"Ok James what's really going on here?"
James lowered his head and stared at the pavement.
"Nothing Mum." He mutters in reply.
"Nothing? Then why do you look like you've been rolling around on the ground."
James's shoulders curled forwards even further than they already were and he mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.
I better get in there before he starts scuffing his feet.
"Mrs Grey?" I ask stepping forward.
I feel James' surprise and questioning over the bond.
Don't worry I have a plan. She needs to know about Travis . . .
I feel James' questioning and hesitation but chose to ignore it, firming my shoulders and looking her in the face.
Now or never.
"Yes, and who might you be?" She asks, her gaze only lowering slightly. Her will is strong.
"I am Laiela Volkov, my father Mr Volkov is your son's employer," I reply firmly but casually.
"Employer? James doesn't have a job." She says her forehead scrunching up and her gaze skirting back over to James.
"No mam your other son. Travis." I tell her.
Her reaction was minimal but profound. She froze, her whole posture going stiff and rigid. Her eyes which had been shuttered, hiding her thoughts and emotion suddenly became open and questioning, searching for knowledge and showing her need to help and protect. Her hand drifted towards her chest before falling back to her side.
"Chief is everything ok?" asks Officer Torres. She ignores him and continues to stare at me as if I hold all the answers to life's problems.
"T-Travis? You know my son?" her voice hitches a little on his name and her eyes are suspiciously damp.
"Yes, mam. He is the head of security for my families company."
"Head of security? How long has he worked for your family?" She questions going into "interrogation mode" as James calls it.
"He has worked for us for the past 8 years. Originally he just looked after me and my twin brother. I can never repay him for what he has done for us but I would like to start by apologising to you." I say lowering my head in respect.
When I look back up at her face I see something there in her expression that has me pausing. There is still that curiosity and need to protect from before but there is also a sense of deep gratitude like she understands the significance of my gesture. She might know more than we originally thought.
"Is - is he here? Now?" she asks tentatively.
"Yes."
Without another word I turn and point back over towards the car where another crowd has formed. They were all watching with wrapped attention like this was the most interesting thing they'd seen all week. Some had their phones out and were filming or taking photos, one even looked to be taking notes! The other people that had gone over to help James were trying to get them to go away but to no avail. Travis was leaning against a car and holding his broken nose. It would soon heal but was currently still bleeding. He hadn't yet noticed his mother who was now covering her mouth with one hand and shaking, trying not to cry.
"Come on, let's go meet your son," I say taking her hand and beginning to lead her over to Travis.
As we approach the crowd begins to talk louder and become more boisterous, like dogs fighting over a kill. At this Travis looks up searching for the source of the commotion. He turns this way and his vision instantly locks onto his mother. A storm of emotions cross his face; fear, regret, worry, joy and longing to name a few. Similar emotions are coming to me in waves from James and through the connection to Mrs Grey created when I took her hand.
The three of us cross the parking lot and come to a stop by my car.
"Travis?" breathes Mrs Grey.
"Hey Mom," he replies giving her a weak smile.
The two of them just stand there for a moment, looking at each other, taking in all the details.
At some point, Mrs Grey started crying. Both Travis and James' eyes were suspiciously damp as well.
Mrs Grey opened her mouth as if to say something more but before she could someone cleared their through rather loudly.
"Sorry to interrupt but I think we should take this somewhere more private." says the teacher who has stayed silent this entire time. I forgot he was even there. He's starting to creep me out a little. Not many people can escape my notice.
"Yes your right, Torres would you mind dispersing this crowd?" replies Mrs Grey, pulling herself together a little.
"Yes, Chief. OK, everybody! Please go back to what you were doing! Nothing to see here! Anyone caught loitering on school grounds will have to be brought into custody!" He shouts at the crowd who instantly begin walking away towards the gates and some to their cars.
"Shall we go inside or would you rather have this conversation somewhere else?" the teacher asks Mrs Grey.
"Thank you, Mr Coleman, but I think we'll go home to talk. Torres can you finish up here I'm taking the rest of the day off."
