Sin and I added our wards to the house after he’d called Grandma to thank her for the cleaning and food and checked on Mom. Since she was sleeping, we decided to just go to bed ourselves. Breakfast in the morning at Grandma’s with everyone came early.
Sin
I lay in bed, exhausted and wanting to sleep but unable to shut my brain off enough to do so. I’d been busy answering all of the texts and voicemails I’d racked up over the past few days. I wished I could go hang with my friends and have a couple of beers, play some pool and let it all go. But that wasn’t in my near future. Unfortunately. I was lucky if you could call it that, that I’d broken up with my latest girlfriend last week. Tanya had been fun, and human, but she started asking too many questions, so I let her go. Between the questions and the clinging, I was done.
The last guy Sid had dated, ended up friend-zoned to the point where he let her sleep in his car and hang out at his place and not even get a snuggle. She had a way with people. I tended to be more judgmental and less trusting. Aaron figured as long as he was in her life as a friend, he had a chance. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he had a better chance of being hit by lightning or winning the lottery.
It was really quiet here. Even at the cabin, there had been some traffic noise. Well, that and animal noise from the shifters. Here, the only noise was the wind through the trees or blowing across the fields. I cracked the window open to let in some air and the scent of the herbs on the late spring breeze calmed me enough to sleep. My last thoughts were of Dad. I hoped he was somewhere safe.
* * *
Breakfast the next morning at Grandma’s was a noisy affair. Sid, me, Grandma, Auntie Sett, Evelyn Rue, Jolie, and Mom around the kitchen table. Yes, Mom. She looked a little tired and pale, still, but she was eating, talking, and laughing with everyone. Ty, one of the farmhands, came in with fresh strawberries and ended up at the table with the rest of us. It felt like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one.
“Mom, don’t tire yourself out too much,” Sid said as she refilled Mom’s teacup. “Let us wait on you for a bit longer, okay?”
Mom kissed Sid’s cheek and laughed. “If this is what it takes to get you to wait on me? Maybe I’ll get kidnapped more often.”
Everyone laughed or ‘oohed’ at that empty threat and I tossed my napkin at my mother. “Don’t you even think about it. We’ll spell you into a room and never let you out.”
“Did you all hear that? Threats from my son. Well, I never,” Mom teased back.
For all the laughter, we still had our worry for Dad in the back of our minds.
“What do you kids have planned for today?” Mom asked.
“Some unpacking and sorting at the cottage, then we need to go run a couple of errands and pick up our graduation packets,” Sid said.
“Yeah, if we don’t get them, they’ll try and mail them, and the only address they have is our old one.”
Mom looked sad and I felt bad for mentioning it. “Maybe tomorrow, if you feel strong enough, you could come to the cottage and see what we saved?”
“Sure, Sin. That sounds good,” Mom said.
Sid leaned over and whispered to her and Mom’s expression brightened. I figure she told her we had all of the important stuff and her jewelry. I knew there were some heirloom pieces in there that it would’ve been sad to lose to a fire.
I checked my phone and nudged Sid. “We need to get going or we’ll be late.”
* * *
I pulled up outside the bank. Sid and I had agreed a long time ago to have separate savings accounts but a joint spending account. It was easier when most of our gifts were cash or checks ‘to the twins’ and we had to divide it up anyway. Besides, we were both good with money and if there was something big one of us wanted, we talked about it. Dad said it was good training for when we got married. We figured that was a very big if rather than a when. The money from Grandpa needed to get deposited and we had to get the trust fund books settled.
When you had this much money for them to process, the bank manager herself came out to usher us into her private office.
“Mr. and Ms. Boudreau, to what do we owe this honor?” the manager, Mrs. Aucoin said as she sat behind her desk, leaving us with the two leather side chairs in front of it.
Sid gave the lady what I called her lawyer smile and settled her purse on her lap. “We have some business to transact. A cash deposit and the settlement of our trust funds in our names with no oversight or guardian.”
I opened my messenger bag on my knees and slid the two bank books out and handed them to Sid while I pulled out the bundles of cash. I stacked them on the edge of the manager’s desk and watched Mrs. Aucoin’s eyes widen.
“I see. Well, let me get the paperwork we’ll need, and we can get started,” she said.
Sid leaned forward and set the two books on her desk. “This should be easy. The trust accounts are already with this bank. We’re just removing our grandparent’s names from them.”
I muttered under my breath, “And bringing us into the next century, away from paper books.”
The manager opened one book. I almost laughed at the way her eyes widened and her face went pale. “You, uh, both, uh, have some identification?”
“Of course we do. But you already have our biometric print identification from when you escorted us back here. If that hadn’t been correct, we’d be in police custody right now. So, how about you take a breath before you pass out, go get those papers and we’ll finish up here. We do have other business we need to attend to today,” I said.
Sid just smiled at the manager as she folded her hands over her purse.
The manager, flustered, dropped the papers she pulled off the printer, so I got up and helped her collect them off the floor. I handed them to her, and she blushed. Great, a fan. Or something. While I might not be above using this in my favor, it was not something I liked to deal with. I sat back down to see what she did next.
