and confusing behavior involving crushes. Of course, those conversations had been spread out over time, but the bear had always been someone she could talk to about anything.

Hell, she'd even helped him when he'd worked on his motorcycle. And the bear didn't let anyone touch his bike....  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Samirra gave an uncertain nod as Dancer assured her that Wind wouldn't be disappointed in her. "I know, but I can't help but be worried about that sort of thing," she muttered. "Everyone has always had such high opinions and expectations of me, and I feel like I've let everyone down."

She relaxed into Griz as he tightened his arms around her and then pulled back. She thought about his question for a moment and then nodded. "I think that's a good idea. For the last few months, it's felt like I've been running marathons in my sleep. I've had such awful dreams, and it felt like I could never really rest. But now I realize that they weren't dreams. Gurzil was doing stuff while I was asleep and tapping into my powers and energy to do it." She let out an exhausted sigh. "I'm so tired. I can't remember the last time I slept without waking up even more exhausted."

She closed her eyes for a few moments as Dancer kissed the top of her head and left to go get Wind and Egan. She opened her eyes again and looked up to Griz when he asked if anything else was on her mind. She hesitated for a few moments, debating if she should really voice some of what was swirling around in her head.

"Being older is confusing," she finally mumbled. "I used to have crushes on boys and all that, but it was always just some cute little thing that wouldn't amount to anything. I was just a little girl, so I knew that it was just some funny little thing that would make Dad smile if I told him about it. But it's different now. I'm different now. Now it feels so much more real."

She paused for a moment, blushing as she thought about everything. "I can't look at Cass the same way anymore. I used to see him as the sweet boy that was just so much fun to do things like play hide and seek with. But now I look at him, and I feel my heart start to beat super fast and I just get so confused. Especially after I heard one thought from him about me being beautiful. I don't really know what to do."

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Griz grinned briefly at her then tapped her nose, "Then don't do anything for now. You have to let feelings like that settle for a bit, see if it's for real or just a dream feeling, maybe just a safe place to put your feelings until you're ready for the real thing. Even with as much as you've aged, you're still very young, Kitten. Give it time," he advised her simply. And it wasn't bad advice for her right now. She had so much going on that trying to figure out a relationship on top of it all was just a touch too much for now.

She really didn't have to do anything yet. She could really concentrate on herself and her situation for now and let her feelings for Cass develop at a natural pace from this point.

"And do remember, Kitten, that you're not the fastest growing we know of. Remember Ash's boys? When you were small, so were they. Now Saber and Torrent are about to take up their Seats on the Council. It's just a bit fast for you. We can work together to help you slow down to normal, but it's not that bad. We're just mainly worried about how we can help you and how much you'll let us," he pointed out calmly. He wasn't accusing her in any way. He was pointing out facts that would help put things in perspective for her.

But while they were alone, he wanted to let her know something he'd found out, "I found out something that I think you should know, something for you to think about for a bit. But before you go and try to do something with it, I want you to promise me that you'll talk to me about it first," he waited until she gave her promise then continued.

"I got word from the Re Base. Luna has been given a gift that will keep her distracted for a while. A deal was made. She was given Ilea's baby to raise. In a way, you now have a baby brother. Nalyne checked in on that before he went home. Ilea gave the baby to Luna completely then left after delivering the boy. You told us all that she's always wanted children. I know she adopted you. Now she has a little boy to raise as well," he explained to her the main points that Nalyne had told him on his way back from the club.

"I didn't want you to be surprised with it. I'm just updating you like I always have. My opinion is that we leave her be with the boy. I do think she'll be a good mother, despite her instability. And it will keep her busy for a while," he added, just as calmly as he'd spoken so far.

After dealing with Egan and Wind, he'd set her up to cuddle with him so that she could finally get some real sleep. He had a feeling he knew what was really going on, but he wasn't going to say anything until he was sure. Until then, he'd treat her no differently than he always had.

Honestly, he was like the perfect uncle... That just happened to shift into the largest bear on the planet...  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Samirra jumped a bit when her tapped her nose and then offered a slightly strained smile. "That's probably for the best," she said. "I need to try to figure out who I am at this point before I try to start anything real. I have a lot of work to do on myself."

She blushed a bit. "I might get a bit...distracted sometimes, though. I don't think that I'll really be able to help that. The important thing is to not do anything crazy for the moment."

She gave a quick nod when he mentioned Ash's boys and let out a shaky sigh when he mentioned that they were worried about how they could help her and how much she would let them. "I want to let you help me. I want it so much. But Gurzil doesn't want to let it happen. Anytime I've tried to get help, it's generally ended with someone getting maimed or killed in really horrible ways. And I couldn't live with myself if he hurt any of you."