"Sure Cheif, take a couple of days off if you need to, you work too hard anyway, you deserve a break." he replies before turning and heading back towards the police car.
I feel a warm and comforting presence approach me and come to a stop by my side.
"Thank you," James whispers to me.
"Your welcome," I say out loud, then switching to mental communication I say . . .
You know you can speak to me like this if you do not wish others to hear.
"Really? How?" he whispers still speaking out loud.
Simply think of what you wish to say then direct that thought at me. Imagine there is a connection like a wire or a cable connecting us. Think about opening that connection and letting your voice, thoughts or intentions flowing across that bond and travelling to me. If you let me hear I will.
He nods and closes his eyes.
Like this?
Yes! Very good! Now open your eyes and try again.
Ok.
He opened his eyes and looked over at me.
How is this possible? He asks an uncertain smile crossing his face.
There's a lot to explain and I promise I will tell you, just not right now. For now, you'll just have to accept that not everything is as you thought it was. The world is a big place full of all sorts of strange and amazing things. Just keep an open mind and I promise everything will be explained.
Well, that didn't sound mysterious or foreboding at all. Next thing I know you'll be telling me your an alien from another planet. he replies sarcastically.
No not an alien . . . but not human either. I answer, not meaning for him to hear the last bit.
Wait seriously?! Well what did I expect, people can't speak to each other telepathically. Does that mean that I'm not human too? He asked the last so tentatively, like he both dreaded and hoped that was the case.
I had never seen someone accept the truth so quickly. Most people reacted with denial and disbelief, but not James. I wasn't sure what that meant but it had me answering him honestly.
I'm not sure . . . but it's most likely you are not human, yes.
At that, he took a sharp intake of breath before letting it out slowly in a long sigh. He looked at me like he was about to ask more questions, I could almost feel them forming in his brain, but before he could ask Mrs Grey came over followed by Travis and James' friends.
They had been talking to Mr Coleman. Travis had explained what happened and Mr Coleman had assured them that James would not be suspended but he may have to do a detention for fighting on school property. His friends had protested but Mr Coleman had explained that it wasn't to punish James but to set an example that fighting was not allowed and that no one was exempt from the rules. Mr Coleman had then gone back inside the school to go explain what had happened to the principal.
"Hey man. You still need a ride home or what?" asks the guy.
"We may have to take you up on your offer Ben. Torres took the cruiser and I don't think you boys would have wanted to ride in the back anyway." Replied Mrs Grey.
"Ben's car can't fit everyone." Says James gesturing to our little group.
"Me and Zara are gonna head off. She's got dance and after we were gonna go to the club to see Michael perform." Said the girl with the fiery red hair. The other girl who must've been Zara nodded and waved as she turned to go.
"See you tomorrow James." She said in a French accent before taking the other girls hand and half dragging her away. The girl obviously didn't want to leave and kept looking back over her shoulder at the five of us.
"Bye! Apologies to Michael for me!" Shouts James in reply.
"Will do!" Shouts Zara before dragging the other girl around the corner and disappearing from sight.
Just then Ben seemed to notice me for the first time.
"Hey! You're the girl James saw the other day! Damn! You are hot!" he exclaims elbowing James as he did.
"Ben! Shut up man!" He replies hitting his friend's arm.
I cover my mouth trying to hide my giggles.
"Miss I hate to say this but you still have your appointment with the principal to talk about getting your brother enrolled here." Interrupts Travis.
My heart sinks and the smile leaves my face.
"Damn I'd forgotten. You go with your family, I'll meet you back at the house." I say turning towards the school.
"There's just one problem with that miss. You're still grounded." He says putting a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"What?! But your families here and I need to go to this meeting! I'm sure you can leave me alone for a couple of hours to talk to your family." I complain.
"Whats the trouble?" asks Mrs Grey.
We both turn to her. A worried look crosses her face. I feel even more guilty seeing that expression.
