Campbell family
Leila did not sleep well.
It was expected because of the first-night syndrome. Moreover, it was a little difficult to relax in enemy territory. She did not know how deeply the Campbells were involved in her past and how far they were willing to go to hide their secrets.
Therefore, she felt she had to sleep with one metaphorical eye open.
After a quick shower, she walked to the balcony. She liked the garden view because she could imagine it was wild land and stretched for miles, even though she could see the fence to the next property.
When she stepped on the balcony, she froze.
That scent…
She was sure it was the same scent she found lingering in her apartment. Like in the apartment, the smell was light and fleeting. Moreover, she could not find its source or trail. It was like it just appeared from nowhere.
Her eyes flashed with anger and annoyance because she was now sure someone was watching her. She did not know their intention, but no one would be comfortable knowing that they were being followed.
Unfortunately, her inner wolf was not reacting as it should.
Werewolves, by nature, were territorial, sensitive, and protective. Any invasion of their space would activate their fight-or-flight instincts, depending on the level of danger perceived.
In some cases, if their spaces were violated, some wolves would simply move to avoid offensive smells that indicated the presence of unwelcome people. For a wolf, a smell was almost as bad as an attack.
Leila expected her inner wolf instincts to arise within her with a growl of anger at the presence of the foreign scent. Instead, she did not feel the struggle to keep her anger and discomfort in check.
She even felt a little more in control of her inner turbulence as she inhaled that scent. With purely human annoyance, she left the balcony angrily and went downstairs. She would deal with this matter later.
"Good morning," She said politely.
The responses were quiet and polite except for Holly.
"Oh look, the queen has finally joined us," Holly called out as soon as she entered the living room.
Leila was a little surprised that everyone was up because she assumed that most families slept in on Sundays. It was the reason she took quite some time taking a shower and getting ready. However, it seemed like the Campbells were morning people.
"Holly, you do not need to always be snarky," Amelia said. "Leila is probably not used to waking up early."
"I thought all villagers wake up early to feed the chickens and water their vegetables," Holly said with a superior look on her face as she looked at Leila.
When she took in the appearance of the village girl, she felt annoyed. She expected her to look a little bit shabby, but her look was too perfect. The colourful romper accentuated her petite body, and her ponytail exposed her cute face perfectly.
"We do. I am just not used to sleeping here yet, so I ended up being uncomfortable for most of the night. I hope I have not delayed everyone." Leila said.
There was silence.
"Not at all," Charlotte said. "We usually have brunch outside on Sundays instead of having the usual breakfast. This way, we can give Rosemary and the other employees a break to be with their families."
Leila nodded but inside her heart, she thought that was nice and all, but they could have let her know about it the previous night. Now, she looked like an evil person who was not considerate of others.
"My apologies. I will keep it in mind," She said.
If she did not need to be friendly to these Campbells, she would have beaten all of them up. She could not remember the last time she had to apologise to anyone except for her grandparents.
"Alright, let us leave then," Isaiah said while standing.
Leila looked at the family and felt a little amused. This was a perfect family. It had all the objective essentials of a healthy home, even when looking from the inside. A present father, a diligent mother, children with diverse personalities, and an effort to spend time together…
However, she could not help but feel there was a disconnect in their interactions. She felt like the Campbells were one of those families in thriller movies that began with a fun road trip and ended with everyone killing each other.
Maybe, she needed to lay off thriller and horror movies too.
"How should we drive, honey?" Charlotte asked.
"We should take two cars since we do not have a suitable large-size vehicle." Isaiah declared.
Charlotte wanted to tell him that she was more concerned about the arrangements about who would go with whom. But before she could say anything, Amelia volunteered to drive.
"I can drive! I will take Leila with me." Amelia offered.
Holly practically gasped in horror at the betrayal by her sister. She was aligned with the enemy! It did not make sense why Amelia was going out of her way to make friends with an outsider.
"I will also go with Amelia," Mason spoke up.
The young boy had been practically forgotten by the rest of the family, but he was present in a simple black suit. He looked like a little gentleman as he stood with his hands in his pockets.
Everyone looked at him in surprise because he rarely expressed any preferences or interests.
"Maybe all the kids can take one vehicle?" Charlotte said.
Charlotte was still cautious and wary of Leila's intentions in coming to Lake City. Therefore, she was afraid that Leila would form alliances within her family and find strong bonds that might weaken the Campbells.
She wanted to keep a close eye on her by treating her well, but there had to be a limit on her comfort within the Campbell home.
"Mom, I want to take the sports car you got me for my last birthday. I rarely get to drive it." Amelia said with an atypical, spoiled voice. "Mason can fit in the back, but Holly would be uncomfortable."
Charlotte smiled stiffly, but she did not push the issue. On the other hand, Holly glared at the two betrayers and the outsider before following her parents. If they wanted to support Leila, she would have nothing to do with them.
Leila followed Amelia and Mason to the parking space at the back of the property. The car Amelia was talking about was quite cool. It was a great sports brand, and the charcoal black colour was elegant.
As the vehicle drove out of the estate, Amelia looked at Leila who was strapped into the seat. Her face was calm as if driving in a car worth millions was a daily occurrence to her. This grated on Amelia's nerves.
"Do you know how to drive?" She asked.
"A little bit," Leila responded casually.
"I did not think that people drove around in Nirvana village," Amelia said.
Leila scoffed in her heart. If she thought so, why did she ask? But she did not say that.
"I am the youngest person in the village, so I had to learn how to drive so I could go to the town to buy anything the villagers needed. It is a bit hard for old people to run errands outside their homesteads." Leila replied.
"They must be having a hard time right now without you," Amelia said with a tone that implied that Leila was being neglectful of the people who raised her. But inside her heart, she was thinking that the village was as ridiculous as a historical romance.
"I convinced them to hire someone to help them around the village. They do not like interference, but I think they are just too proud to accept help from outsiders." Leila said. "You know, as a granddaughter, they would welcome you to help them without issues."
Amelia cringed at the thought. "I wish I could, but I am starting an internship soon. After that, I am going to the university in the Capital City."
Leila chuckled in her heart. As expected, Amelia was only interested in benefits, but she was not willing to put in the work. Her smile turned a little crafty as she looked at the little man in the back seat.
"What about you, Mason?" She asked. "Would you like to visit Grandpa and Grandma in Nirvana Village? I think they miss me a lot, and they would be happy to see one of their grandchildren."
Mason was a little startled at someone speaking to him directly. He was silent for a moment before responding.
"Will they like me?" He asked in a small voice with a lot of doubt.
Leila felt sad for the boy, but she did not show it. "It depends. Are you hard working?"
Mason did not find the question odd. He would have felt that it was a lie if Leila said they would like him unconditionally. He hesitated before he nodded.
Leila clapped her hands with a smile. "Excellent! I will ask Grandma and Grandpa, and you will ask your parents. Then, I will teach you everything you need to know to survive in the village, starting with building your physical strength."
Amelia gritted her teeth as she listened to the cheerful Leila, making plans for her little brother. Unfortunately, she could not say anything because Leila offered her the opportunity to get close to their grandparents first.
Feeling frustrated, she glared at Mason through the rearview mirror to warn him, but he just turned his eyes away from her.