Chapter 23

T he best way to ignore my angry pack that was chomping at my neck from yesterday’s fiasco was to ignore everything. Ignored my duties. Ignored my párah, who was beyond pissed about the invasion that occurred. Ignored the pack’s heated gazes as they watched me walk back to my home to help get Kaydian down from the roof. Their stares were worse than bullets that were lodged in my back. On that trek back home, my father’s last words rang out clear as day in my head, “You’re not meant to lead.” It followed me to bed and all the way into my sleepless night as I stared up at the tin roof, praying for some answers. Sooner rather than later.

When I could finally pull myself from the bed, I noticed I was alone in my room. Kaydian’s voice could be heard from the next room, whispering in a hushed tone. Maybe she’s going crazy. My body protested as I dragged my heavy body out of the comforter. If that wasn’t any indication, today was going to be taxing on me, then I didn’t know what was. Throwing on some clothes that Kaydian had cleaned the other day, I exited my room to find her back toward me. Her arms flared in the air as she spoke to the empty room. My wolf growled inside my chest as the tiny hairs on my body stood up.

“God dammit, Bernadette! I told you to stay hidden and quit with your shit!” Kaydian whispered, her pointer finger aimed at whoever she was speaking to. “Why were you trying to peep in those people’s bedrooms…”

Kaydian stopped mid-sentence. The floor bed creaked under her feet as she turned toward me with an overeager smile on her face. I shuddered, wiping the thin sheet of moisture on my upper lip.

“Oh, Greyson! You’re up early.”

Judging from the sun shining in the only window in the living room, I would say it was late in the morning. My eyebrow arched at her statement.

“Are you okay? Who were you talking to? I swear there are only two things that set my wolf on edge, ghosts and witches…well, that aren’t my mate.”

“Oh…Well…you remember when I told you about having necromancy abilities?” She paused as she shifted on her feet. Her hand found her wrist as usual. “Well, we have a visitor. Bernadette hitched a ride with Sir Reid and stayed.”

“…like forever?”

“Please,” she begged through her clenched teeth to the empty area beside her. “And no, she wanted to stay until we went home.”

Home. There was that dreaded word that I’ve been avoiding for a while now. Home for who, though? Coals as heavy as steel settled in my stomach. My hands shook as I grabbed my wrist to steady them. Kaydian’s inquisitive emerald eyes, and possibly her ghost friends, stared back at me. I wondered if she knew her scent grew stronger when she was puzzled. She waved her hand in front of my face.

“Let’s go get some food.”

“So, we will not talk about last night, then?”

“After breakfast… I promise. I have to feed you first.”

“You mean lunch? Since it’s almost noon.”

She gave me a haughty smile. One thing about my Hiema is she loves to win. Right now, I would let her, because only her happiness matters right now. Threading our hands together, we headed toward the wood pit. Corn and spices drifted throughout the air the closer we got to where Hawk and his mother were making food for the pack. Little kids lined up as Kathleen held out the long ladle to deliver the steaming soup into their bowls. Hawk was the first person to spot us behind the eager kids. His gray eyes bulged out of his head, dropping the bread he held with the tongs. A curse slipped from his mouth, sending the kids giggling as they walked away with their food.

“Maybe you should go back home, and I will bring you guys some of everything.”

Hawk’s eyes shifted between Kaydian and me. His plastered fake smile made me pause. It wasn’t until I noticed some of the packs were posted on their porch. Even from here, I can see the curl in their upper lip and the way their eyes roamed over us. When our eyes met, they just shook their heads. My face felt like charcoal ignited as embarrassment raked through my body. Kaydian’s hand squeezed mine ever so lightly. At least I have three people on my side.

“Everyone is staring holes into us, Grey,” Kaydian stated the obvious.

“…And it’s about to get worse,” Kathleen warned with her arms crossed. Her gray eyes narrowed at Oni.

My párah exited the Great Spirit Temple. His face twisted into a scowl as his dark brown eyes landed on me and then Kaydian. He found his target and was barreling toward us. Hate was written in those dark eyes, and all I wanted was one peaceful day without any trouble. Like birds, some of the pack flocked toward their small porches. The little kids that sat with their soup at the empty picnic table turned around with their spoons hung halfway out of their mouths.

“Greyson, Hawk, Kathleen, and…Kaydian,” Oni said. Practically spitting out our Kaydian’s name in spite.

“Please, Oni, can we not do this out here in front?” Kathleen spanned out her arm to show the small crowd that was gathered by their home. “We have too many eyes around and the tension is high already since our brief visit.”

