12. Chapter 12
T he next evening, Eden stepped through the front door of her family home. The open curtains let in the last hour of daylight and illuminated the dark green walls. Even though it was a weekend, Eloise had texted everyone in the family to meet at the main Miller home for a family meeting. Since this wasn’t out of the ordinary, Eden took her time as she went down the hall while her amethyst eyes trailed along the faces of generations of Miller hunters framed in gold. It started with the first members and creators of The Salvamari and ended at the back with the current members in one large photo at the end of the hall.
She let herself take in the annoyingly traditional portrait. Her grandmother Stacey with long gray hair that faded into charcoal black. Glaring smokey eyes staring daggers down at her, sitting in a chair in the center of the group. Her husband, Richard looked just as he did the night he almost stabbed Eden, standing to her left beside his brother, Arthur, who looked eerily similar to Richard. To her right stood Eloise who stared at twin daggers from behind her glasses, her pin-straight chestnut hair pulled into a tight bun as usual. Young twelve-year-old Eden stood between them, taking a second to really look at her past self her eyes grazed over the angry look in her eyes. Long black hair that fell over her shoulders with Stacey’s hand over top of hers on the arm of the chair. Are you a Miller? Or are you a pawn in their hunt? She asked the younger version of herself almost angrily as she realized just how much this place had started to attempt to tear down her walls.
She tore her gaze away from the portrait after she remembered she was expected in the next room. Her shoes didn’t make noise while she walked and fixed Bastien's leather jacket around her as the sounds of a few voices caught her attention. Eden took a deep breath, her nose filled with the scent of lavender, and exhaled as their words became more clear as she approached the room. Mom must have been nervous and burned incense.
“What do you think I am, dumb?” Alaric’s voice questioned loudly. “I know what I’m doing, I’ve lived with a werewolf before.”
“How were you planning on shifting into a wolf form then?” Eloise’s annoyance flooded her voice.
“I was hoping you could… Help me out with that? You’re fantastic with potions.”
Eden turned the corner into the dining room just in time to confirm her mother's annoyed tone with the sight of her narrowed eyes and crossed arms as she glared at Alaric. The squeak of a chair that scraped along the floor echoed in the silence which caused her to peer over at the source of the sound. Bastien sat in his normal chair on the left side of the rectangular dinner table and flashed an entertained smile at her as he motioned for her to join him. Quietly, as to not interrupt the two Elders, she made her way to her spot on the right side beside the head of the table. As she took her seat, Eloise started to speak once more, her maroon heels clicked on the floor.
“Of all the dumb things you’ve done this is by far the most inconvenient. Fine, but I’m only helping you because I don’t see a way to dig you out of this one.” Eloise crossed her arms over her chest, messing with the necklace over her turtleneck shirt as she went into deep thought. “Since you’ve gotten yourself onto the security team, you’ll look too suspicious claiming to be a wolf but never being seen as one. Now, take your seat so the others don’t think I’m not able to handle things here.”
The man took his seat, and Eden noticed he attempted to stifle a smile. She checked to see if Bastien caught the same thing and met his hazel eyes until he nodded slightly. Eloise sighed and made her way over to her chair next to Eden, put a bag down and pulled out papers from folders. No one spoke as the sound of the front door echoed through the house. Her eyes drifted toward the entrance of the dining room as she waited for the others to join them from their own home down the street. Within a few moments, three people turned the corner and entered the dimly lit room. Stacey, Richard, and Arthur all to their own seats. Stacey was at the other end of the table opposite of Eloise, Richard to her left beside Alaric and Arthur to the seat beside Eden.
“Hey there, young buck, squirt!” Arthur smiled brightly at Bastien and then at Eden as he moved to his seat, and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you.”
“Glad to see you too, Baron Arthur.” Eden said with a friendly smile.
“Hello, Matron Miller, Baron Richard and Arthur,” Eloise greeted.
