a/n: not edited.

Chapter 25 – Abracadabra (Kaden POV)

"You're supposed to be dead?" I snapped pointing one finger at Lana, watching as her face broke, "You were the one?" I pointed to Victoria next. It did actually make sense that it was Vicki. Lana was too much a selfish creature to take her own life. "Someone – start – talking," I said between gritted teeth.

David stood approaching me, "It was Victoria, as we were planning arrangements, she came down the stairs, wet, covered in her own blood," I waved a hand.

"I don't care about any of that, how is she alive, I counted one less heartbeat, but now..." I saw Jace flinch.

Peter Riley stood slowly, pulling away from his siblings and mate, "We're bound together, and our parents did so when Lana went away to school, they were afraid that she would be injured in London so they bounded all of us together. The only way to kill one of us, is by killing all of us, at once, with the exact same injuries-"

"How do you undo it?" I interrupted him, his eyes flashed over to Jace, his Alpha. Although, I had to admit he couldn't protect his pack back in North Carolina, which was precisely why he was here. My grandfather Elias sat at the kitchen stools, silent until now. "It can't be undone, the children didn't know that it was even done before. Etta's Aunt is the one who just now told us," I nodded.

The room was still filled with its tension, but I just wanted to laugh, so I bit the inside of my cheeks until my eyes swept over to Jenny and her comments from earlier hit me with full force, walking – now much calmer than before – I stopped right in front of her, sitting on the ottoman.

"It seems like I'm having the most trouble with you," I growled out, "I thought your sister had just died and I was going to do the honorable thing, let your rudeness go but now – I have no such intentions. I don't care that you're Cain's mate, hell I don't care that you've been in our lives since I was nearly fourteen." Jenny swallowed, looking behind me, over my shoulder, for Cain no doubt.

"I didn't bring you all here to make nice. I don't care about you Jenny," my tone making her flinch. "But as an adult, you will treat my children with respect... they are here, alive, like your Haven. Do you understand?" the words come out slowly, I want no mistakes.

When she nods, wide eyed, I continue, "When you see Lana in pain, you're thoughts shouldn't be, Kaden is doing this to her. It should be, Lana did this to herself. It's a pity, but she made her bed now she's in it. You can offer to make her feel better, but talking down about me and my children, that isn't how you're going to do it. Do you know why? Because those mutts – as Lana calls my innocent children – one of them is the reason your Haven isn't buried six feet underground in some grave back in North Carolina." I sneer, David already telling me how he's heard Lana refer to my children.

"You don't like me? Fine... but just remember you will respect me, more than you respect Jace... years of training and you're still safe now because of me. Your daughter, who should be more important to you than Lana, she's just outside, having a ball, not a worry on her mind. No one is attacking her, she isn't locked away in some underground shelter holding her breath, while Cain is out fighting to keep you both safe."

"None of you know the truth, but Jenny you have held onto hate that you have no right too. Lana didn't just reject me Jenny, she rejected me for Jace and had Vicki not been his true mate, do you for one second think and believe that your selfish sister would've stepped away?" Yes Victoria had just been revived but I couldn't let this – the hatred this family held for me – carry on any longer. What Vicki did had nothing to do with me, and had it been Lana, I would've felt the same way.

"Did any of you think of that? If Victoria hadn't been Jaces mate, and it had been some stranger, I would be the one struggling; I would be the one that she kicked aside for my own brother... You think it's my fault that she's hurting but what would you do if Cain hadn't wanted you Jenny? What if he decided that he wanted Emma? Would you just stay holding the pain in, waiting on the sidelines for Cain after he chose someone else? I mean really?" I said calmly.

"Do you know why she's so destroyed Jenny?" I mocked the words.

"She said that after she had fun with Jace, that both Jace and her would find their mates, that we'd have kids and be neighbors and everyone would live happily ever after," Elias snorted behind me. "Now explain to me, why you're angry at me, when I fought for Lana when I was younger? I begged her to not go to Jace, and she – Lana begged me to accept the rejection. She begged me to let her go, you can't be mad at me when you don't have all the facts. Even when I left I bet she didn't tell you all those details."

