"Darling, it's your mother. I know you're there, pick up."
It was the third call this morning, and listening to her beg on the other end of the line makes me feel just a little bit guilty. Enough to make me answer - no. Kitty sits on my stomach, purring with pure delight as I rub his little tabby ears. I couldn't get up even if I wanted to. He would give Garfield second place in a fat cat competition and if he decided he was sitting on you, he was staying. Again the phone started to ring, and reaching for the TV remote I turned up the volume.
It was November, and that meant she probably wanted to make sure I was coming home for Thanksgiving. I'll wait for the email or text messages, it was easier to tell her no that way.
"Samara Olivia Franklin, get up off that goddamn sofa now and answer your phone!" She roared, startling Kitty so much that he rolled off me with a thump.
"It's a message Kitty, she can't actually see-" I froze as I sat up and sure enough, standing by the living room window, my mother looked ready to murder someone.
Since that someone was me, I gave a little wave, pretended to take earphones out of my ears and got up, pointing to the front door.
"Thank you!" She finished recording with a beep.
"Mum! Hi!" I hug her. She likes that, but she barely manages to pat my back before she is barreling into my apartment.
I'm twenty-four years old, an independent woman doing it for herself and yet I am terrified of what is about to happen.
"Pizza boxes, beer bottles, is that a dartboard next to your dining table? Did I accidentally come into some kind of frat boy house? Why is their toilet paper in your kitchen?" She looks around with pure disgust. "Don't answer that."
"I forgot to buy tissues," I answer weakly. "I've been feeling sick this week, so cleaning hasn't been a priority."
"It's never been a priority for you. I swear if you didn't come out of my-"
"I know, you'd swear I was adopted." I quickly finish for her. "So, in the neighbourhood and thought you would swing by?"
She starts to clean.
"Leave it, Mum, I'll do it-"
"No, you won't. That poor cleaner you pay will have to deal with this when she comes on Wednesday. Even your brothers aren't this bad!" She scolds, opening the fridge she quickly shuts it. "Cat food? You've actually kept that stray thing?"
Now would be a good time to mention my mother is a wolf-shifter. As a rule, cats and dogs don't get along and shifters are typically more 'dog people'. I think it only adds to their superiority complex, kind of like how humans like to make monkeys do stupid things by giving them a jar and a stick and then act amazed when the animal knows how to get the stuff out. Now would also be a good time to mention, I'm not a wolf shifter. Sure my parents, brother, aunts and uncles, cousins and well, the whole family is, but something went wrong with me. Really wrong because I also like cats.
"Don't talk about Kitty that way." I pout.
As if on cue the animal comes over, curiously sniffing at an old pizza box which of course, he then starts to the chew on the corner of.
"Stupid. Cats." She mumbles, so I try again.
"Just in the neighbourhood and thought you'd pop in?"
She stops, cleaning wipes in hand and rolls her eyes. That's how I know we're related, no gross birth story needed. Instead of answering, she heads over to my answering machine and giving up, I flop back down onto the sofa and change the channel.
"You have twenty-three new messages." The automated man is gloating, I can hear it in his voice as payback for all the times I made him deal with my family.
"Twenty-three messages. Samara, have you not listened to any of these?" Mum asked in shock.
"I figured if it was important you'd call back."
She growls and I brace myself for whatever is next. "Well, it's important enough for me to come all this way to bring you home."
"If I miss one thanksgiving is it really going to be the end of the world?" I groan, grabbing a pillow to put over my head.
"No, but that's not why. Darling, everyone is being called back. There have been some, attacks lately. Strange things that no one is claiming responsibility for. The pack-"
"The pack can deal with it without me," I add hopefully. "I'm not even able to turn. I don't get all furry and I'm pretty sure none of them even like me enough to worry that I'm out here on my own."
"Well your family do, and out here you're an easy target. You're coming home." She says firmly.
