Ever since his ex-wife told him about the deal, she had been trying to get him to sell their daughters, and he had a harder time sleeping.That turned out to be a good thing because he heard people talking right outside the door.They must have thought he was asleep, but the second that they tried to come into the room, he reached into his pajama pants’ pocket and pulled out an alarm.A bright light came on, and a noise that could wake the dead blasted out of it.The two guys trying to break into the room turned and ran.
Darren turned off his security device and closed the door.That was when he had to get his daughters back to sleep, and neither of them was easy to calm down.Apparently, with the security device off and no one filing a complaint except for the loud noise, which had disappeared, the hotel did nothing.Eventually, they all fell back asleep until the alarm went off.Why did he feel like he had hardly slept at all?
He woke his daughters, and they got ready, then went to breakfast in the hotel dining room.His oldest packed her pockets with apples and oranges, and they both got a drink to take with them.They were now back on the road, and he was driving as fast as he could without risking a ticket.Last night had scared him because it had been the first time that he could be sure of when an attempt had been made to take his daughters.There were a few times he thought he'd been followed, and people had looked at them a little too long, but before, he had never been sure that they were trying to take his girls.
“Hey, Mom!We'll be there tonight, but I'm not sure what time.Why don't you send the address so I can put it in my GPS?”He asked as he talked to his mother on the phone.
He wanted to make sure he drove straight to her house, where she had told him she had security, not unlike Ariel's, his cousin.His stepfather had also hired a nanny who had taken some security training and would be able to keep the girls safe from any reasonable threat.Darren hated that that was necessary, but he felt relieved that it was available.Adele, his oldest daughter, was laughing in the back seat.Her little sister had hit a high note in the song, and it hadn’t sounded good.Ellis, the youngest girl, wasn’t bothered by that and just kept singing.
Darren was tired of driving, but they were getting close.It had been a surprise that neither of his girls had fallen asleep while they were driving.He was sure it was because they didn't want to miss the first sight of grandmother's house.They've been to the old house because they stayed a couple of weeks with his mother about four years ago.Blossom hadn't come, and he'd been relieved.He hoped that if anyone found out that they were moving down here, they wouldn't be able to find him or his girls because Blossom knew nothing about his family.She'd ask no questions because she hadn't cared and felt like his family was unimportant.
“No one important ever came from Arkansas.”Blossom had said.
He'd not bothered to tell her that a president had come from Arkansas, among other people.Darren hadn't bothered to tell her much of anything, and now he was glad he hadn't.He hadn't even bothered to tell her he was taking the girls there to relocate.The less she knew, the better as far as he was concerned.Since the divorce, the girls hadn't asked one time about where their mother was or why she was no longer around.That told him that he had made the right decision more than anything else did.
Even though he'd not been home in four years, he was seeing familiar sights and knew he was getting close.He knew the address was near the lake, and he was expecting one of the old cabins that were common there, maybe remodeled.What he wasn't expecting was a mansion with a gate.Darren stopped at the gate and used the intercom, thinking he probably had the wrong place.It was a shock when his mother answered, and the gates slowly opened.Who the hell had she married?
He pulled past the gate and saw that it was closing.When he got closer to the house, he saw a guard in black combat gear.His mother had undersold the security because, apparently, it was very good.Someone came out of the house and hurried toward his SUV.The guy was young, and he figured he'd help him unload his luggage.Darren opened the back, and he and the guy grabbed their bags.When he turned towards the house, he saw that his daughters were already at the door and going in.
Darren hurried to catch up, and the moment he saw his mother, he knew something was very different.“Mom?”He asked hesitantly.
She looked more like he remembered from when he was a kid.It wasn't just that she seemed happy; she also seemed thirty years younger.The man next to her seemed about her age.Power emanated from him, and Darren couldn't explain exactly what that meant.Who was he?He needed to know, and he hoped that his mom would explain it to him and tell him the truth.It was true that he'd hidden from some of the truth because he simply hadn't wanted to know, but now, he needed to.He had a feeling that this was connected to what was going on with his daughters.
What would he do if the rumors were true and the paranormal world truly existed?Darren didn't see how it would affect him, but having the legendary blood running through their veins would affect his daughters and already had.Facing something like this head-on would not be easy, but now it was necessary.He would speak to his mother first, but he would eventually have to speak to Ariel.Even if he had tried to ignore much of what was being said, it was impossible to ignore the fact that they called her the white wolf.Even he could not deny that she was the matriarch of their family.
His mother assured them, and they went to the dining room table as the young man took their luggage to wherever it was going.Darren hoped to be close to his daughters because they needed him.Food was on the table because it was supper time, and they all began to eat.
“I hope you had no problems for the rest of the trip.Tyne is investigating the issue you had at the hotel, and hopefully, he will figure out who was behind it.”His mother explained.
“It was scary,” Adele said, and Ellis nodded.
“I'm sure it was, but you two were so brave,” Flo observed.
“That was because Daddy protected us,” Adele said, and Ellis once again nodded.
Ellis didn't speak much because Adele often spoke for both of them.When Ellis was alone, she spoke a lot more.Darren was glad that his girls seemed calm now and that the fear had fled.
“In the morning, we are going to introduce you to someone who will help take care of you and protect you.That will be especially important if your daddy must go somewhere for work.Her name is Carlotta, and she will be like a nanny and a guard all wrapped up into one.”Flo explained.
“Does she speak Spanish because I am learning Spanish?That would help a lot if I could talk to someone who spoke it,” Adele offered.
“She does speak Spanish, and so do I,” Carlos said.
“Are you married to my grandmother?”Ellis asked.
“I am,” Carlos answered.
“What does that make you to me?”Adele asked.
“Your grandfather, if you want me to be, or just Carlos, if you prefer.”
“I'd like to have a grandfather.Should I call you Papa?”Ellis asked.
“Me too,” Adele added.
“Of course,” Carlos answered.
“For now, since you are done eating, why don't you let Aaron take you to your room.You'll be right next to your dad's room.”Flo observed.