"She was with Jace for almost a year after she rejected me. She couldn't hurt Victoria, but she could hurt me... I get it, she's family, but sometimes you have to let people deal with their own consequences.  Lana isn't some child, we're adults. I have my family, my children, I'm a happily married man, I haven't thought about Lana in ten years. I've loved Etta for nearly 18 years. We have eight beautiful children," and after dealing with Emerson, I was starting to see that twenty children would be out of the question I finished privately.

"So when the sudden urge to nag Cain, or bash me comes along, find your child, and play with her and remember that she's around because I was strong enough to move on, find love with someone that loved me like I deserved to be loved."

"Think about the fact that Haven's liver condition, is genetic and had I had children with Lana, Haven wouldn't be around, because any child I created with her wouldn't have been a match. Think of all the things you're going to experience with Haven, all the things you've already experienced, her first words, laugh, being pregnant, all of those things – count to ten, and keep whatever shit you have to say to me, to your goddamn self. Do you understand?"

I stood not waiting for an answer, "You're all here but I don't need the added shit of whatever drama you are all enduring right now... and my advice for all of you, is keep the hell out it. Vicki and Jace are having problems, well that's Vicki and Jace."

"They don't need an audience, if they want you in their problem, they'll invite you in but don't make things worse. Don't feed the delusion Lana has going on." My eyes focused on my mother.

"I don't even want to be Lana's friend, we have shit in common. I'm a happily married man, with children, I spend my time working but more time playing with my kids, teaching them how to do things, making sure that no one of them feels like their less important than their own sibling," that dig for my father.

"I have things in common with Cain, with Jace since he's your new alpha, but I have nothing in common with Lana. I don't need you in my life... hell I thought you were the one that died and all I could think about was being with my woman."

"You guys had ten years to fix your shit, and all you did was kick dirt and now you want to fling mud around," Cain – ever the goof – just laughed behind me, Elias joined.

"Mom stop – it's time to stop telling Lana she has a shot. She doesn't have a shot. Even if I hadn't found Etta, I wouldn't want Lana and now that you know the truth – as a parent myself – I feel like you shouldn't want her for me either."

"She didn't do the honorable thing when she let Vicki have Jace... the honorable thing would've been to stop being with my brother..." and just as I was losing steam, I looked over at Victoria and my chest actually welled up in pity for her.

"The best thing you can do for Victoria is reject her and let her find another man that will love her the right way. Put her first, dream of having a family with her, wake up next to her and wonder what the day will hold for the two of them, because that sure as shit ain't you. Not when your first instinct is to protect Lana... you think people attacking you haven't figured that little thing out? Everyone is looking for your weakness and Lana is it. If I know that and I haven't been around for ten years, what makes you think others haven't figured it out?"

Jace stood, his eyes black, "You think you're so much better than me?" the words cold, empty. "You're on my island, getting protection from my pack," I replied dryly. I shook my head, "Granddad, who were you guarding when you were attacked?" I asked Elias, already knowing the answer.

"Lana."

"Who was guarding Vicki?"

It was my father but I knew he wouldn't answer now, "So Elias nearly dies guarding Lana... but dad didn't have a scratch on him and he was guarding your mate..." I lift my brow, the same look I give my children. "Clean your shit up Jace," I muttered, making way to leave this nonsense and my family behind as well. When leave, I focus on the children on the beach, the air machine that Tristan is using to blow up the large 'hot dog' on creamy nearly white sand. Sawyer and Vivian are helping Haven catch waves, while Myles is just hanging around Emerson, who doesn't want the same kind of help as Haven.

Behind me, I hear a few footsteps and when the light seawater breeze blows, I note without turning around that it's Zane, Cain and Jenny.

I head straight to Tristan offering help, "Mommy!! Daddy!! Watch me!" Haven screams, her voice filled with excitement.

I don't turn around to tell them 'I told you so.' But you want too? I hear Etta's voice in my head, and laugh, looking over my shoulder, knowing my wife has her eyes on me, I step away from Tristan and the hot dog, whipping my shirt off and throwing it on the beach. Flexing my muscles, as natural as possible, "Ewh dad, just – ewh! There are children here!" he says in mock outrage. I hear Etta laughing in the distance, under a large umbrella.

