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Realizing my words could’ve been better planned out, I sighed and tried to grasp for something to make it better, but she continued walking through the house. Before long, the back door closed, and I knew she was on the rear deck.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, irritated by everything going on, I continued up the stairs, desperate for the chance to sleep it off.
Between the threat and wondering how I’d win over the other pack, I didn’t need Jane doubting my intentions on top of it. Even if they had been convinced that I was a monster, I still cared about them. They were supposed to be my people, and they deserved a better, everyday life rather than the hostile one Sam had to offer.
They would need some discipline and reforming, but I wasn’t prepared to turn my back on them forever.
I didn’t want to hurt Jane either, and knowing our fragile bond could waver so easily didn’t make it feel any better. We may have consummated the bond, and the physical attraction was certainly there, but we still had our individual walls up. It would take time, yet I wasn’t so sure how much time I had before I needed to act.
Exhausted and plagued by far too many thoughts, I dropped myself onto the mattress, closed my eyes, and searched for the slightest bit of relief from everything.
Chapter 13 - Jane
I had never seen a home quite so magical-looking as Nati’s place.
The moment I stepped inside, I was immediately in awe of the sheer number of plants that filled the space. They hung from the ceiling, curled around the windowsills, crawled up shelves, and sat comfortably in large pots around every room. The big bay windows offered them plenty of sunlight, and the sun catchers and chimes added a wonderful touch to it all.
It looked like an enchanted forest inside, and every piece of furniture and decor seemed to suit her perfectly.
Because Levi went to work during the week, it left me with too much free time that I didn’t know what to do with, and Nati was kind enough to invite me over for the day. I agreed since I wasn’t very familiar with anyone else and didn’t want to be stuck in the house all day.
We both sat around her big kitchen table as she carefully mixed ingredients and hummed thoughtfully. I glanced around the room, taking in the sight of her tinctures and crystals. I was amazed by this part of her life—how she was both a witch and a shifter, blessed with abilities from each. It was something she had been outcasted for, yet I couldn’t help but feel fascinated by it.
As Nati’s melodic humming continued, she added a pinch of this and a sprig of something else, and my mind drifted to last night.
I may have misunderstood Levi’s intentions, and while his comment did sting, that wasn’t what I was focused on. Instead, I could only think about Ivy and how much I missed her.
While she was never really a target of ridicule from the others like I had been, she was still a sensitive girl like me. She was kind and gentle, and I didn’t know how long she would last in Sam’s pack because of it.
Before I was handed over to Levi, the pack had already been declining, and I couldn’t help but wonder how things had been since then. From the path they were already on, I had no reason to believe it would have improved.
I had the feeling it was only devolving into more chaos, and if Sam did leave that threat for Levi, then I could just imagine how awful things had become. When he was fixated on something, Sam tended to drag everyone else into it, which made me even more worried for Ivy.
“Would you mind giving me a hand with this?” Nati asked, breaking my concentration.
Jolting back to the present moment, I straightened myself out and nodded. “Sure. What do you need me to do?”
“I have another batch to mix up, but while I do that, you can fill the bottles with this,” she instructed, handing me a pipette.
While I was intimidated by the thought of handling a concoction she had mixed up, it sounded easy enough, and I got to it. Focusing very carefully, I made sure not to spill a drop.
“I find that no matter what is bothering me, it is beneficial to keep your hands busy. That way, you can redirect your attention to what’s in front of you,” she said, offering me a small smile as she reached for a clean cauldron.
“That’s something I always thought myself, but I have less to keep myself preoccupied with these days,” I said, still feeling somewhat lost in the new pack despite the significant jump in quality compared to Sam’s way of living. “How did you come to find Levi and his pack?”
“Not everyone believes in fate or a higher power, but I certainly do. I believed the Goddess led me to him when I was alone and needed someone. It was at the same time Levi was shouldering the exile and the unknowns of beginning his pack from the ground up. I believe we both needed what the other could offer, and I happened to stumble upon the grounds looking for a place to stay,” she explained, carefully stirring her ingredients in one at a time. “I’m still grateful everything worked out as they had. Otherwise, I don’t believe I’d be a priestess now.”
“And the others in the pack, what do they come to you for?” I asked, growing more curious about what she did most days.
“That depends. Some come for the tinctures to cure any ailments they might have, or for a hint of extra luck, they might seek advice when it comes to their future as well as their mating prospects. Sometimes, they simply need help connecting with the Goddess. I am a conduit between us and the divine, and I’m happy to help however I can.”
“That sounds very noble of you,” I admitted, pausing my bottle filling to glance at her. “I wish my abilities actually helped somehow.”
“Ah, your psychic abilities. Levi mentioned them to all of us, hoping I might be able to help. But I must admit, looking into the future isn’t my strong suit,” she said as an empathetic smile flickered across her lips. “I used to loathe my powers because of how they isolated me, but I learned to stop resisting them. With time, I’m certain you will find your thing. You have so much time to discover more about yourself.”
With a sigh, I nodded. “I just hope it happens sooner rather than later. I want to help with the Sam issue.”
It was Nati’s turn to nod before she turned and rummaged through one of her cabinets full of bottled ingredients and dried plants. As she leafed through the items I couldn’t recognize, she began, “It’s normal to want to help, especially in uncertain times. The alpha of any pack is the backbone that supports us all. If the alpha’s mind is to get sick, then every wolf will find the same fate. That’s why his mental and physical health is important to all of us and the reason we seek to help in any way we can.”
