It took a minute to explain to Cree who exactly Farrah was and assure him he only had one daughter.
You could see it in his eyes when he got a certain level of respect for her, a nod of approval, when he heard how she’d stuck by my side through the institution as well as when she found out my deepest secret.
When they finally let her into the room, I knew she could immediately tell that my secret was out by the crestfallen, worried look on her face.
We had both had numerous conversations on how this moment would play out, most leading to me being kicked out and her, being the fiercely loyal person she was, leaving with me.
I hadn’t been kicked out yet, but I was holding on to the faint hope that being the headmaster’s daughter, a newfound status, would get me a reprieve.
Farrah was frozen in place, her eyes traveling over everyone in the room until they landed on me, a question in their depths.
Those very eyes grew impossibly in size when she noticed my tattooed sleeve, the intricate black patterns now clearly visible.
I rose up out of my seat and walked over to her, taking her hand in my own, a silent reassurance.
Dropping my mental walls, I nudged her mind with my own, giving her explicit permission to look in so that she understood everything that had happened so far, a rapid download of events, hoping to ease her worry a little.
When she realized that Cree was in fact my dad, her eyes grew impossibly larger, darting to him and back at me, a mixture of shock and disbelief on her face.
The adults in the room looked on with curious eyes at what was undoubtedly an advanced display of telepathy for two girls who grew up in the Institute and not performing magic.
Squaring her shoulders, a newfound resolve hardening her expression, she squeezed my hand firmly and turned to Cree, catching him dead in the eye, her gaze unwavering.
“If you kick her out, I’m going too,” she declared, her voice firm and defiant, betraying no fear.
“But let me tell you this, she is the best daughter you could ever ask for.
She’s kind, strong, funny, and she became friends with me when no one else would.
She refused to leave with Nana if I couldn’t go too, and by doing that, she’s given me more than I could have ever asked for.
You don’t look like a stupid man, Headmaster, so make the right decision.”
Grandad was poised to say something, probably to scold her for speaking to authority in such a way, but Cree held his hand up, a silent command, to stop him before he could get a word out.
He stood, his imposing height filling the space, and Farrah visibly swallowed, a small gulp.
For all her bravado less than a minute ago, I knew his sheer size and inherent power shook her to her core, despite her brave front.
“Ms.
Carter, I don’t know why you would even think I would be kicking either of you out, but you are mistaken.” His voice was calm, almost gentle.
“Now, I would admit that I didn’t take the news very well, but can you blame me?
It was quite a shock to discover I have a daughter I never knew existed.”
He rounded the desk and sat on the edge of it, closer to where we both stood, hand in hand, a surprising move, closing the distance between us.
“But believe me, I am thrilled by the news.” He looked directly at me now, his eyes warm and genuine.
“I lost her mother a long time ago, didn’t look back because I thought it would be safer that way, but I didn’t know I was also losing a child.
If it would be alright with her, with both of you, I’d like the chance to get to know her, make up for lost time.”
Gran was practically in tears, her face crumpled with emotion, Grandad attempting to console her with gentle pats, but Farrah didn’t care; she was full-on having a meltdown of her own, a mixture of relief and overwhelming emotion.
“Of course it’s okay!
All she ever used to talk about was what would happen if she ever found her dad!” She brought our adjoined hands up to her face and, in a moment of pure Farrah-ness, wiped snot away from her nose on our intertwined fingers.
Gross.
Cree, seeing the look of disgust that passed over my face, tried to stifle his laugh, a tremor in his shoulders.
“Of course, I’d also like to get to know her adoptive sister as well, if she’d allow it.” Farrah gasped, a sound of pure delight, which quickly turned into a squeal as she released her grip on my hand and lunged toward him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
“Do you mean it?
Yes, a thousand times yes!” When she tried to pull the snot back into her nose, a moment of pure unselfconscious joy, it dawned on him that his pristine shirt was probably covered in the stuff.
I didn’t have the same control he did though; I burst out laughing, grabbing hold of my stomach when it started to cramp up from the sheer hilarity.
All his attempts to casually remove her were unsuccessful; she clung to him like a limpet.
It was Gran who finally saved him by addressing the dreaded reason we were all here to begin with.
“Jacob, what are we going to do about that monstrosity on her arm?” That was enough to pull Farrah away from him, her attention immediately diverted.
“There’s nothing that can be done, Tilly.
It’s been activated, and it chose her.
The only way to remove it is by death.” Cree’s voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
“Well, that settled it then.
It stays with me.” No way was I ready to die, not after all this.
My grandparents exchanged worried glances, and I knew they were concerned about people finding out, about people putting two and two together, about the implications of a human-wolf hybrid who could wield magic and had a powerful artifact bonded to her.
“I’ll only wear long sleeves if that will help.
