Fire And Ice

Chapter 23 - You Too?

Natalia's P. O. V

"I won the bet. You know what to do." Kaesha reminded me.

We'd left the breakfast bar and were walking in the general direction of my house. It was still pretty far from where we were but we enjoyed each other's company enough to walk and talk for a while.

"I already told you. I left my old pack. If they found me, they'd force me to go back but I don't think they're looking anymore."

"Why's that?"

"I left a 'death scene'," Air quotes, "for them to find as they were following my scent. Someone from the pack managed to find me thanks to their gift but she wants the same thing I do. She's staying with them to gather information on our targets and the pack. When she's done, she'll leave them and we'll create a pack of our own and use the information against them."

"Whoa. That's some grudge if you're willing to do all this."

I looked at the sidewalk, "They..." I didn't know where to start. I didn't even know if I wanted to start.

She put a comforting hand on my shoulder, "You don't need to say anything. If you want, I'll help you."

"Help me how?" I asked, looking back up at her.

"I'll be your pack witch."

"Pack witch?" I'd never heard of anything like it, bonding werewolves to a member of another Supernatural specie as a pack. It was unusual... but it didn't seem impossible.

I smiled, "I like it."

'You're letting her in too easily. What if she has an ulterior motive?' Candy warned.

'I know, I know. She just... feels like an older sibling. Besides, what did I say about paranoia?'

"I don't think your wolf likes me very much." Kaesha stated

"Why do you say that?"

"Your werewolf colour flares up whenever you say things I think your wolf doesn't agree with, like when you told me about your old pack and just now when you agreed to let me be your pack witch."

"She's just looking out for me. It's not that she doesn't like you specifically, she just doesn't trust anyone."

She looked up at the light grey sky, "That's sad but I guess I'm no different. To tell the truth, I wouldn't have mentioned my old coven either but my aura vision helps me see if a person is trustworthy or not. Even when I see a person's trustworthiness, I still don't mention it. I guess it's our kindred survival spirits, having gone through betrayal and rejection at a young age. Hey, how old are you anyway? You seem too short for college, no offence, and you look so young."

No use in lying about my age since I've already mentioned my past to her, "Fifteen. You?"

"A smart girl, huh? I admire that. I'm turning eighteen in a few months." She paused, thinking, "Now that I think about it, I don't know your name either."

"Avarielle. You look older than seventeen." Natalia seemed like the name reserved for Candy and the Syrens I'd met while Avarielle and Arielle were reserved for everyone else, like I was leading two separate lives. I guess I was.

She shrugged, hopping over cracks in the sidewalk, "I guess looking over your shoulder and being paranoid for almost two years is bound to add a few years to your appearance. A word of advice, from one runaway to another; part of you will be paranoid, that's a given, but sometimes, instead of looking over your shoulder, look ahead and around you. Appreciate the life you've built for yourself. In the one year plus that I've been here, I never made real friends because in my mind, everyone is out to get me. Don't make the same mistake."