by J. E. Cluney
“Thanks.” Was all I could respond with.
“I’m Natalie, your father’s sister,” she said, excitement and relief flooding her voice. “It’s so good to hear your voice. I remember when you were just a toddler, running amuck in the house. You were a troublemaker, but you brought many laughs and joy to your parents. You were their little angel.”
Tears stung my eyes at this, and I pursed my lips as I tried to keep it together.
“I don’t remember them really, and I never got to hear about them,” I murmured.
“I hope growing up with Linda wasn’t too bad,” Natalie sighed. “Your mother and her didn’t really get along.”
“Yeah, I know, I caught that too,” I muttered. “It wasn’t too bad,” I lied. No need to make her feel guilty.
“She never should have got custody of you. But the Supernatural Council does favor the mother’s side sadly,” she said in annoyance. “We would’ve taken you in if given the chance, but the decision was made. We had Hayley to worry about, and Linda made it clear that we weren’t welcome. I didn’t fully believe her that you didn’t want to see us, but I didn’t want to upset you either. And as years passed, I doubted you’d even remember us,” she said apologetically. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, you’re reaching out now. I’m just glad I have family, I had so much going on in my life, and I just thought no one wanted anything to do with me,” I admitted.
“Not at all! We wanted to be a part of your life. Most of our side of the family doesn’t live here, many live in the states or across the globe. Wolves here in Aus aren’t normal, but we fell in love with the place when we came over to see you when you were born, so we moved here.”
They’d been there when I was born?
“What were they like? My parents?” I asked quietly.
Natalie chuckled before answering. “Sweet, you had your mother’s eyes since you were young, choc drops we called them. Your mother, Christine, was a sweet woman, worked as the receptionist in Gerard’s veterinary clinic. Hearing that you’re studying that, it makes me so happy.”
“My dad was a vet?” I said in disbelief. I’d never known that all.
“Yeah, being a wolf, he could sense things in canines mostly. Only true shifters can sense issues in all creatures, but your dad didn’t let that stop him, he treated all walks of animals. Being a predator shifter made treating prey animals a little hard, as they can sense it, but your mother helped him. Did you know us wolves can teach ourselves to sniff out illness in all creatures. We might not know exactly what’s wrong, but we can tell a little, usually if it’s an infection or something more severe. That’s about as far as our ability goes, and learning how to do that isn’t easy either. Few wolves have bothered to learn it, as it goes by smell. Learning to pick up such small scents of infection isn’t easy, but it can be done,” Natalie explained.
I was beyond shocked to find this out. My parents had worked in a veterinary clinic? How come I’d never known. I mean, I’d googled them as an older kid, but only ever found their death article, a car accident.
But here I was, following in their footsteps unknowingly.
Was this where my sense of illness in animals came from? Was I somehow sniffing it out like my father? No. It couldn’t be that, my nose was shot, useless.
“I never knew any of that,” I murmured.
“Your dad cut back on his vet work when you were born, he wanted to spend more time with you, and he could afford to only work casually. Their clinic was down at Redland Bay, set out in a country part of the area, not too far from home.”
Redland Bay, that was on the way to the city from my understanding. That was where I’d grown up?
“I still can’t believe it, you’re all grown up now, studying,” Natalie sighed. “So, is Lucas your boyfriend?”
I snorted at this, causing her to giggle.
“No, a housemate, I’m staying in his house while I study.”
“Oh, awesome. Maple Grove, it must be nice up there on the mountain,” she sighed. “Would you like to talk to Uncle Dixon?”
Uncle. The thought made me cringe and my heart drop.
I forced the feelings away. He was nothing like Linda’s partners. At least, I sure hoped not. No. I couldn’t think like that. Not everyone was bad like them.
“Sure,” I said, trying not to sound unenthused at the idea.
“I’ll just grab him for you,” Natalie said as movement was heard and shuffling.
