by Cameo Renae
“Who are you?” I asked, although she looked familiar.
Her brow raised. “Don’t you know me?”
“You’re the woman in my dreams,” I murmured. I gazed into her honey-colored eyes and gasped as realization hit me. “Gertrude?”
She smiled widely. “I prefer Gertie. Gertrude makes me sound like an old woman.”
My body went weak, and I grabbed on to Rylan’s arm for balance. Was this really happening, or was I still stuck in a dream?
Gertie opened her arms wide to me, and as I met her, her arms enveloped me in a warm embrace. My body trembled, and tears flowed from my eyes.
All this time, my grandmother had been there, watching over me, glamoured as the Grinch.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked. “Why use a glamour?”
Her eyes filled with sadness. “I was afraid. I’d never met your father, and because I ran, after the wolves took your grandfather and mother, I was sure he hated me. I couldn’t take the chance to be rejected.” She shook her head. “I was a coward back then, but after I heard of Aurora’s death, I vowed to watch over her daughter, the next Witheridge witch. I followed you and your father to New Mexico, glamoured myself as an old, nosey woman, and moved next door.”
I was overwhelmed. Too much information was hitting me all at once.
“How did you find me here?”
“The brochure that nice lady handed me got me here, but a locator spell led me directly to you.” I shook my head, still trying to process it all, when she held out her hand to me. “How about we finish this together, once and for all?”
“Do you really need my help?” I asked, after seeing how powerful she was.
She smiled. “Not really, but I figure it would be nice to do this together, since you made the promise to your mother.”
“What?” How on earth could she know that? It was a dream.
She tapped the side of her head with her wand. “The Grinch knows much more than you think.”
Oh crap. She knew her nickname.
In the middle of a dark forest, my grandmother and I—Witheridge witches—stood, side by side, hand in hand. The witch on the ground stayed there, unmoving. She’d felt the power of Gertie Witheridge, and she knew she was no match.
Together, we recited the spell of protection over our family, and together we ended the curse. My grandmother told the witch the truth about how her sister had killed my mother, and why. Then she offered a warning—that if she ever saw her again, hell would be unleashed on her and her entire family.
The witch walked up to my grandmother, her head dipped and eyes solemn. “I’m sorry about your daughter and furious my sister lied to me. After what she did and the lies she told, she deserves everything that has returned to her.”
“We forgive you,” Gertie said, taking hold of her hand. “Now go, and do good.”
“I will,” she said.
After gathering the two injured men, she left.
While my grandmother went to check on my dad, I went back to Rylan, my eyes darting to the wet crimson seeping through his jeans.
“We need to get you to a doctor.”
“Nah,” he replied. “It’s already healing. By dinner, there will be nothing but a scar.”
“Are you serious?”
He laughed, the muscles on his abdomen tightening. “Wanna see?”
His signature cocky grin was back, making my face flush with heat. I wanted to say yes, but shook my head instead.
There was rustling out in the woods. “Piers!” Voices called in the distance. “Piers?”
It was my uncles. “Over here,” I yelled back.
In less than a minute, both of them pushed their way through the trees into our area, drenched in sweat.
“What the hell happened here?” Uncle Garrick asked, looking at all of us standing around.
“You missed all the action.” Rylan chuckled, leaning back against a tree.
“What happened to you?” He pointed to the blood on Rylan’s jeans.
“He got stabbed in the leg, defending me,” I answered.
Rylan shrugged. “Battle wounds.”
“By who?” Uncle Garrick’s eyes turned golden, scanning the area.
“They’re gone,” I said. “And they won’t be coming back.”
“How?” he asked.
“It’s a long story,” I sighed.
Uncle Barney walked toward us. “You saved our niece, Rylan. You deserve an extra-large beef rib at the barbecue tonight.”
Rylan pointed a finger at him. “Hey, I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“How did you find us?” I asked.