She was a bit confused when Griz said that he had found out something that he thought she should know and said that he wanted her to promise that she would talk to him before doing anything with it. She tilted her head and examined him with a confused look before giving a quick now. "I promise, Griz. I'll talk to you about it first."

She listened with interest as he explained that he had heard that Luna had been given Ilea's baby to raise. She honestly wasn't sure how to feel or respond at first and had to give it some thought for a minute or two. But she eventually let out a relieved sigh and relaxed a bit more. "Thank the gods," she muttered. "I've been feeling guilty for not going to see her, but I didn't want her what's been going on with Gurzil lately. Now I know that she'll be okay for now, that she'll be okay without me for a while. Honestly, that's a lot of pressure that's just been taken off of me."

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Griz nodded to her and gave her an encouraging smile, "Good... Now then. Do you want the trundle bed next to mine or do you want to cuddle with me?" he asked her simply, knowing that making the decision was for herself was good on this point.

The trundle bed was an addition that Wind made when Griz started getting a lot of the cubs camping in his room. There was only so much room in the bed, after all. It just slid under his bed and could be pulled out as needed. There was many a time when bedtime stories turned into a campout.

But offering that choice now was a good one. It showed that he knew she was mature enough for such a choice but also gave her the security of a light sleeper in the room with her either way.


Meanwhile, Dancer had gotten Egan and Wind up and explained the situation as well as the solutions that they'd come up with. He also explained how guilty Samirra had been feeling about everything and why she hadn't come to any of them for help.

He and Egan held Wind for a moment, then the Omega surprised them all by being very calm about it. For him, his baby girl needed her Daddy and he was going to be there for her.

This was what made him such a good parent. He was not good in a crisis most of the time. But when it came to all of his 'kids' he could stand up to the strongest Alpha without hesitation or fear.

So he simply gave Egan and Dancer both a kiss, waited for Dancer to give Egan a bit of extra protection for his empathy, and then Wind led the way to Griz's room.  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Samirra heard his question about the trundle bed and didn't even have to think about it before she answered. "I'd rather be with you," she said. "I think it's better to not leave anything to chance. At least for the first few nights. Cuddling with you means that you're right there in case anything happens. And it's been a while since I got to do that. I like how safe it feels."

She was almost fully grown now, but she still struggled to feel like she really was her age sometimes. She felt like she was caught in a weird middle phase, stuck between the child she had been and the young woman she was now. She knew that she was mostly grown, but she still didn't want to fully let go of her younger self just yet. She didn't know who she would be if she did.

Egan still looked a bit worn out as Dancer explained the situation to himself and Wind, along with the solutions they'd come up with so far. He still had a headache, but he was in a better state than he had been the day before. He knew that he could actually manage to help now.

He let out a soft sigh over the situation. "I was hoping that I had imagined what I saw yesterday," he stated, revealing to them both that he had already seen a bit of what was going on with her. "I saw through her projection when she got here, saw that she was older. But I was so overloaded from Gypsy and Morrigan that I could barely see straight. And Wind had finally gotten to sleep."

He shook his head a bit. "I was hoping to bring it up to her when we were all feeling better and we could talk in a safe way without pressure after having time to properly prepare everything ahead of time. I didn't think things would break down quite so soon."

He suddenly noticed that Wind was perfectly calm and was a bit surprised. He knew better than to ever underestimate the other male. He had learned a very long time ago that Wind was stronger than anyone really realized. But he also knew that Samirra was a surefire way to immediately strike his heart. He knew how much Wind loved her and how worried he had been about her while she was gone. So seeing Wind so calm in this situation was something he hadn't expected.

He offered a small smile when he sensed what was going through his Mate's head, sensing the determination to be there for his baby girl when she needed him. He returned his kiss and then shifted his attention over to Dancer for a moment as the male gave him a bit of extra protection for his empathy. He thanked him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips and then followed Wind to Griz's room.

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Griz gave her another nod and got up, setting her on the bed while he got one of his shirts from his dresser to hand to her, "You can use that after you take a good shower. Thankfully, I got one of the rooms with my own shower," he quipped with a brief grin to tease her a bit as he sat next to her. Especially since his shirt was going to cover her to her ankles...

Just then, Wind opened the door and instantly moved to hug her, "My Baby Girl..." he whispered softly. His emotions were all only about wondering how he could help her and how much he loved her.

After a moment, he pulled back and looked at her face with a soft smile, "You are looking more and more like your mother...," he told her softly before tracing a finger along her cheekbone under one eye, "Except for your eyes, you still have Taro's eyes. Your brothers all look like carbon copies of Taro's brother. But you are going to be the perfect mix of Taro and Bethany," he mused with a tender smile before pulling her back into his arms.

Dancer followed with Egan and had to smile when he saw Wind hugging his daughter. It was just so friggin adorable, "You know, I never thought that the stories I heard about him could ever match the real person and I was right. He's just always so adorable... Doesn't matter what he does, he just keeps so blasted cute..." he commented to Egan, knowing that the Alpha would find it funny as well.