“Hey kiddo, long time no see!” the cheery male voice rang out. “Nat tells me you’re nineteen now, damn, how time flies. You probably don’t remember Hayley, you were only five when you last saw her, she’s eighteen now, living over with her grandmother in the States to study. I used to push you both on the swings out in the backyard, you two would laugh and beg to go higher. You got along so well,” he said, and I could almost see his soft smile as he reminisced.
“I’m sorry, I can’t really remember,” I said honestly, wishing I truly could. I wanted to know what they’d been like, how my life had been back then, but I was drawing a blank. Most of my childhood was filled with gaps, and I knew it was because I was blocking things out. I’d been told once by a therapist that my memory wasn’t too great because of the abuse I’d endured. I hadn’t seen her again. I hated talking about my issues and feelings. Saying them out loud made them all the more real. I just wanted them to go away.
I inadvertently touched my stomach, sliding my fingers under the hem to brush over the small scars. They were just the ones you could see, not the ones in my mind.
“That’s okay, you were only little. So, Lucas tells us you have some questions, some powers that you don’t understand. With your father being the wolf, it’ll be the non-dominant side, so I’m not sure how much help we can be honestly,” he said.
“That’s okay. I was just curious,” I managed a smile. Dixon sounded nice, sweet. From what I could gather over the phone anyway. There was no reason to not trust him.
But I still couldn’t shake the unease. I had two terrible father figures to blame for that, for my trust issues towards him.
“Well, fire away, we’ll see if we can answer them, I’ll just pop you on loudspeaker,” he said. I heard him mutter and curse before Natalie took over, and I couldn’t help but smile at his struggle with the phone.
“All right, we’re ready,” Natalie chuckled while Dixon sighed.
“Well, I can sense issues in animals, we think it could just be fatal stuff mostly, but what’s really bothering me is how last night I seemed to connect telepathically with one of my housemates. I saw everything about his life, felt everything,” I said as I chewed my lip. I wasn’t normally big on sharing personal things, but I needed answers, and since they were the only family I had access to, then maybe they knew something. Not to mention how Emma’s tarot card reading had suggested my answers lie on that side of the family.
Each time I thought about the tarot reading, I got a strange chill. The banshee. Why did that bother me so much? She hadn’t gotten a good reading from it, and a part of me was still curious to learn more about it. About what it signified.
“Huh, that’s an interesting one. He’s not a psychic witch is he?” Dixon asked.
“No, he was a witch at one point, just a charms and potion witch though, not psychic,” I said. I’d seen his life, I’d learned that he’d only been a potion and charm witch, along with his family. They were renowned for specializing in charming weaponry and high end jewelry. That ability had died with his turning though, because he lost a lot of his witch power.
“What do you mean at one point?” Natalie queried.
“He’s a vampire, but it’s not just him, I’ve been glimpsing thoughts from another housemate too,” I added. I wasn’t going to say only the sexual thoughts either. I’d keep that to myself.
“Well, that certainly is strange, I haven’t heard of it before,” Dixon admitted.
“Oh, okay,” I sighed, my s
houlders sagging at the let down.
“I might’ve, from my childhood. It sounds like a story my mother used to tell me. I can’t really remember it, but I’ll call her and see what I can find out,” Natalie said.
I perked back up at this. Could she have answers to what was going on? I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high, but I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t at least a little hopeful.
“It’d be lovely to see you again,” Natalie continued. “Maybe we can pop down soon and visit?”
“I’d like that,” I smiled. To meet some family, real family. Family who had known my parents well and had gotten along with them. “Hey, can I get the name of my dad’s veterinary clinic too, please?”
“Of course, although I believe it’s changed hands a few times,” Natalie said. “When he had it, it was just called Redland Bay Rural Veterinary Clinic.”
My heart fluttered at this. I could look him up properly now, look up his old business. I could finally learn more about my parents.
