Flashback Eleven Years Ago

Cassie was excited. I had my dance outfit ready. Gia was doing dance with me, but she was on vacation with her family this week. Tory, try as she did, was not a dancer. I enjoyed going with mom and watching her eyes light up as I danced. I was surprised she’d never danced as a child. As a Fairy, we were quite adept at dancing. I caught onto everything quickly. I liked competing for fun, but there were pups in the pack more serious about it than I was.

I smelled my Grandma Cassandra coming and steeled myself to deal with her. Rain growled, “Why is she here?”

I didn’t know the answer. Grandma Cassandra came in without knocking. Something that if we did to her, she’d lose her mind over. Rain muttered, “She’s a hypocrite.”

She was and she didn’t like me. I’d heard her say it.

She smiled, “Let’s go.”

I frowned, “Mom always takes me to dance.”

She huffed, “You could be grateful. I have other things to do today, but I moved them around because everyone else is busy. So, let’s put on our happy face and say thank you Grandma.”

I muttered, “Thank you, Grandma.” It wasn’t what I wanted to say, but she was easier to deal with this way.

We started walking out. I asked, “What’s mom doing?”

She waved, “Who knows? She’s flighty.”

I growled, “No, she’s not.”

She admonished me, “Young lady, you do not ever growl at your grandparents. Control your wolf. Honestly, this is such a downside to having young wolves with pups. They just don’t know how to handle their emotions.”

Rain snarled in my head. She said, “That’s not true! Us being together is a good thing.”

I knew that. Honestly, I thought Grandma Cassandra was jealous. If I had known mom was busy with pack things I would’ve called Grammy Vernoica to come.

My mom linked me, “Hey Cass, a pack dispute came up. I had the time blocked off, but it’s being insisted that I handle this now. Grandma Cassandra offered to take you to class. Is that ok?”

Rain huffed, “Shocking, Grandma Cassandra lied.”

Yeah, it wasn’t surprising. She was always bitter about my mom.

Rain snorted, “There’s bitter then there’s outright lying. She said that mom was flighty, and she knows that’s not true. Plus, she clearly knows a dispute came up.”

Yeah, well the more time went on I didn’t like Grandma Cassandra.

I told my mom, “It’s fine.”

She replied, “Ok, great. I would’ve called your teacher for a makeup class. I’ll try to wrap this up quickly and make it.”

I told Grandma Cassandra, “Mom linked me that she got caught in a dispute.”

Grandma Cassandra nodded, “Yes, you should take this as lesson and use your wolf side. She doesn’t have one and she’s not good at planning like we are.” I stopped and stared at her because that wasn’t what happened at all. I called her out on her lie and she just spun it.

She gestured to the SUV. I asked, “The Warriors aren’t coming?”

She said, “I’m perfectly capable of driving.”

I asked, “Where’s Ghiza?”

She snorted, “How should I know? He’s invisible.” I frowned, “He’s not with us.” She said, “I’ll text your mom.” I asked, “Why wouldn’t you link her?”

She crossed her arms, “Cassie Veronica Shayla Conners, you do not question your elders like this. We don’t need to distract your mom with trivial details.”

I pointed out, “My guard hardly seems like a trivial detail.”

If they were here, they would’ve faded in by now .

She sighed, “They deserve time off too. They have lives.”

That was true. I nodded and got into the back of the car. She drove away. I asked Rain, “What does Kena say?”

Rain answered, “She’s asleep.”

She slept more than any other wolf I knew. Rain snorted, “If Cassandra was my human I’d sleep to escape her too.” I giggled out loud.

Grandma Cassandra asked, “What’s so funny?”

I answered, “Rain told me a joke.”

She pursed her lips. We got to dance class and I noted she was nervous. I asked, “Are you ok?”

She turned and squeezed my arm, “I love you, Cassie.” My face crumbled because she didn’t really mean it.

She asked, “Are you ok?”

I answered, “Yup.”

Because physically I was fine. She didn’t specify so I wasn’t lying, I was evading. She took me inside and the woman at the front desk smiled, “Hi, Cassie!”

I replied, “Hi, Shanay!”