"I have a gun on top of the fridge and I know how to use it. I'm fine."
"This isn't negotiable and you keep it on top of your fridge?" Mum gasps.
"I have work, I can't just leave."
"You're a freelance journalist. You can work from home." She has an answer for everything and when she goes into my room, cursing my state of living every step of the way, I soon find my bags are now packed for me. "You can't bring the cat. Your father will never allow it, he has allergies."
"Kyle next door will look after him for me." I sigh giving in. "You know I hate you for this right?"
"At least you'll be alive to hate me." She shrugs looking much too smug for my liking.
"At least you'll be alive-" I mimic behind her back only to stop as she turns to glare at me. "Whatever."
The drive is long and boring, not helped by the fact Mum wouldn't let me drive and she doesn't have a phone charger in her car so half way there I'm forced to listen to the radio station of her choice. Conversation is minimal, which actually makes me nervous. Mum goes quiet when she's stressed and as a kid, it was a warning sign to run before she exploded. The calm before the storm, except there wasn't much that was calm about it. Sure I lacked the instincts of a dog, but I could still feel and sense the moods of those around me especially when they were this intense.
So just how serious was this threat to the pack?
"Wake up, we're home." Mum gently nudges my arm and sucking in a deep breath, the afternoon light surprises me.
"Already?" I yawn, stretching before getting out of the car. Dad appears at the front door, the blank look on his face not changing as I give him a wave. Oh, this will be fun. "Hey, Dad."
"Any trouble?" He asks, ignoring me and focusing only on Mum as she makes her way over.
"No, it was fine." She sighs, hugging him.
I grab my bag from the backseat and follow them inside. Nothing has changed since the last time I was here and dumping my bag by the stairs, I keep going into the kitchen where Dad is fussing about making Mum a coffee.
"Want one?" He doesn't look at me and I roll my eyes before answering.
"Yeah, thanks." An awkward silence settles over the kitchen and that's how we all stay as we sip our drinks and try not to make eye contact with each other. Deciding to be the bigger person, I break the silence. "Just say it."
"You look sick. After the fight you put up to move away from home, this is how you look after yourself? Do you have any idea how worried we were, especially when you refuse to answer our calls? Luckily your brothers keep us semi-updated since you like to share with them on facebook what you've been up to and-" Dad starts to rant and I can't help myself.
"Ah, I didn't share just with them, it's called a status and anyone on my friend list can see it too." I point out, but I may as well talk to the wall as it'll understand more. "And I'm not sick. I just don't tan like you guys do or feel the need to eat my weight in food at every meal."
He snorts unimpressed only before he can continue, the back door opens and my brothers come in like a tornado. Luke, the true brains of the family grabs me from behind and squeezes until I can hardly breathe while the youngest of our sibling trio, Jack goes straight for the fridge. I'm pretty sure I was adopted, well if not for the uncanny resemblance to Mum I have. I wouldn't even be surprised if the truth came out when I turned thirty or on my parents' deathbed. Luke is two years younger than me, about a hundred feet high and built like a house. Keeping the trend, Jack is two years younger than Luke and if not for that tiny detail, you'd think they were twins. They both had Dad's features and build but thankfully not his sense of humour or personality.
"Can't. Breathe." I remind Luke and instantly the pressure vanishes.
"Sorry, Sammy. I forget how tiny you are." He mocks, ruffling my hair.
So much for respecting your elders. "Are you on the 'roids? You know that can really mess with-"
"Just once can the three of you not act like rogue ferals!" Mum snapped.
"We're not!" Jack protested, his mouth full of leftover roast meat.
Dad growls and walks out, making all of us pause yet the second he is gone Luke grins. "Good to have you home Sammy."
"Yeah, yeah," I mumble.
"Be ready to leave at six. We're all going out to Kate and Nathan's place for dinner." Mum left the three of us alone and instantly all eyes turn to me.
"What?"
