Good to Be Back

*Hezzlie*

After Dean leaves, I sit and stare out the window for far too long. It’s probably only a half an hour, but I want to go see my mom and check on Abby, Tony, and my brother. Instead, I’m stuck in some sort of weird fog where all I can do is stare over at my father’s castle and wonder what the hell he’s doing. Has he lost his mind now that he knows that he’s not only lost his son, his heir, but I actually do have magic? I can’t imagine he’ll just roll over and play dead. No, he’s got to be up to something.
Dean left the door open when he walked out, saying it should be a nice change of pace not to be a prisoner here any more, and he’s not wrong, so when Wilma walks in with a tray for breakfast, she doesn’t have to knock. I hear her melodic voice and pull myself out of my trance.
“There you are!” she says, rushing over to set the tray on the table. I stand and hurry toward her, wrapping my arms around her as soon as hers are empty. “Oh, my. We missed you so much, sweet girl.” She strokes my hair and holds me tight, like I imagine a loving grandmother would do.
“I missed you, too.” Wilma was one of the first people I met when I came here, and she was always so kind to me–even after I intentionally got her in trouble several times by tricking her into telling me information Rowan clearly didn’t want me to know. “How have you been?”
“Me?” She releases me and places a hand on her chest like no one ever asks her that question. Maybe they don’t. “Oh, I’m just fine.” She smiles warmly, but I see that’s not quite the truth. There is something bothering her, which is to be expected considering everything that has gone on here recently, everything that continues to go on. “I’m just doing what I can around this place to keep it going.”
I can’t help but smile back at her. “Well, you do a pretty good job of that. How is everyone? I bet James is busy after the battle.”
“James is tending to the wounded, but there aren’t that many. We lost a few.” She hangs her head and shakes it slowly in remorse. “It is to be expected though.” After a deep breath, she says, “Anyway, I thought you might be hungry. Your mother isn’t up yet, but I’m sure she’ll be in just as soon as someone tells her you’re here.”
“Thank you, Wilma.” I can smell the scent of bacon and pancakes coming from beneath the silver cloche, and my mouth begins to water. She knows my favorites, that’s for sure. “Would you like to join me?”
“Oh, no,” she says. “Thank you, but I already ate.”
“You could keep me company, if you’d like.” I pull out a chair and take the lid off, salivating even more. I’ve been so hungry recently, probably because of all the energy I’ve been expending, but I hadn’t even realized it until right now.
“I do have some work to do.” Wilma looks at the doorway for a moment as if deciding whether she should stay or go before she pulls out a chair and asks, “How was it–over there?”
I already have a huge bite of pancakes in my mouth, so it’s a little difficult to answer. I swallow first. “It wasn’t good,” I admit. “I felt even more like a prisoner there than I did here–with less friends. If I hadn’t had Abby over there with me, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
“Abby seems like a nice girl.” Wilma is cautious with her tone. “Not from around here.”
I can tell she isn’t sure whether or not Abby can be trusted, and she probably feels that way about Tony and Aiden, too. Considering where they came from and the frequency of attacks in the castle that originated in the same place, who can blame her?
For a moment, I wonder if there’s a chance I could’ve been being played all along and at least one of the people I invited into the mansion is a traitor, but I don't think that’s the case. I’ve seen how much Abby despises her father. I’ve seen the anguish on my brother’s face when he talks about Mara, and Tony is just a scared kid who probably wants to go home but won’t be able to for a while–not until we kill my father anyway.
“Abby is great,” I assure her. Without telling Wilma that she’s actually Dean’s mate, because that’s not my story to tell, I explain how Abby helped me when I first arrived in the castle and how she never stopped telling me. By the time I’m finished, not only has Wilma warmed up to the idea of her, she’s talking too.
Wilma tells me all about the happenings in the mansion while I was gone. She accidentally goes into far too much detail about how much pain Rowan was in, which makes me wince a little. She explains it’s because I marked him. If I had known what I was doing and what it meant, I never would’ve done such a thing.
But then, maybe it was the right thing for me to do. After all, Rowan wants me here now, and he might not have realized he needed me if he hadn’t been in so much pain in my absence. I guess it does make the heart grow fonder or whatever the saying is.
“How’s Mom been?” I ask. “Did she want to come here?”
Wilma shrugs. “I’m honestly not sure. She seems to be happy here, but she had all that money and had plans to use it in the world she’s used to. Of course, she still has it and could always build her own house here, once things settle down.” Her eyes shift to the castle. “But I think it’s taken some getting used to. She still doesn’t know about… our wolves.”
I nod. “I got that impression the last time I spoke to her. She knows about the doors, though. I think she knows about the magic. So… maybe it’s time to show her the truth of the matter.”
Wilma lets out a sigh. “Maybe so. That’ll be up to Rowan, I suppose.”
“Everything is up to Rowan.” I don’t sound bitter like I would’ve before. Instead, I catch a note of fondness in my voice.
“Very true. Well, my dear, I have work to do.” Wilma pats my arm and stands. I’ve finished my breakfast, so she gathers up the tray. “I believe the king has been speaking to your brother. He’s got to be tired. I don’t think he slept.’
I’m not sure if she’s talking about Aiden or Rowan, but the same can likely be said of both of them.
Wilma leans down and kisses the top of my head. “We are so glad you’re back, dear.”
“I’m glad to be back,” I assure her. “Thank you, Wilma. For everything.”
She flashes a bright smile and then leaves, and once again the door is left open.
I’m just about to get out of my seat and go looking for someone else to talk to–maybe Natalie or my mother–when Rowan steps into the doorway. I can’t read the expression on his face, but I’m now frozen to my seat.
Whatever he wants, I’ll give it to him.