Margaret Allie Brandon (Jasper's Mate Story)

Chapter 68

Margaret's POV:

I woke not on the ground as I had the first full moon I had undergone,but in my bed I had been given in the pack house. I sat up slowly, trying torecall the events of last night starting with the pain that had filled my everysense. I could recall more deer, howling, I remembered letting Carly come nearme last night. As well as a few of the other female werewolves but every timeone of the men tried to get within a few feet of me I snarled and crouched asif preparing to attack.

I looked down at my t-shirt to see that I had been changed, no doubt Carly'sdoing. And though I could taste blood in my mouth, there wasn't any sign of iton me as there was the first time. A gentle knock at the door and I look up tosee the very person I had been thinking of. Her hair thrown into a messylooking bun, a smile on her lips but concern in her eyes as she looks at me.

"Good morning." (Car)

"Good morning, is everything....is everything alright? I didn't hurt anyone lastnight did I?" (Mags)

"What? Of course not. You had pretty good control considering how new you areto this life. It's just Liza and Sandra were hoping to meet you face to facetoday. They were two of the she-wolves you met last night." (Car)

"Oh......umm sure. I didn't think anyone in the pack would actually want to meet mebecause of what I am." (Mags)

"Oh Margaret honey, if anything that makes them want to meet you even more. You'relike meeting a unicorn. Come on we'll have breakfast and then meet up with themat one of the social houses." (Car)

I didn't have time to ask her what one of the social houses were before she wastaking my hand in her own and guiding us downstairs and into the kitchen. Ibowed my head as she did to Luna Allie as Carly did before taking the plate offood I was handed. It was an omelet with bacon and spinach and the drink I washanded was red and I knew instantly it was deer blood. I looked up in confusiononly to have my unasked question answered by Luna Allie.

"It's a precaution of my husband that we keep you as well.....hmmmm I believe heused the term 'hydrated' if that is to your liking, while you are with us. Heis cautious since you are newly changed hybrid." (Luna)

"I understand Luna Allie, thank you." (Mags)

"And Margaret, if it is not too much on you, I would like to have lunch withyou tomorrow to discuss the things seen yet not spoken of from yesterday."(Luna)

I knew she was talking about the death visions I had of both her and her youngson, but as she was allowing me to stay in her home with her pack and family Iknew this wasn't a request I could easily say no to. So, I nodded in silentagreement and was rewarded with a gentle smile in return though it wascertainly not a conversation I was looking forward to.

I was guided to the tablet by Carly's gentle hand on my arm, her own plate offood balanced on her free arm as she held her drink in the same hand. I sat nextto her only to look up and feel my tense again as I saw Mike across from Carly.He looked away from Carly for a moment as he stared at me, offering me a nod ofhis head before returning to his food and his phone.

"Mike is one of the trainers, so every morning he basically lives on his phonesetting up schedules for everyone."

"You know you still love me." (Mike)

"Well of course." (Car)

I watched their interaction with a smile on my face before my attention wasdrawn back to the tall glass of blood I was still holding in my hand. I took asmall sip before I found myself downing the glass in a matter of seconds. I foundmyself breathing through clenched teeth as I finished and opened my eyes to seeMike staring at him, seeming ready to jump across the table if he needed to.

"Are you alright?" (Car)

"I....I'm sorry. It's just......it's like impossible to drink it slowly. I'm in controlright now though, I swear." (Mags)

"We believe you, just wanted to make sure you were ok." (Car)

I nodded again before picking at the omelet, eating half before feeling toofull to finish it. A few seconds after cleaning the plates away Carly was gentlyguiding me out of the house and down one of the small paths at the back of thehouse into the woods. A few minutes of peaceful silence followed our walk untilwe came across a small two story house with a few people hanging out on the porch,many of which looked around my age or Carly's age.

"Hey! Ms. Carly you're friends with the hybrid?!? Can we meet her??" 

"Perhaps later, but Liza and Sandra asked first and we don't want to overwhelm her.She's knew to all of this." (Car)

I felt my body relax some as the eager looking teens nodded to her commandhidden in a statement. I had never really gotten along with kids my own agebefore becoming a.....a hybrid. I doubted it would be a whole lot better now. Ifollowed her into the house and upstairs, before pausing outside the door shewas opening to read the sign on it.

Design it and we'll make it

I walked in expecting a bedroom or perhaps a library of some sorts but wasshocked still as I walked into a giant studio looking room blasting music.There was one corner full of fabrics and two different sewing machines, onecorner full of pottery and clay, one full of paints and canvases and shelvesupon shelves of pastels and pencils, and the last one was full of wooden blocksand the floor was covered in sawdust and wood ships.

It was there I saw one girl, sawdust covering her hair and earphones on her earsas she ran a small looking saw or perhaps it was a polisher over a wooden sculpture.Before I had time to step closer to see what she was making a noise from behindme caused to look again at the piles of fabric hanging up, only to realize theywere moving and someone with earplugs was walking backward from them. BeforeCarly could introduce me to either of them, or get their attention in generalthey started singing along to the music playing.