“We’re family, and with Piers back as our alpha, we followed his scent,” Uncle Garrick replied.
“Yeah,” Barney cut in. “But if we’d have taken the truck, we would have gotten here faster.”
“How would we have caught his scent while sitting in a truck?” Garrick grumbled.
Uncle Barney shrugged. “I could have hung my head out the window.” Uncle Garrick groaned and shook his head.
“Eris?” my dad moaned. He was sitting up, a hand pressed to his forehead.
I let go of Rylan and ran to him, dropping to my knees. “Dad, are you okay?”
He nodded slightly. “Aside from the throbbing pain in my head.” He leaned forward and grabbed me, pulling me into one of his tight dad hugs and kissed the top of my head. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“What happened?” I asked.
He paused, shaking his head. “Barney and I were following a lead in the woods, somewhere alongside Cooley Creek. I heard something behind me, and when I turned . . . I guess I was knocked out. I don’t remember anything else after that.” He glanced around. “Where are we?”
“In the woods,” Barney answered. My dad moaned, clenching his eyes shut.
“We’re outside of Havenwood Falls,” I added. “A witch captured you and was going to put a spell on you, but we stopped her.” I turned my gaze to Gertie. “She stopped her and made her reverse Camden’s spell, too.”
“Who is she?” My dad tried to stand, so I helped him to his feet.
“Someone I want you to meet,” I said softly. Gertie had backed up and stood near Rylan. As we made our way toward her, their eyes met. “Dad, this is Gertrude Witheridge. But she prefers to be called Gertie.”
“Gertie?” he exhaled, his eyes narrowing, a deep crease furrowed on his brow.
She stepped forward. “It’s nice to finally meet you, son-in-law. In my real form.”
Complete confusion riddled my dad’s expression.
“Dad, she’s Ms. Gingrich. She’d glamoured herself to look like an old woman because she wasn’t sure if you’d accept her. Then, she moved next door to watch over us.”
My dad’s attention fell back to Gertie, his eyes studying her face as if he’d seen a ghost.
“It’s true,” she said. “I never had the chance to apologize to Aurora, to tell her how sorry I was for running away. But I was afraid. The wolves murdered my husband, and when I couldn’t find her, I thought she was dead, too. So I ran. Ran as fast and as far away from that place as I could.” Tears rimmed her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Piers.”
My dad shook his head. “Gertie, Aurora had already forgiven you. She never stopped loving you, and she understood why you ran.” He took hold of her hand. “Thank you for watching over us and keeping Eris safe.”
“It was my pleasure,” she said with a smile. “I’m sorry for being so hard on you all those years as Ms. Gingrich. I was just being protective.”
“I know,” he said. “You don’t need to apologize.” My dad faced the rest of us. “How about we go home?”
“Sounds like a plan,” Uncle Barney puffed. “If I don’t get my big ol’ rear in front of that grill soon, Lydia will kill me.”
My uncles helped my dad back to Gertie’s car along the roadside, while I walked with Rylan to his bike and helped pull it out from the trees.
&n
bsp; “Can you ride this while you’re injured?” I asked him.
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. God, even in the state he was in—sweaty, dirty, his hair in disarray—he was still unbelievably handsome. How was that even possible? “Don’t worry about me, cupcake. I’ll be just fine.”
I smiled, glad he was back to his cocky self.
My dad walked up to Rylan and offered him his jacket.
“Thanks,” Rylan said, pushing his arms through it, covering his bare chest.
“Thank you, for protecting my daughter,” my dad said, extending his hand. Rylan took it and they shook. “I will never forget it.”
Rylan’s eyes glanced my way. “It was my pleasure, sir. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But you should have seen her. She was pretty badass herself.”
My dad’s eyes narrowed at me, and I shrugged. “How about I tell you all about it on the way home,” I offered.
He smiled, and nodded. “I’d like that.”
