The last thoughts that went through his mind as he laid on the battlefield, dying among the dead of his pack and enemies, were thoughts of his children that were likely still alive at that point. He knew that his home was ravaged and had little hope for his wife. Garland was spared facing the horrors of that aftermath but his children’s fates were unknown as he drifted away and the last breath was taken.

Darkness flooded his mind and everything went bleak.

Time was a lost concept for him and there was no light at the end of the tunnel nor was there a paradise or hell. Garland had no real understanding of what happened other than he perished but as to what was to come next? Hell, he had no clue.

But without warning, he felt as though he was being plunged from the great sky. He went to scream but couldn’t find his voice as he descended into what finally seemed to be the light. As he came to, he realized that he was already on the ground and he was naked of all thing. His injuries were no more as his hand sought for the wound across his chest but it wasn’t there but a scar in its place. Just what in the seven gods had happened?

Slowly he rose up to his feet and became aware of his surroundings- miles of woods for as far as the eye could see stretched about. But where were the plains he had waged war on? Where were his kinsmen and his children? The old bastard would have to locate them once he at least some pants on- going anywhere civilized while in the nude would surely get him arrested. “Damn human laws.” He started on a path that went to who knew where but soon met with some merry men that insisted on him giving away his coin despite his appearance. Needless to say, he was able to “borrow” some clothes off the unconscious group after dealing with them. “Nice cloak you got, boy”, he glanced at one of them as he slipped on some thick gloves. “Well had is the better word, right? Eh, don’t worry about it.” The feeling of clothes on him as well as the weight behind them felt funny after all that time spent being in the void or whatever they call it, but other than that he was fine.

The months afterward passed by surprising quick as he became aware of where he was and of some of the current events that came about. With no home or anything left to go back to, he fell into the life of a mercenary for hire. It helped the lazy lycan to regain his lost skills as well as get some good income which he frequently used on room and board, alcohol and of course, the company of street workers.

For some reason, he traveled north and reached a desert that proved much more difficult to cross but eventually makes it to the city of Sularia. Immediately after entry, he could have sworn that he died and went to the right paradise this time as there were beautiful women for as far as the eye could see. Inwardly he was thanking the seven gods of his fortune and soon found himself in one of the risque taverns, drinking up a storm and singing merrily as his mug was swung around. A big old smile was on his face as downed his drink and tossed it onto the table with the rest of the ones he finished. The spirits were helping him feel more relax and with that, he rose to his feet and looked around.

“Is there anyone that wants to participate in a friendly drink game?”, he asked a bit too loudly and a tad pushy.

Oh god it was getting close to happening, wasn’t it?

Her son was gonna marry that girl… and then she was gonna get stuck with her bitch of a mother more so. To share grandkids with her. To do more family outings with her.

“You… Colonel… Can I legally tie a rope around my sister’s neck… yell mutiny and throw her off a building while the other end of the rope is attached to the building?” She was on her eighth bottle of ale. Pretty weak if you were to ask the queen herself.

“Well… My Lady… That would be murder.”

“Damnit…”

“Also, My Lady, if it is who I am thinking it is… It wouldn’t work.”

“I BLOODY KNOW IT WON’T WORK,” Toya barked with fire as she threw her bottle. “Whoops…” The bottle smashed by the colonel’s feet. “Take everyone home. I need to drink by myself.”

The soldier took his leave and Toya sat there for a few more hours drinking all the alcohol she could get her hands on. So fancy that when a man came around to have a drinking contest. Toya put her hand up high.

“Lady, you’ve drunk almost all my mead… Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Listen, never tell a lady how much alcohol she can take… You are probably going to be wrong.” She stood up and made her way over to the older man. If she could smell anything other than mead she would have probably noticed the familiar smell. “My name is Toya. I can put just about anyone under the table when it comes to alcohol. You could say it’s a hobby.”

Now Toya was a looker. She was below average height with nice hips, sun-kissed toned skin, green eyes, and that long curly brown hair she had been sporting all these years that now reached her hips. “And please don’t underestimate me just because I’m a woman… I’ll toss you through the bloody wall.”

