Wolfsbane- Chapter One in the Warren Pack Series

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Hey guys! 

So I realised I'm running a little behind schedule to enter this into the Wattys, so I'm uploading again! 

Also, someone is referred to as 'Mam' here. This is not a typo but how most welsh people refer to their mother. There is also the word 'cariad', which is welsh for love and is used as a term of endearment to family and partners. 

Wolfsbane

Chapter 39

Branwen

After two days in the hospital bed recovering from my injuries and the sudden knowledge of my siblings' existence, I heard hushed voices from the corridor. Toby, Uncle Sam, and three other unknowns, two women and one man.

"I would need to ask if she's okay with this. I...I wasn't expecting you to come out all the way here when we're leaving in a few days." I heard my mate say nervously.

"Really Mam, this could have waited until we got back, I could bring your granddaughter to see all of you."

"No!" I called out to the empty room, knowing they could hear. I reached for the buttons and pulled the mattress up into a seated position," Come in."

Toby walked in first, having finally had a shower, his brown hair still damp and curly as ever now it was clean. Concern was written all over his face, and I gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's fine." I whispered.

A young woman floated into the room, concern written all over her face. Her green eyes met mine, and I recognised her from the old class photos from school, the only time I could match a picture to the name. I could recognise that flaming red hair anywhere.

"Auntie Clara!" I exclaimed. I definitely wasn't expecting her. Not with everything that had happened, with her sister under close watch just two floors away, and her mate having died by my hand.

My hand... how could I face her? This was a huge mistake...

But she had smiled when I called her my Auntie, and carefully walked to the end of my bed.

"Oh sweetheart, you should never have needed to carry this burden, it is mine alone. He was my mate, and only I could have pulled him from Selene's clutches. I rejected him out of fear, I wasn't as brave as you." Her voice, so similar to my mother's, was high and soothing and her wide green eyes full of compassion. She looked so much younger than my mother, barely older than Uncle Sam standing behind her.

When I looked at that picture I had of my mother before Michael got hold of her, she was the picture of Auntie Clara. They had the same face shape, and stood at the same height. As I grew older, I wondered why she never visited, even though they had appeared close when my grandparents talked about them when they were able to make it North to see us.

Now I knew, it just hurt too much to watch her sister crumble and then, the cruel magic he'd cursed us with made it impossible. I thought back to the phone call from my repressed memories. How many times had she called? And how many times had my mother kept her away?

But now my mother would be free from Wolfsbane. Maybe they could rebuild their relationship? Was my mother too far gone to even remember her?

My eyes looked away to see the couple standing in the doorway, and I instantly recognised them. They hesitated, their eyes flashing to Toby. I was pleased to see they respected him this way, despite our young age. They barely looked like they'd hit thirty but, as I just realised, I had no idea how old they truly were.