Nate

I glimpse down at Vanessa, but the angry tint in her eyes keeps me from staring deep into her bright emeralds. Jeez, no one may appear that pissed off and that beautiful at the same time. A deep chuckle draws my attention away from Nessa and back towards my dad.

He hasn’t changed at all these past five years. I never thought about the confrontation that would happen should I ever come across my family again. He’s laughing, but I can see the strain on his smile, and that’s why Samuel wanted us separated.

“Anythin’ you want to say to me, you can say in front of Witchy,” I tell him, staring him in his eyes to pass on how serious I am. His eyes widen, but he nods before turning around and going to stride past the others lounging and enjoying the show. Assholes.

As we walk past, I feel eyes on me and turn to study the man who had admired me during my brief strip show. I give him a wink and can’t help the smirk that spreads across my face at his blush.

I grunt as Nessa’s sharp elbow digs into my stomach. I glare at her, but she just gives me that innocent smile that no longer fools me. Swinging my arm around her shoulders, I pull her in tight, and I dance my fingers into her sides, causing a muffled snort to escape her mouth.

She squirms, trying to dodge my fingers, but it’s futile as my grip doesn’t loosen. I freeze when I hear my dad clearing his throat in what I recognize is a distinct hint for us to stop our antics.

“When I considered of your future in the past, I never pictured you with a witch, though thinkin’ on it, the pairin’ makes sense,” Dad shares.

“Oh, you mean you can predict the future? I knew I was right,” I sass. It earns me a look and Nessa bumping me to the side.

“No, I’m just talkin’ about the two of you,” he corrects.

“I guess. I mean, there’s no one else I’d rather travel with but her,” I retort.

“Ditto, puppy,” Vanessa sounds out, making sure I understand each letter.

“Now hold up, since when have I ever be-”

“No, no, I mean your relationship. I mean, you’re both a little young. Still, it’s not an immense surprise with the way things are,” Dad interrupts our profound and significant conversation, how rude.

“We ain’t like that,” I inform him, not wanting the false information to travel from him and to the rest of the family. It’s only with family that all the rumors and lies circle around and refuse to die. Someone once told my cousin they saw me getting... close with someone else, and in my family’s eye, they thought it was my best friend.

I mean, the rumor held some truth, but they didn’t know that thank, the Goddess, my best friend never told them I had been running around with my sister’s ex-boyfriend.

“Huh, really,” he questions, looking between the two of us, “are you positive?”

“Yes, I’m sure I’d be aware if I was kissing Witchy, dad,” I reply. We’ve stopped a little way aside from the car. If there’s no shouting, then the other shifters will have no idea what this conversation will be about.

Still, after examining the expression my dad is wearing, I know this will be one of the rare times he’ll be raising his voice. He pivots around and stares me down, and I can feel as his eyes trace along my body, taking in all the changes I’ve gone through since he’d last seen me.

“Well, let’s start with the simple answers; what’s your name little miss,” he inquiries. I glance at Vanessa and wonder how she plans to respond to him. Instead of using her words, Vanessa slowly walks up to him and motions for him to lower his head to her height. He does so with a bemused expression but does as she requests. I can just hear her whisper of “Vanessa,” and I feel proud that she trusts me enough to reveal her name to a man she doesn’t know.

“What a beautiful name. Is there something else you go by with others,” he wonders.

“I prefer Vee,” she pauses and bites her lip, “and you may use my given name in a private setting,” she informs him.

“Of course, I would never betray your trust in my son in such a way,” he replies, and Vanessa walks back to me, but a slight smile is glittering on her face, lighting up her eyes. “But I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t interrupt Nate and I’s conversation,” he requests and continues when Vanessa gives him a small nod and walks a couple steps away from us before she takes a seat in the sand. “Nate,” he calls out, and I know what he wants, but I refuse to come any closer than I already am.

“I’m good where I am,” I state.

“Oh, if only you thought that five years ago.” I wince at his words, but he doesn’t stop what I know to be a lecture years in the making, “Did you ever stop to think of how this would affect us? Affect your mother? For months she could do nothing but cry, sure that some Bobbie had snatched you away at one of those parties you think we didn’t know about,” his eyes are wet, but I see no tears though I know he’s always been a crier.

“I did-”

“Did what? Think things through? I don’t think so, or you would’ve left a note or called or somethin’,” he’s practically hissing at me with an odd mix of yelling at me but trying his hardest to keep his voice down.

“If I did that, then I couldn’t force myself to leave,” I grit out. I never wanted to have this conversation, but I sneak a glimpse and get strength from Nessa’s gaze. I squeeze my hands, and it’s almost as if her flames are resting in my palms.

“Then why did you,” he questions, bringing me back to the situation at hand.

“How much did Samuel say when he told you I was here?”

“Not much, just that it’s complicated, and I’d better get down here. I don’t want complicated Ignatius,” he spits out, and I wince at the use of my full name, “I want the truth.”

“Even if the truth changes everythin’,” I ask.

“Yes, no matter what.”

“Even if I’m no longer human?” I finally gather the courage to meet my dad’s eyes again, and I nearly sobbed at the sadness radiating from those eyes, so similar to mine, but at the same time so different. His locs look like my own, and his chocolate skin glows in the sun’s heat.

“Even then,” he whispers out, and begins to stroll towards me, “you’ll always be my son, you know that.” He’s within reaching distance, and if not for the shifters who are surely watching, I would have grabbed Vanessa and taken off. He lunges forward and pulls and tucks me against his chest, and I will later deny any claims stating I cried, I’m in my twenties dammit, and I cannot look soft in the eyes of my siblings.

