Waking up the following morning, it may have actually turned out to be closer to noon. No one was home and after making a coffee, I found the note Mum had left on the fridge about going back to oh so wonderful alpha's house. Well it would have been nice to have been invited, though I was thankful I hadn't been and it was strange Dad let me sleep in. After a shower and checking my phone for any news from Gwen - which there wasn't, I got comfortable on the sofa and found something to watch on TV.
It wasn't too long until Luke came home and flopping down beside me, he seemed more interested in his phone than the Hallmark romance I had found.
"So, what's everyone doing today?" I ask him.
"Apparently some unknown wolves turned up last night." He mumbles, not looking at me.
"Oh really?" So maybe I wasn't going to be in trouble then.
"Yeah.The alpha's weren't too impressed with the timing of their visit with everything that's been going on. They've since asked to stay, but the pack is discussing it. You know how it goes."
That I did.The big decider would be if they chose to join the pack or simply remain within the region. It would make sense for Nathan and Kate to demand them to join, pledge their loyalty to them and all that nonsense. Yet was it a coincidence they turned up now? Wolves were being hunted, more members could make our alpha's feel better as there is strength in numbers or would it make them wary as who knew why they chose us to come to?
I was thinking way too much about it, I really didn't care and forgetting the whole fiasco was just thankful Gwen and I got away with going out. Luke and I don't talk much after that. He seems super preoccupied doing whatever he is doing and I was starting to wish I lived in Middleton.
"What are you even watching?" He finally asks after catching the end of the movie.
"The Good Witch. There is like twenty of these movies to watch." I lie. I think there is ten and I don't think I could actually get through all of them.
"Well I am done. I can't deal with this anymore. Wanna come with to Gwen's? Mum just messaged me. Dinner will be there again."
"Christmas special up next, don't think I could miss that."
"Yeah I'm calling bullshit. Since when do you watch movies like this?" He challenges.
"I'll have you know I happen to love movies like this."
"Whatever. Mum said you have to come too." He grins and I wonder when he turned into such an asshole.
"No she didn't."
"Yes she did."
"No she didn't, now ssh. It's about to start." I finish, grabbing the remote to turn up the volume.
Instead I'm being thrown over his shoulder and dumped at the bottom of the stairs.
"She said after last night, you will be where she can keep an eye on you." Holding up his phone, her message says something along those lines but with a couple of angry face emoji thrown in.
"Fine." Guess I wasn't off the hook completely then.
When we get there it's hard not to get a sense of deja vu as it's pretty much exactly the same as last night. The barbeque is fired up where they'll undoubtedly overcook the meat again, the adults are on the desk and the so called kids are down below. Without really thinking about it I look for Aiden and don't see him in the crowd, but I do see his witch.
"Hey!" Gwen comes running over as she see's us and grabbing my arm, leads me away from everyone else. Not that they care as my brother is already looking for food and no one gives me so much as a second look. "So guess who was asking where you were before?"
Please don't say him. "Who?"
"Brianna!"
"Who is- oh the witch?" I frown. That can't be good.
"Yes her and I haven't seen Aiden all day." She pauses, looking behind me with a smirk. "Until now at least."
"So?"
"So? That's all you've got- oh god. He's coming this way."
"No he's-" I turn and he is. "Shit."
"What do we do?"Gwen asks, looking more nervous than excited.
"Ignore him. Maybe he's just heading inside." She nods, gulping down her cola while I can feel his presence looming behind me like a shadow. "How long is this going on for tonight? Luke made me miss a movie I was really wanting to see."
"Ah..." Gwen doesn't do the ignoring thing well and instead just stares up at Aiden, pointing behind me after a few seconds as I fail to turn around.
Well, that was subtle.
"Yes?" I ask, turning to look up at him. Was he always so tall?
"You shouldn't be here."
"Hello to you too, and I'm pretty sure I have every right to be here." Rolling my eyes I turn back to Gwen and go to walk away yet once again, he has my arm in his hand and I'm paralysed.