"Are you watching?" Haven shouts just floating along. "Yes Haven – yes – but – but pay attention sweetheart – listen to – pay attention so you don't get hurt," I shake my head at Jenny's words and her inability to call my children Haven's cousin's, but then also noting that leaving Lana, Vicki and Jace to handle their drama was progress.

I glance up, watching as Haven does as I said before, swimming – paddling quickly when Sawyer tells her – the girls shouting, coaching her and with them still sort of holding onto her board Haven jumps up, her stance wobbly and when she falls backwards, I hear the house gasp from Jenny. I keep my eyes forward watching the scene unfold, her cousins helping her get back on her board, the giggling and arms waving at Cain and Jenny. She tries once more, falling into the water, but so close to the beach, she picks up her board, and runs to them.

"Daddy you didn't come see me in the morning," she scolds, Tristan and I scoff and snort at the same time. "She's like Emerson..." he says when I stare; I nod and flex again when Etta's laugh tinkles. "Uncle Kaden showed me how to do it on the sand first, and I was weally scared but Emerson can do it, and she said its fun, but uncle Kaden, and – and Tristan and Sawyer and Vivian they holds my board, but Emerson doesn't like it when they holds her board," I smile happy for Cain.

My mind full of memories where my children spoke like that, speaking until they were gasping for air, or should have been but only laughed when they finished telling me their little stories. I had missed a lot with Sawyer and Tristan, Vivian and Myles warmed up to me quickly but I couldn't remember truly having met them before the last time, and when I came on the scene Ree and Morgan were already two. With Emerson she was the first child I got experience from conception to birth to age four with Etta. I loved them all equally, but I had missed so much time.

The truth was I didn't think Cain and Jenny knew how much they missed by worrying about Lana and me or Vicki and Jace. It wasn't that they should become detached and cold, but they should pick what matters to them.

Stop making personal spousal matters a family discussion.

Especially when I didn't think I was truly the problem. Not by what Jenny said, Lana might have only wanted me, but the truth was, even Vicki wanted me in a way. Yes, she wanted you to go back to Lana, Etta thought. In the moment of her grief, unable to speak to her Alpha – Jace – that way I see now she just let go on me when I wasn't the problem.

Etta's little cousins came out and knowing that we would have more children coming to the beach, friends of each of our children, Tristan and I went to get the inflatable water park. With so many children around the home each time, whether we were on the island or back home in California we tended to use this blow up activity. When we began dragging everything out, Cain finally came forward, "What is this?" he asked, Jenny at his side her glance going from what Tristan and I were unfolding back to Haven.

"Oh well we don't have enough surf boards, paddle boards or boogie boards for everyone but we do have this..." I waved to the deflated balloon toy. After opening the plastic on land, Tristan and I, as well as some of the older kids helped set up the air machines, running the cords until everyone was blown up and ready to be moved to the sea.

But after calling his name a few times, and not getting a response I looked up, and saw him intently focused on Zane – my little brother. They weren't looking at one another, in fact I doubt Zane could even tell that the two of us were now was watching him. Not when his focused seemed to be my little Vivian. Keeping an eye on him for the rest of the day well into the evening, I watched as he gazed, full and unashamed at Vivian. Changing his location, he never approached her, but he kept his eyes on her at all times. When another kid – Gideon I believe – an old friend of hers from school here, moved towards her, the two of them joking, I watch Zane's hands close to fists.

Sure he was going to walk over there I stood to stop him, but instead he fisted the sand, stood looked once more before turning and meeting my eyes stunted. Lifting a brow in question, I held my ground as my little brother sulked his sixteen-year-old self towards me.

I thought for sure he would bring up Vivian, but I was mistaken, "Can – uhm – can I join your pack? I've already shifted, I've been training too," he said brown eyes nothing like mine, his looks straight from my grandmother, dark hair, dark eyes.

"Why?" like you don't know, Etta said to me although, she had gone inside with Smith nearly twenty minutes ago.

Zane swallowed, "I – I think – no I know – and – well my wolf is sure – Vivian is my mate," he mumbled, I held back a snort, Vivian was going to eat him alive.

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So is Kaden right on his many points??

Vivian... guess her mate is Zane...??

How many think Jace should reject Victoria? Or did his freakout redeem him? (I TOTALLY lol as I typed that last question!!!)

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