SWNOVELS Chapter 43
Morgan pov. The room is silent as both River, and I pack our things for wherever we're supposed to go next. I catch her looking at me every so often, but she doesn't say anything, rather letting her unruly curls fall into her eyes and then going back to sorting through her books. I don't doubt that had we met under different circumstances, casting aside her complete hatred for humans, I might have liked her somewhat. She's been alive much longer than I have but she's a teenager in wolf standards and man does she live up to her years. While she's more book smart she sure isn't world smart and it shows. She has no idea how to work with other people and while I want to blame it on the fact that she lost her parents at such a young age it's not an excuse for her behaviour.
"I know you don't like me." I pause in the middle of folding a shirt, waiting for her to continue so I can decide if I want to have this conversation. "I don't like you either, but Rain is the only family I know and if you're really Rain's mate I can't get rid of you." I allow the shirt to slip out of my hands and turn to her.
"Is there a point to this or do you just want to tell me about your miseries?" She huffs and places a set of books into the huge trunk she's packing, folding her arms across her stomach.
"I just... do you think we could try and get along?" Her question surprises me but I don't allow her to see it.
"Honestly, I didn't think you could look past the fact that you hated me for being human long before you met me. Does me being a hybrid change your feelings now or does it make you hate me more that I'm even more of an abomination now and you're just doing this for the sake of your brother?" She opens her mouth before shutting it just as fast. "Because then yes. I can try to get along with you but as I said, try me. You have no idea who I am and what I'm capable of. You also don't get to ride the coat tails of my affection for Rain to get into my good graces. You've been a brat since the moment I met you and I don't like bratty children." She frowns but nods her head.
"I'm older than you are." She mutters and I huff out a laugh.
"You're a child, River. How many years you've been alive doesn't change that fact." She bites her lips, her ears twitching under her curls and while I don't like her just, yet I find it cute that she shares the same nervous habit as Rain. I used to think his ears would just twitch forever but they lay flat on his head when he's comfortable, hidden by his grey curls.
"My brother really likes you." She tells me after I've folded a couple more shirts.
"I like him too." In fact, I more than like him but I can't get into that now. It would require me to feel something other than the anger I'm using to fuel my focus, and I can't lose focus. "Don't hurt him." When I look at her there's a venerability in her eyes I've never seen there before. Not even when she found Rain here passed out.
"I never planned to." My answer must satisfy her because she goes back to packing her books and I go back to folding my clothes. We work together for a few more minutes before there's a commotion outside and Luca appears in the doorway with a sinister grin on his face.
"Morgan, you might want to come and tame your wolf." He blinks away and I rush out the room, out the house to find Benjamin up in a tree at the edge of the garden and Remi growling at him from beneath.
"What's going on?" Benjamin looks over at me, but Remi doesn't, keeping his dark grey eyes securely on the ancient being.
"He's not happy with me." The vampire answers and I roll my eyes.
"Clearly, what did you do to him?" I start walking over to Remi, but Agness catches me by my arm.
"His wolf is in full control; he might lash out if you get to close." The wolf in question turns his attention to Agness, growling low in his throat before he sends a warning growl up the tree where Benjamin is seated.
"I think he's offended by your insinuation that he might hurt me and quite frankly, so am I." I pry my arm from the woman's hold and walk over to the growling wolf, running my hand down his back as I stand next to him. "Ben, what did you do to him?"
"I told him something, but he wouldn't let me finish before he shifted and started chasing me around the forest." He answers, looking exhausted. "I need him to calm down so I can explain things."
"Sounds like another secret. Tell me old man, do you like playing with people's lives like you're some kind of God?" He gives me a pleading look but I'm not letting him out of this one. I'm still not over the fact that he lied to me about my parenthood and apparently altered my memories, so Rain and I are a united front now...and Remi.
"I'm not keeping them because they're fun, child!" He bellows. "Isa." He snaps at the Fairie who's hovering way in the air along with Luca. She lets out a sigh and I can feel her magic surrounding us just before Benjamin jumps out of the tree. Remi doesn't move and I send a glare at the Fairie who gives me an apologetic look.
"Just listen." She implores and I look back at the vampire. "Talk."
"Rain's parents aren't dead." He shocks me and Remi snarls from next to me. "They were being hunted so we made the choice to protect them by faking their death." He explains but there is no explanation for faking your death from your own child. None. I look up at the Fairie keeping Rain in check.
"You're going to have to keep him here forever if you have that much time to waste because I'm not stopping him from slaughtering all of you." Tension rises in the air as we all stare at each other. Fed up and at an impasse because of all these secrets. I know there are so much more we don't know but I don't know if revealing everything is going to make us stronger allies or enemies forced to band together.