I rolled over, curling up against the heat next to my body. A groan came from my throat as an arm squeezed around my torso and my eyes opened begrudgingly. Outside the window it was dark, and I wondered how long we'd slept for. I shifted to look at James's face. Even with the bruising, his face was soft while he slept with no cares to worry his mind. I knew lately he'd been worrying about his father. Remembering Daniel, my mind slid to the file that was sitting in my room, waiting to be read. I carefully rolled myself out of James's embrace. Picking my phone up off the floor, the screen read it was past midnight. The floor creaked under my foot, and I paused, crinkling my nose. James cleared his throat, waking up from the sound.
"Where're you going?" he mumbled, his voice barely able to come out of his throat. I picked up a t-shirt off his desk chair, glancing back at him.
"I've got to pee, I'll be back."
James grunted and sliding my underwear up my legs, I watched him begin snoring again. Doing my best to walk quietly up to the third floor, I could hear the television on downstairs. No other noises, assuming everyone else was asleep. Entering my room, my eyes rested on the folder sitting alone on my desk. Looking down at the well written name 'Daniel Blake', guilt hit me for a moment before disappearing. I wanted – needed to know something about the man who'd reappeared to everyone's shock. I shut my bedroom door, before returning to my desk. I sat down on my desk chair and took a deep breath as I opened the brown folder. Other than his name, I knew nothing about James' father, and I was about to find out a lot more than I ever thought I'd want to.
After photocopies of his birth certificate and passport, one I'm sure was no longer used, the first page was Daniel's travel records. Ever since he left, Daniel appeared to move across the East Coast of Canada. The reason for his province hopping was in the next grouping of pages. Articles from across the East coast showed concerning numbers of dead wildlife in the areas where Daniel was said to be living. The media and police had chalked the deaths up to a human hunter with an itch to kill deer. Whoever updated the files had suspicion Daniel was behind the excessive hunting. They're probably right. A werewolf can keep hunting and eating past the point he was full. That was usually curbed by Pack mates. Daniel luckily realized that he was hunting to the point of being recognized. It would've generated theories from the more creative humans and the Pack would eventually notice the issue. Excessive animal killings were an indicator that a werewolf had taken to permanent residence in an area. Seven years ago, he seemed to stop moving around and ended up in Moncton, New Brunswick. No reports had come from the city since he'd been living there, so I could guess Daniel got his hunger under control.
I scanned the pages, nothing important sticking out until I got to a stack of photographs. Leaning back in my chair, I stared down at the pile in my hands. The one on top was of Daniel and his wife, Katerina. It was obvious from the photo that James had gotten his smile from his mother. The resemblance between James and his parents were uncanny. The second picture must have been over twenty-five years old. It showed my dad and Daniel, sitting Talia Grove's front porch and laughing at someone off camera. I couldn't help but smiling at the photo. They both looked significantly younger and happier. I could tell my father's face was lacking the stress wrinkles he had today. It was another time, before my father's responsibility was to be the Alpha and Daniel was a happy Pack member. The entire Pack filled the third picture, at least thirty years old. I couldn't recognize the faces of a few werewolves. My grandfather stood in the centre of the top row. His chin was raised and a smirk on his face. My shoulder muscles tensed at the expression. There wasn't any kindness. Look to the row below, my father's hair hit his shoulders, a look he'd never sport today. I chuckled as I flipped to the next picture. I knew this one was about to hit twenty-six years old. It showed a close-up portrait of Daniel admiring his newborn son. James looked up at his father with wide eyes. They were full of trust. It was a look I recognized. The last picture was sweet too. A young James and Daniel stood in front of a Christmas tree in the living room, a short time after Katerina had died. My finger ran over James's face. No one knew that month later, his father would leave, and James wouldn't see him for fifteen years.
My ears twitched at a creak from the hallway of my door. I shoved the pictures back into the folder, shutting it. I had enough time to stand up when my bedroom door opened. James entered, half asleep. He only wore a pair of sweatpants, which I could see from the tag resting against his abdomen, were on backwards.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said smoothly, "I was thinking of going to see if Brandon was still awake."