“They’re as much a part of the conversation as we are,” Oni stated blankly. “I find it hard to believe that the moment your… ‘mate’ came to the village, we get a visit from those fucking revolting bastards. I don’t believe in coincidence and them searching for their missing princess.”

Párah spat the words out like they were acid. He looked primed to jump at anyone who even breathes in his sight. Slipping my hand from Kaydian’s, I moved to stand between them, taking the attention off of her to me, but her hand stopped me.

“Don’t! Let your uncle speak. Since he’s in such a chatty mood today.” I turned to her with my mouth agape. She was definitely fed up with my uncle’s behavior, which I couldn’t blame her for. A wide smile took over her face. “Uncle Oni, why don’t you say what’s really on your mind?”

Hawk and Kathleen glanced at each other before their gaze landed on me. I shrugged with my eyebrows stretched to my hairline. I’ve never heard Kaydian raise her voice at my temperamental uncle.

“I think you’re mixed up with that princess, and they traced her here because you helped her escape. Even though I don’t know why a Thibodeaux princess would need a human to help her escape, I never question those monsters.”

My partially shifted nails dug into the meaty flesh of my palm. The pain eased my anger a bit as I tried to reel in my wolf. I didn’t want to disrespect my uncle in front of the whole pack. They already thought I was unfit, since I was only half a shifter.

Kaydian moved close to Oni before I could stop her.

“You know what they say about assuming, don’t you, Oni?” She paused as she came within an inch of Oni. She wasn’t as tall as a shifter, but you couldn’t tell that from her position. Her shoulders squared with her hands on her wide hips. She faced him with not a trace of fear in her emerald, stormy eyes. Only a condescending smirk settled on her perfect face. “When you assume, you’re making an ass out of yourself.”

Oni’s eyebrows touched his hairline as he tilted his head. Folding his arms across his wide chest, his eyes narrowed into Kaydian. My first thought was to grab her and pull her back to our home. The little ball of magic flickered and weaned, but my wolf wanted to rip my uncle’s throat out of his neck, using his blood to soak the earth.

“That’s not how the saying goes.”

Kaydian finally smiled at him. “No, that’s exactly how it goes. Now I’m going to eat. So, you can leave my presence now.”

Some of the chatter from the nosey pack could be heard. Their ohs and the brief intake when Kaydian shooed him away.

She turned from him. Her stride was long and purposeful. Kaydian meant to piss off my uncle, and she succeeded. No one in this pack dared to piss Oni off. She grabbed the bowls filled with soup from Kathleen, whose mouth was agape, and her gray eyes filled with shock. Hawk whistled when he passed us the soft baked bread for the soup.

“Greyson! I think it’s time you and your ‘mate’ find somewhere else to live. The pack no longer wants her here. She poses a risk to not only you but the pack.”

The chatter died instantly. Hawk’s eyes whizzed between my uncle and I. Kathleen slightly shook her head, that old sign she used to give me when I was younger getting into trouble. Cold sweat dripped down the small of my back. My uncle stood there waiting for an answer. When my eyes sought Kaydian’s for comfort, I didn’t find any. It was something else in those gem eyes that were hidden. My uncle’s charcoal scent overpowered the food in the area, causing my nose to burn and my wolf to bury itself in the middle of my chest. The magic that was normally joyous to be close to Kaydian abandoned me. There wasn’t any tingling. There wasn’t any warmth. I was just left to deal with the aftermath.

The deep, commanding growl from Oni’s wolf shook not only him, but me as well. Oni wanted me to kneel in front of the entire pack. He wanted me to show him obedience, but my wolf trembled inside of me as it fought back. Kathleen begged him to stop in the background, but I couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of my heart. Cooper scent assaulted my nose as my wounds from nails fragrant the air. Oni let out another growl, and I lost the battle. Shame filled my body as I dropped to my knees. Exhaustion won—and maybe I was just tired.

“I’ll think about our next course of action,” I declared. My voice sounded weak in my ears.

Was that a good enough answer?

Oni stood there a beat too long. His face remained passive as his dark eyes sparkled with victory. Strings from his long black hair whisked in the light breeze. His mouth twitched as if the words he wanted to say were stuck on the tip of his tongue. Oni’s fist opened and closed, but he turned and walked towards his home, which was close to the Great Spirit Temple.

