Chapter 24 #2
I lift my head. She looks apologetic.
“It’s alright.”
She offers a weak smile. “Dad says I’m too impulsive with my words.”
I think about Lucas, specifically, how he spoke against Alex and his coven at the alliance meeting. “Your dad seems…intense.”
She scoffs. “You have no idea. But he has to be. Being alpha means he has a lot of dominant personalities to keep under control.”
“I thought betas were naturally submissive to their alpha?” I say, basing my assumption on my knowledge of animals. Specifically, wolves. “If they aren’t, don’t they get kicked out?”
“No, we welcome strong members, but it’s a fine balance between questioning leadership and insubordination.”
I bet.
“So, your dad is intense to maintain his position as the most dominant were-beast in the pack?”
“Exactly.” She bobs her head. “He took over the position from my great-uncle back when he was in his early twenties. No one has physically or politically challenged him yet.”
“How did he take over?” I shudder at the thought that the abrasive man might have actually killed his uncle to become the pack leader.
“He was elected,” she says. “Alphas tend to come from the same bloodline. A member of my extended family has been the leader of the Northwestern pack since its creation over three hundred years ago.”
“Wow.” Packs, clans, witches, vampires… I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by all the new terms and information. “That’s…cool.”
Paige crosses her arms and tilts her head, assessing me. “So, it’s true. You really didn’t know about the supernatural world. You were raised as an ordinary human.”
“Yeah…it’s true.”
“Wow.” She shakes her head. “That’s crazy.”
“Not as crazy as all this.” I half-laugh. “There are times I still can’t believe this is all real. Immortals were one thing, but vampires and were-beasts?”
“And witches and warlocks.” She grins. “Don’t forget about them.”
“How could I?” I mumble.
The coffee machine beeps.
“Thank the Creator!” Paige whirls around and grabs two coffee mugs from the cabinet.
She pours the coffee, then hands one mug to me. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.” I take a cautious sip, grateful that Paige’s surly behavior from yesterday seems to be gone.
“You’re welcome.” She lifts her cup. But before she can take a sip, her eyes grow wide, and she jerks back. Her coffee sloshes onto the floor.
I turn.
Gregory enters the kitchen without making a sound.
“Good morning,” he greets, but the familiar warmth in his voice is absent. “Is that coffee?”
“Paige just made it.” I motion to the coffee maker.
“Excellent.” He approaches the counter.
Paige swiftly steps out of his way. Her knuckles turn white where she grips her mug’s handle.
“Have you eaten?” Gregory asks as he pours himself a cup.
“Not yet,” I answer.
“I can make you something.”
“That’s okay.” I turn around and retrieve a box of cereal from the pantry. “I’m a Cheerios girl.”
Gregory sets his coffee down and retrieves a bowl from the counter, handing it to me. Then he gets the milk from the fridge.
I take it from him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Paige watches us with a disbelieving stare.
“Do you want some cereal?” I ask her.
She presses her lips together and shakes her head.
I pour the Cheerios into my bowl, then turn to Gregory.
“What about you?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.” He reaches into the fridge and withdraws a silver thermos. He uncaps the top and takes a long sip.
My stomach churns. “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
“Okay. I won’t.” He takes another sip.
“Gross.” I grimace.
He lowers the thermos and smirks, wiping the back of his hand over his mouth. “My apologies, Darcie, but a vampire needs to eat.”
“What’s this?” Alex enters the room. “Did I miss the invitation for breakfast?”
Paige shifts away as Alex positions himself between me and her. He snatches the box of cereal, briefly scans the back, and swiftly places it back on the counter.
“What is the plan for today?” I ask him, eager for information I missed last night.
“The witches have gone on a scouting excursion,” he replies. “They should be back shortly.”
“What are they scouting for?”
“Any trace of Adir,” he says. “We are scheduled to search this area for no more than three days if we find no lead.”
Three days?
“Shouldn’t we move faster than that?” I ask. “A lot can happen in three days.”
Like Adir moving Bella somewhere further away.
“Our search party casts a wide net thanks to our contact’s information. Do not worry. We will cover a lot of ground in three days.”
“And what will we do while they search?”
“You will train.”
I frown. “But I want—”
“You are of no use to the task force until you can master your power.” His steady blue eyes hold mine. “You will focus on training. When you’re ready, you will be brought into the task force’s missions.”
The desire to argue is strong.
But Alex is right.
My ability to see into the past or future is useless until I can control it. And until I’m not rendered unconscious for days afterward.
“Fine.” I cross my arms. “But I still want to know what you guys are doing.”
“That depends.” Alex strides to the fridge.
“On what?”
He retrieves another silver thermos, and my stomach rolls as he takes a sip.
“On if the information is safe for you to know.”
I scowl. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I’ll tell you later.” He looks at Paige. Then he turns to his second in command. “A word, Gregory?”
Gregory dips his head and follows Alex out, but not before giving me a quick, reassuring glance.
They leave the kitchen.
The moment they are out of sight, Paige’s shoulders relax.
“Ugh, I don’t know how you do it,” she says.
“Do what?”
“Act normal around them.” She shudders, then takes a sip of her coffee. “Vampires are so…unsettling. Gregory is well-known for his ruthless nature.”
I rear back. “Gregory? Ruthless?”
She nods. “And King Alexander is a vicious ruler.”
That’s news to me.
But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
If Lucas has to be intense to rule over powerful were-beasts, I imagine a vampire king needs to be just as imposing, if not more.
Still, I shrug and say, “That may be their reputation, but they’re my friends.”
“I would be careful with that.” Her eyes dart toward the hall. “Vampires are fickle creatures. They express loyalty one minute, and then turn on you the next.”
I don’t believe that about Gregory or Alex for one moment, but I don’t want to argue with Paige.
“Thanks for the warning.”
She nods and pushes off the counter. “I need to go find my dad. I’ll see you later?”
“Definitely.”
She smiles softly before leaving the kitchen, and I’m alone.
Tension releases from my body, and I grab a spoon to eat my cereal. I lift the first bite to my lips just as a cloaked figure glides into the kitchen.
“There you are,” Mistress Lola greets me with a no-nonsense expression. “It’s time to train.”
I glance pointedly at my bowl. “Can I at least eat—”
She snaps her fingers. The cereal disappears. In its place sits a granola bar.
“Eat while we walk. We don’t have time to waste.” With that, her cloak flares out behind her as she leaves the kitchen.
“Damnit.” I snatch the bar and rip open the wrapper, leaving my coffee on the counter, and follow the witch into the backyard with no idea what I’m in for.