She Came From the Forest (James and Tera: book 1)

16

We stood in the living room, all standing with our guards up. The room only held three people at the moment, but it was crowded with frustration in the air.

Tera sighed. "Now that he's gone," I heard a few pops, and I saw hair growing around her beautiful face. Her large canine teeth were showing, and her fingers were claws. "I can rip you apart myself."

Flower got back into her ready stance. "I'm not afraid of your species." She exclaimed, raising her dagger once again.

I got in the middle and held one hand up at Tera and the other at Flower. I wasn't gonna let my girlfriend and my keeper kill each other.

"Get out of the way, James." Flower ordered.

"Move it." Tera ordered through gritted teeth.

But I wouldn't move. I couldn't. I felt that I had a say so in all this even though I was the most confused.

"Just wait." I told them both calmly but firmly. I wasn't use to using a firm tone, since I wasn't a very firm person. But ever since I met Tera, I've felt more and more confidence. I turned to look at Flower. "Why? Why are you so against her?"

Flower eyed me, a glare that would startle anyone. But not me. Finally, she spoke. "A long time ago, werewolves killed my family."

There was a silence between us all. Well, a silence of words. There was still the threatening growl of Tera. I could feel the tension in the air, and from the glare that Flower gave Tera, I could feel the pain and anger.

"I saw a werewolf snap my father's neck." She let out in anger. "I saw that same werewolf eat my mother like she was dinner." Something changed in Flower's eyes, as if she were targeting something with precision. "And worst of all, I saw my niece give birth to a monstrosity that killed her."

I stared at Flower. "You witnessed the birth of a werewolf?" I was curious and didn't know how that would work.

"That's right." Flower's glare subsided a little, and the pain took over the anger. "I even helped her deliver." She looked down for a second, and then back at Tera. "It was Meredith who delivered."

Tera's breath caught. The room went silent. The growling stopped, and we could hear nothing but the faint sound of the what sounded like sad tunes of the foreign music playing from the kitchen that Charlie had on.

"My mother?" Tera said emotionlessly, not knowing how to react.

Flower's eyes were tense but pained. She nodded, then pointed at Tera. "I'm your aunt. My blood runs in you."

Tera's eyes widened, and I looked at them with my own widened. "No way..." I managed to say.

Flower looked at me. "You. We're leaving." She then looked at Tera with a nasty look. "Blood or not, you're not my family. You never will be."

She turned and started her way out. I looked at Tera, and saw her features starting to return to normal. She stared into the space that Flower stood, not aware of anything.

"Tera..." I eased over to her.

"Now." Flower sternly called.

That broke Tera from her trance. She looked at me and smiled a little. "I'll see you tomorrow." She whispered, kissing me on the cheek and heading upstairs.

I walked towards the open front door, which was still standing unharmed, surprising me since it sounded like the FBI busted it down when Flower came in.

"Geez, with the way it sounded, I'm shocked that the door is still standing." I tried to crack a joke to lighten the mood of the walk home, knowing that I was going to face serious consequences.