“Hello, my dear…” Stacey nodded to her daughter and turned toward Eden, a kind smile forming on her face for a few seconds. “How is my lovely granddaughter? Your training and studies? Have you been able to keep up with everything?”
“They are going well. Mother and I have another training session tomorrow morning.” She answered with a small smile as she knew she was Stacey’s favorite as the up-and-coming head of the family.
Eden noticed the look on Eloise’s face out of the corner of her eye, she saw the earlier annoyance return. The Matriarch cleared her throat to draw attention back to her and within a few seconds everyone turned their heads to face her.
“Now, we are here to discuss some new developments that have been brought to my attention by my brother, Eden, and Alaric. They have informed me that the newest member of the security team could pose a genuine threat to our plan. The one they call Fang I have discovered through my research that his full name is Mathias Bloodfang, the last remaining Alpha wolf.”
The room fell into silence as most of the older hunters shared a look of knowing between each other. Through her studies, Eden knew how powerful the wolf would be if it ever came down to a fight as she had seen just how tall he was at the school assembly. She spotted several magical items the man seemed to have, he must have gathered them of the last several centuries.
“How do you intend on taking care of the dog?” Stacey’s voice came from Eden’s right.
“Alaric here has joined their team and has discovered some things about each of them. As we know, werewolves are fierce when it comes to family. I say we take them on from there.” Eloise responded, and tilted her head towards her mother.
“What information have you found, Alaric?” Richard chimed in and turned toward the man.
Alaric looked over at the man and choked on the sip of water he had taken. Eden heard Bastien snort as he did, which in turn made her break for a few seconds as a laugh attempted to escape. Eloise shot the pair a glare. Quickly, she turned back toward the other end of the table. The bearded dark brown-haired man awkwardly stood from his chair as he was addressed.
“I have discovered that most of the members of the security team have connections to each other that go beyond pack members. The head of the security team, Coyote Moon is Bloodfang’s nephew as well as Remi Moon. Who as I understand, they have been looking for over the last three hundred years. Cathwulf is also dating Coyote at the moment, I see plenty of opportunity to slowly start to chip away at the threat. I’ve even spotted Fang with Elder Andromeda Anderson.” Alaric explained to the room.
Her eyes fell on her grandmother who looked at Alaric in disgust with each name he listed off. Eden took a second to consider the possibilities, she leaned back in her chair. That means the siblings are at least half alphas themselves. Probably also very proficient in magic as well. Thoughts of her own magical abilities and how she could potentially take down even a half-alpha wolf let alone a full. I could put all the water in his body into his lungs… But how much strain will that put on me? Could I even continue to fight after doing something like that? He would probably fight back; if I’m too weak to defend myself. Magical toll doesn’t affect them in the same way as me. Her thoughts were broken by the gruff voice of Richard and flinched as he spoke, Eden forced herself to peer over at him.
“I say we go after each member over the semester starting with Cathwulf.”
“I say the solution is simple. If the dog is an issue, put it down.” Stacey’s exasperated voice spoke over her husband.
“We can’t just go after him, you of all people should know that he is something we don’t want to upset until we know how to handle him,” Alaric interjected.
“Who are you to tell us what we can or can’t do? You’re not even a real Miller, you’re just borrowing the name.” She shot back at him, glaring at him.
Eden could feel the tension rise quickly in the room as the two stared each other down for a moment. The rest of the Miller men shifted in their seats which made them creek in the silence like a guitar string pulled too tight. Richard’s jaw clenched, Bastien’s hand went to his side, and Arthur glared at Alaric, almost dared him to disrespect a Miller woman again. Papers shifted beside her as Eloise leaned forward and rested her palms on the table, and glanced over her glasses at Alaric.
He looked taken aback, the man started to sputter out words, “I- I misspoke, apologies.”
The room seemed to calm down as he tried to diffuse the situation. Stacey nodded in acknowledgment of his apology. “Though it is up to my daughter, I believe we should be keeping an eye on this Andromeda. What do we know of her?”