Didn't help that Griz chuckled over it too...

Of course, they were right. The Omega was cute, adorable, and quite possibly the best parent that any of them had ever encountered. On top of it all, he had the biggest heart on the planet. He'd even forgiven Gurzil for what the insane demon had done to Blade...

Dancer had a brief thought as he looked at Samirra and shared it with Egan. Dancer and Wind would have to be the ones to go, though. Egan couldn't be around Morrigan and Gypsy again for a little while. But the two of them could handle this trip to help the girl.

Dancer left it at that brief thought with Egan, knowing that he'd think about it before allowing the trip. Past that, he continued to help Egan with his headache. While the hybrid wasn't a healer, he could do things for his mates that defied explanation at times.

Griz knew better. The bear knew that Dancer could do more than he thought he could. He just knew that Dancer hadn't entirely gotten over what Kam had turned him into and Dancer still heard Kam's orders from time to time. Of course, Egan enjoyed that last one because it meant bringing the hybrid to heel, so...

Anyway, Wind pulled back and placed a light kiss to Samirra's forehead, "Baby Girl, I'm always here for you. I even set things up so I can be there for you no matter what else is going on," he assured her softly and revealed something that not even his mates knew.

Wind was good at battle magics, but he was best at making a home. He'd somehow managed to get a spell to work on himself. Setting it up so that if any of his 'kids' needed him, he would be able to leave whatever he was doing and go to them. Not even Heats would interfere with it. Not again.

Griz shook his head, "Not this time, Wind. I got our girl for now. She's going to camp out with me and get some actual sleep. You two can bond over clothes and her room redecoration later. I get Kitten Cuddles for now. What we need for you to do right now is check on Cass' clothes. I think he's hitting another growth spurt. It's either that or he's gaining more muscle," he tried to distract Wind a little bit. But he should have known better...

Wind shook his head a bit and smiled down at the girl before pulling her back into another hug. He knew he didn't need to say anything. She knew how much he loved her and wanted to be there for her. She was his daughter.

Wind's only regret in life was that he'd never been able to father his own children. He simply couldn't function with a female so it wasn't possible. So his only regret was that he didn't share that blood connection with the many children he'd adopted over the years. But he did his best to be the best father to them all. Still, it was little Samirra that had saved his life that day when Bethany told him that she was pregnant. Yes, there were Samirra's two brothers, but they actually did best with Egan and Griz. Samirra had claimed Wind as much as he'd claimed her, but in that first moment when he'd held her after she was born he'd lost his heart to her. She had been the one that had truly made them all a family.

She'd also been the one to tattle to Egan every time someone in the pack treated Wind badly.

Wind could only hold her to him and feel how much he loved his little girl. And she would always be his little girl, no matter how much she grew or where she went in life. That one point would never change for him...  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Samirra couldn't help but smile and let out a soft giggle as Griz handed her the shirt from his dresser and told her that she could use it after she took a shower. She knew that even though she was bigger now, the shirt would still be massive on her and probably cover her to her ankles.

She jumped a bit as Wind opened the door and moved to hug her, clearly a bit concerned about something. After a few moments, she relaxed and hugged him back, already feeling tears starting to fill her eyes. "I missed you, Dad," she whispered. "I'm sorry that I was gone for so long."

Egan walked into the room with Dancer, unable to stop himself from smiling at seeing Wind hugging the girl. He gave a soft chuckle when he heard Dancer's words, clearly agreeing with the statement that Wind was always adorable and finding that rather amusing. He was even more amused when he heard Griz chuckle in response.

His attention was captured a moment later when he noticed Gurzil nearby, standing just behind Wind. Egan could feel the malice pouring from him, could feel that the figure was building up to something. He could also sense that the psychotic demon was only supposed to be visible to Samirra, a projection that only she could see that was there simply to threaten and torment her. He took a deep breath and reached out with his empathy, pulling at Gurzil and Sebastet.

He watched the projection for a moment and then caught Dancer's thought. He didn't even need to think about it. He allowed Dancer to feel his gratitude for helping with his headache and also allowed the other male to share in his vision, making it possible for him to see the projection of Gurzil standing threateningly behind Wind. He gave Dancer a moment to understand everything and then stepped up behind Wind, walking through the projection and causing it to dissipate as he moved closer to offer whatever support he could.

Samirra looked startled for a moment as Egan walked through the projection of Gurzil but relaxed when she realized that he had seen the threat and dealt with it without a word. She allowed herself to focus fully on her father without worrying about Gurzil anymore, trying to hold back a few tears as Wind placed that light kiss on her forehead and assured her that he was always here for here. She wasn't sure how he could have set things up to be there regardless of whatever else was going on, but she knew that he would definitely be the one who could defy explanation and make it work.

