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Dad looks like he’s seen a ghost as we enter his office, and I guess he has. It never got chance to warn him, how much my daughter resembles mother at her age. Pops still holds my daughter’s hand, as if he’s afraid she will disappear, and I don’t blame him. Silas explained how they 'lost' her last time, and I still find myself pinching myself that she’s here.

Declan has set up security cameras so he can see where she is and that she’s okay while we work from home, even urging Silas to keep checking it while we’re at the office. Again, I don’t blame him. Dec and Bray help Dad into his chair while Bas gets him a glass of bourbon. As always, Ember looks like she wants to leave us to our family moment, but with Pops and Trunk on either side, She doesn’t move; she just looks down at the floor, ready to be scolded.

"Grandpa, are you feeling better? You’re worrying, Ember. My sister looks like you’re about to take her toys away." At Declan’s Russian Spoken words, Dad’s head snaps up.

He rambles an apology in Russian, then shakes his head.

"I’m sorry, my precious granddaughter," he translates, not realizing that Ember speaks Russian.

“I mistook for Wife, Bunica; you look mirror her, not your Papa.” His broken English is slow, and full of emotion, He opens his arms for a hug. Unlike the softness my brothers and I inherited from our mother, he is what you would find in a dictionary under 'grumpy old Russian': all cold eyes and sharp edges, the kind that most people shy away from. Even my sons, who have grown up around him, approach him with care.

"I’m glad I can give you part of her back, but I’m sorry it made you sad, Grandpa," Ember replies with a perfect accent as she breaks away from Pops and hugs my grumpy father. We’re all in shock until Pops grunts,

“Grandpa?” as Dad croaks out,

" My Beautiful Grandaughter speaks Russian?” I go to answer them both, but Brayden answers first.

"It seems that when I’ve only felt my wolves from a distance, they were visiting Ember in her dreams. When she was isolated, they would teach her what I was learning at school; they also taught her Russian, Cherokee, and Irish." Dad chuckles. Pops turns to me, his eyes full of apology. I raise my hand.

"It's okay, Ember has explained a lot. She’s met a few of the boys and Mickey G on her way back to us, but she’s here and safe now," I say.

Pops nods and looks over at Ember, who seems smaller curled up with my father. She looks at me, then at Pops, sighing,

"I have ten mate marks. Can you explain to Mi... Dad, Uncle Nic, and Luc? Probably Grandpa and my brothers, Ren as well, About being Mater Aeterna , to the litter, but not today since we have a pack meet tonight.” Bas informs her that they call Nikoli Grumps, Pops is still Pops, and Trunk is Gramps or the Cherokee word for Grandpa, which is Agiduda . Ember smiles her thanks

Pops gazes keeps darting between Ren and Ember and then he speaks to her in Latin, I don’t fully understand but I get the jist of the question

“It was Ren’s hoody you wanted the scent saving on the hoody? It was his Alpha and Enforcers blood you was covered in when you arrived at our?” she gives him a nod, then he rubs his face,

“explains why the litter always listen to Ren” again she gives him another nod and then turns to Brayden.

“I bet you a slice of cake that Ryland, Ren and Miles are trying to listen through the door.” He raises an eyebrow.

“Deal.” He flings the door open with a smug smile at his sister. Which drops when Miles, Ryland, and Jenson fall to the floor while Ren, Alma, Cin, and Ajax look sheepishly at the now-open door.

I burst out laughing as Brayden starts to whine at Ember, who sticks her tongue out at him.

She then disappears over the snoop pile, telling Alma she’s getting all of Brayden’s cake this week.

“I take it back; I don’t want a baby sister anymore,” Bray mumbles, then looks at Ren.

“I now understand your annoyance with J sooooo much more.” I chuckle looking around the room at our family, I actually think I would have had to retire years ago to help keep Nic sane if Ember had grown up here.