They had only ever discussed books but what, in this life, is more personal than books?
-Gabrielle Zevin

It's about to get dark, but for now it's merely chilled a good amount outside while my family settled around the big bonfire pit my mom and brother dug three summers ago.

All the little kids- -meaning Micah, Rosangel are Hayden- -are inside sleeping by now, having made a mass grave looking thing they called a nest on my parents king sized bed with the TV playing whatever movie they decided on.

Bailey got a crib all to himself, which he was more than happy about when his mom snickered at the three children huddled together in a grave.

Wolf's really are the devils of this family.

And damn, am I happy to be one.

The older people and parents have all gone inside, leaving my cousins, my mother's idiots and us teenagers.

Before they did so however, Rose made flower-crowns for all people who would take some made out of Cornflowers, Desert Bluebells and Snapdragons, and since my dad is allergic to two thirds of those flowers Mom purposely skipped him.

I could see it in their face that everyone who doesn't really know my dad- -which is surprisingly most of my family as he remains a mystery to them- -thought that this was because she didn't want to offend him, or think him not masculine enough.

In reality she simply pretended for a minute to not notice the predatory gaze Dad sent her and continue to give out flower-crowns, one of which I'm wearing now. 

My dad stood up, and I know the cold look on his face would have been a lethal glare save everyone but my mother, AKA: The love of his life.

Mom, seeing this, instantly took to glaring back and slapped his hand away when he tried to reach for a crown. This sent Bailey, who was being balanced carefully on one of my dad's shoulders as Rose was being held up on a hip by my mom.

Though I know I'm roughly a centimeter shorter than Mom, and only have a little more muscle structure, I'm always surprised when I see how small she looks carrying around children.

It looks like a five year old picked up a toddler. 

Number Whatever of why I shouldn't have children -it's a long list.

Despite Mom's sassing Dad eventually gets a crown and starts to wear the blue, flowery thing with pride.

The Wolf-Carter-Thatch Clan laughed at their Emmeline and the devil wearing a flower-crown, making a smirking triumphant look spread across my dad's face.

That look, however, was ruined by a sneeze.

As far as I know he's still wearing it inside, much to my mom's arguing against it.

Now Asher sits farthest from the fire, next to Lincoln and Xander -who flicked me in the forehead when I tried to approach and told me to leave because they were having a 'guy talk'.

They banished me to the Hilton Den of Destruction and the Thatch Trio of Terror, otherwise known as a circle of EJ, CJ, Celeste and Evan (who apologized to me with tears in his eyes the second he got back outside again) along with Atticus, Uncle Nolan and Julian. Thankfully Uncle Cameron, who is a Carter through and through, is keeping an eye on a very pregnant Jemma and keeping Camille away from my mom.

They've have had more fist fights than my dad has hit Cameron himself.

Grams is truly exasperated with the way we Carter women behave, but if there's anything we can say back, is that we got it from her. Papa Lee simply isn't this blood thirsty, and I've heard a thing or too about Elizabeth Carter back in the day.

She was wild.

The Hilton Den and Thatch Trio literally put me in the middle of their circle, made me sit on the ground, and are texting each other in a giant group chat about what to do with me.

"How are you with pain, Diabla -eh, er...Eliza?" Evan asks me, making a disgusted face that I mimic after hearing my actual name pass his lips.

"Ew, you ass. Gross. No," I growl. "Stick the hell to Diabla. And I'm okay with some of that shit. Black out the second I'm not. Why?" I look at him suspiciously, more than aware of the cigarette and lighter in his pocket. "What the fuck are you planning."

I forget sometimes, how much I cuss when Asher's not around.

"Nothing." Evangelos glares, then corrects the look to a stoic one. "I mean with other people pain."

"Like with helping them? The absolute hell? I don't fucking helping people get out of pain, I put them in the pain." I snort. "But if you really want to fucking know, ask A'."