Mrs. Aucoin counted the bundles of money and wrote the amount on a deposit slip. Sid filled out the rest of the slip and handed it back.
Aucoin sat at her computer and typed a few things then frowned. “I’m sorry, there’s a hold on these trusts. By Mr. James Boudreau?”
“A hold?” I asked.
“It means he hasn’t released the funds to us yet,” Sid said. “However, you know from our identification that we’re both twenty-one and named beneficiaries on the trusts. Legally, his hold is nullified.”
The manager gave Sid a faint smile. “Are you a lawyer?”
“Law student. But I do know the law, and I know I’m right.”
“Yes, you are correct. It just means an additional form needs to be filled out.”
Another sheet of paper slid out of the printer and I pulled it free, read it before I handed it to her. “This will cut any ties he has to this money, correct?”
“Yes, correct.” Mrs. Aucoin said.
“Then let’s get this all signed and witnessed,” Sid said.
Soon, all of the forms were filled out, signed and notarized.
“Congratulations, you’re both now the proud owners of your trust funds. I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest you talk to our investment officers.”
I laughed a little. “Thank you, but we’re good. We appreciate all of your assistance in this.”
“You’re most welcome. Thank you for doing business with our bank.”
Sid got to her feet, accepted our copies of the paperwork, handed me mine and put hers in her purse. I slid mine into the messenger bag as we headed out of the office. Imagine how surprised we weren’t when we got to the lobby and saw our grandfather, and his lawyer, standing there.
Sid just turned away and kept walking, but I slowed my steps. Sid turned and arched a brow at me, so I waved her on. She had a fob to get into my car, and I wanted to see what the old man had to say.
“Sinclair,” Grandpa said. “I see you and that sister of yours wasted no time in claiming the money
.”
“Good business, Grandpa. I see you wasted no time in trying to keep us from getting it.”
“Now, Mr. Boudreau,” the lawyer started, and my grandfather lifted his hand to silence the man.
“You’re both too young to manage those funds,” Grandpa said.
“Well, that’s for us to decide now, isn’t it? Have a good day,” I said and turned for the door.
“Don’t you disrespect me, boy,” Grandpa said, his voice a low growl.
I stopped and turned back to him, my eyes flashing green and gold for a moment. “Don’t you dare disrespect Sidonie or me, ever again. You’ve overstepped, old man, and it’s time you realized that. You held on too tight and now you’ve lost us. Think about that, the next time you feel alone in that brick monstrosity of yours.” With that said, I turned and walked out the door. We’d put up with a lot from him and he’d only grown worse over the years. I was done submitting my sister, or myself, to his abuse.
I got into the car, then looked over at Sid. “So, now we’re millionaires. Where do you want to go for lunch to celebrate?”
“Bubba’s burgers. They still have the best fries and shakes.”
“That’s the sister I know and love,” I said and laughed as we pulled away.
The money was nice to have. We didn’t have to worry about jobs or housing. We could take the time we needed to find Dad and figure this out. I said this to Sid while we sat on the wall outside Bubba’s and watched the boats on the lake.
“What are you trying to say, Sin?” Sid asked, feet swinging idly, her gaze on the boats docked below us on the pier.
“I’m saying that maybe we should rethink our plans. Benny hasn’t heard anything about Dad. Auntie Sett can’t find anything, and she’s trying to find what she can. It’s looking like actually finding Dad is going to fall on us. Grandpa is losing it, the witches can’t do much without stepping on shifter toes and Benny isn’t going to put his people at risk for one shifter who hasn’t been an active part of the community for most of his life.”
“I’ve been thinking about stuff too,” Sid said. “And I think you’re right. But we’ve been kept out of a lot, and don’t have all the tools we need to do this right.”
One thing about me and Sid is this. We only dive in when we know what we’re getting ourselves in for. We did a ton of research about majors and colleges before we picked what we studied and where we went to school. This was going to be no different.
“So,” I said, “We need to sit down with Sett and ask her some hard questions and then make our decision.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.”
“Okay, let’s head back to the farm and find out what Auntie Sett can tell us, then do our lists tonight?”
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
Sid
Sin and I sat at the table in the cottage, notepads in front of each of us.
“It feels like four years ago, doesn’t it?” I asked Sin.
“Yeah, it kinda does. Here we are, making lists and trying to decide what direction our lives will be going in.”
“Well, the last time we did this, we made some good decisions, right?”
“I think so, yeah. Just a little disappointed that we’re not following through on those decisions. I had my pick of Harvard or Johns Hopkins.”
“You’ll get to go later. Maybe we’ll both end up at Harvard. That’s where I was going too. I had there or Georgetown.”
“See? We made it to the top choices in our fields. We can do that with this, too.”
I let out a breath. “But the Academy? Are we nuts? We’re just opening ourselves up to all kinds of abuse and bullshit. We’ll be the only hybrids going there. We’re related to the founders, to one of the directors, to professors…we’d be in for a ration of shit even if we were pure.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s insane. But it’s the fastest way to get the training – and access to the information we need – to find Dad. It’ll help us help Mom and maybe we can take down these Purist assholes so no one else has to lose their home and almost lose their parents.”