Dragging myself and my pride, I got from the dusty ground. Wiping off my dusty knees, I heard the soft snickers from the prying pack members around the center. Regret stabbed at my chest. Maybe my uncle was right. I wasn’t made for leading. My father was probably somewhere in the afterworld, looking on, shaking his head in disgust. If I were a human, I think I would have died from the blood that rushed to my face, when I turned back to my friends to get my food and ran away. I was greeted with sympathetic, quick glances from Hawk and Kathleen, which made me take a step back, but it was Kaydian’s look that made me want to run and hide under a rock for the rest of my life. Nothing. Her face unreadable, blank eyes stared right through me. After a moment, she snapped out of whatever trance she was in as her nonchalant smile returned.

“Are you okay, Gray?” Hawk asked. His hand rubbed the back of his neck. Even now, my friend couldn’t look me in the eye.

“Yeah, I’m okay, Hawk, annoyed, but I will live,” I admitted. “Was it that embarrassing?”

“It’s…I’ll talk with your uncle, Gray. He was wrong about that,” Kathleen voiced.

“It’s okay, Kathleen. It’s over now.” I countered, but Kathleen was headed to the Great Spirit Temple before I could finish, leaving Kaydian, Hawk, and me alone.

“How about we grab a seat at the picnic table? Hawk can join us when he’s finished cleaning up.” Kaydian asserted. Her voice was stern as she commanded us.

My shoulders sagged a bit as I nodded. The only thing I wanted to do was to go back to my tiny room and hide away. I’ve said before, but I wished we could afford indoor kitchens as we sat and ate the lukewarm soup in silence. Every so often, Kaydian would whisper something to Bernadette, but I was too caught up in replaying the event in my head. My dad had been long gone, but I could still see his haunted expression as he shook his head, looking down his nose at me with contempt.

“…you should have fought back against kneeling, but it’s okay, Gray. The pack will forget about it.” Kaydian whispered, trying to keep our conversation to ourselves.

How long had Kaydian been talking? The last of the cold soup sat on my tongue before I swallowed down the last of it. She was very optimistic about the pack. I couldn’t blame her, but I knew my people, and forgetting was something foreign to them. Kaydian picked up where she had stopped.

“So, since you and your uncle are at an impasse. Why don’t we take some time away from the pack and go to Houston?”

There was that impending question, to stay or go? Something deep within my soul told me this was the last time she would ask. How could I leave the only home I’ve known? The last place where I could sense my mother’s spirit. Hawk, Elder Alo, and Kathleen were my family. And I’ve only ever been away from them for a couple of days before I would get homesick. Was it that simple to give it up? My father’s family legacy for me had always been to rule the Swiftwater Pack, no matter what.

Hawk finally joined us after he was done. The smudges of black soot from the pit mixed with the thin sheet of sweat that covered his body. His small plate was filled with leftover bread he shared with my Hiema, who all but snatched the three pieces of bread out of his hands as soon as Hawk settled down on the bench. A deathly silence enveloped us. Everyone ate with their eyes glued to their plates and their mouths filled with food. Which made a part of me happy because I wasn’t in the mood to make small talk.

“I suggested maybe we should go away for a bit,” Kaydian spoke, breaking the awkward silence while her attention never left her plate.

“Thank you, Shorts and Gray, for waiting for me.” Hawk paused. Clearing his throat, “Are you sure that’s a good plan? You have to make sure the pack remembers who the leader is.”

“Greyson will have plenty of time to make it up to the pack once we get back,” Kaydian announced as she turned to Hawk. “It’s just like a brief vacation…to the coven in Houston.”

Hawk’s tanned skin turned a deep shade of red as the small bread logged in his throat. Kaydian knocked on his back, and I flew up from the bench, almost causing it to flip over. Hawk needed some water before he choked to death. When I returned, Kaydian had returned to her bread. My shoulders slumped before I could stop myself.

Hawk polished off the water. His face was a slight hue of pink as he breathed properly. Those small gray eyes bore a hole into me. I could almost hear his mind screaming, “What the hell?” at me.

Didn’t he know I knew this was a crazy idea?

I looked around the tiny village that I grew up in and what my being away would mean. This urge to step away from it, from everything, was stronger than anything I’ve experienced. Would anyone miss me?

“I said a trip somewhere…not a trip to the center of hell,” Hawk replied. “Why would you go there? Do you have a death wish? And who do you know there?”

A deafening pause fell between us, causing me to shift in my seat. My tongue felt heavy in my mouth. Kaydian’s narrowed eyes focused on Hawk, and I felt pity for my friend.

“He knows me…” Kaydian’s eyes relaxed a bit, but I still could sense her being perturbed by his blatant disrespect for her coven. “I’m the Princess of the North American Witch Coven.”

