Page 90 of Bewicched

He was quiet for a moment. The only sound was the truck’s tires on pavement. “I realized I don’t want to go back there. Ever. My mother and father were murdered there. The pack fell apart because of more murders.” He shook his head. “I don’t want that. It’d be like buying a haunted house so you can be near the dead.

“I like it here,” he continued, “on the Pacific Ocean. I could use a little peace, you know?” He glanced over and I nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m not making this decision because of you. Even if you throw me off your deck again and tell me to get lost, I’d still want to be in this area. It feels right. So I texted Logan and formally challenged him.”

He turned down the road to Gran’s. “The last time was a failed ambush. It needs to be a fair fight. That’s the only way the pack will accept me. Next full moon, we’ll meet on pack lands and battle for Alpha.”

He pulled into Gran’s driveway and parked next to Mom’s car. There were already quite a few cars here. “You want to hear something funny?”

“Hmm?”

He turned off the engine. “As soon as I’d made my decision, a stray wave hit the post in front of me, sending a fine mist of sea spray into my face. It felt like a sign.”

I hid a smile, sliding out of his truck. I was pretty sure that was Dad’s seal of approval. When I leaned back in for the carrier, it was gone. Declan slammed his door, came around the truck, and offered me his free hand.

I knew what he was asking. Were we going to really do this and if so, were we telling people? I took his hand, pulling him down so his ear was close to my mouth, whispering, “I need you to watch and listen. Chances are our sorcerer will be here. I have history with these people. I won’t see them with clear eyes. I need you to.”

He nodded, moved my hand to his elbow, escorting me to the door. “I’m on it, Ursula.”

38

My Cousins Suck

Gran’s living room was already crowded with family in various stages of mourning. Mom saw us and gave me a look I knew quite well. It was theWhy, Arwyn? Why are you doing this?look. I nodded in greeting, pretending her disapproval went right over my head. I’d been pretending not to notice her disapproval for most of my life. It was our thing.

I heard the wordearrings hissed within seconds of entering. Oh, good. We were starting right away. Declan stuck with me as I made my way to the refreshments table. I wore a small black patent leather crossbody bag on a delicate silver chain. Sylvia had given it to me years ago, but I rarely ever did fancy, so it had remained in tissue paper in my closet. Today, since I had no dressy black overalls with big pockets, I used the bag for my phone, wallet, keys, and gloves.

I took a pair of plastic gloves out, pulled them over my regular ones, and transferred the tartlets from the carrier to the empty serving plate Mom had left for me. Once empty, I stowed the carrier under the table, hidden by the long tablecloth, and then looked for Gran so I could offer my condolences.

She was sitting on the patio, watching the ocean alone, which was odd. Why wasn’t anyone with Gran? I pulled on Declan’s arm again. When he lowered his head, I said, “I want to talk to Gran. Can you stay in here? Watch and listen?”

He nodded, turning back to the table and taking a tartlet.

I’d only taken a few steps, though, before my cousin Colin appeared in front of me. “I heard that old cannery finally burned down.”

“Nope.” I tried to move past him. “It’s good to see you, Colin.” Although, seeing you in Hell would be better.

“Wait,” he said, grabbing my arm, keeping me beside him.

I can’t tell you how I knew this, but I absolutely knew Declan was watching, waiting to see if I needed his help. It could have all been in my head—my back was to him, after all—but for the first time in ever, it felt like someone had my back at one of these cousin things.

I stared down at Colin’s hand until he reluctantly removed it. “Yes?”

“I can’t believe you!” he whisper-shouted. “They’ve lost their mother and you just have to rub it in, with those fucking earrings, that Sylvia loved you more than her own daughters.” He shook his head. “You’re such a freak.”

Is that what they’d thought? “Aunt Sylvia loved everyone, but no one more than Uncle John, Serena, and Calliope. Don’t disparage her like that. I’m wearing them because she gave them to me and I miss her.”

When he reached for me again, I sidestepped his hand and had taken two steps to the patio door when Serena slid in front of me.

“It’s always about you, isn’t it?” Tears gleamed in her eyes, but she was pissed off. That was clear.

Over Serena’s shoulder, I saw my cousins Cat and Mia staring and whispering behind cups of tea. “I’m very sorry for your loss. You know how much I loved your mother. The world is—”

“Shut up. Why are you even here?” Apparently, whisper-shouting insults at me was the theme of this event. She shook her head, disgust written all over her face. “You show up late—with a date,” she sneered, “and parade around in those stupid earrings.”

“I don’t parade.”

“She wasmymother. Not yours. You have your own, cold bitch that she is.” Her gaze was over my shoulder, where I assumed my mother was talking with someone. “Why is my mom dead? She was fine! A couple of days ago, she was perfectly fine. And then she’s in a coma, a fuckingcoma? Dad can’t heal her, can’t even reach her, but there you are. You and your mother are in her room in the middle of the night and she dies? No. I’m not buying it.”

“Mom had a feeling about her sister,” I explained, “and needed to see her. She was at my place, so I went with her. That’s all.” We weren’t sayingsorcereryet. It would cause a panic and we needed more info first.

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