"Oh yeah, one time I dislocated my shoulder and got stuck with idiot down at our Grams' farm all alone during a storm." Atticus instantly bursts into a story, looking up from his phone. "She came to the conclusion that she'd have to reset the joint. Obviously we had no anesthesia but instead of getting drunk or something she gave me a large ass balloon filled with helium and told me to start reading my favorite poems. I started reading with a super squeaky voice and started laughing and everything, forgot about my shoulder. Then Elle suddenly snap-pulled on it. I started shouting out in pain because it hurt like a bitch, but hearing my own 'SHIEET' made me laugh more so I almost didn't even address the increase of pain. So yeah, even in emergency situations this Squirt knows so much about being in pain that she'd help others be out of pain. Ain't that right Elle?"

"I guess so." I crumble, not having remembered I did that and was expecting my cousin to tell the group about a time I've hurt someone, not helped then.

Tsk.

Helping people.

It never does go as plan, does it?

"Okay, so if I were, to say, accidentally get a broken wrist and a completely burnt hand in one go, what would you do?"

"Have Uncle Nolan drive you to a goddamned hospital like a normal fucking person after I did a great deal of laughter after whatever dumbshit-fuckery got you into that mess in the first place. I'm not stupid. You're the dumbass if you think any differently."

"No...like, what would you do if we were alone. Middle of the worst storm of the year, and all you had is whatever is in your house. What would you do?"

"Oh." I pause to think, half of me trying to answer the question and the other half trying to figure out why in the hell I'm trying to answer the question in the first place. "I'd rinse your burnt hand for twenty minutes, spread the Aloe Vera Mom keeps in the med cupboard over it before wrapping it completely. Then I'd brace it with cardboard from the boxed in recycling and ties from my dad's closet. Give you one, and only one, of my pain killers. Finally, I'd give you a bottle of whiskey, go to my room with a good book and turn on Bones."

 "After all that, you'd just leave me?" Evan says, looking surprised, though I have no idea why.

"After the shit you've put me through Evangelos, you should be more surprised I'd help you at all instead of sending you out in the rain to try and find your way through the dark, wet woods down to Uncle Cal's house." I snarl, glaring down the not-angel boy.

Evan looks down, ashamed, but then it's Celeste's turn to speak.

"How did you and Asher get together?"

I growl at the angel girl, not willing to talk about this with her. "It went sort of like this: Be girlfriend and boyfriend? Yes."

"Smartass." Engel says, grinning mischievously. 

"Whatever." I stand up, but catch myself yawning with a stretch. After I settle I realize that everyone is staring at me and Celeste is squealing silently. "What?"

"Awww Squirt!" Atticus suddenly pulls me straight into him and ruffles my hair -and it's then I'm thankful we're not related by blood. "You're so small and adorable and cute. How are people ever afraid of you when they can't see you without their chin touching their chest?"

A squeal leaves my mouth as I'm lifted off the ground and A' starts swinging me around, then I land on his shoulder and realize that whole thing was to just get me in one of their grips.

 I growl. "The fuck are you planning?"

"We're all going swimming, and I'm tired of you skipping having fun. So you're either going to put on a swimming suit or you're going to be thrown in the pool. Dad and Uncle Julian are both going to stay inside, so it'll just be us teenage wrecks." My deranged cousin says, tightening his hold on me as I start to squirm. It's funny too, since only me, Evan and the two friends are still teenagers. "Come on Squirt, your boyfriend other there already agreed to swim. Said something about 'breaking comfort zones' or some shit."

My fighting stops as I draw in a sharp breath- -realizing that, after seeing my mom and my whole family not care about a single flaw of the skin made by themselves or not- -has decided to go swimming shirtless.

God dammit, he's going to be a nervous wreck.

Time to wear a bikini, if they do notice about his scars, they'll notice mine more. At this point, they're all used to it, even if I have a bit more than last time. Yet they still look, and even I know sometimes people just can't help it.

But, they are constantly on the look out for scars that can turn into cool tattoos.

Evan, though he's a dick, is the one who suggested that I get the little golden bee on my ankle. I love that little thing. It covers one of the first torture-burns that Grace gave me, and it's the only reason I know Evangelos even has a soul left as he also sat with me in the tattoo parlor when we were sixteen for me to get it. It's roughly the size of a nickle.