Maybe Farrah and I can come home next weekend, and when I get back, it’ll seem like I got a tattoo while I was home,” I suggested, trying to come up with a quick solution.
“That’s the least of our concerns right now, honey.
What about the wolf boy?
Echo.
He obviously can’t be trusted, or Farrah wouldn’t have known there was something wrong.” Grandad had a point.
Echo had told Farrah about it, or at least implied it; who knows who else he’d told.
“I don’t know if he told anyone else, but I had seen him in the common room and asked where Gen was.
He only told me you were in the Headmaster’s office with our grandparents; I just assumed the worst,” she punctuated her sentence with a shrug, seemingly unconcerned.
Cree got a faraway look in his eyes, as if listening to something only he could hear, before they cleared.
“He hasn’t said anything to anyone else but Farrah.
He’s been in his room ever since.
Still a little shaken from his run-in with you, Tilly, if I’m being honest.”
How did he know that?
Can he read minds across such a distance?
He must have seen the confusion set on my face because he immediately explained.
“As a member of my pack, there’s what we call a link.
I can talk to any member through the link, as well as they can reply.”
“Cool,” Farrah voiced my exact thoughts, her eyes wide with fascination.
“Wait, can you talk to Gen through this link?
Because that’ll be awesome.”
“Sadly, no.
While she may be my daughter, she’s not officially a pack member.
Yet.” I didn’t miss the implication, the subtle emphasis on ‘yet.’ He was letting me know that I would most definitely become a member, a future he seemed to be planning.
The problem was, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be.
“Great, then it’s settled.
You can ensure Echo doesn’t say anything to anyone, and I’ll cover up until I can leave for the weekend.” I looked at all the faces of the adults, waiting for their agreement, until they all nodded, assenting to the plan going forth. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
A sudden wave of exhaustion hit me, bone-deep and overwhelming, and even though it was barely after lunch, I felt as though I could go to sleep for a few hours, maybe even a few days.
“You guys probably have some things you need to talk about, but can I go now?
I really feel like I should sleep.” Right on cue, a massive yawn broke free, betraying my exhaustion.
“Of course, dear.” Grandad got up and gave me a warm, comforting hug before passing one out to Farrah as well, his affection encompassing us both.
Gran did the same, her embrace surprisingly firm, and then I looked to Cree.
This was awkward.
I sent him a tiny wave and a tentative smile as I walked out the door behind Farrah, leaving them to their family discussions.
As we got closer to the front entrance of the administration building, a sudden realization hit me: my dilemma.
My arm was completely exposed, the intricate tattoo a stark contrast against my skin.
I was about to ask Farrah to go grab me a jacket when the door swung open, and in walked Echo, his eyes immediately finding mine.
He held his hand out and passed a jacket over to me, a charcoal grey, soft material.
“Alpha asked me to bring you this,” he said, his eyes traveling down the span of my tattooed arm, bringing goosebumps to the surface of my skin.
“Thanks.
You know, for this and for earlier,” I said, my voice softer than I intended, as I placed my arms in the jacket.
It was way too big for me because it was clearly his, but it was warm and smelled exactly like him—pine and rain.
“It’s no problem.
Are you okay?” he asked, genuine concern filling his voice, his gaze searching mine.
I nodded, but he gave me a look that said he didn’t quite believe me.
“I am, I swear.” He went to say something else, his lips parting, but then stopped and got that faraway look in his eyes, just like Cree did earlier, a sign he was receiving a message.
“Uhh, are your grandparents still in there?” he asked, his expression a mix of apprehension and amusement.
“Yeah, why?” I replied, confused by his sudden anxiety.
He kept shooting nervous glances down the hallway, clearly weighing his options.
“Because Alpha just asked me to come into his office, but…
Dammit, your grandmother scares the crap out of me.” I couldn’t help but laugh, a genuine, bubbling sound, and Farrah, standing behind his back, tried her best not to bust out as well, her shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth.
“Gran’s cool, don’t worry about it.
She was just worried about me, that’s all.” He made no move to leave, still hesitating, so I gave him a slight push in the direction of the office.
“I promise, she’ll be good.
Go.” He nodded, setting his shoulders, bracing himself to face her once more.
He hadn’t gotten too far before he spun back around, a question in his eyes.
“Can I come check on you later?” The question was clearly asked in innocence, someone showing concern for their fellow classmate, so why was it that my stomach started flipping all nervous-like, a sudden swarm of butterflies?
My mouth had now gone completely dry, so I could only respond with a brief nod of my head.
He smiled a breathtaking smile, and my palms began to sweat, a clammy discomfort.
I waited a full minute after he’d disappeared from view, giving him enough time to get into the office, before I turned to leave.
“What have you gotten yourself into now, Genesis?” Farrah scolded me, her voice a mix of exasperation and concern.
I had no choice but to stay silent because I honestly didn’t even know myself.