“We’ve been left here for ten years, Dimitri.”
“I know.”
Irini shook her head in anger. “No! You don’t know. I have been left here with Caia while my brother gallivanted around goddess knows where - not allowed to come home for my father’s funeral, not allowed to even speak one word to my mother!”
“Irini-”
“And now my brother just expects me to come home. Like nothing happened? Like he didn’t abandon us? Goddess-”
“Irini!” he growled, and Caia slid back in her seat. She had lived with Irini’s tantrums for ten years. Not entirely sure how to deal with the behavior she had merely listened as Irini hissed and snarled about her predicament. Apparently Dimitri didn’t have the patience for it.
Irini’s eyes widened and she inched closer to Caia.
“You would not even be able to return if it wasn’t for Lucien. As soon as he learned of Albus’ death he hunted The Hunter and he won. He didn’t send for you immediately because he wanted to make sure you had somewhere safe to come home to. And now you have.”
“And if we don’t want to?” she whispered, although Caia was sure she didn’t really mean it.
Dimitri glanced at Caia. “You must,” he said, throwing Irini a meaningful look.
Irini turned to her and reached for her hand. Clasping it she nodded in agreement.
“Do we leave now?” Caia enquired.
Dimitri looked startled by her question. It was the first time she had spoken. “Yes,” he eventually acknowledged. “While you pack, I’ll summon Marion so she can finally drop the protection spell.”
2 - The Unknown
They traveled by plane. Caia sat by Dimitri leaving Irini alone to her thoughts.
“You’re apprehensive.” Dimitri smiled kindly down at her. She brushed her hair behind her ears so she could look up at him. Being so close to him she could smell his own individual brand of beautiful damp earth that identified him as a lykan. It brought with it unprepared for memories. In truth, she sighed inwardly, she had been so long without the pack that if it hadn’t been for her weekly runs with Irini in her true form, she would have felt almost entirely human - a socially deficient human, but one nonetheless. Looking into Dimitri’s eyes she saw blurry images of a life long gone, a life where she had felt a part of something. But it no longer existed, and now they just expected her to what... be one of them again? The pack didn’t know her anymore, and she didn’t know them.
“Of course,” she muttered in reply to his question. “I’m the returning orphan who stole away a member of their pack.”
He laughed. “Irini? She’ll get over it.”
“Really? Because that’s what lykans do, they get over it?”
“Well,” he shrugged, his eyes twinkling, “True we’re a temperamental bunch, but Irini has never blamed you for what happened. No one has.”
Right.
“Good to know.” She turned away and gazed straight ahead with her jaw set in determination. Out of the corner of her eye she felt him nod in understanding. It was irritating - she wanted to hide where he couldn’t see through her false bravado.
“Well, as for having no immediate family that will change. It’s only right you go back to staying with Irini and her mother Ella... and Lucien, of course.”
“What about Uncle Magnus?” she tried to sound indifferent. Magnus was an Elder like Dimitri and Ella, and in truth, the lykan she remembered the most.
“He’s there … waiting for you, too.”
They’re all waiting for me, she sighed, trying to tamp down the butterflies in her stomach.
“You’ve been living a civilized life with Irini in a big town much longer than the pack has. I’m sure you fit in at high school much better than any of the pack kids.”
She turned towards him at that, smiling wryly, shaking her head. “Uh well … I wouldn’t say I exactly fit in.”
“What would you say then?”
“I ate lunch in my car.”