Asher hasn't notice this tattoo yet, or the stack of books made from lines of scars on my other ankle, which is the length of my thumb. Now that I think about it, he hasn't noticed Ron Weasley's wand covering the place Travis stuck my with a needle, then dragged it down, behind my ear.

Lincoln should never know about that one.

I already have too many people exposing me to him.

"Did you space out?" Atticus's voice cuts through the air, and I realize he's paused in my room. "Because you haven't even kicked me yet."

"What? Oh, yeah. I'd apologize but as you said, I haven't even kicked you. Yet. Put me down." I say, making my violent point known. With a laugh my cousin does as I said and I'm dropped on my bed.

"Um...A'?" I hesitate, biting my lip. "Asher has scars sort of like I do, and him breaking comfort is basically just showing everyone without saying it. Don't stare at him, okay? I know you're a good person, so I wanted to tell you. If you see someone else do it, just let me know silently or tell them to stop in ASL. He and Link can't read it."

"...is that why you were so protective over him when I crashed into the living-room with my cig' still with me?" He quickly connects the dots. 

I nod before clearing my throat. "Okay, I'll grab a swimsuit and change in my bathroom, you can change in here and just knock on the door when you're done."

"Sure. No peaky, peaky."

This causes me to giggle, simply because the thought of me being attracted to anyone other than Asher at this point is simply ridiculous to me. I wink despite this, completely joking. "No promises."

Very glad we're not actually related, otherwise this would be creepy.

Actually, a lot of my family aren't actually related.

But they're family.

Me and Atticus walk towards the pool laughing, due to me and him remembering this time last year when Xander bell flopped so hard from the roof that he got bruises, and had to have a red-faced Celeste hold him while he cried only to throw apples at him for it the next day.

Then I notice Asher staring at me from the side of the pool, obviously having already been in the pool as there are water droplets everywhere...making him look sexy as fuck.

And it seems Celeste, an openly gay Engel and a very bi Evan see this as well.

Well, at least there's something to distract from the scars.

I'm able to think this until my possessiveness kicks in and I find myself growling at the mass of young adults. A dark growl leaves my mouth, making all their heads snap to me. "Listen up you mass of idiots and you, Satan Jr." I address Evan. "He's mine."

Evan blushes, dunking himself behind his older brother, who looks just as flustered as he realizes Asher finally noticed the Hilton siblings ogle his abs. Though, out of the four of them, Asher is probably the most red. Celeste is practically not bothered at all, and even rolls her eyes at me but doesn't look over to Asher again.  

"Mine." I come up to Asher, pressing my front into his back as my arms wind around his neck. I'm sure he can feel my growl vibrate through his body, based on how he relaxes into me when I make the sound. "Got that?"

"Y-yes." 

Scared nodding.

"M'kay."

I get from Evangelos, Engel and Celeste in that order, causing me to smirk in self-satisfaction.

A large, cold hand grabs my hands and hold them to the golden boy's chest. "You should be nicer."

"Should'a, could'a, never will." I hum, he turns to scold me lightly making me kiss my boyfriend before he has the chance to.  I'm more than surprised by him twisting to the side, wrapping a arm around my hips and pulling my onto his lap so far I can barely process it. 

"Better?"

Having almost squeaked, but concealed it, meant that I could do nothing to stop my blush. "Uh, yeah. Definitely better."

"Better it is than." Asher smiles boyishly, causing me to grin.

Those fucking smiles get me every time.

Having the instinct to protect myself against the chaotic forces of destruction that the world unleashes in malicious form- -or rather Celeste's loudest squeal- -I flinch and bury my face into the nice guy's neck.

His massive arms tighten around me, making me realize for once it's him protecting me -even if it is against the angel girl's high pitched noises.

"Can you not do that?" Asher's voice is still nice, you can hear it as a question but there's no doubt that Celeste along with everyone else knows it's really a strict demand. When the nice guy goes to war, people get afraid.

"Sorry." Celeste says in such a small voice that I lift my head up and blink at her, when I'm mad at her she just rolls her eyes, though instantly respects whatever I'm telling her to stop. Yet when Asher does it, she looks ashamed.

Apparently fear isn't just what people feel when the nice guy gets upset at them.

