Mom nods, her eyes flashing. “I will, and I refuse to sit here and sulk. I… She will return.” She stands, taking a deep breath. “Right, we have work to do. Let’s do our part. Have you reported to Leo yet?”
“No, he hasn’t called yet.” Although I travelled mainly in wolf form, and there was no way I could answer my phone anyway, he hadn’t called.
Mom nods. “Then we just wait… wait for them to come back. Maybe I should call Raven and Liam; their five sons have gone… She asked if I shared the details of the mission with the others.”
“It’s a good enough excuse to call- I mean, reason, you should definitely call.” I change tune as Mom narrows her eyes.
“Also… Uncle’s either going to have to initiate me back as Alpha, or he’s going to have to get everyone under him… again.” I cringe internally at how the elders are going to react to this. There’s always been some who looked down on Dad and now me. Although initially the members were happy to join the sub-pack, their children found it lacked the fame and recognition of the main pack.
“Well, with this stunt Ahren pulled, I’m not sure what Rayhan will do,” Mom says, shaking her head.
I shrug. “Well, Uncle’s chill, he might be fine.”
The doorbell rings, and Mom looks at her phone. “It’s Uncle,” she says, surprised as she hurries to the door. I follow her out, holding Heaven’s letter in my hand. The moment Mom opens the door, Grandad Al wraps his arms around her.
“There’s my girl, now don’t tell me you’ve been crying?”
“I haven’t,” Mom denies haughtily.
“Good, these little fuckers are not worth the tears.”
“How’s Kiara? Shouldn’t you be with her?” Mom asks.
Granddad Al shakes his head. “Dante’s with her; besides, she’s confident they’re all going to make it back, and I’m going to take her word for it.”
I raise an eyebrow. Not my word? I said the same thing.
Mom nods before she hugs him around the waist, burying her face in his chest.
At least she has Granddad Al. He might be grumpy and annoy everyone at times, but he does care for her.
“Thanks for coming,” I say quietly.
“Yeah, well, I still needed to have a word with you in person. And when those fuckers get back, them, too.”
“Right,” I reply flatly.
I take that back; maybe it would have been better if he hadn’t come.
Through the Marshes
Heaven
Darkness surrounds me, and something that smells damp and old fills my nose. Is that mildew? Whatever it is, it stinks.
I get to my feet, wiping my hands. Whatever I was lying on was slimy. I wrinkle my nose and cast a spell. A ball of light appears in my hand, and I look around.
Is anyone there?I write, hoping someone sees the dazzling gold letters, remembering what the pathfinder had said, to follow the moonlight.
“Nope,” Theo’s drawl comes. “You’re all alone, Goldilocks.”
I roll my eyes. Why him of all people? I turn to look for him, but can’t see him anywhere.
Where are you?I write.
“Right behind you,” he whispers in my ear, making me jump. I catch my balance, almost slipping on the slippery ground. He snickers. “And here I was thinking you were good at sensing people.”
I glare at him.Not funny. Why did I get stuck with you?
