A Trail of Blood and Smoke

17 - Yet Another Coincidence

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M A R K U S
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"I can explain," I say as I head over to where Kaden and the rest of the pack are gathered on the porch. They're all looking behind me, to where Caleb and Richard are walking back into the woods for some privacy. Reece and Ash aren't here, and neither are Callum or Rosalee (the pack's betas), and I guess they're out on patrol somewhere. Missing all the fun and drama.

I hope Richard won't be too harsh on Caleb. Even as the thought surfaces, I know he won't be. I don't think I've ever known him to be anything but unearthly graceful. And besides, by the sound of it, this reunion has been a long time in the making.

Kaden, my alpha, is the first to meet my gaze as I stop before them. "And you will," he says, a hint of authority lining his voice. He can't help it, just like my wolf can't help whining in the back of my mind, cowering behind my thoughts. Hiding this from the pack has been a little taxing, and I'll be glad to be rid of the secret.

As I stand before them, I feel a little like a criminal called to court, with the judge and jury all staring down at me from their pedestals waiting for the truth to reveal itself. In the back of my mind, huddled in the shadows between my thoughts, my wolf sits with his ears back and gaze averted. I urge him to calm down, and to stop being so damn dramatic.

"Okay, who was that?" Renée, our latest and youngest member of the pack, breaks the stunned silence. She's still staring out at the woods, brows raised and features slack with open admiration.

"That," my brother, Lewis, speaks up, looking at the forest and then me with furrowed brows, "was the boy from the photo...?"

Realisation shimmers behind Kaden's and Sierra's eyes. "Now isn't that a coincidence?" Sierra taunts lightly. "You were asking about that photo right before you left."

I laugh weakly in an attempt at innocence.

Tyler — the pack's master of arms responsible for training us all and making sure we can defend ourselves and our home from any threats — grins down at me. He crosses his arms and leans idly against the porch fence. "So this is what you've been doing all week. Hiding a vampire. Did you even go to university?" he asks incredulously, having the nerve to look reprimanding.

I gape at him. "Obviously, I went to university. Caleb's my roommate. One of them, anyway. I swear, it was such a coincidence." I pour honey over my tone, hoping it'll be enough.

My mom, standing next to Kaden, hums tonelessly. It's the non-verbal equivalent of 'I don't believe a word you're saying' and I smile sheepishly up at her, hoping to ease her fury or at least smooth it out a bit. My wolf urges me to be truthful, but I'm trying to stop a war here, so I ignore him.

"A coincidence," she echoes. I detect danger in her tone. At her side, both of my brothers wince in support; they know that voice all too well. "So the day you pack up and move out just so happens to be the day a new vampire shows up in Fenbrooke, and you had no idea?"

"I told you— a big coincidence. Crazy, huh?"

Kaden's stance relaxes as he rolls his eyes and backs up. "Come in, then. Tell us everything."

As one, we all head inside. Even before everyone has gathered in the living room, I start explaining myself. Catching Caleb's scent, hearing his plans, and finding him at university with a witch who saved his life. Trying to figure out if he's a threat and determining the opposite. Agreeing to keep his appearance a secret. Convincing him to stay and finding out about his Exeter plot to draw his family away for a while. I tell them that something caused a rift between him and Daniel. I end with the confrontation, last night, and I admit to revealing myself to Chloe— though I emphasise exactly how much I trust her with the information. Regardless, with both our contacts and Richard's, any claims that do escape can be dismissed before any lasting damage is done to our reputation. It's how our pack has survived so long here, hidden in plain sight. It pays to have friends who can enthral people.