We chatted a little while longer, Natalie promising to call her mother and get back to me as soon as possible, while Dixon began planning out a trip to visit me. I was excited yet terrified all at once. What would they be like in person? Would they be as nice as they were over the phone? What stories could they share with me about my parents, did they have a photo album?
The call ended with them wishing me the best of luck with my studies and the definite fact that they would be coming to see me very soon.
I had to sit in silence as everything sunk in, all this new information and the fact that I wasn’t alone. I had family I could turn to.
I had to thank Lucas for everything, for finding them and getting them in touch with me. I owed him more than he’d ever realize.
I’d make sure to thank him after I’d showered though.
5
Skip.
Teaching Ally had been interesting, I hadn’t actually expected her to get it so soon, and it took me off guard as the return shift was forced upon me.
And it hurt like a motherfucker.
Typically, like the wonderful, kind girl she was, she fretted over me.
Those soft, warm hands touched me, sending a hot spark through me despite my agony.
Little Bee Sting had no idea how tempting she was.
She was what any guy could want, a kind-hearted, funny, beautiful chick who, despite what she argued, did think about sex.
Now I was sitting on the lounge with Marcus on the opposite one, Ollie beside me, while Lucas was in the kitchen.
“Don’t use her.”
“What?” I frowned, my gaze falling on Marcus who was glaring at me with his frosty eyes.
“I said, don’t use her. She deserves more than a playboy,” he sneered.
I sat up, anger boiling inside me. “I wouldn’t use her!”
“You use all the other girls, just have one night stands with them, sometimes a few more nights,” Marcus scoffed.
“Bee Sting isn’t like that,” I growled. Besides, who the hell was he to tell me what to do? He’d already had her.
“She’s more than just a sex toy,” Marcus snapped.
“You seriously don’t think I know that,” I muttered, wanting to knock some sense into him. I’d never treat Bee Sting like that. She was more than just a hookup girl. She was a long term gal.
“Um, we should really just leave her alone,” Ollie spoke up as he shifted uncomfortably.
“Why, you want her all for yourself?” I smirked. Little Ollie would have no luck with her, he wasn’t one to go after what he wanted, it was why he’d never had a girlfriend since Glenda. Flings, sure, thanks to Lucas and I, the parties we’d throw.
“No,” he said quickly, his face flushing at the accusation.
“Honestly, she’s a big girl, she can make her own decisions.”
I turned to Lucas, who had come into the living room to listen in.
“We can’t just treat her like some random girl,” Marcus stated.
“Of course not, she’s our housemate, and will be for some time. But we’re all adults, and she’s made it clear she’s interested in us, in one way or another,” Lucas grinned slyly.
“So? She can’t help how she reacts when you’re all parading around her half naked or flirting with her,” Marcus muttered.
“Sounds like someone doesn’t like having some competition,” I chuckled, earning a dark look from the vamp.
“You’re linked into her head somehow, what does she want?” Lucas asked seriously.
“You mean who?” I smirked.
Marcus shifted uncomfortably at this question, piquing my interest as I leaned forward.
What did he know that we didn’t? He hadn’t spoken to us about this strange connection he’d had with her. And when I’d confronted him, wanting to know what she’d been like, he’d sent me out of his room, refusing to share.
“I can force you to tell me,” Lucas mused. “One way or another.”
My dick twitched at how he said that. Not even Marcus had dodged our precious little Lucy.
We’d all gotten some action from her, and she sure was hard to resist.
Our relationships were dynamic, an interesting clusterfuck all round.
Take Ollie, for example, our sweet, timid little shifter. Lucas had told me there was much more to him than I knew.
Sexually.
“She wants all of us,” Marcus grumbled.
I took a moment to fully comprehend this, but my cock swelled at the thought. She wanted all of us?
Damn, and they called me the player.
“At once?” Ollie’s eyes widened, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the shocked look on his face. He definitely had some interesting scene playing out in his mind.
Marcus just gave him a dark look, and I choked. Had he actually seen that? Did she want all of us, together?
