"Oh – my – god!" I whispered, as I lay my eyes on Ivy's car, which is a cherry red, 1959 Cadillac Convertible.
"Sexy isn't she." Ivy gloated.
"Will there be enough room in there for the four of us." Caiden asked, with a deadpan.
"It will be a bit tight, but yeah. I'm tiny so that helps, put her in the car." Ivy answered.
I open the door, and he puts, Serena in the car. Caiden moves to sit in the car.
"Hold up, smaller people first, and you can go get the keys from that box over there." Ivy said,
Caiden looks at her suspiciously. "Why ask me, why not the Sargent over there?" Caiden questioned.
I look over at, Reece, but the comment doesn't seem to affect him. Man, Caiden is being a real asshole.
"I'm not going to drive off if that's what you're worried about. I'd need the keys to do that." Ivy reasoned, however still not answering the question.
Caiden rolls his eyes and walks off in a huff, towards the box, his footsteps echoing. I then look in Ivy's direction, and see she is eyeing at me with a mischievous smile. She then points to the seat next to the car.
"In." She mouths.
I look at Caiden, who's opening the box, then at Reece, who gives me a reassuring nod. It would be funny, but I'd have to be quick.
I shuffle, Serena into the middle, and slide into the car. Ivy motions Reece over, and performs a one person lift with her, like he is freaking Superman, then lowers her into the car.
"What are you doing?" Caiden yelled.
Ivy waves her hand over the ignition, and the engine roars to life, as I hear the echoes of Caiden's feet slamming against the ground. I hear the wheel spin, and we're moving, so quick, I get slammed into the seat, I look back to see, Caiden stop a little in front of Reece.
"Sorry, bro!" I shouted.
Ivy laughed, as we exited the garage door into the dead of night.
"How did you start the car without the keys?" I asked, as the wind danced through my hair.
"It's just one of the benefits of being a witch." She answered, with a smug grin.
"You're a witch, like really?" I asked, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, why have you got a problem with that?" She asked, slightly defensive.
"No, not at all - in fact I think it's awesome, I haven't met a witch before." I assured.
"The odds are you have, you just didn't know it." Ivy countered.
I nodded, that wouldn't surprise me. I leaned back in my seat, and watched the trees whip past us. I put my hand out into the air, and felt it flow through my fingers.
"You know I am surprised that you got in the car." Ivy pronounced
"I have a feeling I'm gonna regret it – but hey! He sort of deserved it." I look at her. "He was being a real jerk to you for no good reason." I explained.
"Thank you! I didn't think I had done something to upset him." Ivy exclaimed.
"You didn't, you were doing your job and looking after your patient, but just so you know, he isn't usually like that." I assured.
"What's he usually like, then?" She asked.
"He is protective, ostentatious – " I began.
"Oh, that's a big word there, bro." She teased.
"Don't let my appearance fool you. Beneath this handsome face, lies an intellectual." I claimed.
She laughs. "You are right, but I wasn't talking about your cute face, I was talking about how you look and talk like a skater/surfer dude." Ivy argued.
"I know. I just wanted to see if you thought I was good-looking, and since you said I had a cute face, well …" I flirted.
"You're hysterical." She exclaimed.
"You're English." I retorted.
She laughed. "What does that have to do with anything?" She asked.
"It was my only argument." I argued.
We both laughed. "Who's being judgemental now?" She asked rhetorically, with a smug face.
"I guess we're both judgy." I answered.
Ivy chuckled, as we turned left on to the main road, at 90 miles per hour. Man, she is super cool; she is being cool about the flirting, I think she knows it's only light-hearted. Not to say she isn't hot, but I like Hinata, even though she is older, and I only talked to her for less than twenty minutes. But I felt a connection.
"Would you look at her bite mark?" Ivy asked.
"Yep." I replied, and looked at, Serena's shoulder. It's still red, but way better than before.
"It's still a bit inflamed, but it's a light pink now." I said.
"Good, I've never been this glad to be wrong. Nice catch with the Maria thing, by the way. I can see why she'd want to you to be a healer." Ivy complemented.
"You really think so?" I asked, slightly doubtful.
"Yeah, you've got the potential for it." She responded.
I smile to myself. "Wow, I've never had potential for anything in my life, so that's sort of awesome." I thought out loud.
She frowns at me. Why is she frowning at me? I'm teenage runaway turned homeless teen turned werewolf. It was only recently, I had finally been in a classroom. That frown, man, she wants to understand why, but I'll be keeping broken childhood to myself.
"What?" I asked, not being able to handle the intensity of that frown.
"Are you telling me you've never been told you're good at something?" She asked, slightly angry, but not at me.
"Nope." I answered, making a popping sound with the p.
After a while, when she realizes I won't go into the details, that frown literally goes upside down into a smile, a really warm smile.