The colonel, on the other hand, was running as fast as he could. “LORD JAYDEN! It’s terrible! IT’S YOUR MOTHER.” he proceeded to tell the boy everything.

Garland looked towards a single hand that shot up to accept his request. “About time; didn’t think there was anyone gutsy enough to play.” He smiled seeing how he hooked a looker this time, fortunate smiling on him again. And a feisty one at that. “Alright little lady, wasn’t planning on going easy on you anywho. A challenge is a challenge. The name’s Garland, the very one that’s gonna beat you.” Winking at her, he called for a barmaid and ordered a round for the house worth of drinks, making the owner weep as more of the alcohol was going to these two.

“Heard you making all that racket over there, but if you say you can keep up with your drinks, then I won’t complain”, he shrugged as he sat back down and offer her a seat across from his. By then, the bottles were all lined up for them and he gave the signal before they would begin. Garland was taking his time downing his share of the bottles of various ales and beers. “How you holding up, miss?”

Meanwhile, Jayden was finishing his practice when one of his mother’s soldiers came to him and told him what was going on. “Mother…”, he said, shaking his head at what sort of shenanigans she got into this time. He followed the man back to the tavern and looked at her downing drink after drink herself. “Mother, you are gonna bleed this place dry, and its one of the few ones left that allow you to come in the first place!” Jayden marched over to her and was about to plead with her little drinking buddy to stop when he noticed something about him. That scent…

“Hey, why does he smell like a Wintercrest, mother?”

“Wintercrest, eh? I smell it on ya, boy”, Garland said as he tossed an empty bottle behind him and heard it shatter. “Supposing you are my kin though I never saw you before. Could be one of my boys though neither of them is the settling down sort. Maybe Krys but surely not Blaine. Especially with her who I guess is your mother…” Half of his mind was swimming with alcohol but the side that could still think right couldn’t believe that his boys were alive. And if they were, then judging by how old this kid was, he had been dead or gone for ages now…

“If you can beat me you would be the first in a very, very long time.” Toya huffed as she accepted the challenge. “Aye, my son is marrying a woman who is the daughter of someone I despise… Ironically my own sister but… All well.” She shrugged. “I can do more than keep up I promise you that Old Man.” The queen took her seat and kept chugging away at the alcohol. She barely looked phased as she brought the empty mug down to the table and licked at her lips. “I’m right as rain.” There was a smirk on her face. No one ever won a drinking contest against her when it came to regular alcohol. Her belly was burning from her fire magic and it kept the alcohol from really affecting her too much.

”Mother…” Her son’s voice reached her ears and she did a side glance his way as she chugged the rest of her new mead. Oh here we go… Was the look on her face as he lectured her.

“At least I pay them! I paid the others too!” Toya groaned. “Not my fault I can drink like a fish Boy.” She turned her head more to him with her green eyes latched onto his father’s baby blues. What he said next was enough to make her pause and very much startle her. “What?” Her eyes looked to the old man and finally their new friend started to speak. The woman snorted at the mention of Blaine as she stood up and put a hand to her hip. “My name is Toya Rose-Wintercrest. Queen of the White Court of Sularia. My husband is Blaine Wintercrest. Krys is my brother-in-law obviously. This is our oldest boy Jayden.”

Now that she got a good look at him she tilted her head. “You are Garland Wintercrest aren’t you? By your scent you match both of the boys pretty good. Blaine’s told me enough about his family to get a good enough guess. Blaine and I have been married for a good,” she paused shamefully and looked up at her boy for a few moments. “The boy is gonna be thirty in a few short months… So thirty years Blaine and myself have been married. We have six little hooligans and Blaine adopted my two oldest making for seven. So unless Blaine is gonna smash in that door and try to make me go home… Would you like to go see your son and your grandchildren?” She felt another pause and snorted. “And great grandchildren.”

By the gods, this woman was keeping well with her drinks! Garland was finding that out the hard way as he watched her in-between his own beverages. She was impressive, to say the least, and would have made for a damn fine conquest of his had the lad not showed up and made things awkward for the Grey Wolf.

