The next day, I went into the town to try and find some work, and within five minutes, I'd been hired as a receptionist at one of the local firms. It wasn't glamorous, but it was a job, and my new employer told me I was a breath of fresh air. Their last receptionist hadn't been terribly reliable, and they were looking forward to working with someone who could turn up on time and do the job. I had no experience, of course, but my new employer didn't give a damn, and we shook hands to seal the deal.
GiGi was very pleased when I came home, and she immediately took me out to celebrate. We spent the day wandering Blackpool, and when the lights came on at twilight, we hung around to take them all in, even riding on one of the balloon trams as it made its way up and down the promenade.
It was a veritable riot of colour, and as we wandered along, I felt truly at peace for the first time since that disastrous party more than two years ago. In fact, I felt more at peace than I had for a long while, and when I saw GiGi's smile as we made our way back to the tram stop to head home, I knew she was happy I was finally getting my spark back.
The next day, she took me into the lighthouse, and though it was slow going, the view from the top was magnificent, and I stared in wonder at the vista spread out before me. Everything looked smaller, almost like I was looking down on a model village, and it was breathtaking.
After lunch, I wandered down to the beach, and the moment the salt air hit my face, I knew I'd come home. This, I thought, was where I belonged, and I went for a good long walk, taking in all the sights and sounds of my new home. Here, it didn't matter than I had no wolf, that I was an exile from my old home, or that my old pack had essentially disowned me. Here, I was free to be whoever I wanted, and right now, what I wanted was to be me, something I'd never really had a chance to be back in Bath. But here in Fleetwood, I could be me, and it was the best feeling in the world. To be sure, I didn't quite know who I was, but I knew that I had value, and that, deep down, I was still a werewolf. And as I started my walk back to the lighthouse, I made a vow that I would make my own way in the world, and not let the lack of a wolf determine my worth.
I was a werewolf, and I would be accepted by both humans and other werewolves alike.
And there wouldn't be a damn thing my former pack would be able to do about it.
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTZqci95iT
Sundays were "lazy days" according to GiGi, which meant she had plenty of time to tell me about my father, and why Ben had wanted me to stay with his family after Dad died.
And it was not pretty.
"Benjamin was obsessed with your mother," GiGi told me, as we sat in the kitchen that morning. It was a bit grey outside, with the smell of rain heavy in the air, which gave us the perfect excuse to stay inside and catch up on family history. "I mentioned the Whitewaters to you the other day, and they play a part. You may recall they were once obsessed with keeping their bloodline pure, and they did, at one time, take it to extremes by mating brother to sister, or sometimes even uncle to niece. Thankfully, the two most notorious families within that pack are now fully eradicated, and the Whitewaters are a much more tolerant and free-thinking pack.
"Benjamin, however, was not tolerant. Or free-thinking. In fact, he was more obsessed with pure blood than even Samuel and Simon, and they were the worst for 'keeping it in the family'. I shan't go into the more gruesome details, but Benjamin followed their ideals obsessively, because he was, in fact, a distant cousin of theirs. Naturally, when your mother met and fell in love with your father, Benjamin was rather less than pleased.
"So when your father died, he insisted you and your mother move in with him, rather than come to live with either myself or Perry. We were too heartsore over the loss of your father, so we decided to go along with Benjamin's wishes. I need not spell out what his ultimate plans for you were, need I?"
I grimaced. "Hell no," I said fervently. "Uh, pardon my language, but seriously? That's why he insisted on having Mum and I live with him?"
GiGi nodded. "Yes," she said, squeezing my hand. "It's also why he let his daughter's abuse of you slide after she attacked you at her party. To him, you were a means to an end, and he let his daughter abuse you to 'soften you up' so he could eventually claim you. But by now, Perry had been made aware of what was going on, so when you were admitted to hospital the second time, he made sure you were put directly under his care, whilst also making sure Benjamin could not harm you any further. But he has to be careful; if Benjamin suspects Perry's relationship to you, he will likely go after him for 'stealing you away', or some other nonsense like that."
"He didn't seem keen on my disowning myself from the pack," I said, shivering as I recalled that day. "I think he only disowned me because he had no other choice. But he's still going to scoop me up, isn't he?"
"Not if you join another pack and get accepted by the Alpha," GiGi told me. "Once you're under that Alpha's protection, no one, not even Benjamin, will be able to take you away, not without starting a war."
I thought about it. The idea of placing myself under the protection of another pack was a bit repugnant, but the practical side of me knew it was a good idea. "Can I have a think about it?" I asked.
"Of course, dear," GiGi assured me, giving my hand another squeeze. "There's certainly no rush. Just get yourself settled here, and let the rest fall into place."
I smiled. "Thanks."141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79uFm5tz9M
