Chapter 5

ChapterFive

Itried my best to ignore Asher’s obviously pleased face as I gulped down the glass of water in my hands. "What is your problem?" came my groan despite how much I was enjoying his attention on me.

"Nothing." He grinned, patting the empty area next to him on the couch and propped his feet safely on top of the ottoman to my left. I rolled my eyes but complied anyway.

"Then quit staring," I shrugged and drew my knees up to my chest.

"Why? You’re pretty."

Before I could retort with another witty remark, the front door was pushed open by none other than Aunt Audra who seemed equal parts surprised and pleased with the sight of Asher before her. "Hey Audra." He smiled again, this time directed towards her.

"Good evening, Asher." Aunt Audra frowned. "I didn’t know you were coming over today. Had I known, I would’ve at least bought you some wine."

"Ah that’s okay," he reassured.

Aunt Audra’s hands were occupied with a small assortment of vegetables on one side and the other one was carrying her car keys.

"I stopped on my way back to buy a couple of groceries, how about I make you guys some Ravioli?" she asked, the ghost of a smile toying on her lips. It made me wonder how she could act so normal with Asher over.

"No, it’s fine Audra. I’ll be on my way back now," Asher announces as he stood up and stretched his limbs upwards. "Thank you anyway."

"Hey! You can’t go now, it’s almost dinnertime," Audra argued, one hand on her hip, and turned to look at him before squinting. "Don’t act like you haven’t been here for dinner before."

"Alright." He giggled and let out a soft yawn. When he slumped back down on the couch, the raised hem of my dad’s shirt on him let me have a peek at the almost healed wound over his stomach. It almost looked like nothing had happened beforehand because of how fast both of us had healed.

After shifting, I could sense the grown powers and the heightened sensations in me.

"I’ll help you," muttering this under my breath.

I stood beside Aunt Audra and helped her dice up a couple of tomatoes in the kitchen. It was when Asher’s palm touched my shoulder slightly that I jumped and realized that I had zoned out. I smiled at him, slightly shaken up as I took in everything, I had just discovered about myself. It was like an unspoken promise between us to not bring these things up in front of Audra. He must’ve understood I wasn’t ready.

"Hey Ash, could you get me the black pepper powder from the drawer to your left?" she yawned softly. "Oh, I feel tired already. No wonder, my body is catching up to my age now."

"You’ve been out all day, I’m tired too." Asher laughed as he pulled the drawer open with minimal effort. He tossed it to me and I passed the circular container to Audra.

"So," she began again, this time with a hint of mischief and smug. "What were you two up to the whole day?"

I groaned, embarrassment showing in the form of red cheeks and ears that stood out like headlights. The two of them laughed in complete sync.

"We were just waiting for you to return." Asher sighed dreamily. "She’s no fun," he then added, only for me to squint in his direction with the knife in my hand.

"Oh, shut up, you’re even wearing her shorts," she winked and then leaned against the dinner table with her arms crossed. "I think you guys had a lot of fun."

"Aunt," I whined softly. While I stood nervous and flushed, Asher continued to look extremely delighted at the leg-pulling. Was he always like that? Enjoying a show by the side?

"I’m just kidding guys, I know better than to get into teenager business." She sighed and then with a little chit-chat, she directed her attention back onto the ravioli filling.

While working to stuff the filling in the little pockets Audra had asked us to fill, Asher and I stole secretive glances that seemed to say something along the lines of ’what now’ and I had no answer to that either. Was I supposed to just straight up ask her about everything or?

"Alright, I think these will be enough," she announced and I too realized that we were done more than five minutes ago. Asher hummed happily and hopped onto the counter next to her. I took the support of the opposite counter and he held my gaze thoroughly.

"Elaine, honey, why don’t you—wait a minute," Aunt Audra stopped mid-way in her sentence and her brows furrowed further when her eyes zeroed in on the place where the crescent pendant always hung. I gulped, feeling my nerves hit me the worst when she continued to stare.

"Where’s your mom’s necklace?" she asked in a soft and casual tone as if to make sure I don’t lie to her about it. "Never saw you take it off before."

"Oh, I kind of lost it." I laughed, but the sound came off shakier than I expected it to. "Must’ve dropped it somewhere. It doesn’t matter, I’ll get another one."

"Doesn’t matter? How could you lose it?" Aunt Audra squinted at me in suspicion and Asher’s eyes widened behind her in a comical way. I cleared my throat and shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant but I could sense that she wasn’t buying any of it.