"I'm pretty sure that's him downstairs watching Robot Chicken."
I stood up and moved to James, a smirk on my face.
"Sounds sexy, maybe I'll go visit him now since my time with you seems to be done," I teased, winking at him. James a deep sigh, wrapping his arms around my waist. I laughed, kissing him on the cheek. James dipped his head and kissed me on the lips. Lightly, I pushed him backwards out of my room. I shut the door. James not having said anything, I hoped he hadn't seen the file or at least thought about it too hard. Hand in hand, I led James back down to the second floor and into his bedroom.
Resting my head on the pillow and enjoying the warmth of James' arms around my waist, I thought of the pictures. The last two were particularly etched in my brain. James shifted behind me, arm tightening and I felt his nose nuzzle into my hair. James had his life flipped upside down at the age of seven. As I let my mind think about the scenarios of that time in his life, my eyes began to burn with tears. I did my best to blink them away without moving too much. I couldn't imagine doing what Daniel did. I felt a knot of anger in my chest when I thought about Daniel returning and his plans regarding his son's life.
I moved around the kitchen, helping Cora and Chrissy set up a breakfast buffet. Reading week was almost done, and I'd yet to help with breakfast. My father insisted last night, meaning I needed to drag myself out of bed much earlier than I wanted to. I put the last dozen pancakes on a plate when a few sets of footsteps came down the hall. Nicole entered in first, looking fully awake with Scarlett and Chloe behind her. They weren't awake, made obvious by the fact they were in their sleeping clothes still.
"Morning humans," Chrissy greeted. Nicole flipped her off before stacking her plate of food. Not as awake as she looked, obviously. Scarlett and Chloe followed with their own plates, barely filling them.
"You ladies might want to take more than what you think you'll eat. I promise there won't be enough food seconds," Cora told them, "and if you can't eat it, you have a group of living garbage disposals surrounding you."
My college housemates laughed, nodding and added to their plates. When the three humans finished, Chrissy cleared her throat.
"Breakfast!"
Cora, Chrissy, and I began to get our own breakfast together as pounding footsteps grew above us. Scarlett and Chloe looked up at the roof with wide eyes. I chuckled at their expressions. Being at Talia Grove was very different than our place in Oakville. The kitchen filled with hungry, sleepy werewolves. I tried to squeeze past them as best and as gently as I could. In the morning, everyone was a bit more aggressive than necessary. The expression never wake up a sleeping bear? A sleeping werewolf could be worse. Someone bumped into my side, almost knocking the plate out of my hands. I glared at Will who only smirked and winked at me. It seemed whatever mood he was in during the fight yesterday was still hanging around. I spotted Kurtis coming down the stairs as I walked out of the kitchen. I angled my head towards the backdoor and he nodded. I sat alone at one of the patio tables, picking at the fruit on my plate. A few minutes later, Kurtis came outside with his own plate of food.
"Where's James?" I asked, my eyes on the grape between my fingers.
"Dining room, listening to your friend Chloe chatter. He won't be coming outside." We both sat silently for a moment, digging into our breakfasts.
"You know it doesn't surprise me that you asked for Daniel's file, with everything going on," Kurtis commented around the pancakes in his mouth.
"Do you remember anything from when he left?" I looked up at Kurtis, taking a bite from a strip of bacon.
Kurtis shook his head, "I was thirteen, so I wasn't involved in a lot. I do remember Daniel changing after Katerina died. Daniel wouldn't spend time with anyone but James. Eventually, it seemed James was too much for him to take care of. You probably don't remember this, but James looked a lot more like his mother when he was young. I'm sure that's what finally made Daniel crack. The day before he left, I remember Daniel yelling at someone, saying that he wanted them to come with him. I was in another room though; I don't remember the answer or who he was talking to."
"Did Daniel ever try to come back?" I pushed my plate away, intrigued by the mystery person.
