Tracey grinned. “Like what?” She was really enjoying this too much.
“Like this morning I could hear people’s conversations through the walls. My sense of smell has improved a lot, not as much after I was first changed, but it’s good. I don’t need contacts anymore.”
“Have you tried to run yet?” Her grin seemed to grow bigger. I didn’t know how it was even possible.
I shook my head. “Not yet, I didn’t think that would change unless I was in my wolf form.”
All of a sudden she was beside me then she was gone, in a blink of an eye she was back. She had two popsicles in her hands. She handed me one while she continued to smile.
“Not as fast as vampires, but I haven’t ever raced one, so in my head, I’m faster.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder.
Vampires too? Of course. There had to be an entire world out there that I knew nothing about. I hadn’t been apart of it until now. I rolled my eyes as I licked the cold dessert.
“Why don’t you try it out?” Tracey cocked an eyebrow.
I shook my head. “I don’t run.”
“Your wolf will thank you for it.” Tracey shrugged but I could see the worry on her face.
I chewed on my bottom lip. I didn’t see the point. I hadn’t tried to shift and all I wanted were these heightened senses to go away. The only good thing out of all of this was my eyesight had improved. I couldn’t face the music just yet. For the most part, I didn’t feel any different and I didn’t know if it was because I hadn’t accepted the part of me that was a wolf… or that my wolf didn’t want to come out to play. Either way, I was glad I still felt like me for the most part.
The growling undertone in my voice had gone away and I felt more in control of my senses besides this morning.
Once we broke through the thick tree line I was speechless. There was a beautiful brick home front and center, then behind it, there was a tiny cottage that had smoke billowing up from its brick chimney. It looked like something from a storybook. I raised my eyebrows as Tracey and she grinned again.
“I can’t tell you how nice it is to be able to tell someone about all of this,” She bunched up her shoulders before she released a breath. “To not have to hide myself. I mean… I never wanted to hide any of myself from my friends but unfortunately, there aren’t many girls in the pack my age… at least not ones that aren’t falling all over our Alpha.”
I winced as I finished off the dessert between my fingers. “So how hard did you try to fake jump out of my window?” If her speed was like she demonstrated, then there was no way she couldn’t have jumped from my window and landed without injury.
Tracey giggled. “That was the absolute worst. I was hoping you would get hammered that night so all I had to do was run us past the security system and then throw you through the window.”
I frowned. “Unfortunately,yourAlpha had other plans that night.”
Tracey grasped the top of my arm gently. “I promise you that I would have never allowed that to happen. I didn’t know. I thought he was going to get to know you, not do what he did. I will live the rest of my life trying to make up for it.”
Just as I was opening up my mouth to say something a little lady opened the front door to the hut and my words disappeared. She looked just like Tracey, but her skin was darker. She grinned at us and I instantly knew that was her grandmother that she had called the witch. There were hardly any wrinkles on her face and her hair was bright and shiny.
“Granny this is Jade Rivers,” Tracey rushed across the lot separating them and kissed her grandmother on the cheek. I followed behind her slowly and held my hand out to the woman once I was in front of her. I didn’t know how introductions went around here. Everything seemed so tense all the time but that could have something to do with the way I wasturned.I didn’t think anyone knew what to do when it came to me. Which I didn’t mind, I liked the space. I wasn’t a freak show.
Her youthful hand grabbed mine and yanked me to her. She wrapped her strong arms around my waist and about squeezed the life out of me with her hug. Yep, she was definitely a grandmother. For a moment I savored the feel of her arms around me. The scent of lavender and sandalwood clung to her skin. Until that moment I hadn’t realized how much I would have loved to have a grandma. I untangled myself from her arms and hesitantly took a step away from her warm embrace.
“I’m Granny to everyone around here, but you can call me by my name if you would like,” I shook my head. I didn’t need to be any more of an outcast than I already was. She ushered me forward into her home and all sorts of scents enveloped me. First, it was the lavender and sandalwood, then it was pine that reminded me of Rafe. Then vanilla and honey. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had never been anywhere besides the supermarket that had overwhelmed my senses like this. I closed my eyes and then the smells disappeared. I blinked in surprise.
Granny’s hand rubbed my shoulder. “I forget what it’s like to have new wolves around here. The little ones stay away from my hutch and I encourage them to keep their distance.” She winked and I felt a smile stretch across my face. This one was probably the first real one since I had pulled onto the Crimson property.
Granny’s little cottage was full of shelves. Every single wall either had books or little bottles lining every square inch. Even though there didn’t seem to be any electricity, the rooms were bright with natural lighting and candles. The room we had walked into from the front door was massive. The fireplace was set to the right while the kitchen was on the opposite wall. There was no seating, not even a couch. There were tables overflowing with cauldrons, beaker bottles, and books. On the floor in front of the fireplace were two worn-out cushions and a small table in between them. Curled up under the table was a white cat. Its haunches raised when it noticed us.
Tracey shivered as it ran out of the room. “Granny insists on keeping the stupid cat even though she knows the wolves don’t like them and they don’t like us.”
Granny was the ultimate rebel. She scoffed. “A witch needs her extra eyes. I don’t have a wolf’s extra instincts like the both of you, so I need Chalice to do what I can’t. She always comes back with useful information.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “You’re not a wolf then?”
Granny laughed and shook her head. “Gods no. I mated with a wolf, which was quite the scandal back in the day.”
I found myself smiling again. The wood floors beneath my feet creaked as I walked to the cushions in front of the fire. It wasn’t winter yet and I expected the open fire to be uncomfortable against my skin, especially since I could no longer sleep under the blankets. The wolf inside of me made me a space heater. I couldn’t seem to get comfortable anymore but this was fine, which was a surprise. I figured it had something to do with Granny being a witch. Nothing around here would be uncomfortable.
“What brought you two all the way out here?” Granny leaned against the hearth with her fist on her hip.