I knew Sin was right, but this was like walking up to the mean girls in school and spitting in their faces. Being who we are, it was a red flag to anyone trying to make their mark.
“I know, Sid. This is the last thing I want to do, but it’s what we have to do.”
I looked down at the list, pushed it away and reached for my beer. I took a swallow and then held it up to Sin.
He lifted his and tapped my bottle. “To the Belle Cove Supernatural Police Academy. May they forgive us for what we’re about to do.”
I nearly snorted beer all over the table when I laughed at his toast. “Either they’ll forgive us, bury us, or name another building after us.”
“Or all of the above,” Sin replied.
* * *
We had a few weeks before we had to report to the Academy, and that time was taken up with getting fitted for uniforms, taking placement tests, helping around the farm, spending time with Mom, and training. Lots and lots of training.
We did go to graduation, but it wasn’t the celebration we had planned. We spent some time with our friends, but Mom hadn’t been strong enough to go and Dad was still missing. Grandma came and Auntie Sett, and we got our diplomas mailed to us afterward anyway, so it seemed like not such a big deal. The family had a party and a fancy dinner for us, and that was nice, but without Dad, it felt flat.
We went on our daily run. Fifteen miles before breakfast every day. The first few times I couldn’t eat breakfast afterward because I was too busy puking. Now I could sit down and eat, then go spend two hours on the firing range Sett had built out in the back reaches of the farm. After that, we spent time working with our magic. Then Sin and I drove over to Benny’s place and worked on shifter skills. By the time I fell into bed at night, I was exhausted and slept hard. Which meant that most nights, if I dreamed, I didn’t remember them.
I remembered this one.
I found myself in the woods behind the farm. Grandma’s herb farm backed up to a state forest, so we’d run through them many times. I recognized the area, a good mile or so in from the farm.
Following a scent trail, I raced through the woods in my black leopard form, the forest floor silent under my paws as I ran. The scent of blood filled my nostrils and I slowed my pace to a careful walk, not wanting to rush up on a predator. My senses told me Sin was nearby in his wolf form, but I didn’t see him. I climbed a tree to edge out on a branch, the view better from on high. I saw a black wolf laid out in a small clearing, blood splattered around it. A fight had left the wolf injured, but he wasn’t the only one. A large brown wolf lay a few feet away, clearly dead.
Something in this dream felt wrong. It felt too real to be just a dream. I woke, confused and disoriented, replaying what I’d dreamt until I realized the black wolf looked like my father’s shifted form.
I didn’t care that it was only four in the morning, I pulled on the running clothes I’d left out the night before and pounded on Sin’s door.
“Wake up, I had a dream, we need to go check it out,” I yelled.
“What the hell, Sid? You had a dream. Go back to sleep.”
“Come with me,” I yelled again.
“Let me go back to sleep,” Sin yelled back.
Not willing to waste more time arguing, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail as I walked away. “I’m going into the forest behind the storage barn,” was yelled in his direction. I stuffed my phone into a pocket on the way out the door. It was almost three miles from the cottage to the forest edge behind that barn, so I stretched against the porch railing before starting my run.
I pulled on my magic and my shifter energy to sharpen my vision in the predawn light. Everything stood out in sharp relief as I crossed the fields. The scent of various herbs rose in the air when crushed under my feet. Even staying on the paths, some still spread out and I enjoyed the perfume of lavender, sage, and different types of mint
.
A sense of urgency washed through me and I took a deep breath, putting on a burst of speed. I cleared the tree line and slowed my pace. Sin had got out of bed and followed me. I could sense him about five minutes back. As I worked my way through the trees, the scent of blood grew stronger – just like it had in my dream. I could feel the shift coming but pushed it back. If I had to shift to fight, it would only take a moment, but if I had to save a life, I’d need my hands.
Sin moved up behind me just as I reached the clearing. I lifted my hand and signaled him to stay quiet as we crept up and looked through the trees. It was just like my dream, and yet it wasn’t. There were two wolves lying in the clearing, but both were dead – and neither one was our father. He was standing between them, growling at us, blood dripping from his muzzle.
“Dad? Hey, it’s okay, it’s me, Sin,” Sin said as he pushed through the brush, hands held out, palm up. “We’ve been looking for you. Can you shift back?”
The huge black wolf growled louder and snapped at Sin, stopping his movement forward.
I slid out of the trees behind Sin and pushed my magic senses into the clearing. “Sin, don’t move. There’s something under the brush at about ten on the clock. A trap of some kind. I can sense the electrical pulse of a battery or a timer.”
Wolf Dad turned toward me and whined. I nodded, closed my eyes and focused. “They’re all over the clearing. Levitate Dad straight up and do not put him down until he’s past that little spruce tree at nine on the clock. Got it?”
“Yep, got it. Dad, don’t wriggle, okay?” Sin said and let out a breath. Wolf Dad lifted straight up about two feet off the ground. A slight wriggle from Dad had him bobbing up and down about six inches. “Don’t move, Dad. Please,” Sin gasped out, the strain clear in his voice. Once Dad was clear of the tree, Sin put him down, then backed himself up until he was beside me again.
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