"You really should have called them back." Jack frowns. "It's really serious Sammy. Bad shit is going down and I can't believe Mum actually went to get you by herself. What if something had happened?"
"I didn't know okay. I thought it was about stupid Thanksgiving or something, and who is the idiot that let her go by herself if it's so dangerous?"
"She snuck off. Dad was going mental, reckons your days of being the black sheep are over and it's time you joined the pack whether you want to or not." Luke isn't joking around and I don't think my brothers have ever been so serious in their life. "Sure you're doing okay?"
"Yes, gods! I'm fine. I'm great. I have my job, my apartment and my cat. I'm happy with good friends and none of this pack crap. Kate and especially Nathan won't let me do pack stuff anyway, you all know their views on my, disability." I huff.
Nathan and Kate are what could be termed as Alphas. While we run in our own family units, the pack as a whole was any of our kind in a certain postcode and of course, there had to be leaders or a boss of any kind of group. Shifters aren't exactly an endangered species but we're not about to be taking over the main species ruling the planet either. There are too many humans, normal, everyday people and throw in a few vampires, witches and who knows what else, we're simply one of the many races living here. Like anything non-human, we like our existence to be kept on the down low - the fear the witches have caused over the centuries warning enough for the rest of us to stay as myths and legends in the pages of fairy tales.
Because of that, I'm an abnormality that no one wants to deal with; especially not our alpha's. I'm technically human if it wasn't for all that werewolf blood in me. Will I have pups or babies, is it even safe for me to date a human, what if my genes decide to kick in at some point and I turn out to be the most kickass shifter ever. Okay, that last one got me through puberty and I've given up on that ever happening. Maybe I am sick. Maybe my parents should have kicked me out of the nest the second they sensed I wasn't 'right'. Maybe I am the abomination my grandmother was so positive that was sent to ruin our family.
"It was their idea that you come back. They're not taking any chances with all the deaths and-" Luke started.
"All the deaths? How many exactly, Mum was a little hazy on the details."
And I'm pretty sure she was talking about attacks, not deaths.
"The first couple weren't really noticed until a whole family was taken out. The attacks are random, doesn't seem to be a link, and no one is taking responsibility for them. All the area alphas are coming together, so it's not a territory dispute or some kind of challenge for dominance." Luke tells me.
"Some psycho is out there, just killing wolves whenever they feel like it."
"Well, shit." I hadn't expected it to be something so serious.
"They think someone is looking for something." Jack pipes up.
"But he just said they're random?"
"Well we did until last week and they found a link between three families.
They all came from a place near New York and went to the same school, in the same years. It's possible the killer was someone they knew." Luke finishes dramatically.
"Shouldn't the police be looking into this?"
"They are, but the wolves are doing their own bit too. They even want to involve some witches!" Jack says a little too excitedly.
"Great, throw in some bloodsuckers and it'll be a right party," I add sarcastically.
Luke shrugs. "I heard they think a vampire is behind it."
"That's why we want to get the witches on our side," Jack says as he chews.
"Well this just keeps getting better and better doesn't it."
"Like I said, good to have you home Sammy!" Luke grins before stealing what's left on Jacks plate and making a run for it. Of course, he chases after him and checking the time, I go find my bag and head up to my old room.
Despite the single bed in one corner, everything else is different. What had been my study desk was now Mums 'home office' and the rest of the space was storage for whatever didn't seem to belong anywhere else much like me. Inherited tea sets from now long dead grandparents, leftover bits of fabric from Mums attempt at learning to sew her own clothes, family photo albums - these I stop at.
Picking one up, I curiously flick through to find pages of Jack's baby photos. Going deeper, I find one of mine but don't bother looking this time. I wasn't a cute baby like my brothers, even back then I was small and weak, a real runt of a thing. Putting the album's away I choose not to focus on the past and instead brace myself for what's to come.