The words clanged against my skull. My heart squeezed at the thought someone else knew about our little secret now. Hawk’s mouth formed an O as his widened gray eyes gawked at me. He scooted away from Kaydian, drawing an annoyed deep sigh to fill the surrounding area. She crossed her arms. The corners of her mouth twitched as rapidly as my heart pounded in my chest.

Hawk could very much shout our secret or, worse, run straight into the Great Spirit’s temple and confess to Oni. Even though we were thick as thieves, his pause had concerned me.

“You’re a witch…and you’re Greyson’s mate.” His noisy swallow filled our table. “Well, I guess it was always a possibility seeing Gray is half a witch. I?—”

He stopped mid-sentence to shake his head, sending his black locks tumbling over his shoulders.

“This is crazy. I’m assuming Oni doesn’t know,” he presumed, even though we both knew the answer to that foolish assumption.

“No, and I’m hoping you will keep this between us for now,” I requested.

“Yes, since I will help Gray find his mother’s murderer.” Kaydian declared with triumph in her voice.

Hawk’s eyes grew wider, if that was possible, as Kaydian’s words tumbled out of her mouth and hit Hawk. A small part of me screamed cowardly because I should have been the one to tell my brother, but I couldn’t do anything but apologize for now. If I could just get this one thing right, maybe the pack won’t look at me as a half-bred that doesn’t deserve to be their Alpha, and someone who would risk their lives for their pack members.

The thought of redeeming myself to the pack sent my heavy head nodding.

“Yes, I’m going to find my mother’s killer and come back. You and I both know that the pack and even my párah loved my mother dearly. What do you think, Hawk?” I asked.

I needed him to say it wasn’t a stupid idea and that I should do it.

“This is so dangerous, Gray. I would never be okay with this. You’re my brother, and that would be like sending you off to your death!” Hawk warned. His worried expression made me pause and think for a minute, but I had already decided.

“We’re going,” I said.

“Wait, what?” Hawk replied.

“Oh, that would be the best way to give me enough time to figure out a plan,” Kaydian said, ignoring the puzzlement in Hawks’ question. Her voice perked up. If I wasn’t mistaken, this has been the first time today that I heard her sound so elated.

Glad that makes one of us.

Kaydian stood from the little picnic table, and we followed suit. She dusted off the bottom of her skirt and her hands before coming over to me.

“We should tell your uncle now and leave soon. You can just grab some of your clothing, and then we can leave.” She stopped getting a good whiff of her armpits. “And I need to clean up a bit.”

“I think I need to clean up as well…I think my mom and I should be there just in case Oni tears your head off.” Hawk chuckled nervously. I knew he was putting on a brave face for the both of us because I, for one, was scared to death.

As we approached our homes, we split up with me going to sit on the little yellow couch while Kaydian cleaned up in the room. My foot tapped the creaky floor until the living area was filled with her floral scent. When she was done, she came out in a blue wrap-up shirt paired with a white shirt. Her black shoes held scruffs from the previous owner that, no matter how much I scrubbed, I couldn’t get them out.

Kaydian was brimming with happiness. Her smile stretched across her face and was nothing short of pure joy. The floral scent that I came to love intensified, making the room smell like we were in the woods by our favorite alcove.

“I’m ready.”

I paused. “What happened to your deodorizer?”

“You were supposed to buy me another one today. Remember?” she said, shaking the empty small bottle in her hand.

“Right…I forgot,” running my hand over my face. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Walking into my room for the last time of the day, Kaydian had placed the old, tattered brown suitcase my mother bought me on my bed. I packed a couple of shirts and bottoms. My old pair of low, muddy black boots that had seen better days would have to do until I got back home. Maybe Kaydian can conjure up a new pair of boots for me. I sat on my tiny bed for what seemed like hours, fiddling with the ends of the sheets. I knew I couldn’t stay here forever. That would be too easy. After I finally talked myself into getting up, I walked out of the bedroom with the luggage, my clammy hands gripping the handle as if it were my last lifeline. I wondered if I was making a good decision.

I guess it was too late to back down . Earth Creator, please protect me .

“Everything will be alright, Grey. I will keep you safe,” Kaydian suggested as we walked hand in hand to the temple as a united front. Pulling her closer, I kissed the top of her head and allowed her to lead us until we reached the brown double doors of the temple.