Tsk.

Shame.

"Thanks Gold." I whisper, pecking the skin on his shoulder.

My golden boy shrugs, looking down at me with a look I don't know if I've seen before on him: Mischief.

"Want to start a water fight?" Is whispered in my ear, making me giggle and nod.

This is a family reunion. Fighting is mandatory. 

As everyone gets in the pool teams are quickly established, and the fight of shrieking, splashing and water guns starts.

Alexander game over to help me fend off Evan and Celeste, who immediately started splashing me. Atticus teamed up with Lincoln, who accidentally splashed Asher and waged war on him and Engel, who he was already fighting. Cael was all alone until Asher took pity on him, Engel feeling offended tried to drown both Asher and his twin; invoking the wrath of me and Celeste. Her and I practically demolished Engel until Lincoln stepped in to help him and Atticus splashed Cael making water get into his ear. 

I took this opportunity to corner Asher, only to have Xander dunk via unexpected attack from the back. That made Asher accidentally dunk my clumsy brother getting him off me, causing Celeste to squirt the nice guy with a water gun. Weasley instantly jumped at Asher's defense, and Cael jumped to his sisters. My favorite cousin choose to splash Cael again, trying to get his other ear, which made Engel return the favor. Somehow I got to splashing EJ in Link's defense -which made Evan assault me with water balloons.

After this took place it was our team- -whom we dubbed The Pack at the meeting, as this evolved to a full battle of Wet Capture the Flag, who was made of the golden boy, the redhead, the favorite, respectfully- -decided that Lincoln and A' would go in and get as many on The Other Side down, then I'd stay behind as a guard and take down the left overs. Asher, as the strongest but also the one The Other Side is least willing to hurt, is the last line of defense and is floating lazily in the pool with our flag (a twenty pound rock I had him pick from the back garden) sunken at the bottom of the deep end.

The Other Side being the idiot, the crazy, thing 1, thing 2 and the dick.

When we asked what they wanted to call themselves, as they're all known for being a tad dramatic and over the top, they sort of shrugged. When Atticus said "Well you're the other side, you have to be called something." Cael looked at him, nodded slightly and said "Yeah. That'll work." so we just called them The Other Side.

We might be a member short, but we have brains and brawn on our side. 

Though, we do lack cruel force and insanity that would give them slight advantage over our more morally correct members.

Thankfully I know Atticus can get insanely competitive and has been looking for a good reason to hit Evangelos for a while now. 

The bad thing is that four of them are siblings, and my brother is engaged to one of those half wits, meaning they know each other really well and know how to work well together.

Atticus met the two friends today and I've never done this with Link, and am worried too much about Asher not willing to fight someone and them really willing to fight them. Especially if they send Celeste -though in this family guys don't hurt girls, they do use force against them in situations like this, and Asher barely uses force against anyone.

Oh well, that's why I'm here.

I'll kick everyone's ass.

Unless it's my Mom. Nobody gets to hurt her.

I might be the devil's daughter but I'm a Mommy's Girl at heart -if I even have one that is.

"Well Pack," I say, smirking. "Let's destroy those crazy angel bitches!"

"...and your brother." My boyfriend reminds me, making me sigh and nod.

"Right." I clear my throat, much to the three bystanders amusement. "Let's go destroy those crazy angel bitches and my brother!"

Even though Evan re-fractured his nose slipping into Atticus's fist, Celeste got tackled into the cement by a idiot that shall not be named- -Xander- -on her own team and hand to stop playing, the twins knocked their heads together trying to get the rock out of the pool and got concussions, Link  tried to pin Engel down only to get a black eye that made him trip over himself earning a sprained ankle, I got landed on by said redhead giving me bruised ribs and Xander sat on a catcus Mom had in the back garden after A' tripped him and had to go to the hospital with every single one of us we won.

Simply because Asher, in the midst of all the chaos, calmly climbed out from the pool, walked past me fighting the twins, Celeste throwing grapes and water balloons as weapons at mine and her team alike and grabbed the watermelon Cael claimed as their flag and got us a single point.

A single point that won us the game.

He was so happy, and I was never attracted to him more.