All of us, except Rylan, piled into Gertie’s small hatchback. On the way back to the cabins, I told them everything that had happened—about the glimmer, the cemetery, the dream of my mom, and finding the Book of Shadows. I also told them about Rylan coming over and offering me help, and when I was being attacked, how he shifted into his wolf and took out the two men. I told them about the power I had, and how Gertie came in the nick of time to save us all.
They were quiet, all the way back, listening carefully to every word I said.
“Your mother would have been so proud of you.” My dad finally spoke, breaking the silence. Pride lined his voice. “And whether you shift or not, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“She will shift,” Gertie cut in. “Her inner wolf is waiting to be released, but I’ve kept it calm and quiet over the past year. It’s only a matter of time before she shifts.”
My head whipped to her. “My dreams. They were true. You were lulling my inner wolf to sleep.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I didn’t think your first shift should have been in our quiet neighborhood, closely watched by its residents.”
“No,” I said. “Thank you for that.”
We finally pulled into the driveway when my dad leaned forward. “Gertie, we would love it if you joined us for dinner, and help us usher in the new year.”
“Yes,” Uncle Barney chimed in. “We have more than enough food. And you’re family, Gertie. You’ll always be welcome.”
“Thank you,” she said kindly. “But there are a few things I need to take care of back in New Mexico. But you can be sure I’ll be around. I won’t miss out on my grandchildren’s lives.”
I leaned over and gave her a hug. “Are you sure you can’t stay?”
“Yes. This time is for you and the Blaekthorns to bond. I’ve had a lot of years with you, as the Grinch.” A smile widened on her lips; her hand patted my cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you again soon.”
My chest ached at the thought of her leaving. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”
“Yes, you could have. You’re a Witheridge. We’re strong and never give in. You would have found a way.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“I promise I’ll see you soon,” she said, her eyes glimmering. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“Okay,” I sighed. “I’ll see you soon.”
I gave her one last hug and watched her pull away. Then we headed to Uncle Barney’s house for the barbecue.
“I need to call the medical center and the sheriff,” my dad said. “But I don’t have service here.”
“Use our house phone,” Uncle Barney replied.
I still couldn’t believe everything that had happened in one day. It felt like I was still stuck in a dream. But this wasn’t a dream. It was real. I had a family. A large family. And a brother and a grandmother.
Tonight, there would be so much more to celebrate than the new year.
Chapter 12
As soon as we entered the house, the smell of meat, spices, and baked goods hit us, making my mouth water. Aunt Lydia and Aunt Vera had been busy in the kitchen all afternoon, oblivious to what had happened over the past few hours.
“Damn, Lyd,” Uncle Barney said, wrapping his wife in his arms. “This house smells like heaven.”
“It’d better. It had to lure you home, didn’t it?” He threw his head back and laughed, then gave her a loud kiss. When he pulled back, he smacked her behind, and she yelped.
“Gross, dad,” a boy walked in, rolling his eyes.
“Yeah, gross,” another repeated, following behind him.
“Boys, come here,” Uncle Barney said, wrapping his arms around each of their shoulders. “Weston and Drake, I’d like you to meet your cousin Eris and your uncle Piers.”
They each smiled and shuffled toward us, hugging us awkwardly.
They were identical twins and handsome like the rest of the Blaekthorn men—dark-haired with dark features, their eyes flecked in gold. The only difference was one of them had slightly lighter eyes. They were still young, without muscles, but they were already taller than me.
“Don’t worry, I still can’t tell my sons apart,” Uncle Barney laughed.
“Goodness gracious, what happened to you?” Aunt Vera gasped, looking at my dad’s bloodied head.
“He got knocked out,” Uncle Garrick explained. He headed to the fridge and grabbed a few beers, handing one to my dad.
“Yeah, what he said,” my dad muttered, placing the cold bottle to his temple. “I’ll be fine. I just need a painkiller, or four.”
I heard Rylan’s bike outside and went to the window. He’d pulled into Uncle Garrick’s driveway.