I tense up when he first initiated the hug; the last person to hug or even show any affection has been Vanessa. Samuel has been kind enough, but it’s not the same. Tentatively I bring up my arms and hold tightly to clothes on his back.

I never once dreamed that I would again have the chance to hold a member of my family in my arms.

“Nate,” his voice softly hits my ears “you’re a Bobby, aren’t you,” he states, and I know it’s not a question, but I still dig my head into the cranny between his shoulder and nod my head. He brings me away and hands me at arms' length. “No matter what happened, whatcha might’ve done, I’m proud of you,” he promises. His words almost send me into another crying fit before I hear a commotion happening back by the car.

I look to Vanessa, and she steadily jumps to her feet and is by my side in no time. My dad gently brushes past me and stand in front with his muscles tight and hands curled as if he has claws. I don’t stay on that thought and try to figure out our current situation. Wondering will just lead to me wondering if possibly my mother is also one because he’s obvious-

“I said stay right where you are,” Samuel shouts, and the volume of it echoes throughout the sandy field we are occupying. I still for half a second before I catch a whiff of someone who smells vaguely familiar.

“Nate, you can smell that,” my dad questions me with confusion painted on his face.

“Yeah,” I hesitantly retort, “should I not be able to do that?” Never before had anybody wondered about my senses but then again many had thought me to be a were, and I never had entirely questioned it. Is this why people thought I was a werewolf?

“Yes, but no. Bobbies have better senses but never to that extent,” he absently answers, looking at me before going to join Samuel in his confrontation. I grab Vanessa and drag her behind me as again I’m hit with the faint scent of other witches.

“Nate,” she whispers, “if they’re here for me, there’s not much you can do to stop what’s coming.” I growl at her words but only from the truthfulness in them. My next goal in life is making sure Nessa never makes a promise again—they’re evil tricky things.

Though I trust Vanessa’s judgment, something smells fishy about that whole settlement. They live this far south, and yet most act as though they’ve never seen a Bobby attack? Yeah, something’s not right there. Even Huxley has issues with their wards; it’s the reason they send out scouts routinely.

“Nate, is that you,” a squeaky voice calls, and I use all of my self-control not to groan and stalk away in the other direction. I glare as Keira comes into view, and she starts twisting her head around, looking for something. “Oh, where’s Vee? I know you can’t hope to function without her guiding you,” she snidely inputs before spotting Vanessa behind and skips our way to grab hold of her.

I stomp forward to do damage control as I know it pisses my dad off whenever people bad-mouth any of his kids, and by the storm brewing on his face that hasn’t changed. I rush to his side and pray for any minor miracle the Goddess feels like giving out so he doesn’t attack the short girl for her words.

“What the hell was that,” he questions, eyes narrowed and frame shaking.

“She’s just the cousin of the pseudo leader of the town we were in a few moon cycles ago,” I inform him.

“Please tell me you weren’t in Dolon,” begs Samuel, then he lets out a string of curses as I don’t bother to correct him. “Kid, that was the one place I told you to stay away from. What the hell are you doing there?” I squash down the ire at him demanding such things from me, but remember that Samuel has done his best to help me out since we’ve crossed paths, if only for my mother’s sake. I eye the girl up ahead with suspicion as more aggravation always seems to rise when she’s around, and often without cause.

“Well, do you want a lie or the truth,” I ask him. He gives me a glare that has me rolling my eyes. “Look, it wasn’t on purpose; we came to close to their territory and got captured. That would have been the end of it, but their leader at the moment offered Witchy somethin’ she couldn’t refuse.”

“And you don’t think none of that is suspicious,” my dad interjects.

“Of course I do, we both do, we’re not stupid,” I hiss out before taking a deep breath and continuing, “we’re bein’ careful, but the situation is kinda complicated.” Samuel and my dad share a look before turning to me, and neither is impressed. My focus shifts to Vanessa as I can hear her voice getting louder with each passing second. I turn and am greeted with the view of a pissed off Vanessa marching my way.

“We’re leaving,” she discloses and doesn’t even stop as she grabs my hand and drags me to the car. I hear my dad chuckling, not even bothering to help me out in the slightest. I shoot him a glare, but it just amuses him more.

“I thought you’re not together,” he drawls.

“That has nothing to do with her just yanking me away,” I deny, although it’s a weak argument even to my ears. Nessa knows if I genuinely didn’t want her grabbing me along, I wouldn’t have moved in the slightest.

“Oh Vee,” frets Keira, “where are you going?”

“Anywhere you aren’t,” Vanessa informs her.

“Oh, that’s so sad. I mean, with the promise invoked who knows what will happen,” she chimes in, making Vanessa twirl back around with fire in her eyes.

“If she invoked the damn thing, then she can come get me herself,” Vanessa yells, and I back up to rest on the car. Most would worry over the confrontation, but I know she can handle her own battles, and very well in my opinion.

“I mean sure, but what if something happens before then? I mean, you don’t want to die, do you,” she argues, and it makes my blood boil, at the thinly hidden threat.

“Fine,” Vanessa growls, “go on ahead. Nate and I will meet you back there.”

“Oh, did I forget to mention that poor Nate isn’t coming with us,” Keira adds, and I knew by the look on Vanessa’s face this chick was on her deathbed no matter what happens in the next few moments.