Chapter 18
Ifeared saying the next words, unsure if I could handle actual rejection. “Can we talk?” I wanted to say more and be direct, but nothing could get past my suddenly parched throat. I tried to swallow and nearly choked.
Silence hung in the air, and I tugged at my wolf magic inside my chest to tap into my wolf hearing more.
Then, feet hit the floor and shuffled toward the door.
My lungs moved more freely. They hadn’t kept me shut out. They were going to open the door.
As if they’d heard my chants, the door to their bedroom opened, and the first thing I noticed across from the door and above their headboard was a picture of them, much younger, with a little boy and an infant in Octavia’s arms.
The walls closed in on me.
Could that be me in the picture? But no. They’d given me up; they wouldn’t have a picture of me above their bed. It had to be someone near my age or something.
“Is everything okay?” Dru sat upright in bed, his face creased with worry. “Is someone else hurt?” He swung his feet off the sky-blue comforter and stood. “I should’ve brought a hell of a lot more supplies. I had no idea how fast we’d go through them all.”
My heart dropped. We were causing them problems, and I’d snapped at them earlier. For most of my life, I’d been able to keep my mouth shut, but it was like meeting Raffe had changed me fundamentally. Mostly in good ways, but I needed to remember not to speak in anger, especially to people who were helping us. We’d be a lot worse off if it wasn’t for them. “Yeah, everything is …” I trailed off. I didn’t want to say good because that would be a lie. “Well, no one is in imminent danger or bleeding to death.” That counted for a lot lately.
Octavia snorted. “I could get used to this change of pace.”
“Me too.” I smiled, but then it died. I had so much to say, and I wasn’t sure where to start. I wrapped my arms around my waist, not liking the uneasy chill that racked me.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Dru asked, tilting his head and heading toward me. “Are you coming down with a cold or something? You did lose a lot of blood, and the thing earlier—it could wear your immune system down and make you more susceptible to illnesses.”
I smiled, enjoying having someone with a medical and science degree around who shared my interest. Granted, my limited expertise was on animals and not humans. “Do you mind if I come in, or can we go somewhere to talk?”
“Yeah, of course.” Octavia stepped back from the door, gesturing for me to enter. “You’re always welcome here. You never even have to ask.”
They were being too nice and making this harder for me. I nodded, entering the room, and Octavia shut the door behind me.
Pictures of the mountains hung in another corner of the room, making me feel slightly more comfortable. The colors reminded me of standing in the woods, surrounded by nature.
I walked toward the dark wooden chest of drawers in the corner of the room to gain some distance.
“Is something wrong?” Octavia asked, now standing next to Dru. They stared at me, waiting for whatever I had to say.
Silence weighed on me, and I straightened, knowing the longer it took for me to speak, the harder it would be. “I’m sorry about earlier.” I wanted to avert my eyes, but that would be taking the coward’s way out. They deserved better. “When I snapped at you.”
Octavia sighed and placed a hand over her heart. “Oh, honey. You don’t have anything to apologize for. We’ve been kicking ourselves for calling you Divinity. It’s very selfish of us.”
“We didn’t consider how that would make you feel, and we were debating apologizing to you or just dropping it,” Dru added, placing an arm around Octavia’s shoulders.
“You two have been kind to us, opening up your home and giving us medical attention.” I extended my arms out from my sides. “You didn’t deserve that, and—”
“But we did.” Octavia clasped her hands in front of her chest. “We gave you up and allowed other people to name and raise you. The name on your birth certificate is Skylar, and that is what we should call you.”
I inhaled shakily, realizing this was the conversation I’d always wanted to have. I’d thought I’d be able to speak eloquently and tell them all the ways they’d done me wrong, but things weren’t so cut and dried, and definitely not easy. All the things I’d wanted to say seemed harsh. “All my life, I knew why you gave me up. I wasn’t normal, and no one understood me. I understand how vicious supernaturals are now and why you wouldn’t want that target on your and Fane’s backs. But yeah, hearing you call me that name reminds me of everything you chose when giving me up. I do get it, though. I wouldn’t want Olwyn and some secret society hunting me down. And you’re helping me now, and I do appreciate it.”
“Oh, baby girl.” Octavia’s face twisted in agony. “Is that why you think we gave you up? Because that’s not even close to the truth.”
“We almost didn’t give you up, but we thought the best way to protect you was to let you go.” Dru tugged Octavia to his side. “The moment we knew your powers were activated, we knew that supernaturals would want to use you or harm you. There’s no in-between, judging by what’s been passed down over generations in the arcane-born bloodline.”
She nodded. “We believed that if we didn’t want you on the run for your entire life, it was best if you weren’t around supernaturals. The safest way of doing that was to have a human family raise you. I’d hoped that, by not being around magic, your power wouldn’t form and your life wouldn’t be at stake. Had we known that giving you up wouldn’t work, we would have never let you go.”
