The Hawthrone Heir(UNEDITED)
Chapter 32

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THE JOURNEY

Destiny

Luca started smirking mischievously the moment I stepped into the dining room and I don't like it. Then again, come to think of it, people have been smirking knowingly at me.

"Good morning," I greet everyone as a chorus of good mornings goes around the huge table.

Dammit, I can hardly walk, I can't even sit properly. I'm so tender and my ass is still on fire making it a bit tedious to sit down normally.

"Good morning," Tyler says, striding into the dining room, joining us, sitting at the head of the table.

"Good morning alpha," these people respond, smirking.

"Okay, why the hell are you all smirking?!" I ask frustrated.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because at three in the damn morning, we all heard you still screaming Tyler's name," Jenny replied sarcastically—my face going fifty shades of red completely forgetting they had stayed over and the walls aren't soundproof.

"That's not all, you should've seen the guys with a new bed set," Luca continues.

"OH MY GOODNESS! You guys broke the bed, that's so hot!" Alexis chirped in making everyone burst into a fit of laughter.

"I hate you people, all of you," I grumbled, stabbing my pancakes.

Tyler said nothing, he only looked rather pleased with himself. Fucking jerks all of ‘em.

“Okay, that's quite enough, it's not your business.” Grandma Sara chastised.

Clearing his throat. “As much as I love having breakfast with my best bro here, along with his lovely mate. I can't help but wonder why we're here?” Brandon speaks up.

“I'm the one who wanted you guys to be here, but I won't say anything else until the rest of us are all here. So, if don't mind, please wait.” I reasoned, briefly explaining my intentions.

“Sure thing, I understand,” Brandon responded, returning his attention to his food.

~~~~~

"Hey boy! I missed you so much," I hug Demon and he purrs like he's a damn cat and not a dog.

"I called you all here because I wanted to share a few small moments of my journey with you guys," I inform the gang which includes Anna and my brothers.

“As much as I love the pack, what I want to share, is for family members only,” I added, running my fingers through Damon's fur—something I haven't done in such a long time.

"We're outside because I also have a discovery to show, so, follow me please,” I say, leading everyone outdoors, under the willow tree located around the back.

“Take off your shoes please, just get comfortable on the ground, and hold hands,” I instruct them.

Intertwining my hands with Tyler, and Alexis, the others followed. “Do not let go of each other, no matter how difficult it gets for you," I warn them. “Got it guys?” I questioned for reassurance, as a string of agreements is said.

Focusing on everyone's energy, combining them with mine, linking it together— then I opened up my mind.

"Where are we going?" I ask dad since he's being all mysterious. He just woke me up, saying we're going someplace without any other information.

"Do you trust me, pup?" he retorts.

"Yes," I replied without skipping a beat making him smile.

"Well then, wait and see,” Dad replies. “Get some sleep, I'll wake you when we get there,” he advised.

"We're here," Dad informs me, but all I see is a pathway full of overgrown grass and vines. "We have to take it on foot from here. We'll be running, so don't look so grim," he chuckled.

Oh. Wait a minute. What the hell does he mean by running? I can't fucking run, at this moment I can hardly walk.

"Dad? How the hell are 'we' going to run? I can barely walk," I voice my thoughts which made him roll his eyes at me.

"You're so much like me. I'm surprised you came out with a vagina and not a dick," he mumbled, leaving me gaping at him.

"Oh haha. Real funny, Dad," I respond with some attitude.

"I'll be shifting, and you'll travel on my back. You'll need to use your levitation powers to carry our stuff though," he informs me. Oh, that's a good idea.

"Okay let's go," I muttered a little bit more energetic.

Shifting into his beautiful white-silver wolf, I hop on his back. As soon as I secure the gear, he takes off like the speed of light. Damn, he's fast. I've only ever seen him in this form once.

Racing along the pathway, we enter a forest. The scenery is so breathtaking and untouched, nature at its best. Another half an hour later, we come to a stop and I get off dad's back.

Taking my time to appreciate the beauty of the luscious forest with its amazingly clear streams, that flowed over smoothly on rocks. Oh my God. This place is so beautiful.

"Why does this place seem so familiar?" I ask out loud. Since our arrival, the aura of the forest has been nagging me.

"Destiny Edith Hawthorne. Welcome to the Demon Lands. This place belongs to us DeLuca's," Dad explains with a smile.

"As in ancestry lands?" I questioned, wanting to be sure I heard him correctly.

"Yeah, this is every DeLuca’s final resting place when they die. The ashes are scattered here from our first forefather,” Dad explained.

“This is where you were conceived, you know, that's if I made the correct calculations." He murmurs, whispering the last part, but I heard clearly.

My head whips around so fast. "W-what? Mom's been here," I stutter, shock.

"Yeah. I loved your mother Destiny, very much,” Dad declares. “I brought her here once. She's the only outsider who ever stepped foot in here," he says softly.

"Then why not mark her Dad?" I ask and he turns his back to me. Sighing, I thought he wasn't going to answer until he turned around.

"We were just naive kids, hoping for the best,” he replied. “I almost did once, she was the one that stopped me. Now I know why," he added.

What? Why did mom stop him?

"Why?" I sputtered.

"The Hawthorne curse,” Dad replies. “I guess your mother was scared of it, but I promised her I wouldn't mark her unless she wanted to," he says.

“She never mentioned it again and I didn't see the need to bring it up, we just went with the flow,” Dad added with a shrug.

Hugging him, "I love you, daddy," I mumbled against his chest. Ugh. I'm so short, he's like 6'2.

Feeling something wet on my shoulder, I wonder, quickly figuring out he's crying.

"I love you too, honey," he says softly.