She noticed Griz trying to distract Wind a bit by explaining the plans for her to camp out with him for a bit to get some sleep and calm down, but she knew that was pretty much futile. She knew that there wouldn't be any way to distract Wind until he was sure that she was okay.

She trembled a bit as Wind held her, so happy to be able to finally have this moment with her father without having to worry about anything happening for the moment. "I love you, Dad," she stated softly as she fully relaxed into his embrace and held onto him for dear life. She had been staying away and keeping herself distant in order to keep Gurzil from doing anything to harm Wind because she couldn't stand the thought of anything like that happening. But she knew that she didn't need to worry about that right now. All she needed to worry about right now was having this pure, loving moment with her father.

 

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Once, during one of the few times Dancer and Egan had been alone, Dancer had made a request that Egan didn't like, but he'd agreed to it in the end. Dancer had wanted the pack to underestimate him. He'd wanted to keep his true abilities a secret. Egan had agreed only if a choice few did know. Griz, Bane, Anna, Ash, and Cynder all knew. Cass suspected, but he wasn't told anything concrete. Dancer helped the boy with his fighting skills and pain tolerance.

Griz caught the innocent look from Dancer but knew what it meant and didn't react at all. Instead, the bear ruffled at Samirra's hair, "Why don't you let your dad help you with my shower and braid your hair after you wash it? We'll set your first lesson when you wake up. But you can't learn to fight when you're falling asleep on your feet," he suggested simply.

Wind gave her forehead another kiss and smiled down at her, "Come on, Baby Girl. Let's get you showered and your hair washed and braided so that you'll sleep better," he offered, helping her to her feet and into the attached bathroom.

Dancer walked up to Egan after the door closed and placed a hand on his arm, easily giving a boost of power and control as well as draining the overload and eliminating Egan's headache. He would have done so sooner but Egan had wanted to deal with it on his own. Now, however, they all needed him at the top of his game.

Once he was finished, Dancer winked at Egan, "I think we should start her on the basics, get her body used to moving correctly. A little basic sparring will do her good as well," he suggested since he knew how well her hearing was.

Griz nodded, "I'll start her the same way I do all the kids. But Cass is the only one in the house that's close to her size so she'll have to join in on his classes instead of with the other kids. I also think it would be a good idea to keep a closer eye on what's happening with Cass. I know the Cougars are an independent bunch naturally, especially the males when they come of age, but he's the only male cougar in the area. That makes this his territory. I think he's planning something but just biding his time on it. I don't like how they're trying to separate him from his family," the bear was unhappy about what was happening with the young cougar male.

Dancer nodded over it but looked at Egan, not sure what to do about it, to be honest.

Neither of them said anything as Griz stripped down and changed into a pair of shorts to sleep in. Although, Dancer silently admitted to Egan that Saoirse was an idiot to walk away from the bear...


Meanwhile, Wind started up the shower and helped Samirra wash and condition her hair, unable to resist winking at her, "You're going to smell like Griz for a day or two. I'll get you some more stuff in your favorite scents later today and arrange some clothes as well while you sleep. Anything different that you want, you only have to say so," he told her simply as he combed the conditioner through her hair, noting that she had Bethany's hair color with Taro's hair texture. It meant that her hair was strong and more straight than Bethany's, but still carried the same rich color.

"You are growing up so beautifully, Samirra. I'm worried about you, but I'm more proud of you. You're stronger than I was at your age. My sister had to take care of me all the time, you know. I was good at fighting magic and taking care of a home. She could fight and survive. If it hadn't been for her and Egan, I would never have survived this long. You have that kind of strength. You're a survivor. You're a fighter. You're so strong, Sweetheart... I do envy you that strength," he finished that with a softer tone as she rinsed her hair and turned off the water. He wrapped a towel around her then set about getting the worst of the water out of her hair so that he could braid it for her.

He was a good parent and mate. He ran the packhouse smoothly and took care of all the children he and Egan had adopted. He was a fantastic cook.

But she'd never seen his magic skills. He hadn't used them since before Taro died. Egan knew how good Wind's magic skills were since he'd tested them so very long ago. But no one else alive except Blade had seen Wind fight.

He just didn't consider his skills that useful. He didn't consider himself to be that strong. He honestly saw himself as weak because of his Omega status I the hierarchy of pack politics.

All of the kids he'd raised so far ranked higher than he did. Samirra and her brothers were all Alphas. Cass was a born Beta that could easily push himself to Alpha status. The others were all Betas and Gammas. Omegas were frequently seen as weak and considered useless for anything other than cooking and cleaning.

While Wind knew that Egan felt differently about it, Wind still had his self-esteem issues. Admittedly, he'd never shown anyone his abilities, but even Gurzil had seen Wind as the weak link in the pack...