_______________
You would think people that run around as animals would like their meat as close to the real deal as possible. It's not like wolves gather their kill up, butcher it and throw it onto a barbeque for a good eight hours so all that's left is a slab of charcoal. Stabbing the definitely dead, flamed grill piece of what I think was once a t-bone steak my appetite is gone. I'm more of a medium, well no not even that. I'm more of a rare to blue kind of girl and the thought of putting this grey, tough crap in my mouth actually makes me want to gag.
"You gonna eat it or stare at it?" Luke's best friend Kyle asks, not hiding his interest as he is practically drooling while staring at my plate.
"Take it," I tell him and it's gone before I can ever offer it to him.
"Hope Mum didn't see that," Luke adds helpfully before laughing to himself. "She told us all about your pizza boxes and frat boy living."
I look over to where the grown-ups sit at the table and catch her frowning in our direction, so I give a little wave. "Oh, she saw. Seriously, how do you eat that?"
"One bite at a time!" Kyle grins, happily chewing away.
It's actually a really nice night. We 'kids' sit where ever on picnic blankets and garden chairs on the lawn while above us on the deck the adults talk about all those oh so important things like bitching about their kids and gossiping about those who aren't there yet. It's not until dinner is finished and the latecomers find a place that talk turns serious. So far it hasn't been a totally unpleasant night with everyone I hate, which is well everyone, staying away and not putting me through half of the crap they used to when we were all younger. The real 'pups' know to leave me alone as they'd have Luke and Jack to answer to and seems the rest of us can grow up and move on.
We aren't a big pack, and with everyone here now there are maybe thirty of us. There are a few new faces too and glancing at my watch, I wonder how long this whole ordeal is going to last for. Jack comes over to join us, hoping to steal one of the beers Luke and Kyle have stashed between them when Kate claps to get everyone's attention. Like obedient lapdogs, everyone turns her way, and reluctantly I join them. She isn't an overly remarkable person; definitely not what I would call pretty and she does none of the things my own mother does to hide her age. Kate does have a loud voice though and a no-nonsense kind of attitude about everything. If I thought Dad lacked a sense of humour, Kate made him look like an A-Grade comedian. Nathan wasn't much better, but they held the respect of everyone and had done for as long as I could remember so that must mean something.
"You are all aware of the recent attacks upon our kind. After speaking to some of you, we came to the decision to seek outside help in order to protect ourselves. I am sure all of you agree this was the best path to take, at least until the killer or killers have been caught." She spoke clearly and firmly, like a teacher addressing her pupils.
Everyone nodded and as Nathan reappeared, everyone sat a little straighter, those standing moved in a little closer and the not so subtle sharp intake of a breath was done in sync as two strangers came with him. I have to admit I was checking them out too - especially the larger, male figure behind the woman as he definitely caught my full attention; in fact, I almost forgot to be mad about missing Game of Thrones to come to this stupid thing.
"Pack, meet Brianna from the Coven Aeveen*. Brianna is a trusted and admired Seer and white witch, who has offered to give us her aid." Nathan introduced her and the woman offered a simple smile to everyone.
She was quite small, maybe even shorter than me, with red hair I'd kill for and her pale skin managed to hold a warmth that I knew mine lacked. She was rather beautiful, a glowing figure of health and light, but the man behind her gave off a completely different vibe. A bad one, that was darkness and danger and nothing like the female at all. I was kind of loving it and well, I never claimed to be normal.
"Who is the guy?" I whispered to Jack, who guiltily paused sipping his stolen beer.
"I dunno, he just got here!" Jack's nose twitched slightly, and I tried not to laugh. "He's wolf though."
As if hearing my question Nathan continued. "She comes with her guardian, Aiden Anders. He is a trusted ally of the coven and we welcome him as we do Brianna."
"What wolf willingly allies with a witch?" Luke mumbled as we stopped listening and some stupid head bumping handshake thing went on as Nathan accepted Aiden's presence within the pack.
