Natalia’s P. O. V

We’d moved to the living room so that we could be more comfortable as we went over this new revelation.

“You mean you two didn’t know? Don’t you smell each other’s wolves?”

“Normally, we do, but she smells more human than wolf to me.”

Hailey had gone to get something to eat as I’d closed the door after Kaesha and she sat, cross legged, holding her plate, “I’ve never met another werewolf before and have been around humans my whole life so that’s probably why.”

“Why do you live so deep in the city? What about full moon shifts?” During full moons we were forced to shift and our wolves had complete control. More often than not, they went berserk. It was one of the reasons werewolves didn’t live in cities.

“My mom’s a Seer, so is Keily. Apparently, she had a one night stand with some dickhead werewolf while attending to some things with the Seer Cycle and got pregnant so she got permission to do her Seer thing from the city and send them the information she gathers. As for full moon shifts, I just chain myself up in our basement or any secluded area.”

“So that’s what the clanking in the other bag was.”

She nodded, “There’s a full moon in a few days. I was going to propose a road trip to outside the city or something. My wolf, Opelene, warmed up to you so quickly. She said she liked your scent and so did I. Why are you in the city though? You smell a lot more like the way I imagine a werewolf would smell.”

“I left my pack recently.”

She leaned forward, curiosity shining in her eyes, “Are both your parents werewolves?”

“My biological father is a werewolf. My mom wasn’t a werewolf but I could tell she also wasn’t human. She never did tell me what she was.” That much was true.

“Was? So, your mom dying recently was true?”

I looked at my hands, “Not completely. She disappeared when I was six. I have no idea if she’s dead or alive right now.”

Keasha, who had returned from the kitchen with a plate of food, and Hailey, who had been in the process of raising another forkful to her mouth paused, “I’m so sorry.” “That’s terrible.” They said.

I shook my head, “That was almost a decade ago. I’m fine.”

“A decade? You’re sixteen?” Hailey asked. Kaesha looked at me questioningly.

“Fifteen.”

‘Nat.’ Candy warned.

‘I’m tired of lying to people that could help. Have you ever sensed any deception from her? I haven’t. She’s my friend, Candy. When you think about it, there’s no way anyone I’ve met in New York so far could be connected to the Lightwood pack, apart from that Danny guy and that’s only through Kirstin.’

‘You’re being naïve, Nat.’

‘I’m not being naïve. Do you think I’d have the capacity to be naïve with the life I’ve lived till now? You’re being paranoid. I’m not going to tell them what mom was and I won’t mention the name of the pack.’

Kaesha raised an eyebrow at me, probably noticing the flare in my wolf colour, “You said biological father instead of dad.” She didn’t ask about my conversation with my wolf.

“I don’t consider him my dad.”

Hailey swallowed then spoke, “Why not?”

“I’m a product of rape. He violated my mom and initiated my abuse in the pack after she disappeared. He kept telling me that she left cause she couldn’t stand to be around me when I’d finally mustered up the courage to ask him why my mom wasn’t around anymore. Someone like that could never be a dad, at least not to me. He treats his legitimate kids better though.”

I remembered crying, sobbing and shrieking as he said things no sane person would tell a six-year-old, especially not on their birthday. He’d slapped and yelled curses at me when I’d refused to believe him and called him a liar. I knew he was lying. He was lying.

“That’s awful.” Hailey said after a long pause.

Keasha simply looked at me with sad, understanding eyes, as if reliving her own trauma.

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I looked back at my hands, “I know he was lying. He’s always hated me and my mom. He’s probably happy now that he thinks I’m dead which is even better.” I smiled slightly at the thought of how I could destroy his happiness.

Both of them remained silent for a while. I guess talking about my childhood had killed the mood. The only sounds that came from them were the clanking of their forks on their plates and the sound of their chewing.

I went to get my own food and re-joined them in silence.

Soon, Hailey had finished her food and set the plate down on the coffee table, “Ari, I understand it wasn’t a pleasant experience but, could you teach me about being a werewolf in general? My mom likes werewolves least and wouldn’t get me books or anything from the palace whenever she visits. She made me keep my werewolf nature from Keily so I can’t ask her for help. I hate my biological father for leaving my mom to take care of us but I want to know more about what I am.”

