I tapped my fingers on the side of a ceramic mug, watching people walk by the wide cafe window. Scott and Kurtis sat at the table, scrolling through their phones. We'd arrived early for a meeting with Dominic. Hopefully it would be a non-hostile conversation. He'd called me this morning, asking to speak privately. I'd called him back to give the answer, discussing it with Chrissy first. I was still angry with him, but I was intrigued about what he wanted.
My phone vibrating on the tale drew my attention from the outside. It was a text from Nicole. Since I left the house, she'd convinced James using her childlike charm to go with her to a local pop-up arcade. Apparently, he'd won her a large stuffed bear that was now in his custody. Nicole decided James needed a fun day away from werewolves now that he was free to move around without too much pain.
James still wasn't talking to me after our blow-up over his father. I had a feeling the opposing opinions on his father was a point of tension for awhile. I knew it'd been bubbling inside of me, but I guess I hadn't hidden it as well as I thought I was.
"There's the magical pretty boy," Kurtis commented, jerking his chin to the window. As he walked inside the shop, a few teenage girls checked him out. Dominic sent them a smile before turning his attention to me.
"I get why James was always jealous of that guy," Scott muttered, drinking from his coffee. I rolled my eyes and ignored his comment. Looking back outside, a black BMW idling at the curb caught my attention. Two men sat in the front, wearing sunglasses. It didn't take much to guess they were Dominic's ride and security.
I gave Dominic a welcoming smile as he approached. Standing up, I gave him a friendly hug. I didn't want this to start off on the wrong foot. His hug was kind in return. Dominic gave an awkward, stiff nod to Kurtis and Scott who returned the gesture.
"Will you guys move to another table? Thanks."
They both stood up and started mumbling to each other. I rolled my eyes. Somehow the Pack was always childish.
"Keep your hands-on top of the table, where we can see them," Scott instructed Dominic, smirking as they walked away. I knew their double meaning behind the words.
"I didn't realize you were going to bring anyone else," Dominic commented.
"And what about your sidekicks?"
"They're staying outside."
Dominic smiled in thanks to the waitress who brought over a coffee for him. I leaned back, watching him and drank from my tea. His eyes stayed on his beverage, but kept his chin raised. It was quite the mixture of emotions.
"How's my mother doing?" I asked, pushing the mug around in circles.
"From what I've been told, she's doing better. Her brain waves are normal, and her hands are twitching. Our doctors detected a spell on her brain, and they've begun looking to see which it is."
I nodded, satisfied with the answer. I don't know what else I expected to hear. At least he wasn't telling me that she was doing worse.
"If I asked about how you got her out of the hospital, would you tell me?"
"No," Dominic said, after pretending to think it over. I shook my head with a smile at his theatrics.
"How do you feel after the fire?" Dominic asked, taking a drink from his cup. I paused the mug against my bottom lip.
"How did you know about that?"
"It was in the paper," Dominic shrugged, "no names mentioned but I recognized the address. You just confirmed that you were involved, but I had assumed you were only affected. Can I assume it's to do with this rebelling situation your father is facing?"
I nodded, taking a drink from my tea. Charlie hadn't mentioned the fire had made the news, but I should have looked.
"Charlie, James, and Brandon were the only injuries and they're all healing. Our Pack doctor is taking good care of them."
"James has been fundamental in getting you through your stress of the incident then," Dominic said after a mouthful of coffee.
I choked briefly on my drink, "what do you mean?"
Dominic stared at me, with a look saying he thought I was joking. We started at each other as I finished coughing. Still not having anything to say, I opened my mouth then shut it. I don't know how he jumped to that conclusion. I scrunched my eyebrows and shrugged, not knowing how else to answer.
Dominic scoffed, "I always knew you two would end up together. He's too obsessed with you, you were going to fall for it eventually."
Dominic's eyes were looking out the window, and his jaw shifted. Dominic was always annoyed by James' presence and my friendship with him, but that comment showed a deeper, unhealed wound.
"What did James say to you that night?" I asked.
Dominic's eyes snapped to my face. I'd hit the nail on the head. Dominic realized he'd slipped up in keeping a neutral face, and he faced the window again. He didn't say a word. I sighed.
"Look, you're the one who called me. I asked the only question I had. What do you want, Dominic? I'd like to go home please."
Dominic was quiet for another minute, and I watched his eyes flicker along the people outside. I tapped my finger against the table. I was about to get up. Hopefully that would move him along. He let out a short sigh, looking at me.
"I'm sorry for how I behaved on our date. Truly, I did want to ask you out. The Board happened to encourage me to do it as well. When I checked your phone, you weren't supposed to know. I didn't even think I'd get in anyways. It's not how I wanted the night to go."
