How strange it was to look at her father's face, to see a man she barely knew looking back. Mira could still see him peering through, but it was apparent that life's choices had caught up. As it does with everyone. She could see the new lines that marred his skin and could see even from his posture that he was teetering unsteadily. All it would take was one finger to send him catapulting to the ground, and yet he still stood. Trying to keep the pieces of what remained of that fractured family together. Still somehow unable to do the right thing. Or merely unable to see it. How different he was from the man that played with her, that same man who surprised her with her first telescope. She could only wonder what truly drove him. If it was merely a false sense of pride. Nobody asked for him to produce the impossible that he put on himself. It wasn't logical. No one played those games and won. But every man had a weakness.

It would have been easy to be angry at him. Rightfully, angry. She had been willing to stand up for her family in a way that her father could not. That if she had to do it all over again, she would have done it all over again even with the knowledge. Yet, how she had almost hoped that the loss of one daughter would have been enough to change him from making those same mistakes. It hadn't. Even though the guilt threatened to weep from his eyes. The closest to that look was when he had brought her mother to tears when he had almost lost them the house. She could remember the sound of her cries. A soft sigh left Mira's lips, as her father looked to her boyfriend as if attempting for him to understand his impossible plight. That it was his duty as the man of the house to provide for his family. That by somehow being unable to pay for his own daughter's school was somehow a failure. It was the same thing that drove him the first time. History seemed doomed to repeat itself. But even as she saw this man before her.. she couldn't find hatred in her heart for him.

It was clear that she was getting nowhere with him. Even with the exuding, unwavering strength from her boyfriend at her side. How she disliked letting Tet see her family like this... Yet was it not real? She no longer pressed her point when her point was not being heard. Her molten golden eyes lowered to the crushed cigarette she currently felt like... The one he had poorly tried to hide before desperation seemed to take over her father's actions. He turned near pleading, asking for Tetradore to take her away, somewhere safe. True, unyielding fear resembled that of prey. Wait? What would happen to her mother, her grandmother, her sister? She grit her teeth to stop her from her vocalized protest.

The contrast between the two men could not be any more obvious. She eyed Tetradore's stoic face that remained such even in the face of a man who wore finally could not hold his emotions back any more as they were painted plainly upon his wrinkled face. Tetradore spoke, without even trying it was like his voice commanded to be heard. The deep rumbling voice not at all betray a single ounce of feeling but remained blunt, like a blade cutting to the point. There was no room for feelings. They were facing a true threat. One that could announce itself at any time.
Yet, Tetradore seemed to surprise her with his offer. One that also considered Mira. There were two ways this was going to go. Either he take care of his mess... or he needed to be prepared to move his whole family because Mira would not allow them to be left like vulnerable sitting ducks. This caused her to relax a little. The tension easing from her shoulders. It was true.. There was no way she could leave here knowing those she loved were at true risk.

A frown crinkled her father's face at what her boyfriend seemed to imply, his fingers tightened into fists that voiced his frustration. Those eyes dart to Mira as his mind seemed to work in over time. As if one look of her reminded him of something he refused to voice but held significant weight. Anxiousness wrapped around him. That very choice was monumental. It was an impossible choice. Those words left little doubt that Tetradore would do what he said. But if something were to happen to him... It sent a chill down her own spine. She didn't like this. Yet how could this truly be handled with money as she thought? Not when there was so much at stake. Not when an opposing alpha encroached on another's alpha's territory. Not when Nolan still wanted her back within his clutches. There was nothing quiet about this. There was nothing simple about it.

Her father's voice broke the unbearable quiet. "Do it and keep her safe, it's all I ask." His eyes hardened, his clenched fists released. "What do you want in return?" It was like she wasn't even here. There was nothing that could be done. But Tetradore did exactly what he promised. He was handling it. Handling it the only way he knew how.

The two men seemed to engage in strange stare-off as if Mira's father was truly trying to gauge the other man, Mira's father somehow managed to gain some strange manly respect for her boyfriend. Perhaps the only man in his daughter's life that could provide that safety that he had been unable to. Mira instead began focusing on what she could do, considering they were heading straight into the inevitable. She prodded her outstretched hand. "Give me your phone." Mira uttered definitively toward her father. "Please." If they were going to deal with Nolan, it had better be on their own terms. Or at least... away from the pack houses where Nolan was infinitely stronger. There were some things that were unavoidable. The fact that she doubted they could lure him alone... But they could use the man's arrogance against him.


Her father glimpsed at her and wordlessly produced the phone that she slipped into her pocket. "Thank you." He said, looking at Tetradore before giving Mira a sad look.

Only giving the men a few more moments to finish whatever masculine pact they needed to. Mira's grandmother's voice came from opening a window from within the house.

"Time to eat!." Her heavily accented voice reached them. There were very few things whose words were law. Avo with that tone... and Tetradore when he let his alpha energy out.

Mira's father grumbled something a few moments after leaving Mira and Tetradore alone. He reminded her of a retreating coyote. Once within the house, she leaned closer toward Aiden. "I think I solved one of our problems." She patted the phone where the phone was, buried in her jeans pocket. "If this has to end in a fight... I know a way we can at least bring the fight to us, wherever we want that to be. He won't be able to resist it. He already thinks he has the upper hand. We can use his ego against him. That is unless you have another idea?" She offered in an attempt to be helpful. Mira's golden eyes grew contemplative with a slight pinch of her brows deepened a line that usually could not be seen.

Nolan would not be alone, that much they could count on But if he challenged him in front of his men, he would not have a choice. After all, to turn down another alpha's formal challenge makes you look weak. She sighed, whatever they needed to face she would be by his side. Would this work? It had to. She looked into those emerald eyes, vivid in most lighting. This was no exception. This had to work.

She reached forward and reached out for Tet's hand, hoping to alleviate some of the dark mood shift that hovered over them.

That was when she heard the interrupting voice of her grandmother was heard, that tone sharper. The threat of cold food was a veritable sin as far as her vovo was concerned. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I hope you are at least a little hungry. You do not want to meet her when she is offended. Everyone has to eat something." Her lips quirked into an almost nervous smile and the only woman who could easily make her feel like she was younger and wanted to avoid getting in trouble. Some things never change.

mira ramos