Thirty

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There's a sort of tension in the air

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There's a sort of tension in the air. Everyone's wondering when Sam will make his move.

The original plan was to attack the night we all found out about the...thing. But Seth left and then Leah followed after hearing the plan. And with only five shifters and a banshee who's still figuring out her powers against three shifters and seven vampires, the odds aren't exactly in our favor.

But that doesn't mean we don't have a chance to win, we just have to be smart. And the smartest thing to do is wait it out.

That's why the pack is taking turns patrolling around the edges of the Cullen's house. Far enough to be out of sight but close enough to be prepared to strike.

That's how it's been the last eleven days. Paul is getting angsty. He wants to attack immediately and get the whole thing over. But if we wait long enough the Cullens will be starved and weak. That's when we take our chance.

"I can't believe Seth just left." Embry has been repeating this statement every single day, sometimes even two or seven times a day.

No one blames him for being upset, but hearing him say this has gotten a bit annoying.

"We need to make a move soon." I tell Sam once I enter his house. "The boys aren't getting enough sleep. If we wait any longer they'll be too weak."

Sam sighs and runs a hand down his face. The bags around his eyes are deep, an ugly dark purple making it look like he has two black eyes. "I know, Caroline. But we need to wait just a few more days. The Cullens will be weak enough by then for us to attack."

He's trying his best. I know he is. But I think he overestimates how long his pack can last on little sleep.

Still, I nod and say no more.

Later that same day, I find myself at Dani's house. Knowing what's been going on, Nova called an emergency sleepover for the four of us. And with her dad working tonight, Dani suggested we go to her place.

Besides meeting to take our minds off things, it's also the last weekend we have together. Dani leaves for Wyoming in three days. That's where her mom is from. She thinks her mom might have gone back there, so she wants to try and find her. But the reason she tells her dad is for school.

Riley is leaving to Kentucky next Thursday for nursing school. His and Nova's grandparents own a water business so he'll be working there while in school.

Nova and I are both staying here for now and doing some classes online from Port Angeles University. Someday I will move to California. Julian and I had dreamed of going to California State University in Long Beach. He was going to major in mechanical engineering. My first thought was to major in sociology, but the classes I'm enrolled in are for pharmacy.

Like father like daughter am I right?

"Did you guys watch the new episode of Community?" Dani throws her hand up exasperatedly when no one nods. "First, we're watching it. And then, I'm going to school all y'all asses in Uno."

Riley chuckles and presses a kiss to her forehead. "We will watch the episode. But I will be the one who wins Uno."

Dani did end up beating us all at Uno. Four times. Riley got close once, but then I hit him with a draw four card and he had six cards he was stuck with for the rest of the game.

It's late now, so we each laid out our sleeping bags in the living room. But we don't sleep yet. I know I can't. It's our last night together before we go our separate ways. We haven't been apart for seven years.

"Guys, I love you." Riley's voice is soft, but the weight in his words echo throughout the room. "I just wanted to let you know. I never got to say that to Julian."

His words stab me in the gut. It reminds of what he said to me during summer. Julian's parents had gone through with a funeral, and afterwards I refused to see anyone. A few days later my friends showed up at my house. Riley was pissed and told me I wasn't the only one missing Julian.

His words hurt, but they were true. I was being selfish. And knowing that I got to see him again, that Nova and I know what truly what happened to him, it's eating me alive. I want to tell Riley and Dani, but I know the dangers the supernatural world brings. I've already lost one friend to it. I won't lose another.

Nova reaches over and squeezes my hand, nodding when our eyes meet. I sigh and close my eyes. "I need to tell you something." Dani sits up in her sleeping bag. "I know what happened to Julian, what really happened."

Magic Shop - Paul Lahote FFWhere stories live. Discover now