Real Love

by Sophie Martin

  “Ruby, are you all right?” Dad’s voice called from the stairs. Oh no! Dad couldn’t see her like this. He didn’t believe in magic! A little nasty voice that sounded a lot like Mum’s whispered that it would serve him right to learn about magic like this. Ruby quieted the thing down. The last thing she wanted was to scare Dad and make him hate magic.

  “I... I’m fine, Dad. I just had a little fright,” she answered, trying to stop him from coming in. Unfortunately, her voice didn’t sound right, even she could tell. It was higher pitched than normal and a bit too loud.

  “Are you sure, princess?” Dad’s voice was coming from close to her door. Ruby looked in that direction and nearly cried. She had left the door ajar. And she was looking at it from entirely too high up. Just as she thought it, her head bumped against the ceiling.

  “Ouch!” She couldn’t stop the exclamation as she massaged her head.

  “Ruby? What is going on there?” Her dad sounded half worried half annoyed.

  “No, Dad, don’t come...” Too late. Dad was already inside. He took a couple of steps to the bed before looking around in puzzlement. Then his eyes caught her feet dangling in the air. He looked up and up, his eyes growing bigger with every centimetre. “...in,” Ruby finished lamely.

  “Ru- Ruby? What? What? What is?” He waved his hand indicating her position, his eyes glazing over. Then his legs gave out and he collapsed on the bed, catching to support himself with his arms. His mouth fell open and he stared right through Ruby as if his brain just switched off.

  “Oh no, Daddy. What have I done?” Ruby felt like crying. She broke their dad. “Brian!” she shouted, then repeated immediately, “Brian, help! Come here! I think I broke Dad!” It was too much. As her brother’s steps pounded towards her room Ruby dissolved into sobs. It was all her stupid fault. Not only did she trap herself in a strange curse, but worse, she hurt Dad in the process.

  “Ruby, what’s going on?” Brian asked as he ran into the room. One look around told him everything. “Oh crap,” he swore. Ruby couldn’t blame him. She felt like swearing herself. Brian sighed, then said, “I think we better call the alpha’s house.” Yeah, Ruby thought, they’d better. If there was ever a moment calling for the pack’s help, it was now. Closing her eyes so that she wouldn’t have to see her dad’s vacant expression Ruby curled into a ball and kept crying.

  * * * *

  “Hey, Jack?” Toby poked his head through Jack’s door holding a telephone handset, covering the speaker with his hand. “It’s Annette. She said she wants to discuss something with you.” Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise but gestured for Toby to pass the phone. He had no idea what the vampiress could want from him, but he was ready to find out. The phone call was short, to the point, and left him unsettled. He came downstairs, the handset in his hand and a frown on his face. He returned the phone to the charging station and stood in the kitchen, looking out the window to the garden, staring at the birds on the feeder Toby recently installed. His mind and heart were in tumult. A clearing of a throat behind his back made him turn. Toby was there, his face shining with curiosity. Jack smiled at the younger man, amused despite the storm of emotions raging inside him.

  “Go on,” he said, “I know you want to ask.” Toby grimaced at being caught in his curiosity but asked, nonetheless.

  “So, what was that all about? Annette normally only calls Jay-Jay on paranormal alpha matters.”

  “Yes indeed.” Jack grimaced and turned back towards the window, not wanting Toby to see his face. “She called me because apparently she managed to find a counsellor specializing in human trafficking victims. She gave me his number. Apparently, all the people saved from that place are being given free therapy sessions.”

  “Oh?” Toby’s voice was carefully neutral. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’ll do it,” said Jack, surprising himself. Until he spoke, he had no idea what his answer would be. “It’s time I dealt with my demons, and this is the best way to do it.” He realised then that it was the right decision. He was a survivor. He had been through hell and back and came out of it stronger. He was not going to let the bastards who had kidnapped and abused him make him into a victim. He was going to reclaim his life, and maybe, just maybe, after all that, when he was whole again, maybe then he could meet Luc on an equal footing. Maybe then he’d be a person worth of Luc’s love.

