Chapter 54 - MEETING HER LITTLE COUSIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

Melvina sighed tiredly as she closed the door to the Pack's conference room. She looked ahead to see her son and Maya standing by the wall. She knew they were waiting for her. So she increased her pace, as she walked up to them.

"Let's talk in the kitchen." She said, when she got to them.

"We can talk, as I prepare dinner. It's already late." She added, as she walked ahead of them, towards the direction of the kitchen, not waiting for their reply or opinion. As she neared the kitchen, she hoped that her little daughter, Eva, would be intelligent enough to locate the pastries she had kept for her in the bowl close to the sink, to eat if she got hungry.

When she got to the kitchen, she smiled as she noticed that that the bowl was absent. Her daughter was one of a kind. She may or may not be as special as her elder brother, but Melvina didn't care. Her beautiful baby was very special to her. The little babe always reminded her of herself when she was little.

"Aunt, won't someone listen in to our conversation?" Maya asked, walking into the kitchen, with Derek by her side.

"No. Did you see anyone around?" Melvina asked.

"Not really." Maya muttered, recalling that she hadn't seen a single soul on this side of the pack house.

"It's a private quarters." Derek said. "So nobody comes around unless for a visit. And they stay in the sitting room when they do come." He added.

" Oh.." Maya muttered, understanding the whole issue. She was about asking Derek why he had signalled her earlier during her convo with his father, to keep calm about the issue and not let him know, when she had a joyfrul scream.

"Derek!!"

She turned speedily, her thoughts filled with thoughts on who could be screaming at this time of the night. She was suprised when she saw a little girl running towards her cousin with smiles on her face. She had to admit that the little babe was cute, but who was she? She thought, recalling that Derek had said that here was a private quarters.

She watched as her cousin lifted the little beauty in his hands and twirled her around. She smiled unknowingly to her, her mate- thoughts forgotten momentarily, as she listened in to the babe's beautiful laughs. She was also happy hearing her cousin laugh, after a very long time. She hadn't heard him laugh since they separated seven years ago.

"Mom!!" She heard the little girl screamed, as Derek set her back on the floor, and balked a bit as the knowledge dawned upon her.

'Thd little beauty was Derek's sister. She had another cousin!'

This knowing, made her teary. She couldn't believe that she hadn't known that her aunt had given birth to another child; a beautiful daughter at that. She wondered if her parents knew. Her father must have known,She thought.

As she stared at her aunt who was all smiles, pinching the little beauty's cheek playfully, her thoughts were rammed with memories of ten years ago, when she still prepared dinner with her aunt.

Her eyes got so teary, that she didn't even know when a tear rushed down speedily from her right eye in a bid to touch the ground. When she felt the motion, she muttered a 'I will be back." before rushing out of the room.

" What's wrong with her?" Melvina asked her son, as she noticed Maya rushing out of the room, even as she stirred the paste in the pan, and still played with her daughter.

"I don't know." Derek replied sincerely. He had seen the lone tear that had escaped his cousin's eye few minutes ago as she stared at his mother and sister, but he didn't know the why. Was she missing her family already? He thought, and shook his head negatively. It couldn't be that. It was something else, and he would love to find out.

"Go after her then." Melvina stated, turning her attention back to her pot of tomato paste. She was preparing spaghetti.

Derek nodded, and turned back, in a bid to walk out of the kitchen, after his cousin. But before he could do that, Maya walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, what's the matter.Where did you go to?" He asked his cousin, determined to know why the sight of his family playing, triggered her tears. He thought the sight was beautiful, and not something that could invoke tears.

"Nothing. Some stuff flew into my eyes." Maya replied, still looking at the little beauty who seemed to have noticed her.

"Derek, who is she?" Eva asked, taking note of Maya now. She thought the Blondie looked very beautiful. She also noticed that she had the same shade of blue eyes like her and her big brother, Derek. Although she thought that her brother's eyes were more bluer than theirs .

"She is our cousin." Derek replied tentatively, unsure of his sister's behavioral response.

He watched as his little sister trotted to where Maya stood. He smiled a bit, as he noticed that his cousin was nervous. He could tell by the perspiration that was forming on the top of her nose. It always happened whenever she was nervous when they were growing up. He couldn't believe that little Eva was making his cousin nervous. He wondered why.

"You're my cousin?" He heard his sister ask Maya, and smiled yet again, still eagar to know what would happen next. He sighted his mother preparing the spaghetti, but he knew that she was also listening into the conversation even though her back was towards them.

"Yes, I am." Maya replied the little beauty in front of her, her voice shaking a bit out of nervousness as she wondered whether the little girl knew about her betrayal years ago. She hoped that her aunt or Derek hadn't told the little girl about her selfish stupid act; she couldn't bare a strong hatred from the beautiful little girl. She thought it would hurt more, as she had already liked her.

"Okay. But I haven't seen you before. You're Uncle Arnold's daughter then. Why am I seeing you guys today for the first time? Do you have a little brother? Where do you stay? Why is your hair blond, and not black like mine? Would you teach me how to make up? There is a boy in my class. I like him. His name is… " Eva was still speaking, when her mother cut her off.

"Eva!!!" Melvina shouted, as she tried to rein in her laughter at her daughter's train of questions. She had decided to ignore her daughter's chattering, until the little babe mentioned a boy she liked. Melvina scoffed at the thought, her little girl was just five. What does she know about boys and likeness. At that age, she had only be concerned about escaping her father's beating.

"Yes Mom." Eva answered, now holding Maya's hand with her little own.

"Allow your cousin to answer your question one at a time." Melvina said.

" But she's not complaining." Eva stated, to Derek's amusement. Although he had been angry at his cousin, he hadn't told his baby sis about her or her betrayal. He hadn't deemed it necessary. Looking at the duo, he hoped that his cousin wouldn't betray them yet again, he might kill her off this time around. He didn't joke around with anyone that would hurt his sister.

"Eva…." Melvina drawled, hinting that she was in trouble if she talked again.

"It's okay, Aunt. I don't have a problem with it." Maya replied, happy that the little girl had already taken to her.. Her joy knew no bounds, and she was immensely grateful to her aunt and her cousin, for not telling the little beauty about her wicked acts, seven years ago.