Maya quickened her steps, hurrying to get to the kitchen faster, as her stomach grumbled more loudly. She knew that her cousin would be going through the same too; they needed to eat, after the long journey. She also knew not to wory about those that had come with them; they would be with their respective families, who would be rejoicing and welcoming them with all happiness. Unlike her.
She hadn't really been surprised by the type of welcome she had received from her family, her father to be precise. The man seemed to have gotten more hostile, and had taken along her brother with him. She feared for her little brother. She prayed he wouldn't turn out to be like their father. She wondered what he would think or say, when he finds out about the witch's potion that their father had given her to drink. She didn't think he would be happy about it though; he might go beserk with anger. She thought. Perhaps, she should tell him, so that he would be careful around their unreliable father who always claimed that anything he did was for their own good. Some good she wasn't even seeing.
When she finally got to the kitchen, which was larger and bigger than her Aunt's, Melvina's own, she breathed out in relief. Stepping in, she noticed that her mother and her brother were discussing animatedly about something of interest. Instinctively, she knew it was about what her cousin, Derek, had mentioned while he had been in the sitting room with them. It was about the necklace, and its purpose.
She cleared her throat to gain their attention, of which she was very successful in doing.
Her mother and her brother quit their discussion, and turned towards her with skeptical looks at first, before dissolving into a normalized look.
"Hungry?" Her mother asked, reclining on the counter.
"Yeah. Derek is too." She answered, walking towards her family.
"I thought you guys would clean up first, before eating..." Her brother stated, with a smirk hovering around his lips. He was actually referring to the store room which Derek had been given to stay, and not of them taking their bath to freshen up.
And Maya knowing exactly what he meant, scoffed loudly.
"Not funny Curtis. Not funny." She said, folding her arms across her chest, before turning to face her mother squarely, while ignoring the sharp laugh which bursted out of her brother's lips at her reply.
"Is the food ready?" She asked her mother, after a beat.
"Almost." Jan replied. "I made your favourite." She said with a smile; the happiness of seeing her daughter after a while, still rolling over her in waves. She had missed her daughter. It's been almost a month. But she was glad that her little girl had made the travel. She could see that it had opened her eyes in many ways, and had changed her a bit.
Her sarcastic mannerisms were almost gone even, unlike before, where she would have to think on her every statement, to know whether it was truly true or truly sarcastic. And the girl was attending college too. She had trusted her co wife, Melvina, to take care of her daughter, and she was very pleased that the latter had done exactly so; her daughter was looking more radiant than before.
And so, she promised to look after Derek too, even if it meant going against her husband. Moreso, the lad had gotten her a gift. And although she was yet to open the gift box, she was very pleased that he had remembered and had appreciated. It spoke volumes that the teen was growing up to be a fine man; a fine alpha.
"Thanks Mom." Maya replied, smiling from ear to ear. She took a seat on one of the stools in the kitchen, deciding to wait till the food was done. She didn't want to return back to her room empty handed; she didn't want to crush her cousin's expectations of food which would be so high as hers.
" So, where is he staying?" Jan asked, speaking her son's mind who had been waiting for an opportunity to broach the issue again. Although he really didn't get along with his cousin brother, he didn't like the room his father had left to him. But of course, he would have to die first, before admitting that. It was better that the latter thought him as a enemy, than a friend. After all they had never seen eye to eye since they had been little. So, why start now?
"In my room." Maya replied, with a shrug.
"You will be sleeping with him?" Curtis asked, feeling a bit jealous of the arrangement. His sister was quite possessive and non-sharing about her room, and now, she shared it willingly with Derek, without any complaint at all. Sometimes, in the past, he had wondered whether there had been something more than cousinship going on between the duo. It had hurt him seeing them together everytime. He was like a third wheel, even though he was her blood brother.
"Yeah, any problem?" Maya queried him.
"No." He replied. " Isn't it a bit awkward?" He asked after some beats.
" Not really." Maya replied, with a shrug again. Shd didn't see the awkwardness there, in sharing a room with her cousin.
" Okay then." Curtis stated, before turning away his face from her, and looking at geh direction of the window, as if he was actually seeing someone or something through it; which was quite impossible because the kitchen windows were too high up.
" Yeah.. " Maya said under her breath, while looking at her brother skeptically. Not being able to deduct his deal on the whole matter, she blanked it out, and started thinking of something else. Leo.
"The food is ready." Her mother stated after a while, interrupting her thoughts on how she would go about meeting her mate. Shd decided that she would talk to her mother at night, after she and Derek had settled in properly, about everything. But for now, she would havd to ask her brother on where the her cousin's pack warriors had been kept. She knew that Derek would be interested in knowing that too. So, she might as well get the info now.
"Cool..." She replied absent-mindedly to her mother's statement, before calling unto her brother again.
" Curtis..." She called to her brother, who turned his face towards her sharply, like he had been startled by something.
"Yes." He answered, noncommittally.
"Where do the pack warriors from Derek's pack stay?" She asked.
"When you're done eating, I will take you there." He replied, before turning away again, towards the windows.
"Okay...thanks." She muttered, wondering what was his deal now.
She shrugged after checking and finding nothing she had done or said wrong. And so, she turned her face away from him and let it rest in the direction of her mother. The older woman was already dishing the meal whose aroma could awake a sleeping dog. Her mother was a very good cook, but her aunt, Melvina, was a pro on that field. She had to admit. The latter's meals were out of this world. But still, her mother's food was it all, and she couldn't exchange it for anything, or anyone else's food.
"Here, take this..." Her mother said, interrupting her thoughts, as she handed over to her a beautifully designed plastic tray, which housed two plates of hot food.
"For you and Derek." She added, with a short smile.
"Thanks Mom." She replied, before collecting the tray and walking out of the room, but not before throwing a short glance at her brother who still sat on the stool looking at the high ups kitchen windows.
Outside the door, she wondered why and what he was looking at, even as she heard her mother call to him, go come and collect his own meal.
"Perhaps it's because of his upcoming shift this night." She murmured, as she remembered that he was technically plus one today, even if it wasn't counted till he shifted. Still, she should have wished him a happy birthday already. She decided she would do that when he takes them where Derek's pack members were staying.
Further more, she pondered on who his mate could be. If the lady would be in their pack, or in another's pack. She was okay with anyone though. The moon goddess knew what was best for each one.
The inference to the all wiseness of the moon goddess made her remember Emma.
The human was mated to her cousin who would soon become an Alpha, at least in a few days from now. And although she loved the redhead so much, she found herself questioning whether the moon goddess had been right in pairing her friend to her cousin.
Even though there were suspicious activities going on around her, she was still a human.
A human who was about to be a Luna, if her uncle allows it.
But of what use was a human Luna to the pack, especially in these trying times??
"Goddess, you know it best...." She muttered, as she got closer to her room.