  “Good, that’s good.” Toby’s relieved voice brought him out of his musings. Jack turned and looked at his housemate. Toby truly did look happy at Jack’s decision. “I’m so glad you’ll get the help you need.” Then he blushed, looking slightly embarrassed. “I know getting mental help carries such a stigma in our society, but I believe it shouldn’t. A person should be able to get help when they need it without the fear of being laughed at or ostracized.” Toby’s tone was vehement. “I…” he started, swallowed rapidly then tried again. “I know I’ve got Ty and Jay-Jay now, but it doesn’t change the fact that my childhood wasn’t exactly normal. They both insisted I should have some professional help, and I refused at first. But in the end, I thought, I owe it to them and to myself to be the best me possible. So, I went to the doctor, told them the basic of my upbringing, and they referred me to this online psychologist. I find it easier to chat with someone online than I would face-to-face. And it’s really helping. I had just three sessions, but I can already see a difference. And the psychologist is nice. They gave me some tools to deal with my anxiety and other issues. And they gave me some perspective when it comes down to my insecurities.” Toby sounded very earnest as he spoke about his therapy. “And I was going to suggest it to you too, because we were all worried about you, you know? But if you’re going to see this specialist it’s even better!” Toby grinned widely and Jack couldn’t help but smile back.

  “Yeah,” he said, his throat tight with emotions. It was good to have friends who cared about your wellbeing. Ever since his parents passed away before he’d gone to university, he never had people concerned for him. At one point he thought Luc might be such person but that didn’t last. Now, finally being a part of a real pack, having friends, he realized what a sad excuse of a pack his old one was. His heart swelling with feelings, Jack cleared his throat and said, “Toby, I hope you and your mates know how much I appreciate you all. You’re not only my packmates but my friends as well. This is more than I ever hoped for.” Toby smiled.

  “Aww, Jack, believe me, we are all grateful to have you as our friend as well. We would all be hopelessly lost without your sensibility and levelheadedness. You’re like the calming element to the more volatile personalities in this pack. Come here, I need a hug.” The young man opened his arms wide. Jack’s laugh was a bit watery and he had to go against that little part of him which still shied away from any touch, but he entered Toby’s arms and embraced him in turn. The hug didn’t get a chance to turn awkward because the phone ringing interrupted it almost immediately. Jack stepped back and raised his eyebrows.

  “Well, we sure seem to be popular today,” he said even as Toby went to pick up the handset.

  “Hullo?” Toby spoke, and then his eyes widened. “Wait, calm down, Brian. She did what? Okay, and then what? U-huh.” Toby’s face turned grimmer and grimmer the longer they talked. “And your dad? Aw, crap. Okay, okay, calm down. We’ll figure something out. Don’t you worry. Sit tight, somebody will be with you soon.” Toby pressed the disconnect and let the phone fall to the counter, not bothering to put it away properly. He scrubbed his hand down his face then looked at Jack despairingly. Jack, whose insides twisted into a knot during the phone call, swallowed loudly.

  “What- what happened?”

  “It’s Ruby. She somehow got hold of her mother’s grimoire and tried to open it. But it had a curse on it.” Toby fisted his hair at the top of his head and growled in frustration. “Apparently she is now suspended under the ceiling of her bedroom, unable to get back down to the floor.”

  “Shit!” Jack spat.

  “Shit
indeed. But that’s not the worst part.”

  “Oh, fuck, don’t tell me Luc…”

  “Yeah.” Toby slapped his forehead and pulled at his hair some more. “Lucas came into the room soon after it happened. Brian thinks he’s in shock. Apparently, he collapsed on Ruby’s bed when he saw her, and now just sits there and stares at her.”

  “Fuck!” Jack did a facepalm of his own. “Okay, what do we do? Is Jason…”

  “Nah.” Toby slashed his hand in a downright gesture. “He took Ty shopping for a new laptop. They’ll be gone for ages, knowing our fussy tiger. He’ll be hemming and hawing over every model until he finds himself a perfect toy.” Toby grimaced and Jack did the same. Tyler did like his electronics just so.

  “What do we do?” Jack addressed the alpha mate. Toby straightened up once again, showing the core of steel that let the young man survive years of captivity.