"Laiela is grounded and is not supposed to leave the house without supervision. I have to stay with her as all the other staff will just let her go off and do whatever she wants. We came here today as Laiela's twin brother who was supposed to be in Italy to help Mr Volkov with some business has finished early and come here to Brighthall to stay with the rest of the family. Since he is here he also needs to be enrolled in school." Travis explains.
"Well why is she grounded?" asks Ben. This gets another whack from James.
"I may or may not have gone out at night and broken some stuff," I reply, grimacing at my own stupidity.
"What I don't understand is if your brother needs to be enrolled at school then why are you here?" asks Mrs Grey looking at me with a critical eye.
"Alex was going to come himself but wasn't feeling well today so he sent me in his place," I explain. "Since we're twins and are very close I know everything about him so I can answer any questions the Principal or teachers may have better than anyone else."
It's not a complete lie but it's not the complete truth either. I can't tell her the real reason I was sent instead of someone else is because of my ability to communicate telepathically with Alex from anywhere, no matter how far away I am. Most can only communicate from a certain distance. Some farther than others, but no one as far as me.
She seems to know that I'm lying but leaves it as it is. Accepting the lie. Just like most humans do.
"I'm sorry mum but I have to stay here until the meeting is over then deliver Miss Volkov back to the house. I promise I'll come over tomorrow so that we can talk." Says Travis.
I quickly check his emotions and see that he really wants to talk to his family and explain to them why he left, but that he is willing to put that aside in order to do his job. Not wanting to have him put off talking to his family for any longer than he has to I quickly come up with a plan.
"Actually I have an idea. You, James and Ben, if he wants can go to the house and wait there while Travis and I finish up here. Once we're done we'll come back then you guys can talk as well as getting to meet some of the people Travis has been living with while you haven't seen him." I tell them.
"That's a perfect idea! What do you say, mum?" James said turning to Ben and Mrs Grey.
"Of course. We'd love to meet your family." She replies.
"Sure dude. I can drop you and the Cheif off but then I gotta head home. Granpa Phil's coming over for dinner." says Ben grimacing a little.
"Well, that'll be interesting. Sorry I'll be missing it." James replies smiling like there's some joke I'm missing.
"Do you not like your grandpa?" I ask.
"No, he's great! He's just a little eccentric . . . ok, a lot eccentric. Last time he came to dinner he brought my mother a jar of strange smelling liquid as a present, said it would help with her stomach ulcer, the thing was she didn't have a stomach ulcer." explains Ben.
"That is strange. Who gives you medicine when you're not sick?" I ask.
"I know right? But get this, a week later she was throwing up all over the floor and in extreme pain. Went to the doctor and guess what? Stomach ulcer. Takes the medicine the doctor gave her and nothing happens, takes the liquid Grandpa Phil gave her and bam! She's up and eating normally in half a day."
"Wow, weird!" I exclaimed, hoping I'm not coming off as too forced. There are only a few things that can diagnose and cure diseases like that and none of them are human.
Some of my thoughts must have leaked across the bond because James was suddenly looking at me questioningly.
Later. I promise.
I give them the address and instructions on how to get through the gate before saying goodbye and sending them on their way. I then turned and headed towards the schools big front doors with Travis at my side.
"Laiela are you sure you should you have done that?" he asks casually.
"Done what?" I ask, playing ignorant.
"Invited them back to the house without asking anyone else? What if they turn up and find that The Pack's gone out hunting and no ones there? Or worse, they see someone Change? Werewolves are kind of hard to explain away." he whispers calmly.
"You have a point. I'll send a warning to The Pack that their coming." I reply. I hadn't thought of that. I was too excited about having James in my territory to think of the consequences. I have to be more careful from now on.
I close my eye's and reach out over The Pack Bond, connecting with all the Pack Members back at the house.
Pack, there are people coming to the house that don't know about Werewolves. They are to be let in and treated kindly as they will soon be Pack, but not yet. Don't let them see you in Wolf Form.
I wait and soon enough many voices answer my call.
Yes, Miss Volkov. As you say it shall be done. . .
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