~~~~~~

"Destiny. You'll have to learn on focusing and channeling your thoughts,” Dad instructs me. “You can't always depend on your anger or rage for your wolf to come forward,” he warns.

“Now, focus, breathe, and visualize yourself as a wolf," he advises.

Okay, okay, focus, breathe, and visualize. I kept chanting. Focus, breathe, and visualize.

Peace takes over my mind, with extreme concentration, I see it. Deep silver eyes staring back at me, but the wolf is so far away. Her fur's beautiful and almost completely silver!

Opening my eyes, I tackle dad to the ground. "I saw her! I saw me!" I scream at him in glee.

"That's a good baby girl! Now, we'll do this every day until you don't need to focus so hard," he encourages and I nod determined.

~~~~~~~~

Over the past two months, we've been training hard and dad's the best teacher I've had so far—he's even more intense than old man Arturo. We would spar in human form, then in his wolf form. We'd also hunt and I must say, I'm very much in control without the assistance of the rage.

I still can't shift and I don't know if I ever will, but I can feel my wolf's presence which makes me stronger, faster, and more agile. I can also feel a protective presence looming over me every time I tap into my primal side.

"You've come a long way, honey, in just a short amount of time. I'm proud of you," Dad praised and I hug him.

The hug, however, did something, because the next thing I know I'm standing in a bedroom with him straddling someone half-naked. “I think I more than like you,” the younger version of my Dad mumbled.

“That's a good thing isn't it?” A familiar voice replied. The person props up on their elbow and it's my mom!

“What we're doing is illegal, you can be whipped to death,” Dad argued.

“You're more than worth it because I'm in love with you Dante,” Mom says as she kisses him.

“W-what the fuck!” Dad yelled, abruptly yanking us apart. Trying to shake me out of the daze I'm in, but I end up collapsing instead.

“Come on honey, wake up. If anything happens to you, it's my fault, wake up.” I keep hearing.

Groaning, I slowly open my eyes. “What happened?” I mumbled groggily.

“Thank the goddess,” Dad says breathing a sigh of relief. “What were you thinking linking us Destiny, you could've killed yourself!” He yelled, shaking me.

“You're giving me a damn headache,” I growled getting out of his arms. “What the heck do you mean linked, and what the hell was that just a few minutes ago?”

Frowning. “You've been out for a week Destiny. That's what happens when a link is cut suddenly, ” Dad replied. “I never knew you could link,” he grumbled.

“Dad, I don't understand what the hell is linking,” I grunt, huffing in confusion.

“Linking is the art of combining one mind or more into one. It only happens once syntonization is on point, or else the person who performs the linking can die if the communication gets broken without disconnecting properly.” He explained.

“I've never linked before now,” I complain.

“Well, something must've happened for you to start to link,” Dad says. “It's an inherited ability, activating by two methods. The one you inherited it from starts teaching you as a toddler since your mind starts developing there. Or the spirit realm, well, that's what I learned from my father when I was a kid anyway,” he tells me.

“How did he knew so much about it?” I asked a bit nervous since I already have a clue how.

“My father was a better man than I could ever be, that's why the council stayed away from us during his rule. Come to think of it, you remind me of him. He stood up for those who weren't strong enough to defend themselves, didn't care much about the implemented rules either,” he says chuckling.

“Yea, he's a great guy,” I agreed.

“How would you know that?”

“Umm, the way you talked about him just now, and what I've read.” I quickly catch myself. "Dad? There's this presence-" I'm cut off.

"It's the past Demons,” Dad interrupts me. “You've got their full protection now, just like your brothers," he says softly.

"Really," I whisper like a child, my voice thick with emotion. He nods and the tears come anyway, like a stormy day.

"Hey, no more tears. It's your birthright, after all, you know," he says, chuckling. "Come on, I think it's time you and your wolf connect."

"Right!" I exclaim. Levitating, I sit in mid-air, closing my eyes. Just like every time, deep silver ones stare at me warmly.

Walking up to her, she wags her tail in excitement.

Nowadays instead of a full wolf, she's becoming more ghost-like. Dad assumes that we're becoming one with each other every time we connect.

"Hey, girl, wanna run with me today?" I ask and she takes off, with me laughing behind her. "One day, we will become one," I declare and she becomes a bit more ghostly than before. And I can feel my primal instincts strengthen.

Breaking the connection, I'm tickled by my damn brothers. Before you know it, I'm in a frigging group hug, getting smothered to death.

"Welcome to the Demons," the boys say at the same time. Did they rehearse that? I wondered.

"Dante, if it's not too late, I apologize for all those years ago," Aunt Cammy says softly.

"It's okay. You were only protective of your best friend," Dad replied as they both shake hands.

Man, my girl keeps surprising us. A linker, who would've thought! Gosh, I love this woman. I hear Tyler's thoughts loud and clear.

"I love you too," I mind-linked him and he's got that damned smirk again.

"Seriously, Destiny. Wasn't all of last night and this morning enough for you. You are eyeing Tyler like he's on the menu," Luca says unbelievingly.

I huff as they start to laugh at me and I can't help the smile that makes its way onto my face.

“Leave her alone you dufus!” Alexis chuckled, playfully punching him on the arm.

This is what I want, my family and friends’ happiness. Now that I've accepted who and what I am, I do not doubt in my mind that I can win this coming war.

To think I gave up on myself the first two days in the wild, someone should just punch me for the stupid decision I made. Thanks to the ancestors, who I had rejected, they saw something I didn't see at first—bringing me back to life.

After all, I am The future Alpha to the Demons, Luna to the Howlers, and survivor of the Hawthorne's bloodline. I'll be damned if I go down without a fight with everything I've got.

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