Where I was most comfortable? Maybe once upon a time, it was here in my family home. Ever since I became a hunter, this had been more of a secondary place of comfort to the barracks and sounds of training all around me. Then more recently, the place I felt most safe was in the arms of Julian or Tate. And, even now, Kyren. Even if he wouldn’t admit it yet.
Pushing those thoughts away, I rubbed my hands together. “Want something to drink before we get started?”
“Oh, yeah, sure, thank you,” Tabby rambled, following after me at a distracted pace while her eyes ate up everything around her.
We stepped into the kitchen where my mom sat at the counter, shoveling a plate of pancakes into her mouth while my dads, Rayne, Wynn, and Darren, looked on with amusement. Our cook stood at the stove, turning as we walked in.
“Oh, hey, Jack,” she greeted me with a wide smile. “Want some pancakes? There’s plenty to go around.”
“No, thanks, Tabby.” Then I paused and frowned. “Uh… Tabby, this is our cook, also Tabby.”
Tabby the witch nodded shyly toward Tabby the cook, her hands tightening around her bag. “Nice name.”
Our cook giggled. “Right back at you.”
I let the awkward silence hang in the air for a moment, my parents watching quietly from the sidelines before I clapped my hands together and continued with the introductions.
“I’m sure you remember my parents from the assembly.” I gestured to the four of them.
“Oh, hi.” Tabby nervously waved a small hand. “Thank you for letting us use your home.”
“No problem,” my mom said through a mouthful of food, earning her a disapproving look from Darren.
“Don’t worry we don’t bite,” Rayne commented with a wide fanged grin.
“Haha.” I rolled my eyes at his theatrics trying to show Tabby he was just messing around.
“Welcome to our home,” Wynn said, approaching her. He took her hand in his own lifting it to his lips with a small smile. “We should be the ones thankingyou.Anything you can tell us about our little miracle would be greatly appreciated.”
Tabby’s face turned as red as a tomato as she stuttered over her words. “I — um — I’ll try my best. Please be… welcome. Oh, crap — uh.”
My mom giggled, no longer eating. “Don’t mind Wynn. He’s a huge flirt. He can’t help himself.” She grabbed him by the elbow, pulling him toward her with an amused look. The fact that she hadn’t gotten angry at my dad for shamelessly flirting Tabby showed how strong their relationship really was.
Shaking my head, I opened the fridge and pulled a couple of water bottles out. I handed one to Tabby and then placed a hand on her on the shoulder.
“Don’t mind them. They think they’re funny.”
“Uh, oh. Okay.” Tabby ducked her head, staring down at her water.
I shot my parents a look that said, “Really?” before ushering the witch out of the kitchen. I led her back through the dining room and down the hallway toward the library.
I paused briefly outside the training room door, listening to the sound of my dads, Drake and Allister, battling it out. By the sound of it, Allister was winning this time.
“Are we going in there?” Tabby asked her eyes wide, hearing the grunts and thuds coming from inside.
“Not unless you think things are going to get physical?” I arched a brow at her. When she shook her head, I nodded and continued down the hallway.
Once we reached the library, I pushed open one of the two double doors, gesturing for Tabby to go inside.
Clutching her bag to her chest, Tabby walked in ahead of me, her eyes darting from side to side.
“You know…” I began, following after her through the lines of bookshelves. “For a witch at a supernatural school, you don’t seem very comfortable around supernaturals.”
Tabby laughed nervously. “Oh, yeah, well, other witches I can handle. We might have magic, but we’re still mostly human.”
“Are all witches like that?” I asked, bringing her to a sitting area near the fireplace. I gestured for her to take a seat on the couch, while I took up residence in one of the armchairs opposite of her.
Tabby chewed on her lower lip, her eyes squinting as she thought. “I mean, some are, but most are so enamored by the others that they don’t really take the proper precautions. They forget that, unlike vampires and werewolves, we’re still breakable.”