Kurtis nodded, "Daniel showed up one night about two years after he left. He came to take James with him. He'd been living in Quebec. Your dad wouldn't let him in the house to see James. Daniel was furious, insisting he was different than when he'd left. Your parents both said no. Daniel wasn't himself, no matter what he said. He hit a level of anger that seemed to even shake your dad. I don't think I've ever seen someone like that. Daniel tried to challenge Charlie, but Scott was able to talk him down and convince him it was a bad idea. Eventually, Daniel just left and hasn't reappeared since."
"Why don't I remember that or ever hearing about it?"
"You were six at the time, chasing rabbits and trying to eat them. It wasn't something you were meant to know. As you got older, I guess your dad decided it was better to keep it from you. James didn't know about his father showing up either and if you didn't know, you couldn't tell him."
I nodded and picked apart a pancake with my hands. I was a toddler when Daniel left. I didn't remember any of the aftermath other than flashes of James crying, confused over why his father wasn't around. Would James have left, if my father had given him the choice when Daniel came back for him? I wished I could say he would've stayed but Daniel was his father, the only parent he had left. Was Daniel's anger now stemmed from my father's refusal to give him his son back?
I nodded and ate the last mouthful of breakfast. Kurtis was looking at me, expecting more questions. Standing up with my plate, I headed inside.
"Thank you, Kurtis."
After ditching my plate in the kitchen sink, I made my way up the stairs towards my bedroom. After what Kurtis said, I wanted to look through Daniel's file again. I'd almost reached the third floor when the doorbell rang. The entire house seemed to pause. Not many people rang the doorbell. I leaned against the wall, eavesdropping like everyone else probably was too. Aaron was talking to someone, but I couldn't identify the voice. The door shut, and Aaron yelled in my name. I groaned and went down to the entry of the house.
"What do you want?" I sighed. Aaron smirked, leaning against the wall.
"It's for you," he said. I rolled my eyes. Obviously, it was for me if I'd been summoned. I heard Chloe's voice from the dining room, adding confusion.
"The plot thickens."
My jaw dropped when I saw the person standing there. The man hadn't changed much since our high school graduation, hair a little longer but the smile on his face still the same.
"Dom?" I said, giving him a once over. He still looked just as good as I remembered.
I heard a shout from the dining room and a single pair of footsteps running to the front of the house. I was shoved out of the way as Drew came crashing into the foyer. I momentarily wondered when my twin brother had arrived.
"No way! Dominic, how've you been?" Drew wrapped Dominic Rogers into a hug, the two boys laughing. Dominic was my brother's high school best friend.
"Man, I didn't know you were going to stop by!"
"Well, you mentioned you guys were home, so I thought I'd come by and say hello," Dom said, shrugging his shoulders. Dom flashed me a smile and my heart tightened.
Drew patted Dom on the shoulder, "come in man, say hi to everyone."
I pushed off from leaning on the wall, following the boys further into the house. Aaron suggestively raised his eyebrows at me. I shook my head, rolling my eyes again. My godfather was annoying as hell.
"Look who's here for a visit!" Drew called into the dining room. A few people were left sitting around, including Scarlett and Chloe. Chrissy made a sound of surprise and jumped up, hugging Dom. Other than Will, Luke, and Brandon, Drew had to introduce Dominic to the rest. With his warm smile, Dom shook hands. Chloe reached out, a smile growing on her face.
"I wondered why I sensed magic. You're a warlock," she said. Dom raised his eyebrows, and I chuckled from my spot at the door.
"Chloe is a psychic."
Dom nodded, looking back at me, "I guessed that."
Next, Dom reached over to shake Scarlett's hand. A round of sparks shot off their hands touching. Everyone became concerned, stepping back.
"I guess that's means we can't be friends or have babies unfortunately. I'm Scarlett, a witch and Ash's housemate in Oakville."
I wanted to put my face into my palms at Scarlett's baby comment. I swear she tried her hardest to embarrass me sometimes.
"Now, that's probably a harsh self judgement," Dom paused for a second, "oh, you said witch! Never mind."
Scarlett rolled her eyes; it wasn't the first time she'd heard that joke. I snorted, particularly at Dominic's cheesy humour. Dom turned around, smiling at me. He walked up, throwing his arm over my shoulder with a loud sigh. My cheeks heated up when he kissed me on the head.
