Under The Skin

C h a p t e r F o u r

© Amber Kalkes 2015

Song: "Get Lucky {Daft Punk Cover" By Daughter

C h a p t e r F o u r >

Cassidy clutches the stair banister tight in her grip as she stares at her shoes. She got them two years ago when she was cleaning out the attic at the old house, the one Hudson lives in now. They were a pair of light brown and white saddle shoes, clearly original from the wear and tear on them.

She was surprised when she saw they fit her perfectly. In a way, Cassidy sort of felt like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz when she found the red ruby slippers, like they were meant for her. She's been wearing them every day since and they've become some of her favorite things. Of course her examination of her shoes is nothing more than a ploy to avoid what she's all dolled up in the first place for.

"Cassidy!" She hears Rae call from the ground level, "Are you coming or not?"

Cassidy jumps at the sound and almost falls of the step she's on but catches herself in time, "Y-Yeah, just a minute!"

She hears some murmurs but can't make out what they're saying. In the house nothing seems to be secret. They probably know that she's been up on these steps, trying to get the nerve to head into the dining room, for the past half hour. How couldn't they know? With all their superior senses also seems to come a superior sense of interest in everything around them. Or, she thinks, maybe that's just her family.

Smoothing the light blue cotton fabric of her knee length dress, Cassidy shakes out her free hand while attempting to loosen the one on the banister. She needs to head down now. If she's lucky the pack won't be down there. If she's unlucky they will be and no doubt they'll want to ask questions. She's still unsure how she feels about being around that many shifters all in one place. Maybe her irrational phobia isn't as bad as she remembers it being. With her cousin Garrett and Uncle Everett she didn't feel this stomach churning nervousness.

Cassidy takes her first step with a steady exhale and the rest of the steps quickly follow suit. She can hear voices and laughter but it's not until she pulls apart the sliding doors to the dining room does she relax. The pack isn't there. It's just her family, minus the kids there. Everyone looks cleaned up and waiting patiently of her to take her seat. Cassidy puts on a big smile for them but it faults a bit when she notices Poppy isn't there.

"Finally," Jace grunts while reaching for a butter roll, "I've been sitting here starting half to death."

Mackenzie, sitting beside him, swats his hand away and gives him a weak glare, "Not until she's seated. What are you? An animal?"

"Says the woodland creature I plucked from the woods."

She just smiles at him sugar sweetly, "Says the guy who apparently can't wait to be buried out there."

Jace narrows his eyes at her before clicking his tongue, "Fair enough."

"Awe, you look so cute!" Cleo gushes, getting Cassidy's attention as she sits in between Hudson and Jace, "I can imagine your boyfriend must love that color on you."

Cassidy blushes a little but smile shyly, "Thanks."

"So you do have a boyfriend?"

Cassidy's brown eyes go wide, "What? N-No! I—"

"Cleo," Rae sighs heavily from the head of the table, "Can you save the interrogation for after she settled in and full of food?"

"No."

Cassidy sees Rae's expression go flat and steps in quickly, "I don't mind. I just wasn't expecting it."

Rae frowns a little at the panic on Cassidy's face before smiling reassuringly at her, "No need to defend her sweetheart. I know she lacks the patience to at least ease answers out of you like the rest of us. Now, shall we eat?"