"Clearly a clever one. She's here to help us idiot, not the time to be fussy."
Kyle growled. "But, I dunno about that guy. Something seems off."
I didn't think so, but the others all agreed with him. I slowly started to move closer to where the adults, our parents included, were crowding around the newcomers and offering their thanks and greetings. It was Mum who saw me first and frowning she was about to come towards me when instead Nathan was suddenly blocking my path. Great.
"Good to see you back Sam. Though in the future when it is requested those still within this pack's members return home, I suggest you do so promptly as next time I will not be so lenient with your constant disrespect of our ways." He growled.
"Let's hope there isn't a next time then." I met his gaze, feeling his anger but not the fear or guilt I should at having denied an alpha's command. It was something that infuriated him no end and I could tell by doing it now, I was pushing more than I should in front of our 'guests'. To make sure I didn't screw up completely and make my time here any worse, I bowed slightly and looked away. It was all for show and he knew it, but for now, I was in the clear. "My apologies. Alpha."
Nathan took a deep breath and with a wave of his hand, I was apparently dismissed. Unfortunately, it was only Brianna standing in the middle of the crowd as Aiden had vanished. Well, damn. Looking around I can't see him anywhere and unlike everyone else here it's not as if I could just sniff him out either.
"Yo, earth to Sammy?" Luke waves his hand in front of my face and I now realise everyone has caught up with me. "What's wrong with you?"
"Maybe the witch spelled her into keeping her mouth shut for once." Jack laughed.
"Haha, you're a comedian." I snap at him, but I still only give my siblings half of my attention as I work on locating Aiden.
"What have I missed?" Gwen asks joining us the second my mother was distracted by one of her friends.
As much as I dislike this pack thing, Gwen, as well as my siblings, make my life tolerable. Unfortunately for us, she is also Nathan and Kate's daughter so our friendship has often been the cause of many arguments. Now we were all grown up, she happily told her parents where to stick their opinions plus made it her mission to get out of here the second she turned twenty-one. I went east and she went west, but it was always good to see her - especially here.
"What do you think of the witches guardian?" I ask her instantly, before focusing on her and giving up my search.
She hadn't changed much, except her dark hair had been replaced by a rather nice shade of blue and a tiny little jewel sparkled from the side of her nose. I bet her parents loved that.
"And where have you been?"
"My flight was delayed." She shrugged, though I didn't believe it for a second. "I came as fast as I could and what guardian?"
"Didn't you see Mr Tall and Moody with the witch?"
"No. I literally just got here. There's a witch?" Her eyes darted up to the redhead before narrowing as she sniffed the breeze. "Huh. How about that."
"Nevermind," I mumbled, reaching over to hug her. She squeezes me back with way too much strength and groaning I push her off.
"Sorry, I forget you're all, you like. No changes?" Gwen apologises.
"Nope. Still broken."
"You're not broken, you're just- oh is that him?"
We all look behind us to where the witches shadow is now standing, the pair whispering together. I give a nod and no one says anything until they walk inside the house with Kate.
"He looks like your kind of trouble Sammy." Gwen gives me a playful nudge and as her father waves her over she lets out a frustrated sigh. "Better go, we'll catch up soon yeah?"
"Yup. I'm being kept here against my will so I'll need you to rescue me at some point."
"No problem. It's so good to see you again!" She hugs me once more before disappearing inside after Nathan.
An hour later we're finally being gathered up to go home. Jack successfully managed to have three beers and it's showing as he loudly sings along to the radio. Dad is still angry with the world, Mum is happily babbling about the latest gossip and Luke's eyes never leave his phone screen. Choosing a simpler option, I simply sit quietly and stare out the window only it's not so simple as for some reason Aiden Anders is stuck in my mind.
*Aeveen pronounced AI veen means Beautiful Radiance.
_________________
first chapter nerves and it's been a while since I've posted anything... what do you think so far? x