"I'm glad to see my girl has made some friends in college. I was worried she was going to be lonely with just Brandon and the other guy. What's his name?"
I ran my tongue along the backside of my teeth but ignored the jab. Dominic knew who James was. In James fashion though, he had never tried for friendship. Dominic responded in kind. I wanted to try and turn the conversation but, my ears detected the slight brush of footfall in the hallway, indicating someone approaching the room. I didn't have to hear her say his name or turn around. I knew it was him. Chrissy looked past where Dom and I stood in the doorway.
"James," she said as a tightness went down my spine. I glanced over Dom's arm. James' face was neutral, and his arms crossed, staring at the back of Dom's head. His eyes momentarily flickered to mine, to Dom's arm, then went back to glaring at Dom.
"That's it!"
Dom noticed that I was looking behind us, and he turned, "hey, look who it is! Still creeping around."
James's eyes went from Dom's face to his arm flung over my shoulder. I began to shift out from underneath it but Dom's hand tightened, stopping me.
"Dominic," was all James said with a head nod, which was more than I expected. Nicole squished around James into the room and gasped when she saw Dom. Nicole adored Dom ever since the first time she'd met him. She leapt forwards, hugging him. Dom took his arm off my shoulders, wrapping them around Nicole. I stepped away, giving them space.
"Hey sweetheart, how've you been?" he asked, chuckling.
The two had a short catch-up conversation. I stood to the side, watching my sister beam up at my friend. I could feel James looking at me, arms still crossed on his solid chest. I glanced at him, then cleared my throat and rolled my head, smiling at Nicole when she looked at me. It was a look I'd seen before. Dom checked his watch.
"I just wanted to stop by and say hi. Also, I wanted to ask Ashlyn to dinner? Seemed a bit better to ask in person than over text."
I resisted the urge to let my jaw drop. James shifted on his feet, arms flexing, and his hands balling into fists. I kept my eyes forward though, ignoring his immature response. In the back of my mind, I had a feeling Dominic was waiting to ask in front of James. I stuttered out an acceptance. I must've looked surprised because Dom started laughing. He kissed my forehead again.
"Alright, well it's time I go. Nice to see you guys," Dom waved and began to leave the dining room. James took a singular step out of the way. I continued to ignore his gaze as I followed Dom back to the front door. Dom picked his jacket off the hook, and I watched as he put it on. My cheeks heated as my eyes flickered to the movement of his shirt lifting, trying to catch a peek of the muscle underneath.
Dom smirked down to me, "I'll see you soon. I'll text you."
"Okay," my voice was quiet, making my inner self roll her eyes.
Dom kissed my cheek and left the house. The door shut and I released the heavy sigh sitting in my lungs. Turning around, I faced four females, two looking more excited than the other two.
"Damn, he's hot! You never told me he was hot!" Scarlett shoved my shoulder, offended.
"I've always told you that he likes you! You didn't believe me!" Nicole grabbed my hand, looking completely satisfied. Chrissy leaned against the wall and shrugged when I looked to her for help. I wouldn't get anything from her; she agreed with my sister. Chloe stood with her arms crossed, laughing at their shared reaction. From the smile on her face, I knew this was something she'd seen. I shook my head, pushing through them.
Walking further into the house, the four girls on my heels, I heard a loud thud shake against the wall. Checking in the dining room, I was taken aback by what I saw. James had Will pinned, forearm crushing his throat. Will had a look of extreme satisfaction, a smile for the reaction he'd received. Luke and Brandon were trying to get between them. I rushed into the room and did what they couldn't by physically putting myself in between James and Will. With my back to Will, I did my best to shove James backwards. I had enough strength to make him step back but that was enough for Luke and Brandon to step in front of him, shoulder to shoulder. Will and James continued to stare each other down as if the three of us weren't in the middle.
"What the hell?" I shouted.
James glanced down at me. He had no emotion in his eyes. James left the room in silence, Nicole and Chloe scurrying out of the way to not be trampled.