"If you wanted, I could teach you." She offered.
"Teach me?" I asked, half sceptical.
"Yes, teach you! Are you interested or what?" She asked.
I look at her, while she looks at the road, and at me. I try to judge her expression. I try to my best to dig beneath, that warm, friendly smile, and find any sign or signal for pity or a hidden agenda, but all I see are her pearly white teeth. I think about this opportunity, she's giving me. I could not only help the pack, but help people.
Everyone in our pack has something to contribute, and no doubt the newbies will to. Caiden is the shield, the protector. Alex is obviously a freaking Amazon warrior. Avery is Avery; she is our guide, and sort of spiritual leader. Me, I'm just comedic relief. I'm not the best attacker or defender, which is one of the reasons I suck at basketball – but back to the point.
I have no role to fit other than omega, but, Serena has firmly stated that no one will be in omega in her pack. To quote her: "If you want to go punch something, then go punch your calculator while you do your math homework." And besides it's nice to have potential in something.
"Heck yeah I'm interested!" I yelled.
Ivy hits my shoulder, and then guides my eyes to, Serena who is still passed out.
"Sorry." I said, quietly.
"You can intern at the hospital, and I'll teach you both natural and supernatural healing, when we both have spare time." Ivy informed.
"You're gonna give me a job just like that." I asked.
"One of the things we were going to discuss with, Serena was the integration of her pack into our community, whether it was some of you getting jobs, joining sports teams or attending town events. So giving you an internship would help that process." Ivy reasoned.
"When you say intern, does that mean I won't get paid." I asked.
"Oh, you'll get paid - with experience." She mocked, as we turned.
"I don't know if, Serena will go for it though." I said.
"If she wants to stay, then she'll have to. This town is a community it's a place for people who can't hide or don't want to hide anymore. It's a place where we can have a sibilance of a normal life." Ivy said.
"Is the town full of the supernatural?" I asked, suddenly curious.
"Seventy seven percent of the population is supernatural; the other twenty-three percent are humans." She explained.
"Does the twenty-three percent know about the other seventy-seven percent?" I asked.
"Yes, but the children don't find out until they turn eighteen or are inducted due to maturity or special circumstances, so while at school be sure to not wolf out, and please tell the others that as well please."
I nod yes, and I look forwards to the lights of the town in the distance. The idea of having a life, like that sounded amazing. We wouldn't have to hide that much, and the idea of being a part of something like that was awesome.
"How does it all work? I mean you have so many different types of supernatural people, as well as hunters." I inquired.
"We are split in five houses, but one is a minority, and doesn't have a symbol. Moon, stars, sea and land are the symbols of each house. Werecreatures obviously are a part of the house of the moon. Magic users are a part of the house of the stars. Supernaturals that are connected to water belong to the house of the sea, and hunters and humans belong to the house of the land."
"What about the fifth house?" I probed.
"The fifth house is the house of Tartarus, undead and demonic like and species that don't come under the parameters of the others house belong to this house, specifically Bernard and his golems, as well as the hybrids, they spawned. They were the guards at the door, before." Ivy replied.
"I remember Bernard calling you the Lady of the stars and Hinata – I mean Lady Hiroshi the Lady of the moon." I said.
If she noticed my slip up she doesn't say anything. Thank god, either way.
"We are the representatives of our houses, which make up the high council, but there is also a council within each house. My sister is the head of the council within my house. I step in often though, like today. Lady Hinata is the head of the council of your house. She is reluctantly in that role, though." She added.
"Why her, and who else is in our house." I asked.
"Your house has werewolves, werefoxes, weretigers, werelions and were. Most of them are either canine or feline and you know how they get along. Werefoxes are mammals, so they are natural, and a few years ago, there was a war between the canines and felines, because if a werelion was head of the council the wolves wouldn't tolerate it, and vice versa. Lady Hinata stepped up to stop the bloodshed." Ivy explained.
"So she's a werefox?" I asked.
"She is a kitsune, to be specific." Ivy replied.
"So, she didn't want to be in charge." I said.
"No, she doesn't, but she had to keep the balance. Balance is what keeps our town thriving. We have don't have a leader, we have leaders, so can we govern ourselves." Ivy said.
"She sounds like, Serena." I remarked.
Ivy looks at me questioningly. "Serena, wanted to be alone, but she took us in. I have a soft bed, food to eat that hasn't come from the trash or that was stolen, clothes that aren't second-hand or torn and stained. She's given me so much, and she doesn't even know it." I acclaimed.
Ivy looks at me sympathetically, not with pity, but sympathy. She then looks at Serena, with an expression I can't name. I feel, Serena shift in her seat, and her head falls on to Ivy's head. It's slightly awkward, as, Serena is taller, so she is leaning over Ivy, but with their faces close together. Ivy turns her head back towards the road, with a petrified expression.
