Secrets From My Mate

Chapter Eight

Reunion

That night and the following day were spent in preparations for the arrival of the rest of our siblings. Lucy and Kyle would take the two empty rooms on the second floor and Tessa and Sarah would move into the bedrooms on the main floor, I didn't envy them there, the bedrooms were right next to Gran and Papa's. It was definitely going to be getting crowded here.

Papa had decided to work from home, spending most of the day on the phone, talking the moving company and the airlines. It was apparently a lot of work to suddenly move three people from New to North Dakota on short notice. Gran had been talking to the school all morning. She'd agreed that it would be best if Lucy, Sarah and Kyle were listed as our cousins, instead of siblings. Just as a precaution, she'd said. I hated how many precautions my family always had to take.

I was allowed to walk around today. I wasn't really lying when I told Derek I'd be healed up in a week. I mean it would take more than a week, the Gift isn't instant like that, but I'd be okay to go with Uncle John to New York tomorrow. I'd sadly would also be okay to go back to school Monday.

Uncle John. He's my mother's twin but he couldn't be more different than her. He was definitely an eccentric, and the Gift only enhanced that about him. He'd only met his mate, Mariam, a couple years ago. She was human she they had been easing into the hectic mess that was our family. I really liked Mariam. She was a little timid but she's the only one thought Herbalism was cool. Gran just uses it like another tool for using the Gift, but Mariam actually found the herbs themselves fascinating. She and Uncle John were always off traveling, they write some sort of travel guide together. But when they came home Mariam always had a book or two for me about the different herbs from the places they'd visited.

Uncle John was coming without Mariam this time though. She didn't really like my mother any more than I did. I think she was scared of her.

"Nikki!" Colt yelled from downstairs at about five. "Uncle John's here!"

Normally I'd be thrilled that my Uncle was here, I'd go running down the stairs to meet him. But I was somber about having to see my mother and I was sure Gran would tell him about the trouble I'd caused in the past few days, if she hadn't already. I made my way downstairs slowly, hesitantly.

Uncle John was already in the foyer, shrugging off a beaten trench coat that Sage had gotten him as a birthday gift nearly four years ago. His usually clean-shaven face was scraggly with dark stubble. Mariam hated that stubble, said it was scratchy when they kissed. More than I'd ever needed to know. I guess my uncle had been busy if he'd forgotten to shave it. He and Gran were hugging, then him and Papa. He was the same height as Papa, but not nearly as intimidating. To be honest he kind of looked like an animated drunk bachelor come to life. Though Uncle John never really drank.

I was at the bottom of the stairs when he finished his greetings with his parents. He turned to me with the kind smile that he'd always reserved for me and my sisters. "Hey kiddo," he said, pulling me in for a hug.

My nose wrinkled and I pushed away. "You reek," I complained.

Everyone laughed, included Uncle John who replied with, "You sound like Mariam."

I felt my eyes spark. "How's Aunt Mariam doing?"

"She misses you lot," he answered. "And somewhere in my luggage I've got a book she got for you. She's off visiting her aunt in California, and she's checking in on Sage while's she out there."

Gran smiled. "I do love that girl, always so kind."

I grabbed my elbows. "So, did Gran tell you?"