"What happened?" I snapped. Luke made the mistake of making eye contact with me as he stepped out of the way, and with the raise of my eyebrows, he stuttered out words.
"Will made a comment that James didn't like."
"And that was?"
Luke looked at Brandon, almost pleading for him to say it instead. Brandon shook his head, stepping back.
"If he was a real man or an honourable werewolf, he wouldn't let Dominic just come in here," Luke mumbled.
"He said more than just that," Scott muttered, sitting back down at the table. I raised my eyebrows higher, expecting Luke to tell me.
"I don't want to say it," Luke looked back at me, "it wasn't very nice."
I glared at Will, who still stood against the wall and no expression on his face.
"It was kind of gross," Luke said, discomfort on his face. Chloe gasped from the doorway; the words flowing from Luke's mind into hers. I looked at Will again, now smirking at Chloe's disgusted reaction. Loosing my composure, I slapped Will across the face. One of the girls behind me gasped. I was shocked too. I didn't plan on physically releasing that frustration.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Will faced me, growling from his throat. I stepped up to him, ignoring the fact he was six inches taller than me and possibly double my weight. The room was tense. It didn't matter that it was no longer two 200-pound men facing off, they knew this was as dangerous and no one was dumb enough to try and come in the middle this time. Will's eyes flashed with a challenge; the wolf part of my brain was ready to accept it. The rational, human part knew better then potentially ruining my parents' dining room table. I released a threatening snarl and backed away, leaving the dining room. I didn't like backing down, but the rational side seemed to win. Nicole came into my view, frozen with her hands covering her mouth. Scarlett, Chloe, and Chrissy moved out of my way and followed me up the stairs.
I dropped onto my bed, still feeling the rush of anger radiating in my chest. If we'd stood in the dining room much longer, it would've been me fighting with Will and I could only hope we made it outside. I should be proud I was able to walk away. Chloe sat in the corner on my reading chair, flipping through a magazine.
"Well, forget what just happened. It's time to find you something to wear on your date," Scarlett said, flinging open the closet doors. She flipped through clothes as Chrissy shuffled through my dresser. I watched them for a second, a weird feeling in my stomach, before tugged my phone out of my back pocket. I scrolled through Twitter while my clothing was being rifled through.
"Is there always that much testosterone flowing through this house?" Scarlett asked, holding a dress up to the light.
Chrissy chuckled, "yes, all the time. It's pathetic but also extremely entertaining, especially when that one gets involved."
Knowing she was referring to me, I flipped her off without looking up from my phone. Scarlett shook her head laughing and picked out another dress.
"Ashlyn, what's this?"
I lifted my head to see Chloe holding the brown file. I dropped my phone down, scratching the back of my neck. Scarlett and Chrissy stopped what they were doing, looking at what Chloe had. Their eyes traveled to me, and I was hit by a wave of discomfort.
"It's the Pack's file on Daniel Blake."
"Why do you have that?" Chrissy asked, comparing two dresses. Apparently, my clothing choices were more important to her.
"I don't trust Daniel. It's obvious that he's appeared again for his own gain, and I want to make sure that before James makes a naïve decision, he won't get hurt," I explained, shrugging my shoulders.
"That's sweet," Chloe commented, flipping through the pages but her eyes were on me. I couldn't tell if she was being shown something in her head or reading my expression.
"Does James know?" Chrissy giving me a look she already knew the answer.
I shook my head, "no, and I don't want him to know. He'd think I was snooping and insist on reading it himself. He'll try and debunk every issue I think could present."
I took the file from Chloe's hands, putting it in the top drawer of my desk. I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I was feeling guilty again and selfishly, I didn't want to feel it.
"No more sad talk, you have a date!"
Scarlett threw one of my dresses towards me, which I caught with no issue. I recognized it as one of the more revealing pieces I owned.
"It's not a date," I said, sitting back down on my bed. Chrissy rolled her head to me and scoffed, one of my bras in her hands.
"Bullshit. You know it's a date, I know it's a date, and you're going to look damn good," Scarlett told me, putting her hands on her hips. I had a feeling I was going to be bullied into an outfit, no matter how I felt about it.