A man came around the corner I’d never seen before, but I knew he was a Demon. Shanay jumped up, “Hey! What are you doing back there? Who are you?”

He took out a gun and I called the wind. Grandma Cassandra screamed so I put her behind me. Rain huffed, “This should be the other way around.”

The Demon smiled sinisterly at me.

He pulled out a dart gun, and I didn’t have to ask what was in it. Shanay yelled, “CASSIE, RUN!”

I turned to run to the door when my mom popped in. She smiled at me, “I got everything handled quickly and…”

She trailed off looking at my face then behind me.

She screamed, “NO!”

She moved her body in front of me as a human shield. I felt her pain in the bond and wondered why no one else came. My mom pulled the dagger from her shoe and threw it with deadly accuracy while Grandma Cassandra screamed her head off. Rain snarled, “She is annoying and should be doing something!”

She should at least shift but I guess Kena didn’t wake up. That was weird though. Right? Rain answered, “Yes.”

The Demon died instantly. I whipped my head in the direction of the door that opened with more men coming to take me. Suddenly portals were opening all around. Uncle Bjourn was through with Grandpa Titus. Aunt Astrid and her friend, Kashe, came through another.

My mom ordered, “Cassie irrumabo ut ex hinc! Hic sunt rapere eam (Get Cassie the fuck out of here! They are here to kidnap her).”

Kashe picked me up. I yelled, “NO!”

She whispered, “Come on little Duchess.”

She handed me off to Ghiza who had appeared with a grim set to his face. He took me through the portal to the Hackura realm.

I linked, “Daddy!”

He replied, “Princess, are you ok? Your mom pulled me, and I had to call Dawson to come to me because Bexley is in her concupiscence.”

I cried, “Mom is fighting without her powers.”

He growled, “She will be fine. Dawson is opening a portal now.”

Alexander and EJ popped to me. The rest of our siblings were brought by their guards. Ghiza asked, “What the hell is going on?”

I frowned, “Mom was busy so Grandma Cassandra…”

He cut me off, “Where is Nissa?”

She was one of my guards. I answered, “I don’t know, but she hasn’t been around all day.” He was on the phone in a second.

Alexander asked, “Cass?”

I smiled weakly, “I’m glad you guys didn’t come.”

Alexander asked, “How the hell weren’t you terrified?”

I answered, “I was.” He snorted, “No, I’d have come if you were.” That was true. I shrugged, “I guess adrenaline then.” He frowned at me but nodded.

It was weird, but there was no other explanation. He would’ve come if I was scared. Mom would’ve known when she popped in too. I wiped away tears saying, “Mom took iron for me.”

My cousin Alvin came up to me. He scanned me from head to toe with the equipment doctors used in this realm.

I told him, “I didn’t get hurt.”

He tapped my nose, “So my instruments tell me.”

I frowned, “I am not the one who needs a doctor, mom does.”

He said, “My dad and Uncle Marcus are with her.” He stood then added, “By the way, any of our parents would take on anything that tried to hurt us.

You’d shield anyone you could too. If I’d have been there, I’d have taken whatever was in that for you too.” Ghiza opened a portal and Farrin came through.

I asked, “What are you doing here?”

He answered, “Guarding you, per the King’s orders.”

Uncle Aiden sent him to guard me? I pushed that aside to ask, “Where’s Nissa?”

He answered, “She is…” Ghiza interrupted, “Not now, Fairy.” I was shocked Farrin would’ve known the answer .

Farrin snorted, “She asked. Nissa is in your pack hospital. Your Aunt Katie is there with her because a dark spell is on her.”

I asked, “Will she be ok?”

Ghiza answered, “Of course she will. She is Hackura.”

He believed that which made me happy. I hoped she was ok.

Tears filled my eyes. Alexander wrapped his arms around me with EJ. I cried, “I just want to see mom.”

A pop sounded and I felt her arms around us with my dad. I cried, “Are you ok, mom?”

She told me, “A little iron can’t take your mom down.”

I climbed her like a monkey and clung to her while my dad kissed the top of my forehead. I knew that I’d never be at dance without guards again. I did want to keep doing it though. Maybe I could join classes in this realm instead of at home.