I clenched my jaw, stopping myself from rolling my eyes at his pathetic response.
"How were you expecting it to go? You used manipulation to get me alone and have me gossip about Pack business? You could run straight to the Board with all your juicy information? The situation has nothing to do with you and it's none of your business," I snapped.
"If those wolves killed you and your family, they would have free range over our world to play out their mad ideas. So yes, I think the rest of us should get a say on this particular decision."
"You can have a say, maybe add in a comment or two. We just don't have to listen to you."
"Well maybe you should. We know things that your father doesn't."
"Your point?" I asked, pressing my tongue against my cheek.
"We can help next time."
I let out an airy laugh, "there won't be a next time because we can handle it," I pushed my chair back, "so you're wrong, unsurprisingly. It's a good thing that you and the Board aren't making decisions because you don't understand anything."
I began walking away from the table, when Dominic mumbled, only for me to hear.
"You should be thankful we're willing to help you. More Pack members will end up dead without our help."
I ignored his words and left the coffee shop, Kurtis, and Scott behind me. I stormed out, annoyed by the useless conversation. Pacing on the sidewalk, I glared at the pedestrians who passed by too closely. One man gave me a once over and I grit my teeth at him, threatening growl rising in my throat. He scurried away. A wave of frustration went through me. Stupidly, I kicked a wooden telephone pole next to me. Bits of wood flew off, a few strangers looking at me in concern. I didn't care.
I stomped back to Kurtis and Scott watching me. I opened my mouth to start ranting to them, but the words froze in my throat, seeing Dominic coming out of the shop. He didn't look at us as he walked to the vehicle idling. We watched him get into the black BMW and it drove away.
"They may be protecting my mother, but I don't trust the Board. He wouldn't even tell me how they got her out of the hospital, as if it's some big secret," I looked at Kurtis.
"I'm surprised you didn't punch him, honestly," he said. I gave him a sarcastic smirk, flipping him off. If he had said much more, I would've been tempted.
"Now the Board thinks it has a good reason for sticking its damn nose in our business. The Strays did enough damage to put us on a radar that didn't exist before. Now they think they can meddle. Those," I spat out the next word, "mutts are ruining more than just our structure."
"Actually, it's not just the Board anymore," Scott said, clearing his throat.
I turned my gaze from where the BMW disappeared to the dark-haired man.
"What are you talking about?"
Scott looked at Kurtis then back to me, obviously uncomfortable. The hulking man shrugged his shoulders and stepped away from his friend. Scott cleared his throat.
"The Cabinet has been contacting your dad. They want him to join."
I looked between them, waiting for the smiles to crack on their faces. Except they both looked too uncomfortable to be a joke.
I shoved open my father's office door, letting it bang against the wall. Charlie and Aaron sat up, alerted. I stopped just past the frame, crossing my arms. Kurtis and Scott snuck around me to the available seats, like children who knew they were about to be in trouble.
"You were offered a seat in the Cabinet? Why am I finding out from these knuckleheads? Does Tyler know?" I snapped. Scott scoffed behind me. I glared at him, raising my eyebrows. He looked down, not wanting my attention on him anymore.
Charlie sighed, leaning back against his chair. He rubbed his eyes, not prepared for this conversation, and sent a glare to the other two.
"She was freaking out! Plus, you told us to tell her at a good time if we had to," Scott's voice dwindled at the end of his sentence. Under the pressure of our stares, his chin sunk into his neck.
"I will say, it wasn't the best timing. Scott kind of panicked. She'd just broken a telephone pole," Kurtis commented, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. Charlie sent a look my way. I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
"I didn't break a telephone pole. I damaged it. It was made of wood and old. It would have fallen apart if I looked at it the wrong way," I reasoned, "anyways, why didn't you tell me?"
Charlie sighed again, "there hasn't been a proper moment to bring it up. Besides, I'm still considering about their offer. They think I'd be a good addition in house because I'm a lawyer. Being a werewolf is the main appeal, obviously. It's not just because I'm the Alpha. Lawrence was offered a seat as well."
I tapped my big toe inside of my sock, thinking over his words. The worst of my worries began to fade finding out he wouldn't be alone in a room of strangers with an agenda. I stared at my father, with a glance at Aaron.
"Do you trust them?"
"I have no reason not to," Charlie shrugged. I nodded, running my hand through my hair. I went behind him and gave my father a brief hug.
"Congratulations then," I said, "I still think the timing of the invitation is weird."
"Noted," Charlie said, a smile in his voice. I just rolled my eyes, smiling.
