Page 48 of Mated To The King's Gamma
“And you are still with him?” she asks, aghast.
“I don’t remember her. It was before I was born. All I know is what my mother told me about her.”
“And what was that?” Tandi asks curiously.
“That they had a fight. It was why my mother and father left the pack. So I have no memory of her. I only remember my grandmother when mom would sneak me to see her when I was little.” I had hardly any memories I could recall of Abbie. In fact, I could scarcely remember a time without Abbie.
“I don’t remember you ever leaving?” I tell her, confused.
“What?” Abbie asks, looking at me, just as confused as I felt.
“You and Marrissa came with us a few times. My grandmother! She had curly red hair and always wore those bone things around her neck. You told me she looked like the wicked witch,” Abbie laughs.
Confused, I try to recall this memory or anything of that she spoke of.
“She used to have the giant tire swing out the back under the banyan tree?” Abbie tells me. I shake my head.
“Well, turns out you were right about her. She was a witch and human,” Abbie tells me with a laugh, yet I am still wondering why I have no memories of this. Liam comes over to us and hands Abbie a glass, making me sniff the air. I glance at Liam, swearing I can smell blood, but he looks fine. I shake my head, believing I imagined it, and sip my glass of wine I still haven’t finished. Abbie sips her glass and pulls a face at its bitterness.
“Wait, your grandmother was a witch?” Trey asks, sounding curious.
“That’s what Gannon said. Why?” Abbie answers him.
“Nothing, just the name Sia sounds familiar to me for some reason,” Trey tells her but offers nothing else.
“So where is your grandmother now, then? Maybe she can do a location spell on my daughter,” Tandi says, mumbling the last part.
“Dead. We killed her when she came after Gannon for killing her daughter,” Liam says matter-of-factly as if Abbie isn’t sitting across from him.
“Woah, hold up! You killed her grandmother, too?” Tandi asks, shocked.
“Yep, and…” Liam’s words suddenly cut off when the door opens. The lights flicker on, and we turn toward the doors.
“Okay. I was woken up by a guard saying someone was messing around in my kitchen, only to find my mud cake gone, along with half the pantry!”
Simultaneously, everyone points at Trey, who throws his hands up, and I giggle.
“And no one thought to invite me?” Clarice demands, wandering over. She plucks the whiskey bottle out of Liam’s hand and drinks from it before sighing.
“Fuck, I needed that! Those kids have been running rings around me all damn night,” she states before falling into our little circle on the floor. She hands the bottle back to Liam, who smirks and rolls onto his back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.
“If you’re going to raid my kitchen next time, an invitation would be nice, girls. Now, where is that cake?” she says.
“I’ll get it,” Trey says, wandering off. Everyone gets wasted while I remain nursing the same wine glass. They look like they need to let loose. But I can’t bring myself to drink when I am constantly at Kyson about his drinking. It doesn’t feel right, and when the sun comes up, I’m still sober along with Clarice who was probably sticking around to supervise, so we didn’t cause trouble.
Meanwhile, Abbie can barely walk and is in fits of giggles, her face bright red from all the wine. She has also lost a slipper. Tandi is dancing on top of a table with Liam, while Dustin is on the verge of having a heart attack every time she gets too close to the edge. Liam is singing about some made-up song and keeps calling Dustin his sweet pea, which ends with him being snapped at by Dustin.
I laugh, as they all make fools of themselves while sitting with Trey and Clarice. “Always fun watching. Reminds me of when I was young,” Clarice says, sipping her glass of wine.
“How old are you?” I ask. As far as Clarice is concerned, I don’t know much about her. Only now has it occurred to me.
“Too old,” she laughs.
“Have you always lived at the castle?” I ask her while watching Abbie hunt beneath one of the bunk beds for her slipper. She comes out and jumps up victoriously, clutching it.
“Pretty much. When I had my mate, we lived in town, and I used to walk here, but after he died, I preferred being at the castle. I was lonely in the house by myself. This place kept me sane,” she tells me.
Just the thought of something happening to Kyson twists my heart. I can’t even imagine losing him.