“Hey, Barney, where’s your phone?” my dad asked.
Headlights from a vehicle were headed down the drive. At first, I thought it was Gertie, but I was wrong. A large black truck pulled up right in front of the house.
Rylan noticed and headed our way. He was able to walk on his own now, with a slight limp.
“Dad,” I called. “I think the sheriff just pulled up.”
Everyone exited the house and stood on the porch as Sheriff Kasun slid out of his vehicle. Then they all went quiet as another figure exited from the passenger side.
My pulse started to race, and even with the chill in the air, I started to sweat.
“Oh my, it’s Camden!” Aunt Vera exclaimed.
Seeing my brother, conscious, for the first time in seven years sent a wave of emotions coursing through me. I was happy to see him, but I was also nervous as hell. He’d hated me and wanted to kill me. He wanted my dad to choose my mom, instead of me. And I didn’t blame him.
I stayed on the porch as everyone else ran down to greet him. He’d been here all these years, and had become like a son to them all.
I heard my dad ask Sheriff Kasun if he could come by and explain everything in the morning.
“Have fun with your family tonight,” the sheriff said before jumping back in his vehicle. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As the family greeted Camden, Rylan came and stood by my side. He knew what happened between me and my brother, and I had a feeling he was standing beside me because he wanted to make sure I was safe, and that Camden wouldn’t try anything stupid.
The family made their way back to the stairs, and as they reached the top, Camden stopped in front of me. He was tall, about the same height as Rylan, and handsome—a mixture of my dad and mom. His face held no expression, and it made my heart ache.
Rylan moved slightly, and Camden’s eyes snapped to him, narrowing. “I see you’ve met my sister.”
Rylan gave his signature grin and glanced at me. “I have, and she’s pretty special.”
I heard a growl rumble from my brother’s chest before his eyes turned back to me with a harsh glare.
“Camden,” I breathed, my voice shaky.
He shook his head, his brow furrowed, and my heart shattered. He still hates me.
&n
bsp; Then, his gaze suddenly softened, and his fingers touched the side of my face.
“Eris. You’ve grown up,” he said. Then, without another word, he grabbed my arms and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him tight and felt his chest heave.
Both of us stood there, in the cold, surrounded by family, and wept. Our hearts healing, mending, after all these years. When he finally let go, his bloodshot eyes stared into mine. “I’m sorry, sister. I was young and confused, and Mom was my world.”
“I know,” I breathed. “She was mine too.”
“Can you forgive me?” he asked.
I nodded, tears refilling my eyes. “I already have.”
He wrapped me in a tight embrace one more time. “Thank you.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “I’ll see you inside.”
The family headed into the house, leaving me and Rylan alone.
“Hey,” he said, his hand brushing against mine. “I’m gonna head over to shower and change.”
I grabbed hold of his hand, halting him. “Thank you,” I said.
“For what?”
“For being here.”
He shrugged. “I was just making sure things were copacetic.”
“Yeah, I know you were. But not only for that . . . for everything you did today. You were there for me, and I appreciate it.” I rose up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
A crooked grin lifted on his handsome face. “You don’t think getting stabbed in the leg was worth a real kiss?”
“How about you take a rain check, for a time when my entire protective family isn’t standing right on the opposite side of the door.”
“I’ll take it,” he said, then winked and walked away.
* * *
The barbecue was amazing, and everyone was stuffed and happy to be together again, as it should have been all along. We ushered in the new year, knowing change was imminent. But I was ready for it and welcomed it. We all did.
Over the next week, our family began to mend. My memories were still returning, but now it was time to create new ones. It was great having an older brother, who I found was just as protective as my dad.
On top of that, my dad decided to move us back to Havenwood Falls, where he would take his place as alpha of the Blaekthorn Shadow Pack and help with the family business. I also decided that I’d be enrolling the next year at Havenwood Falls High as a senior.