After a minute of giving the door a death stare, I opened it. This was it. No more hiding. If they hadn’t scented Kaydian as a witch before we entered the temple, then the discombobulate looks upon the faces of Oni, the few elders, and some of the pack members, including Kathleen, confirmed it. Nothing about this situation was funny, but Oni’s black eyes appeared on the verge of falling out of his eye socket as he registered who Kaydian was. Even though the room was mixed with scents from the small wood fire and the other pack’s scents, it was Oni’s that stood out the most. It was as if I was six again and almost drowned when we went swimming in San Francisco. When Oni saved me. My nose burned as my hand tried to rub the offending scent away.

Oni caught himself as his shocked face returned to his normal grimace.

“Therein lies the truth,” Oni said, standing with his arms folded and if I weren’t looking at my uncle, I would’ve never have never thought he would be this calm. One thing I can always say about my párah was that he loved our family, pack, and loved my father. He would lie down in his life to preserve our family’s name.

“You brought shame to your family, Greyson. Aligning yourself with the same people who killed our pack, your people, and your mother. What would your father say if he saw you shacking up with a fucking witch…. a royal witch at that. The same royal witch family that probably had your mother killed. What a waste of the Swiftwater name. My father would disown you if he knew you would sully our family name.”

Oni’s words were like a hot branding iron piercing my mind and my soul. My wolf cowardly recoiled in my chest. The pack members in the room all hummed their approval toward Oni and twisted their faces at us. Over the years, my uncle has lashed out at me, but this was worse. It was as if he took my thoughts and laid them out for everyone to see that I was a failure. I wasn’t meant to lead. That I was just a black sheep in wolf's clothing, like I heard several of the pack members mutter when they thought I wasn’t listening.

Kaydian’s small hands slipped into mine and lightly squeezed, drawing my attention to her. Her emerald eyes pleaded for me to say something, but what could I say when Oni said was the ugly, unspoken truth.

“That’s enough, Oni.” Elder Alo warned, walking in from the back of the temple. He had his old hand-carved cane today, meaning he wasn’t feeling well enough to be up today. “Greyson is only doing what any Swiftwater or shifter would have done.”

Elder Alo started a maelstrom in the small temple. The pack member’s growls filled the room as they shouted, “Abomination” and “What did we expect from a half breed?” All the while, my uncle stood in the middle of the temple, his arm still folded with his black eyes locked onto Kaydian. One look at her told me she didn’t fear my uncle as she returned his glare back to him.

“Everyone be quiet,” Elder Alo said as the chatter died down. “Greyson doesn’t need your approval, Oni. The only approval he needs is from the Earth Creator and the ancestors which they must have given their blessings, or we would be paying. Greyson has to think about his future mate and keeping her safe, even though Princess Kaydian is more than capable of handling herself. I give the two my full blessings.”

Mutters started up around the heated room again.

“Thank you, Elder Alo.” I got out. “We’re going away for a while, and when I get back, I’ll make everything up to everyone.”

Elder Alo paused.

His somber brown eyes peered at me as a smile that didn’t reach his eyes planted on his face. He nodded. It reminded me of the time Elder Alo gave my future in a quote, “ You will never know peace until your second time around.” Never expounding on the meaning because telling me anymore would change my destiny. Just the same grim stare as he had at this moment, which made the stones in my stomach increase twofold.

“Greyson, time to go. You’ve given my hand a bath.” Kaydian said, pulling on my dampened hand.

“I will see you soon, Oni. We’ll talk about this later. Thank you and bye, Elder Alo.”

“Don’t bother coming back, Greyson. We will manage just fine without,” Oni said. Elder Alo turned his gaze on him and said something, but I hadn’t stayed around to hear what he said.

Kaydian ended up tugging me outside, away from the glares of the angry pack.

“Are you okay, Greyson?” she asked the moment she found a place to open the portal to go to Houston. “Listen, it’s going to be alright. We will be back in no time.”

“We will be back in no time” felt distant and vague. How can she be sure of that? My mind questioned as my wolf tried to break free from the surface. My elongated nails cut into the softness of my palms. He shook and trembled inside of my chest, which made the soup from earlier curdled in my stomach. I wanted to shout, scream, or cry. I wasn’t sure if I was being honest with myself. Kaydian turned to me. Her smile, one that I’ve only seen in private, shined and glowed in the nightlight.

What would my father do? He would grin and bear it. For my mother. For the pack. And that’s what I will do. Grin and pray that it will be over soon.

A wide smile stretched across my face. It seemed unnatural and stiff. Even when I continued to keep it on as I stepped through the blinding white light of Kaydian’s portal. I smiled. Even when my muddy boots hit the soft brown dirt of Houston, and I threw up the lunch I had eaten, I smiled.