“She is the Elder for demonology, Guidance Counselor, and a high-ranking succubus I’ve heard,” Eloise answered the question.
“Nothing we can’t deal with then.” Stacey peered around the table and finally landed on Eden. “Nothing dear Eden here couldn’t handle if need be. We need to know how to weaken him, and it may be the perfect way to throw things off.”
“And until we are ready to act. She will be ready, right my dear?” Eloise turned to her.
With a quick nod, she agreed. She couldn’t tell her mother no. “Yes, I’ll be ready.”
“Good, until then find a way to get close to her so you can keep an eye out.”
“What about Cleo Anderson?” Eden spoke.
“What of her?” Eloise’s eyebrow rose.
“Do you think she’ll be able to recognize us with the magic on our disguises?”
“No, some of our more defining features have been clouded so she won’t be sure it’s us.”
“Even if she did, we’d take care of it. In the few encounters we’ve had with her, we are confident we could overpower her quickly enough.” Stacey added.
Eloise turned back to the room and glanced at each person for a moment. “Does anyone else have anything?”
For a second, she could feel something or someone burn a hole straight through her. The sensation sent a wave of nerves over her as Eden looked over at Richard to find him staring back at her with fire behind his eyes. The two of them hadn’t been in a room together since the night at Club Crossroads the previous week. From beside her, Eloise stepped behind her chair and she felt her mother’s hands on either side of her shoulders. Neither of the women broke eye contact as the man opened his mouth.
“I think it’s best to hold your tongue, Baron.” Eloise warned darkly. “We’ve spoken and you are alone in your opinion.”
“Do you not realize how terribly this could go?” He spat back. “Where do you think she got her magic, huh? That cursed demon blood runs through her veins!”
“She is on our side, and the future of this family, Father.” Bastien interjected, his anger showing on his face.
“Hush boy!” His voice echoed along the walls as he slammed his fist down.
Anger filled Eden as they all started to yell at each other. Her hair stood on end and her ears went hot. She tilted her chin down ever so slightly. Internally, she pulled on the blue thread causing the room to go cold as she glared at the man.
“You will not speak to him that way!” Eden yelled over everyone. “You will talk to your family with respect as we have. I don’t care what you think of me, this has been my family and I have given the last fourteen years to this family and become one of you. I have proven myself time and time again. You will not intimidate me, you will not tell me who I am, and you will accept me because you have no choice.”
Her hands shook in anger as she spoke and she leaned forward in her seat. Once again, the room was thrown into a heavy silence, although this time due to speechlessness. Eloise squeezed her shoulder and as she attempted to even her breathing, she could see each in the air which caused a smirk to make its way across her lips. The fear that spread across the man’s face fueled Eden as it seemed he had realized he was cornered.
Richard went to speak once more, but Stacey shot him a look. The man huffed and crossed his arms and dropped the subject. The feeling of victory washed over her knowing he couldn’t argue anymore. Not when all the Matriarchs of the family when they banded together. The room returned to a normal temperature as her mother spoke again.
“That seems to be everything. I’ll see you all next month for our next family meeting.”
The sound of chairs along the wooden floor echoed followed by light chatter between various members of the family. Stacey started telling off her husband, and Eloise turned to Eden, with a hand on her arm. When she faced her mother, Eden searched her face for her reaction to her outburst she found a smile had formed on the woman’s face and her eyes beamed. With a slight nod, she dropped her hand back to her side and Bastien made his way over to them.
“That was badass, Eden! I’ve never heard you do something like that!” He told her excitedly.
“It just came out. I don’t know what got into me.”
“Do you want to go to Club Crossroads for some drinks? My treat.”
“You both have class tomorrow.” Eloise scolded her brother.
“If I’m being honest, I really would like to go back to my room.” She shook her head.
“Fair enough, I’ll see you in class,” Bastien saluted Eloise and made his way from the room.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Mother.” Eden said tiredly.