I put my plate on the table, not feeling like eating anymore, “Sure, I’ll teach you. You’re here anyway.”

“Thank you so much! It means a lot to me.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I’m not like the average werewolf either.”

Kaesha, done with her food, dropped her plate, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if it has something to do with my mom’s genetics or if I’m just defective but I haven’t been able to shift yet. I have a wolf. I feel her in my consciousness and talk to her, just like any other werewolf but it’s like she doesn’t have a form or I can’t access it. When I yelled at Keily three days ago and I felt her voice come up with mine, that was the closest I’ve ever been to shifting. I can only teach you the theory stuff but I won’t be able to teach you things like hunting.”

“That’s fine. I only need the theory stuff.”

Kaesha was staring at me strangely and I was reminded of her words earlier that day. Maybe I was just an abnormal werewolf. On the other hand, Hailey was most likely a werewolf-Seer hybrid.

“Anyway,” I said, getting up and stretching, “I’m going to clean these up.”

I picked the plates up and took them to the kitchen, leaving them in silence.

“So, Kaesha, right? What are you? How could you tell I’m a werewolf?” I heard Hailey ask.

“I’m a witch-psychic hybrid. My psychic side lets me see auras so I can use them to tell the specie of anyone I see. I can also hear the thoughts of anyone I’m in physical contact with.”

“That’s cool.”

“I guess it is. You said your mom’s a Seer. That means you must have a few Seer traits.” Kaesha commented, saying out loud what I’d been thinking.

“I do. During full moon shifts, and sometimes as I sleep, I get visions. They’re always blurry round the edges and I only see them in black and white. I haven’t told anyone about them.”

I’d finished cleaning and returned to the living room, “Kaesha, did you find anything on pack witches?”

She shook her head, “I used magic to cross reference the books I have on werewolves and witches but I didn’t find anything on witches joining a werewolf pack. They aid them sometimes but never call packs their home. I guess it’s a case of thriving with their own species.”

“But you’re not with a coven so that won’t apply to you, right?”

She shrugged, “The problem with my old coven was mainly whenever we channelled each other. Their bodies couldn’t handle my magic. Packs don’t rely on magic so I think I could find a way to connect to the wolf bond with magic. I’ll need to tinker around with some linking spells.”

I nodded and turned to Hailey, “I’m going to start a pack. Would you like to be part of it? I have to warn you, my main reason for starting a pack is vengeance but I’ll take care of all the members.”

In that moment, Hailey looked the happiest I’d ever seen her, “I’d love to join! I’ll help you any way I can.”

I smiled at her joy, “Thank you.”

Kaesha stood up, “Well, girls, that’s all I could find. I’ll text you if I have anything else. It was nice to meet you Hailey.”

“You too.”

“I can help you out with some werewolf books if you’d like. You can get Ava to explain them to you.”

“Really? That’d be great, thanks.”

Kaesha smiled, “No problem. Ava can give you my number and we’ll talk.”

“Okay. Wait… Ava?” She asked, turning to me.

“It’s Avarielle so she calls me Ava. Not many people in my old pack knew my name but I didn’t want them to get word of my presence.”

“Oh. Okay. Bye, Kaesha.”

I opened the door for her, “Bye, Kaesha. Thanks for your help, again.”

“Again?” Hailey asked, confused. Again.

“She helped me with a spell this morning.”

“You have to tell me more about magic and psychics.”

Kaesha laughed at her enthusiasm, “Sure.”

She left and I closed the door behind her, locking the door. I went back to sit opposite Hailey, “So, if I’m gonna teach you about werewolves, let’s start with what you already know and what your mom has told you about werewolves.”

She marks the points off her fingers, “They are humans that can change into wolves. They have heightened senses. My mom says werewolves are beastly creatures that are full of themselves. Werewolves normally live in groups called packs. That’s the general knowledge. She once mentioned the pack my father was from, Lightwood or something, in Florida.”

I looked sharply at her, “Did she say his name?”

“I think so but I can’t remember. Uhh… something Lightwood. I remember her saying something along the lines of ‘that damn shitty Alpha’ when she was describing him while drunk one evening.”

“Clark Lightwood.”

She nodded, “That’s right. How did you know that?”

“I know that because, Clark Lightwood, Alpha of the Lightwood Pack, is my biological father.”

‘Well, that explains a lot.’