I tugged at the hem of my white, long-sleeve shirt. “To be fair, I love my parents. Though they don’t understand me, they do love me. But growing up, everyone made fun of me, and the more they hurt me, the more out of control my powers became. I … I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere until I came to EEU and immersed myself in the supernatural.” I made the journey sound easy. It hadn’t been at all, but I’d found a man I was crazy about, friends, and some sort of self-acceptance.
They both hung their heads.
“I’m not trying to make you feel bad.” I huffed and fisted my hands. I kept doing this wrong. I wanted to make them see that my life hadn’t been horrible, yet I’d done the opposite. “I’m just saying you found good parents for me, but being here at this moment is my destiny. However, I do thank you for trying to protect me.” Meeting Raffe had been worth all the pain and confusion because, for the first time in my life, I had someone who truly accepted me, and I wouldn’t give that up for the world. “Maybe we can come up with a nickname until we figure out what sort of relationship we’re going to have.” They couldn’t be my parents, but they could be something else.
“Yeah?” Octavia smiled. “You think we can have a permanent relationship?”
“Honey, she didn’t say permanent.” Dru winced and closed his eyes.
The fact that they wanted me in their lives caused some of the baggage I’d carried my entire life to slip from me. “I meant that if you both want it.”
“Of course we do.” Dru’s eyes popped open. “We’ve missed you and wanted to know about you every day of your life.” He gestured at the picture over the bed. “You’ve been part of this family in any way we could incorporate you. We loved you before you were even born, and to have you here in the house, not hating us, means more than you’ll ever know.”
“We just wish we’d met under better circumstances.” Octavia nibbled on her lip.
I understood that, but the three of us had to face facts. “If it weren’t for these circumstances, I doubt we would’ve ever met.”
Dru rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s a fair point. We didn’t want this life for you.”
“If it makes you feel better, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I have Raffe and a pack, I can handle my power better, and now I’ve met you two and Fane. The good outweighs the bad.”
Both of them smiled genuinely.
Babe? Raffe linked, our connection warming. Then panic filtered in. Where are you?
I’d meant to sneak back into the room before he woke. I couldn’t sleep and came to talk to Octavia and Dru about earlier.
Oh, thank gods. The heaviness of our bond lightened as his relief pushed through. I thought something had happened again.
I winced. I did have a habit of disappearing on him and getting into trouble. I’ll be there shortly.
It’s almost noon, so we need to get moving to meet Priestess Caroline. I’ll find us some lunch.
Right. I’d almost forgotten about practicing with her. My power was still pretty much extinguished inside, and it probably didn’t help that I hadn’t gotten much rest. But between needing to reconnect with him and having this conversation with Octavia and Dru, I’d been restless.
I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Well, I hate to do this, but Raffe wants to grab lunch before we meet Priestess Caroline. I just wanted to make sure that the three of us are okay.”
“Okay?” Dru chuckled. “We’re more than okay. I get that we don’t have the right to be your parents, but we’re ecstatic to be part of your life in any way you’ll have us.”
One question did haunt me. “If that’s true, why did you want to leave right after we met when Dave was injured? You said there’d been a mistake.” I stared at Octavia, needing answers.
“That wasn’t my finest moment, but it was because the royal shifters have never liked our kind, and I feared I would put a target on Fane as well as you.” She leaned her head back. “I’m sorry I said it, but the moment I realized Raffe was willing to sacrifice everything for you, I knew that Fate had gotten it right. I wish I could lie, but I don’t want to. You deserve better.”
That burned, but I had to appreciate her honesty. I did feel as if we’d forged a bond between now and then, and I hoped like hell I wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t sure I could take another betrayal, especially from my birth parents. “Okay.” I couldn’t say that was fine, but I could accept it and try not to hang on to the baggage I’d lugged around my entire life. “I’m going to eat with Raffe.”
Dru nodded. “Do you want us to come with you?”
“To eat?” I lifted my brows and felt the corners of my mouth tip upward. “I think I can handle that.”
“Fair, but I actually meant when you go see Priestess Caroline.” He beamed.
His offer warmed my heart. “Nah, I’d like to limit the number of people watching since I’m not sure what could happen. My power has a mind of its own, so I’m hoping she can teach me how to harness it. It’ll be safer if no one comes.”
“You should’ve seen her control those animals.” Octavia blinked. “There were over fifty raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, and owls that came to our aid before.”
My smile vanished. “I didn’t control them. Animals aren’t meant to be slaves. I merely asked for their help, and they answered.” My tone was a little sharp, but I hated when people thought of animals as less than them. “Animals are some of the most authentic creatures on earth, and that’s why I want to become a vet—to help protect them.”
“I … I didn’t mean it like that. The way they moved around you …” She trailed off.
