Page 16 of Snow's Charming
“Fine! Anything but mind meld. Now, here’s what I was thinking, Chary.” I said.
Everyone gatheredat the main desk, and Chary motioned for them to go to the back office behind the check-in station. Sleeper sucked in a breath.
“Chary is usually the one to give you the intel, but since I know more about this situation, he’s asked me to take the lead. I hope that’s fair with y’all.”
The group nodded. So, Sleeper sucked in another breath to continue. “First, I’d like to address you, Sesi, because this plan is contingent upon your approving it. We will do nothing without your say.”
I gazed at Sleeper with furrowed brows.
“What are you talking about?”
“There’s no easy way to sugarcoat this for you, Sesi, so I’m just going to rip the bandage off. Is that okay with you?”
I nodded, not knowing what more to say.
“Jackie came to see me today, and she tried to cast a spell on me. She wanted to brainwash me into killing you.”
I swallowed hard as I gazed at Sleeper and pressed a hand to my chest. My heart was pounding so fast I assumed it would burst through my ribcage. I didn’t want to hear any of this. All I wanted was to retreat tothe bedroom and spend the afternoon with Sylus. Ever since I got here, Sylus has been the calming presence I needed and wanted. All in one night over grilled cheese, tomato soup, fries, and conversation, he proved to be my home, my sense of belonging, something I never thought I’d have.
I had some moments of happiness and a sense of belonging with my father, but Jackie was never any of those things to me. I understand that now and want nothing more than to put all the pain she caused me far behind me.
The thing was, I couldn’t escape this. Jackie wanted to continue hurting me and my real family, and I would not let her do this any longer. As an adult, Sleeper was giving me the one thing I never had at the Snow Estate: a chance to make things right. I also needed to decide on my role in this pack. Did I want to be their Luna and take on that responsibility I knew almost nothing about? Or not? Either way, I had to hear Sleeper out and stop hiding.
“Sleeper, did you get any intel about what we were talking about last night?”
“Not just yet, Sylus, but Jerry is on it.”
“Good.”
I furrowed my brows again, this time in Sylus’s direction.
“It’s nothing, princess. I’m just gathering some intel on Jackie. We can’t be too careful.”
He’d given me a small smile. Something told me Ishouldn’t press the issue, so I directed my gaze back to Sleeper.
“Well, first let me explain that she’s a witch, Sesi. However, please understand that she can’t enchant me to do her bidding. I want to make that clear. I’m a werewitch. A regular witch can’t put me under a spell’s influence because of my hybrid nature. I’m a witch and a werewolf. Second? We suspected your father was under her spell but didn’t have proof until he’d gotten cancer and sought us out. The brigade hated the situation, and that’s why we came to the funeral. We wanted to protect you from her. None of us thought Jackie was both verbally and physically abusive toward you. Nor did any of us believe she was capable of hiring a hitman. If we thought for a second that you and Baseline were in trouble…” His voice broke as he scrubbed a hand over his face.
I crossed my arms and let out a slow-steady breath.
“It’s okay, Sleeper. I think I can speak for us all and say none of us, including myself, believed she was this evil.” Another steady breath passed my lips before continuing. “I’m sorry, something’s coming over me. I rarely get this upset.”
Sylus placed two steady hands on my shoulders. His warmth and breathing calmed my inner diva, who I now knew to be my wolf.
Shit—wolf! I’ve got to tell them all!
“I forgot to tell all of you—I shifted last night for the first time.”
“That’s great, Sesi,” Chary said with a smile. “Thatmakes this mission a little easier. We have to train you and your wolf in some basic combat moves, but having your wolf’s claws and sharp teeth are much better than your human limbs for defense against Jackie.”
Sleeper smiled. “I’m glad you finally shifted, little wolf. Like Chary said, that’s a good thing. But now’s the hard part…” His voice broke again as he sucked in a breath and rubbed the back of his neck before he continued. “She didn’t want me to just use my skills.” He cleared his throat. “The ones that the army taught me—anyway.”
I wasn’t following, and he must have understood that from the confused look I was projecting across my face. Why wouldn’t she want him to shoot me? That would be the easiest thing for a marksman like him. I gazed up at him as he placed a hand over my trembling one. I still couldn’t believe my stepmonster wanted to kill me.
“Sesi, she wanted me to make you eat a spell-induced poisonous apple to put you to sleep. Once you were immobile, she wanted me to mutilate your body and hand over your heart to her as proof I killed you.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but his face turned four shades of green as he told me this gruesome tale. And that color was a picture of how much bile was churning in my stomach. I wanted to puke up everything I ate in the past 24 hours—scratch that—the last week if that were possible! What the fuck? After years of calling her a stepmonster, Jackie finally gave me the proof that she was an evil bitch. What personwould want to mutilate a body? She was psychotic for sure.
“That’s, um, hmmm—I’m not sure what to say except that this woman should have her practical magic membership card taken away from her,” I said.