  “Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen. I’ll get hold of Morton and we’ll get there as soon as possible. You head on and try to assess the situation. Once Morton frees Ruby from the curse, it’ll be up to you,” Toby said, giving him an apologetic gaze, “to explain the whole thing to Lucas. I mean we could get one of the pack members to make Lucas forget the whole thing, but I don’t think it’s fair, do you?” Jack shook his head. “I thought so.” Toby’s voice was resigned. “I think it’s time Lucas knew what he was in for. Being kind of on the fringes of our pack and yet not knowing about the paranormal world… I don’t think it’s safe for him or the kids. Just look at the current situation! Ugh!” Toby growled again then shook his head. “Right, you better go, I’ll call Morton and we’ll join you as soon as possible.”

  “Okay.” Jack’s voice was weak. Only one thought was going through his head. He was finally going to tell Lucas the truth. Would Luc hate him? Would he want nothing to do with Jack once he knew? Jack swallowed and squashed his insecurities. Now was not the time. There was a kid to save and a human man to introduce to paranormal world.

  Chapter Seven

  Jack got to Lucas’s house in a record time and ran to the door. It opened before he could knock, wide-eyed Brian beckoning him in.

  “Mr Robinson, you’re here. What are we gonna do?” The teenager looked on the verge of tears which pushed Jack into his teacher mode, outwardly calm and collected, no matter how much he was panicking inside.

  “What we’ll do is you’ll show me to Ruby’s room and then you’ll come back down to wait for Toby and Morton. They should be here real soon and then we’ll sort this out, okay?” The kid looked up at him with hope in his eyes.

  “Yeah, okay,” he breathed out. “Follow me, it’s upstairs.” He led Jack up a narrow staircase and to a little room at the end of the hall. The door was wide open, and Jack could immediately see the FUBAR of a situation. Not giving away his thoughts, he squeezed Brian’s shoulder and tilted his head back towards the stairs, silently asking him to follow the impromptu plan. The kid nodded and flew down the stairs, clearly glad to have a task to do. Jack turned back towards the room and assessed the situation one more time. Ruby Rose was curled into a foetal position floating under the ceiling. Her face was hidden in her knees and her shoulders shook as she cried quietly. Lucas was sat on the little single bed, his face tilted up, his mouth slightly ajar. With eyes huge and his hands fisted behind him, he seemed frozen. Jack entered the room and Lucas didn’t react. Yep, it did seem like he was in shock.

  “Ruby?” Jack kept his voice soft and quiet. The girl lifted her face, her eyes red-rimmed, her lips trembling. Jack gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, kiddo. I’m here and we’re gonna fix this real soon, yeah?” She sniffled, wiped her nose on her sleeve, and nodded. Lucas still didn’t move. “Hey,” Jack asked just for something to say, “did you try anything to get down?”

  “Y-yeah. Brian tried pulling me down, but it didn’t work. As soon as he lets me go, I fly right up.” She shot a look at her dad, and her face scrunched up to cry once again. “I’m so-ooory.” She sobbed. “Mother always said not to touch her grimoires, but I thought since she was dead that it would be okay. I didn’t mean for this to happen, and now Dad…” She peeked at Lucas, still in his frozen form, and started to sob loudly again. Her whole body was shaking with it and bobbing in the air like an apple in a barrel. Jack thought that if the whole situation weren’t so tragic it would be unbelievably funny. As it was though, he felt helpless. He searched for something to say, to help calm her down, but his mind was empty. Fortunately, it wasn’t long until he heard three sets of steps pounding on the stairs, and a winded-looking Toby, followed by a frazzled Morton and clearly terrified Brian, ran into the room.

  “Ah,” said Toby, judging the situation with one glance. He turned to Morton and asked, “Will you be able to fix it?” Morton looked at him and away from where he was staring with pursed lips at the air around Ruby.

  “Yes, it should be fairly easy. You said she opened your mother’s grimoire and got cursed with this?” he asked Brian, who nodded in agreement. “Well, I’ll need to double-check the book, but it looks like a fairly basic anti-theft spell to me. And not a well-executed one at that.” His voice was full of disgust. “The witch who cast this spell-trap wasn’t paying attention to details. The spell is already frazzling on the edges, but I’ll speed it up.”