"You two," she paused. "Something fishy definitely happened behind my back. I need an explanation."

My lips parted and I tried to tell her that nothing was wrong and that nothing happened, but it was as if my voice was taken away by some demon. My words were stuck in my throat and my instincts told me that Asher was just as speechless about the whole thing.

"Let me guess," Audra said, and then stood in a way that she was looking at both of us. "You shifted for the first time, didn’t you?" At the casualness of her tone, my blood ran cold and the color drained from both our faces. Did she know?

What now?

"Why didn’t you tell her before?" came Asher’s offended voice and it made me flinch, too.

"Everything I do is for a reason, Ash," Audra muttered, glaring at him with a pained gaze.

"What reason?" I cross-questioned with a raised brow.

"Let’s start with what happened and what the necklace is about first," she gulped. "You have a lot to learn and know. Be ready to have the shock of your life, child."

Once again, a spine-rattling shiver went through me. I nodded nonetheless. Was I overreacting or were my emotions heightened, too? Anyway, I took a seat beside Asher on the couch that lay opposite the one Audra was perched upon.

Everything seemed so dramatic like it came right out of a movie, the lights were dim and we were all sitting in silence just waiting for Audra to break hers. My life and childhood were spilled upon the wooden surface of Aunt Audra’s coffee table but she continued to stare outside before saying something that left me both spellbound and hurt.

"Your parents knew. Of course, they knew, your mom gave you that necklace for reasons more than just it being jewelry. That crescent pendant was supposed to be with you forever, in order to conceal your identity from the supernatural world. Do you understand?" She looked at me with eyes that spoke only of business, so I nodded as gently as I could.

"It was suppressing Elaine’s Lycanthropy," she said. "With it around your neck, no one would have ever known that you were who you are," Aunt Audra explained, her tone displaying a little disappointment. "How did you even lose it? And please, tell me the truth only."

"W-we were attacked when you were out," I said through a shaky breath and Audra’s brows raised. "Asher came over and we talked for a bit. He wanted me to come to visit his pack, but I couldn’t trust him. I got overwhelmed and pushed him out."

"Out of the house?" I nodded.

"And Ash? I told you no pack must approach Elaine."

My brows creased and I turned to look at him as if to confirm Aunt Audra’s words. He nodded in return and directed his focus back to her. "I know you did but why not?"

"I’ll tell you everything, just tell me what happened behind my back." Asher and I both hummed at her words before I shifted up on the couch and tucked my chin over my knees.

"I thought he left. I felt really weird. I could hear howling outside the house. When it got really loud, I quickly pushed the door open only to find two wolves all up onto each other. Both of them were bleeding profusely. A-Asher was white and the other one was black." I stopped to take in a deep calming breath. "The black one attacked me the moment he saw me."

"Is there a chance that you knew him from before?" Audra asked, directing the question more at Asher than at me. He only shook his head in denial.

"There was some sort of familiarity but I didn’t know him in the least," he told.

"So, I assume you fought against the black one and he eventually left you two alone?" She quirked a brow at Asher who once again only nodded. "That’s quite strange."

"He took my necklace, snatched it. Then I had a weird feeling of wanting to be free. So, I shifted into a silver wolf, a huge one at that." Both of them nodded at my words but the room remained silent for an unbearable amount of time.

"Justin, his name was Justin," Asher began suddenly. "I was suspicious when I saw him, so I just faked that I was leaving. I double-backed when he was already at the door. He said he was here to meet his ‘mate.’ How could Elaine have a mate without knowing about wolves in the first place?"

"That’s right," Audra confirmed and uncrossed her legs to cross them the other way around. "Elaine, sweetie, I’m assuming you don’t know any Justin from college either?"

"No, I don’t even have as many friends there, so no," I explained and shivered when Asher’s hand made contact with the top of my head. He delicately patted it and I relaxed again.

"You both are going to give me a headache," she grumbled under her breath.

"Audra, could you tell me something?" He interrupted and scooted closer to both of us on the couch. "You said no pack must approach Elaine, why not? She is a wolf, isn’t she? Every wolf shifter deserves a pack. Could the reason be something more?"

Aunt Audra pressed her lips together into a thin line and got up without a word.

Why was concealing my identity so important? Asher is a wolf too; Audra knows about him and his pack. I don’t think that poses as a threat, does it? Or is there something more to things like he suggested? Perhaps, could it be that, I am the threat and not others?