Chapter 27 #2
Sienna giggles in the back, but I chew on my lip to keep myself from joining in. A pissed off Kole would just ruin the joyride, and it’s been far too long since I’ve been behind the wheel of a car.
As if I needed to make that clear, I hit the gas too hard, and the car jolts forward before I quickly slam on the brake nearly rear ending Kole’s SUV.
“Jesus, Grey. Who taught you how to drive?” Kole snipes, rubbing the back of his head.
“Umm, Mr. Wheeler in Driver’s Ed class my sophomore year.” Kole gives me a sidelong glance, clearly judging my lack of experience. “Hey, maybe I’d be better at this if you all didn’t take over the world when I was seventeen.”
“Just try not to kill us,” he says with a teasing grin.
“I can’t make any promises.” I flash him a mischievous smile and purposely jerk the car to the left with an evil laugh.
“You’re a menace,” he mutters, shaking his head at me.
“You’re just now realizing that about her?” Sienna quips from the back seat.
He looks back at her and then at me. “No. I knew it the moment I met her.”
“You did not,” I say, looking at him sideways.
“Oh, yes I did,” he argues. “You had that wild look in your eyes.”
“Well, when you met me, I had just been burned by your brother, so I’d say that was warranted.”
“Fair point,” he admits. “But you’re still a menace.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Is that so?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow at me.
“Yup!” I turn onto the road and hit the gas, shooting us forward.
“Slow down! You’re going to get yourself hurt!” Kole demands in a much too serious tone for the fun I’m trying to have.
Sienna howls with excitement, and I join her, slowing down so Kole doesn’t pop a blood vessel.
“Calm down, grandpa.” I pat Kole’s leg, earning me a hiss. “I’ll make sure you get home safe.”
“Call me grandpa again and you’ll regret it,” he warns.
“Oh, no. Grandpa’s upset,” Sienna jokes, and we both burst into a fit of laughter.
Kole lunges for Sienna, and she screams, kicking the back of my seat.
“Hey, you two! Don’t make me pull the car over!” I threaten in my best mom voice, slapping Kole’s arm.
He sits back in his seat, flashing me a sly grin. “Yes, Mother… or do you prefer Mommy?”
I roll my eyes at him. “You’re an idiot.”
“And you’re a terrible driver.”
It took me a little while to get used to driving, but my new beauty of a car was built for the snow.
Her heated seats and steering wheel were just the cherry on top.
When we got back, Thane gave me a phone with his and Kole’s numbers already programmed into it.
He made me promise not to switch off the tracking, which I agreed to.
Although, if it ever comes down to it, that request wasn’t in the contract, so he can’t really hold it against me if I change my mind.
Sienna had to go handle some wolf business, but she told me she’d be back tomorrow for Christmas Eve.
I haven’t thought about Christmas in years, and the thought of celebrating it with a hybrid, a vampire, and a werewolf is beyond weird, but she insisted that it would be a good way for us all to commemorate this fresh start, so of course I agreed to go along with it.
Shit! It’s already six o’clock?
I had laid down for a nap, but since I barely slept last night, I guess my body needed the rest. Seeing as how I don’t have any plans for the rest of the evening, I suppose now’s as good a time as any to do some exploring around here.
I venture out into the hallway and head toward one of the rooms I’ve been eyeing since I first got here.
I’m pleasantly surprised to find it unlocked, though I guess the contract did say I’d have free rein of the place.
At least, aside from the east wing, which won’t be necessary, since this room is practically a replica of Thane’s library.
Shelves and shelves of books line the room, and there’s even a little alcove by the bay windows with a raised platform and a built-in cushion.
Several pillows and blankets are sprawled out, making the area look extra cozy, and when I plop down, my body melts into the padded bottom as if this little slice of heaven was made for me.
The view of the white blanketed garden is perfect from here, and there’s even a string of dim lights hanging just above my head to complete the whole ambiance. It’s beyond perfect, and I lay back a moment, taking it all in.
So much of me is resistant to accepting anything good, knowing it never lasts, but today it just feels like everything I’ve ever been through has led me here.
To this room. These people. This life. I never could’ve had any of this in the world run by humans.
I was destined to live at the bottom. Invisible and alone.
Now, I’m here. In a world full of monsters, feeling more at home than I’ve ever felt in my entire life.
For the first time in a long time, I have a friend.
Someone who I’ve grown to care for. And although she’s a freaking werewolf, she has a kind soul and pure heart.
A lone wolf, overlooked by her peers just like me.
We’re opposites in so many ways, but also one and the same.
Brought together by a hybrid who found us lost in the world.
Maybe after everything that has happened to me, this is my compensation. An unconventional life that somehow offers me the things I could only ever dream of. Twisted as it is, what if this is the best possible outcome for what my life could’ve been?