And here I was, overreacting again. “You didn’t know. It’s just …when I struggled, the only time I felt at peace was immersed in nature. I’ve always had a connection with animals. It’s one reason I plan to apply to vet school.” However, considering how much school we were missing, that dream was probably shot. I had no doubt Olwyn would make sure nothing like that happened for me.
“You’re going to school to be a vet?” Dru’s eyes widened. “That means you’re a science nerd like me.”
“That I am, but I doubt I’ll graduate now.” It was silly because it had taken me until this moment to realize that. We’d been going nonstop, and I’d been so focused on the present and our safety that I’d lost sight of the future, the one thing that used to ground me.
What’s wrong? Raffe linked, feeling the change within me.
Though I loved our connection, sometimes I needed time to process things on my own. I’ll tell you later. Right now, we need to focus on training. Wanting to end the conversation before dwelling on it further, I rubbed my hands together. “If you don’t mind excusing me, food is calling my name.” My stomach gurgled, confirming my statement.
“Okay.” Octavia moved, and I headed to the door. When I opened it and stepped out, she called out, “And Sky.”
I paused with my hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for coming to talk,” she said softly.
I glanced over my shoulder. “Anytime. I’ll see you later for dinner.”
In the kitchen, Raffe had already made us some turkey-and-ham sandwiches, and I slid into the spot at the bar beside him. It was weird that the place was quiet.
Where is everyone? I took a bite of food and almost moaned over how good it tasted. I’d been starving.
Fane is taking Lucy, Dave, Keith, and Josie to the store, and Adam is sleeping. He snagged a bottle of water, chugging half of it. Why?
It’s just oddly quiet. And is going to the store safe? Normally, when things seemed peaceful, something horrible wasn’t far behind.
Octavia assured them that they’d go to a store that most supernaturals stay away from because it’s in the center of town. Besides, we need to learn about the area in case something does happen. No one should be out here searching for us yet. It’s also quiet because Keith isn’t here running his damn mouth. Raffe rolled his eyes. I swear, he yammers more than a wo—
I arched a brow at him.
A woefully annoying human. He smiled way too brightly.
That better be what you were going to say. I poked him in the side, causing him to jump. I swallowed, and my mouth dropped. Wait. Are you ticklish there? How had I not known this? We’d been together for only a few weeks, but damn, it felt like a lifetime. Moments like this reminded me that we didn’t know so many odd little things about one another.
Don’t you think about it. I’d hate to be forced to hold out on you.
I snorted. Had he threatened to not have sex with me if I tickled him? No way. Two could play this game. I shrugged. That’s fine. I can do it better anyway.
He pursed his lips. Now that I’d really like to see.
My face heated. He’d called my bluff. I stuck my tongue out and took another bite as he chuckled and followed my lead.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t just spend time like this together. We had somewhere to be.
All too soon, we finished eating and headed out the front door. The drizzle had stopped, though gray clouds covered the sky.
“Wanna take the car?” Raffe nodded to his SUV.
“Let’s walk.” I’d been cooped up inside and wanted to be out in nature. My wolf nudged forward, needing to be in nature too.
“More than all right with me.” He winked.
Interlacing our fingers, we headed toward the woods, stepping into the tree line to walk on mulchy ground instead of gravel.
A few birds made noises throughout, chirping as if they didn’t have a care in the world. We followed along, walking at a good pace while enjoying our time away from the house together.
Soon, the road turned, and the first house came into view, the very one Priestess Caroline had told us to go to.
It was a quaint cottage, slightly larger than the seven or so more I could see from here. The gravel road split into a circle where their neighborhood continued. When we had time to explore, I’d be curious to see how large this coven was.
The yards were lush, and each house had a stone pathway to the front door. What I assumed was Priestess Caroline’s house was painted a light green with a matching front door.
Priestess Caroline herself opened the door and stepped out. She shot fire at my feet, startling me back. She then raised a hand, and an apple sat on her palm.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Raffe snarled.
Priestess Caroline didn’t even look at him. Instead, she said, “Make the apple explode, or you’ll have to fight us.”
I laughed. Was this how she expected to train me? “Uh … shouldn’t we do something more conventional and less extreme?” I moved away from Raffe, not wanting him to get stuck in the cross fire of whatever Priestess Caroline had in store for me.
“Then you’ll never learn because your power has become too strong for you to control, even in small doses.” Priestess Caroline shot flames at me again, but this time, I didn’t move, letting the flames engulf me. Just like at the house, they didn’t bother me at all.
If she was trying to get a rise out of me, she’d be disappointed. Instead, I found her tactic funny.
Faith and Avalon materialized beside Raffe. Faith had a dagger in one hand, and she lifted her other hand, causing the ground to shake hard underneath him.
He crashed to the ground, and I’d moved to help him when Avalon forced Raffe onto his back and Faith jumped on him, placing a dagger to his neck.
My power went from dormant to a hum. No one threatened my mate like that.