Please let my brothers see this.
"Look, you need-" He starts yet someone who is not one of my brothers about to beat him up, interrupts.
"Aiden, is this her?"
All of us look at Brianna and Aiden is quick to move towards her so I have to look around him to see her. Is he blocking her from me?
"Brianna, not now." He growls.
I look at Gwen who shrugs a little, her eyes wide as she watches everyone. If I didn't know better, I'd think this little red headed witch scared her.
"Samara Franklin." I introduce, trying to appear friendly as I step around her bodyguard with my hand out. "Gwen said you were looking for me?"
She doesn't smile back as she warily takes my hand in hers. I barely feel it, her touch is light and gentle; the whole process makes her seem more uncomfortable than Gwen. Did I just break some kind of witch etiquette?
"Yes, that's correct." She looks at Aiden and narrows her eyes. "That's enough for now."
"I don't think-"
She shakes her head shutting him up and with his fists clenched he stalks off towards the house.
"Is he always the life of the party?" I ask, attempting to joke with her but she ignores it.
"Gwen, your father is looking for you." Brianna doesn't even look at Gwen as my friend doesn't need to be told twice and vanishes faster than Aiden. Some friend she is. "You're the one who doesn't shift. Is that right?"
"Yes, that is right." I can't help but get defensive. What am I now, the packs little party trick? Come and see the shifter who doesn't shift!
"I've not met anyone like you before. I've never even heard of someone of full shifter blood not have any connection to their wolf at all."
"Yeah well I've never met a witch that-"
"I'm not the enemy Samara." She is going to make herself one if she keeps cutting me off. "I want to see if I can help you."
"Help me?"
"It's part of the reason I agreed to come here."
I didn't need to have wolf senses to pick up something wrong with that.
"It is?"
"Wouldn't you like to know why you are how you are? Wouldn't you like to fix it?" She steps closer and her green eyes appear to glow. Eyes don't glow. They catch the light, they don't glow. Then again, what do I know about witches? "I can help you become who you were meant to be."
For a second there, I consider it. Who wouldn't? My whole life I have been on the outside, never feeling like I belong. I have been bullied, ignored - even my own father struggles to look at me sometimes because of who I am. If watching disney movies has taught me anything though, it's that witches don't do things like this simply out of the goodness of their heart.
"And the catch?" I square up against her and now she seems to be the one unsure.
"No catch. I'm here to help remember?" She smiles, looking every bit as good and pure as she wants you to believe she is. I'm not sold on the idea.
"Yeah, the pack. Not me."
"You are pack."
"That varies depending on who you talk to." I mutter.
"Think about it. You know where I am." She smiles and takes my hand in hers. It's so warm and strong - nothing like it was a second ago. "I'm glad we finally got to meet."
I wasn't so sure and said nothing as she went back to the main gathering.
"Well, fuck." I sigh and looking around can't see anyone I actually want to talk to.
I'd barely been back for twenty four hours and already it seemed like the longest day of my life. All I wanted to do now was order pizza, grab some wine and cuddle with Kitty while watching something decent on TV.
"Sam, there you are!" Jack calls out and comes over with a couple of plates in his hand. "I got one early for you."
He looks so damn proud of himself and taking the plate as he offers it, he got me a rather not so well done piece of steak. Finally something is going my way.
"You're my favourite sibling, you know that right?"
"Yeah." He smiles. "What was the witch talking to you about?"
I could tell him how she wants to help me with my lack of shifting experience, but decide against it. For starters, I don't want to get any hopes up and I have no idea what her help may involve. I wasn't prepared to sacrifice a goat or eat anything hocus pocus related. Shifting didn't matter to me anymore. She was about ten years too late and already my mind was made up so there was no point in breaking my families heart again.
"Just being friendly." I say instead and follow him over to where our friends had gathered, grabbing a beer as I passed the cooler deciding to do something that I was good at - drinking my problems away.
_______
Just a quick chapter while I had time....
So what do you think?
Good witch, bad witch? Anyone want to place their bets early?