“This here is your family,” Raven said as she stood proudly by my hip. “Those are my two daughters, Bree and Leslie and their chirren…Uh… you got…”
Everything around me became a blur as I hugged and greeted just about every new face in the home until it was filled with those calling me family. Even wolves who stepped in the house gave me a hug and welcomed me to their pack. Trevor stood to the side as he began telling me how he found out he was family and ultimately telling the story on how he fell in love with his wife. Bellamy stayed in the corner, keeping true to his anti-social nature while Lovely overwhelmed Ayira with questions about her ancestry. Aunt Raven was giving out orders like a general while Quan was still being followed by the cat only known as Felix. It was my mom who refused to let me go as she tried to smear the blood stains from her cheeks, but she couldn’t hide it between her teeth. She started to say something when I caught more headlights pulling in front of the house. I started to say let’s move from the door when I saw Seth get out of the car first, yelling and arguing with someone. Then I saw him. The passenger door opened as Namir stepped out with no shirt on, quiet as his brother cussed him out.
“Maggie,” my mother started. “We have so much to talk about. I want to know…”
I pulled away from her, no longer hearing her voice as I rushed down the steps of the house. Seth’s eyes widened before he quickly rushed over to stop me.
“Hold up! Hold up! He hasn’t been responding well to anybody! Hold up Maggie–––”
Namir and I stared at each other, and I could see him crack his neck to the side like he was fighting off a shift, but his eyes were soft, and full of guilt.
“Namir has gone through some hormonal changes. Just give him a second to adjust,” Seth half joked while nervously glancingat his brother. “He hasn’t been able to get a hold of his shifting…full moon and all…He’s been anxious all day.”
I took another step as Namir closed his eyes, squeezing them tight, and gritted his teeth in an attempt to not show his fangs at me.
“Let her go!” Raven yelled. “He’s not gonna hurt her! She got family right here that will have that mothafucking wolf hanging by a tree in three seconds flat!”
“Mama?!” Bree groaned. “Pleaseee!”
“Maggie!?” My mother yelled. “Come here! Just wait a minute!”
I slowly walked towards Namir, cautious as his chest began to heave. I could see the moon in his eyes, and I always thought…I always thought that’s what he saw when he looked at me but no…It was him. It’s always been him.
“Namir?” I called out.
He licked his lips, eyes darkening for a moment before walking around the car. He stopped for a second. Only for a second as my eyes began to swell with tears. Blinking them back, I could hear my mom calling my name, demanding I come back in the house with her, but I felt myself walking towards him because all I saw was this man. I only ever saw him, and I wasn’t sure if that was now a good or bad thing. He took one step as I stopped, then another until I was standing before him. Slowly, I raised on my toes and slid my arms around his neck to hold as his body finally relaxed against mine.
“They’re fine!” Seth shouted. “He’s good with her! Everybody back in the house! Let the love birds be!”
“Maggie?!” My mother yelled but I could hear them trying to force her back inside. “Maggie!?”
“Girl hush! She is a grown woman! What is wrong with you?!” Raven fussed. “Get in the house!”
This is who I wanted to see more than anybody I realize…I felt him snuggle in the crook of my neck as he backed me up against the car and just inhaled.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured against his skin. Pulling my head back to look up at him, I knew I was crying and of course he just stared at me with those damn puppy eyes and smug expression like I was his hopeless goofy girlfriend. “I am…so so sooooo…sorry for the things I said. I thought I could do things on my own and get my parents. I said you weren’t enough, but you are more than I could ever ask for. I took you for granted and…”
Namir groaned, almost suspiciously sounding like a growl as he wrapped his arms around my body again and snuggled against my neck. Only to pull back as he looked down at me before meeting his lips with mine. Then we kissed…It felt like the very first time, stumbling and trying to find our comfort spot before taking each other in just from the pure feeling of missing one another. Only for him to suddenly pull back as he looked down at me.
“Come here. We need to talk,” he said, reaching for my hand. I looked back at the house, seeing all the eyes peeking through the door and window blinds before they jerked closed. Smiling, I took his arm instead as we began to walk off the property. Down the empty dirt road where there were no lights, no homes nearby or cars coming. There was still tension between us but not like before. I guess neither of us wanted to speak first but just as I cleared my throat, he began.
“I shouldn’t have blamed you for…what happened with my brother or family. I…I think I just wanted to respond to me not being enough for you and… It hasn’t sat right with me since.” I didn’t say anything at first because I knew he was trying to sort through his own feelings. “A lot has happened since you’ve been…gone.”
“So I heard…You went to break the spell from my parents,” I said. Namir looked ahead; jaw still tight like he was upset at the thought before nodding. “Thank you. I don’t…Souxie said that was your plan all along and you wanted to be the one to do it but then they showed up.”
“Mmmm hmm.”
We continued to walk underneath the night sky as fields stretched across for miles on both sides. There was no longer a moon in the sky but based on how bright the clouds were against the night; I could tell it was close. I turned to look at Namir as he continued to look ahead, a little beefier, a little stronger in the face, and more…I don’t know. He didn’t look the same as before. Maybe that’s what the girls meant when they saw me.
“I was going to propose to you,” he suddenly admitted. I froze, heart fluttering before nervously pounding in my throat. “My plan was to save your parents, get them involved, and have you as my wife.”
He stopped walking, realizing I hadn’t moved as he looked at me.
“What changed?” I asked, unsure of what he was about to say.
“A lot,” he said. “I’ve changed…You’ve…” His eyes poured over my frame with a heavy inhale and exhale of his chest. “You’re not the same as before and at the time, I believedproposing to you would keep you safe under my protection. That was the true reason I was doing it.”
“To keep me safe?”