  “Right.” Toby clapped his hands. “Brian, you help Morton with that, show him the grimoire and whatever else he needs. Jack, help me get Lucas downstairs.” Jack nodded and went to grab Luc’s arm, under his elbow. Toby did the same on the other side and they lifted the man up. He was heavy, and wobbled as if to collapse again, but once they had him standing, he let them lead him down the stairs and into the living room. There they sat Lucas on a sofa and Toby rummaged through the cupboards until he found half a bottle of whiskey and poured a large glass of it. He carried it back to Lucas then stood right in front of the man and gave a big sigh. Luc’s eyes were still glazed, his mouth slightly open. Jack felt helpless. To his huge surprise Toby sighed once more then straightened up as if gearing up for something unpleasant. He bent forward and repeatedly snapped his fingers in front of Luc’s face.

  “Mr. Cartwright! Lucas! You need to snap out of it, do you hear me? This is not a time to have a meltdown, damn it! Your children need you. What the hell do you think you’re doing falling apart like this?” Jack’s jaw nearly hit the floor at Toby’s tone and words. Surely, they should cut the man some slack? It wasn’t every day you found your daughter floating under the ceiling after all. Surprisingly enough, though, Toby’s approach seemed to work. Lucas took a deep breath and looked wildly around.

  “Ruby! What? She was… But I…” Toby thrust the glass of whiskey under the man’s nose. Lucas stared at it without comprehension.

  “Take it!” Toby ordered, and when Lucas complied Toby pinched the bridge of his nose sighed and said, “Mr. Cartwright, I suggest you have this stiff drink, calm down, and then buckle up and get ready for a reality check. Ruby is fine, or will be in a few minutes. Morton and Brian are making sure of that, but she will need the reassurance that you still love her. You sort yourself out, get all your ducks in the row or however the saying goes, and get ready to reassure your kids. You can have your meltdown privately later. Now, Jack is here to explain things to you and answer all your questions. I’ll go upstairs and check up on their progress.” With one last sigh and a shake of his head, Toby left them alone.

  Lucas watched after the man, wide-eyed, then turned his gaze to Jack who felt the urge to fidget under the scrutiny.

  “Forceful, isn’t he?” Lucas asked before taking a gulp of his liquor. Jack took it as an opening and sat down opposite Luc in an armchair.

  “He has to be to deal with two strong-minded boyfriends,” he replied.

  “Huh,” Lucas only said then sipped his whiskey at a more sedate pace. “So,” he started again, his voice trembling a little, “I believe I saw my daughter levitating under the ceiling in her bedroom.”

  “Ye
s,” said Jack in a carefully calm voice. “You did.”

  “Hmm.” Lucas was quiet for a long time, finishing his whiskey. Jack went to the kitchen island, where Toby left the bottle, then came back and poured unresisting Luc another drink. He left the bottle on the side table. “She was levitating.” Then after another pause and a sip of whiskey, he said, “Why?”

  Jack grimaced but decided to be upfront. Better to get the whole truth out of the way.

  “She was caught by a curse on your late wife’s grimoire, her spell-book.”

  “I know what a grimoire is,” Lucas snapped. “I’ve read enough fantasy books. What I don’t know is why did my wife have one?” Jack took a deep breath before answering.

  “Because she was a witch.”

  “She was a…” Lucas started, but before he could finish, Toby came downstairs, leading Ruby by her hand. The girl had her head hung down and she was still sobbing. A rebellious-looking Brian was following them. As soon as they entered the room Lucas jumped to his feet and ran towards them. He pulled Ruby into his arms and hugged her tightly.

  “Oh my god, Ruby, I was so worried! What were you thinking, playing with grimoires like that!” He then pushed her at arm’s length, still squeezing her shoulders, and examined her frantically. “Are you okay? Were you hurt? You didn’t fall, did you?” The girl was sobbing too hard to speak and instead only nodded and shook her head in answer. It was Brian who responded.