"Okay." I said, as I gently pulled, Serena back to the middle of the seat, and put my arm around her, to make sure she stayed in the middle.
"Sorry about that." I apologized.
"… No problem." Ivy whispered.
I looked at Ivy, she looked pale and shaken.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's just that … she's sort of petrifying." She assured, and ended with a half-hearted laugh.
"Yeah, she tends to do that. People fear her, respect her or love her." I said, and then sat there, but then I felt Ivy's eyes on me, so I look at her.
"Would you mind elaborating, instead of just saying that, then nothing?" She asked, slightly annoyed.
"Like as soon, as I met her I like really respected her. I have no idea why, but I really care about her opinion. Robbie – he was my pack mate, but he's not with us anymore - sort of feared her, and that's why he ran off. And Alex - my best friend - is sort of in love with her, like as soon as she met her. Avery I have no idea what she felt."
"What about, Caiden?" Ivy asked, her tone had a hint of wariness in it.
"Ah … I think it's a blend of all three." I responded.
"So, he's in love with her too." Ivy assumed.
"I doubt he is in love with her, but he totally loves her." I corrected.
"I disagree; he is super territorial and protective."
"That's just who he is, and besides he's bi, and prefers men."
"Oh … that's interesting to know." Ivy said to herself, with a devilish grin.
"Why are you smiling?" I questioned.
Her smile drops, and she looks at me. "Was I smiling?" She asked, surprised.
"Like a Cheshire cat." I answered.
She doesn't respond, and focuses a little overly on the road.
"Would you like to share why you were smiling with the class?" I asked.
"Um … it's just that I … got a brilliant idea, nonetheless I can't tell you, as it involves a secret my best friend told me." Ivy reasoned.
"I can keep a secret." I said.
"You just told me - a perfect stranger - that your best friend is in love with Serena." Ivy argued.
"That is an excellent point, but … I still want to know." I debated.
"Not happening, you big gossip." She said.
"Alright, you don't have to tell me, but that also means I don't have to tell you." I said, overly ambiguously.
"Tell me what?" Ivy asked.
"I could tell how you could persuade, Serena to be a part of the community." I answered.
She looks at me suspiciously. "What makes you think, I want her to stay?" Ivy questioned.
"If she leaves, then there would be no wolves, and that would wreck the balance." I replied, simply.
She pouts her lips, and then shakes her head. "I have a friend, and I want to play match maker. He's in the closet, that's why it's secret. I'm not going to tell you who, though." She affirmed.
"It's Reece." I stated, but I was actually guessing.
She looks at me surprised and confused, confirming my theory. "Noooo! Why would you think that?" She lied.
"The both of you were on first name basis, and surprisingly affectionate. Plus you're a bad liar." I explained.
"Oh, shit. Please don't tell anyone, please!" Ivy begged.
"Do I look like an asshole to you? I'm not going to tell anyone." I assured.
"Thank you." She said, as she turned off the main road.
"What makes you think they be a good couple." I asked.
"I just have a feeling they'll hit it off." She responded.
I think it, and I could actually see the two of them, together. Caiden and Reece: Reedien, Caieece. No, they suck for ship names.
"They would look cute together." I supposed.
"Did you really just say that?" Ivy asked.
"Give me a break! Two of my closest friends are female. I have to interact with someone, and I'm still a dude. I do masculine things, like play video games, and eat pizza with my hands." I defended.
"I totally get it, you're a guy, but … I bet you have already come up with ship names for the two of them." She guessed, correctly.
I turn my head away from, Ivy. I notice we are near the manor. "Oh, you have! Tell me what you've come up with." She told me.
I don't turn my head. "They're … sort of lame." I grumbled.
"I'll be the judge of that." Ivy argued.
"Reedien –" I started.
"Not too bad." She remarked.
"– and Caieece." I said.
"Okay that one was bad. How about using their last names?" She suggested.
"Jackson and Avery: Averson, Jackery." I said.
"Those are way better." She commented, as she parked the car in the driveway.
"Wait, how do you know, where we live?" I questioned.
"Everyone knows where this house is." She answered, as she stepped out of the car.
"That's not at all frightening." I said, sarcastically.
"Can you carry her?" Ivy asked.
"No, I am not the strong one, I'm the funny one." I argued.
"We'll both have to carry her." She said, then took off her heels, hung them on the steering wheel.
"You get her arms, and I'll get her feet." I ordered.
"Are you kidding? The arms are the heavy part, and I'm short, so if I drop her it will be head first." Ivy reasoned.
"Fine, then grab her feet, while I slide her out the car." I submitted.
"I didn't think out that whole leaving, Caiden behind joke did I?" She asked, as she grabbed, Serena's feet.
"No, you didn't, but hey, it was funny." I answered.
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