The Abilities Cabinet of Canada has been around for a hundred years. Its members are elected, with their goal to keep everyone safe, Abilities and humans alike. They had connections with the human world, like lawyers such as my father for example. The Cabinet also ruled over other organizations, like the Board of Magic or the Coven, the official grouping of witches. They made sure no shady business was happening behind the scenes. It often felt like we were branches of a franchise business. Technically, the Pack was one of the organizations they monitored, but werewolves hadn't submitted a representative in the Cabinet for over thirty years. We hadn't made too much of a fuss and the Strays hadn't made spectacles of themselves, so the Cabinet left us alone.
"How was your meeting with Dominic?" Aaron asked, changing the subject. I sat on the couch to answer, but Scott beat me to it.
"She told him off. Ran away with tears in his eyes and his tail between his legs."
"No, I did not!" I looked to Kurtis for back up, but he just shrugged his shoulders, "he was behaving high and mighty, and I did not appreciate it. I let him know that."
I glared at Scott, turning back to my father and Aaron. They both were holding back smirks.
"Ashlyn, when don't you let people know what you think?" Aaron sarcastically asked, taking a drink of bourbon. I dropped my jaw in offense and chucked a pillow at him.
A soft knock came from the door. Nicole smiled at us when we turned to her, but she was uncomfortable. She tugged at her own fingers, looking at me.
"Ash, can I borrow you for a minute? It's important."
After checking with Charlie that he didn't need anything more from me, I followed my sister out of the office. We stopped outside of the second-floor bathroom that connected her bedroom with Sarah's. I raised my eyebrows.
"Sarah started her period and all I have are pantyliners. Do you have any tampons?" I chuckled, leaning closer to the door.
"Sarah? How are you feeling?"
"Weird," her small voice came through the door, "I didn't think this much blood could come out of me without death following."
Nicole and I both laughed at her statement, our first observation of getting our periods were similar.
"Okay, you go downstairs and get her some pain killers and water. I'll run upstairs and get a tampon from my bathroom," I instructed my sister then turned the door, "did you hear all that, Sarah?"
"Yes. Thank you."
I walked in to my ensuite, opening the cupboard under my sink. I'd become equipped for this situation when my mother reminded me that I was the only one who could walk Sarah though this process. Sarah was the last female in the Pack to get her period, meaning her first shift to a wolf was only a few months away. Until then, she'd be uncomfortable constantly, her body pushing to do something it wasn't entirely ready to. Cora hadn't thought about this transition in a few decades and Chrissy was a bitten werewolf. Her first transformation was after the onset of puberty. Nicole and Stella didn't know the experience.
I knocked on the bathroom door, opening it slightly when Sarah gave me the okay. I tossed the tampon in the general direction of the toilet and shut the door again. I hated pads and I knew Sarah would too.
"Do you know how to put it in properly?"
"Yeah, Nicole made me start watching how to videos the other day when I told her my stomach was hurting."
I snorted, leaning on the wall beside the door. I did my best not to listen to Sarah grumble about her situation. When she was finished, Sarah came out into the hallway with an odd look on her face. Nicole stopped beside me, holding out ibuprofen and a glass of water.
"How does it feel?" I asked, knowing this was an awkward conversation. Sarah shrugged.
"Strange, but it doesn't hurt. I think I put it in right."
Footsteps thudded up the stairs behind us. Appearing on the landing was Robb, visiting once again, and Aaron. The pair were looking at us, having heard the conversation.
"Put what in right?" Robb wondered innocently. I glanced at Sarah, who's face grew red. I dropped my head, smirking at the ground.
"A tampon. Sarah got her period."
Sarah gasped, smacking Nicole across the arm at answering the question. I let out another snort of laughter at my sister's bluntness.
"What? Trust me, they'll figure it out quickly. It's not scentless to a werewolf. When you start having mood swings or cramps, they'll know, and they'll be the ones tasked with getting you chocolate. It's better to just be honest."
I rolled my eyes behind my sister. She did often use the Pack as her valet to get things when she was on her period. But as the baby of the family, Charlie let it slide. Sarah still looked horrified. It complimented the half grossed out, half surprised look on Robb's face. Aaron let out a low rumbling laugh and gave Sarah a hug.
'You'll be fine, I promise. As you know, no one is as terrifying as Ashlyn on her period. It gets violent sometimes. Things occasionally break. You should've seen her when she was your age. I think we replaced a couple windows and at least two bedroom doors."
I scoffed, sticking my middle finger up at Aaron, even though I was laughing with the rest of them. Robb was still surprised though.
"This is definitely not how we talk about these things back home."
"Around here, we're incredibly open. No one can keep their own secrets," Aaron told him. Robb awkwardly nodded, not planning on asking for more information. It was true.it may be a big house, but it wasn't that big.
Tyler came up the stairs, stopping behind our group. My older brother looked very serious. It was concerning. He pointed to Robb, Aaron, and I through his crossed arms.
"Dad needs you three. Brian Hayes is calling."