Transgression (Ménage)✔

⊰5⊱

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Acacia/Ciarán - Age 8

After dinner, it was time for bed for the pups of Grandpa Keir's pack, and before he would let me protest to staying up, he quickly put me into that category and classified me with them. It still made him laugh though when I crossed my arms and gave him the silent treatment until he finally brought me up to my room.

Slipping under the sheets, Grandpa Keir pulls the covers up around me and chuckles, "How long are you going to keep the silent treatment up for?"

I arch a brow and turn my head away from him. A second later, I'm screaming in laughter as he attacks me in an all out tickle war. Tears spring to my eyes as another shriek leaves my lips, breathing hard as I try and get him back, but he hardly lets me get anywhere. After he gives me mercy, I continue to giggle as I calm down, a smile on his face as he sits on the edge of my bed.

Glancing at the clock on the bedside stand, I sigh and say, "It's only eight..."

"Acacia, you're going to need a good night's sleep because I believe Jelena's parents have something fun planned for all of you tomorrow," he winks at me and also notes, "I know you're mature beyond your years, but for my sake, please go to sleep, okay?"

I scrunch my nose up, and he chuckles again. Leaning my head back down against the soft pillowcase, he tucks the covers up under my chin. Grandpa Keir stares at me for a few moments before he says, "You know..." his voice trails off for a moment, hearing pack members shuffling down the hallway and on their way before he continues, "...Alpha Chris, what he said...it was a very different time before the world you live in now."

My eyes fall away from his, knowing somethings here and there about the days during the Code of Conduct and how the werewolves were treated among the humans as well. I didn't do anything to him though, that wasn't nice of him to treat me like that.

When I'm silent for too long, he says, "There's a negative connotation to the name Valentine. As some regard and recognize it as your mother who helped end the tyranny of your great uncle...others...others only associate the misgivings that came through Arthur."

"Is that why daddy only calls me Arin?" I try and sit up a bit and Grandpa Keir sighs while letting me scoot back.

"Not necessarily," he continues to enlighten me, "your father was regarded the same way as he was seated on the council many years before your mother brought about a change. Yes, even though it was your father's plan that helped set everything in motion, he was apart of the problem before he became the solution."

There is a moment of quiet before I tilt my head and look up into his eyes before asking, "Then...why did you introduce me to Alpha Chris as Arin-Valentine if you already knew that?"

"You have your father's wit, that's for sure," he rubs his chin as I question him further, wanting to know why he'd even place me under scrutiny like that if he already knew what the outcome would be.

"You know..." he chuckles and then releases a sigh, "...I honestly believed Alpha Chris would have reacted much differently...considering his younger brother was also your mother's mate."

Mama and daddies don't like to talk about Marc that much...

...at least, not while Ciarán and I are around.

"I wouldn't have done that to you intentionally, Acacia," Grandpa Keir begins to tuck me in once again, kissing me goodnight on the forehead before he rises slowly from the edge of my bed. Just as he is about to leave, something else bubbles up from within me, and I halt him in his tracks.