“Well, this might be a bit of a pickle”, he humored as he looked at the woman up and down. “So you tamed Blaine? That boy was wild in his ways, didn’t think he would ever settle down. Having some bastard children? Perhaps but never actually starting a family.” Oh, he’s been gone for far too long and Jayden, who was still in shock over having one of his grandparents from his father’s side still alive was confused as hell. “Not to mention marrying a queen, though you’ll pretty unique for being noble. Don’t really see you lot down in the cities and drinking in such glamorous settings.” He chuckled heartedly as he rose to his feet and downed his last drink. “Looks like you win, daughter.”

Garland’s attention then went to the boy and gave him a good strong slap on the back, which nearly sent him stumbling onto the floor, “Come on lad, you’re a Wintercrest. Stand straight and proud!”

“Uh yes, sir.”

“There we go!”

To say that he’s been away for a bit was an understatement when Toya explained the length of her marriage to Blaine, something that made the wolf’s eyes raise in question. “Good grief, you nearly have a damn litter for someone that’s not a shifter. Imagine all ‘em pups would have driven you mad, woman.” He paid the tab and had the two lead the way to the house. “Right, can’t have that boy worry too much. Can’t wait to surprise him good.”

Jayden wasn’t sure of how much of a good idea this was, but seeing that his grandfather was hardheaded (must have been a trait of the men in their family), he decided to keep quiet about it until the revealing. It didn’t take too long for them to reach the mansion which stirred out a whistle from Garland as Jay pushed open the door and there waiting was Aurora waiting with Sparrow at her hip. “See you found mother…she drunk yet?” Her blue eyes slid over to the man they brought home. “Oh great, you bring a stray home…” She stopped as the scent hit her, “Who…who is he?”

Garland looked at her, seeing much of Toya in her, up to that smart mouth of hers. Yet she carried the smell of wolf as well. “Damn sure you are my granddaughter, girl. Garland Wintercrest is my name, father of Blaine Wintercrest.” Aurora’s response was that she nearly dropped her baby brother but caught him just as quick. “Wait aren’t you suppose to be dead?”

“I was, at least for a time. What’s your name?”

She stumbled for a bit before answering in a quiet voice, “Aurora, Aurora Wintercrest.”

He slowly moved over to her and patted her head. “And him? He’s the spitting image of your father.”

Jay was quick to respond, “Sparrow, he’s our brother.”

Garland looked to Toya and cocked his eye, “Gods woman, you will have a damn litter at this point if y’all keep this up.”

He poked at Sparrow’s stomach tenderly before moving upstairs with Jay right behind. “He should be in his workshop.”

When they got upstairs and finally closed in on the door with his son on the other side, the Grey Wolf was a tad nervous. Who wouldn’t be when they hadn’t seen their kid for years? Jay opened the door for them and Blaine had his back to the group as he was finishing up on the eleventh knife of his collection. “Uh, father… “

Blaine heard him and answered as soon as he set down the blade onto a sheet of metal to work on it later. “What’s wrong Jay…”

His words were cut off by an arm snaking around his neck and he was forced to bend over as some man placed him in a headlock. Immediately his reaction was to grab hold and forced the lock to break, but to no prevail. What the hell was going on?

“Come on boy, you getting slow at your age?” That voice…it was familiar and he tried to look up to see who it was but the grip was strong and he couldn’t get a good peak. “Now, don’t disappoint your father and give up the fight!”

“…What…?”

Blaine struggled some more before finally forcing the arm away from him and he swung around to see his father standing right there. There was horror in his eyes overseeing what he felt was a ghost, after all, he was there when he had died. Had they been mistaken back then and he was alive? Was this some sort of doppelganger or cruel trick?

“You can’t be…you died!”

“It’s me, lad. In the flesh…I promise. Your titan of a wife found me and beat me at drinking of all things! I’m still not pleased about it. I’ll be calling you for a rematch soon, daughter.” Blaine was just out of it as he was coming to terms that the man that raised him, the one that he saw fall, was here before them, acting like nothing went wrong. It wouldn’t take long before he went to punch Garland, but the older wolf caught his hand just before it could connect with his face. “Settle down, Blaine. It wasn’t my choice to come back, but…I did miss you and your siblings, boy. Thought you lot were lost and gone. My own pups…”