Fuck, now I was aroused like all hell. I wanted to march up there right now and start something with her, find my way into her bed and inside her.
I wanted that girl as much as the others did.
Even Lucas. I knew he wanted her, he’d told me so last night when he’d slipped into my room.
He’d been aroused, and with a little magic, I was able to fuck him as I imagined what it would be like with her. Ever since he’d told us he could turn into a chick, things had changed big time. We were all horny men, and Lucy, as he liked to be called in that state, loved to fuck.
“Well, I think we could work with that,” Lucas smiled as his dark eyes fell on me, sliding down to my erection straining against my board shorts.
Holy fuck. This was going to get out of hand.
Ollie shifted beside me, and I flicked my eyes over to see he’d gotten aroused too. Someone liked the idea of screwing our homegirl.
“No. We need to treat her right. We can’t just try to take her,” Marcus scolded us, and I scowled at him.
“You just said she wanted us,” I growled, brushing my hand over my arousal and shuddering. How tight would she be? How warm and sweet? Did those orgasms really taste like honey?
“She’s been hurt before, we can’t scare her,” Marcus growled as he ran a hand through his raven hair.
“What?” I muttered. Hurt? Who’d hurt her?
“She’s got scars,” Ollie frowned as he reached for a cushion to hide his interest.
“Who hurt her?” I barked, demanding answers. Someone hurt our little Bee Sting? I’d fuck them up big time.
“Probably her uncles, or, well, aunt’s boyfriends,” Lucas muttered, and I could see his frustration and anger at this news.
“Wait, you suspected this?” I said in disbelief.
“They had records, she has cigarette burn scars,” Lucas shrugged. He’d put two and two together.
“Why didn’t you say something?!” I snapped.
“Because she obviously didn’t want us knowing. We all have secrets, why dredge them up?” Lucas shot me a look, and I closed my mouth.
Se
crets. Pasts, we all had them.
“Not just them,” Marcus said softly, and I turned on him.
“Derek?” Ollie whispered beside me.
Marcus just nodded, and rage tore through me. The dingo shifter Ollie had met? That prick had hurt her? If I saw him, I’d bash his fucking skull in for hurting her.
“Marcus, I know it’s not your place to tell us, but we don’t want to scare her or hurt her. How’d they hurt her?” Lucas asked gently.
Marcus gazed around at us, his jaw set hard. He didn’t want to share with us, it was clear. But Bee Sting mattered to all of us now, she’d slotted right in like she’d belonged. She was our girl, our little pixie.
“Her first uncle burned her and beat her, the second… abused her, sexually,” he finally said after a few painstaking moments passed.
All sense faded from me at this news.
They needed to fucking die. No woman should ever be hurt, they were meant to have their bodies worshipped and treated with the love and respect they deserved! I may be a player, but all my flings agreed to it, I never forced any of them, and they all understood the deal, no strings attached.
I shot to my feet as rage flared up in me, and I could feel the shift coming over me from the sheer hatred and anger coursing through me.
“Skip! Calm down,” Lucas warned as he lurched forward.
There was no calming down now. Some fucker had hurt my little Bee Sting!
I collapsed to the floor, gasping as magic swirled off me, holding my shift at bay.
“Jesus, Skip,” Lucas muttered as he crouched down beside me. “You need to keep your head on.”
“Those fuckers need to pay,” I growled.
“One died, the other is out of her life, as for Derek, well, we know where he is, and we can keep him away from her,” Lucas said as he patted my back.
“What did Derek do to her?” Ollie asked from his perch on the lounge.
“Emotional abuse, hit her too,” Marcus said softly.
That fucker.
“Skip, the past is the past. As much as we’d like to beat the shit out of them for hurting her, we shouldn’t dredge up shit for her. She’s hiding it for a reason,” Lucas said sternly as I grunted in frustration, unable to pull myself up from the floor. He was pinning me with magic.