"Cut my life into pieces! This is my last resort!" (Sand)

"Girls!" (Car)

"Suffocation. No reason, don't give a fuck if a cut my arm bleeding!" (Liza)

"GIRLS!" (Car)

Carly it seemed had reached her limit for the day before she pulled the plug tothe speaker, though where it was in all this artistic mess I had no idea. Itwas silent for a moment before a muffled 'hey' was heard from the fabric collectionand the polisher noise stopped behind us.

"Hey! Who cut the music?" (Sandra)

"Well whoever it is knows that we don't open until 10 so what the.....oh hey! Sandrait's Carly and the Hybrid." (Liza) 

"Yes it's me and Margaret. How do you even listen to that crap and get anythingdone is beyond me." (Car)

"Don't be hating on Papa Roach miss goody goody. Margaret it's nice to meetyou, I'm Liza. Need anything carved or anything wooden made I'm your gal."(Liza)

"And I'm Sandra. I think a nice red cocktail dress with just a bit of sparklearound the bust would do wonders for your body type. Or.....oohhh a deep royalblue with silver embellishments. Perhaps both, to have options for the occasion." (Sandra)

Before I had time to process anything Liza had already shaken my hand as hadSandra and I dreaded what was to happen only to take a breath and realize that nothinghad happened. I looked and saw that both of them were wearing gloves, one a workpairof gloves and the other a more fashiony pair of gloves. It would appear my gifthad to be skin to skin contact.

"Carly told us about your....ability and as much as knowing might be useful weboth decided we would rather not. Hence the gloves." (Sandra)

"Thank you. I wasn't sure or well I didn't know gloves would even work butthank you." (Mag)

"No worries kid, plus I'm sure Sandra can make some for you as well. Fashionones of course so not much use elsewhere but should be fine." (Liza)

I felt a smile form on my face as I nodded to that idea, Sandra seeming to beamat my agreeing so easily. I fell in with the girls easily, talking as if we hadbeen friends for months if not years. They were carful in their actions whencoming near me and didn't make a move towards me very suddenly. I knew Carlymust have warned them about a lot of stuff but I appreciated how careful theywere being. It turned out there were four of them that ran a sort of design company. Carly made things out of pottery, everything from sculptures, dishes, and pots for plants. Sandra did clothes for any and every occasion. Liza was a woodworker. And the one that was missing was Annie, the 'artist' as they called her. 

I was talking a warming to them all even Annie through their stories of her, feeling as if I would like her based on their praises of her as a person and her talent as an artist as they showed me a few of her pieces of work. She did more with oil paints it seemed than I usually did, but they were breathtakingly beautiful. I especially appreciated they were basically giving me use of thedrawing corner until Annie, the one that usually occupied this corner of the room, came back from her honeymoon.

"Are you sure she won't mind?" (Mag)

"Trust us, her commissions are so backed up if you take a few off her plate beforeshe gets back from Fiji or whatever tropical place she was swept away to shewill be more than happy. Especially if they are the pencil and black and white commissions, she prefers doing things with paint and in color but that isn't always possible." (Sandra)

"Plus it will give you something to do while you're here. Unless you'd ratherhang out with the teens. Most are still on winter break for another week or two."(Liza)

"NO! I mean.....no I've never really gotten along with people my own age." (Mag)

"None of them would harm you here Margaret. But like they said you're more thanwelcome to hang out with us instead. I've got a few pieces that I need to finishup myself. Then I think after lunch you may have to meet with Luna Allie, she'swanting to do it before the Alpha gets any more impatient." (Car)

I nodded, knowing that I too would rather have the conversation over and done with before he got anymore impatient. His anger made me nervous and fearful, even with everyone telling me he wouldn't harm me. It would be similar I suspected to be telling one of them that in regards to Jasper, knowing that if he thought one of them had harmed me he would unleash hell on them. I worked on a sketch someone had wanted done of a giraffe head for a nursery room for a few hours. The music had been put back on but everyone had settled for a 'coffeehouse playlist' while we worked. 

A few minutes after two and I saw Carly headed my way, already knowing that she was about to tell me it was time to go. I felt a sigh leave my mouth as I set the pencil down, having already gotten to a stopping point a while ago, before looking up to see her offering me a small smile. 

"Time to go I'm afraid. But know that you know the way you can come here as much as you like, though we usually lock the door Saturday night and take the day off on Sunday." (Car)

"I would like that. Thank you, thank you all." (Mag)

"No sweat kid. We'll see you tomorrow or maybe even later today." (Liza)

I nodded in agreement to the rougher of the three women, yet somehow one of the ones I was most comfortable around. It was something about her smile and her attitude that seemed to remind me of my Granny Cynthia. It was one of a 'fuck around and find out' attitude and I liked it. I was still smiling thinking of the comparison all the way up until walking into the Alpha's office. It was then that I looked up and met his steely gaze that my smile dissolved and my body tensed. 

"Margaret dear, thank you for coming. Carly, you are dismissed but perhaps don't go far as I"m sure Margaret would like some dinner after this." (Luna)

"Of course Luna Allie." (Car)

I heard the door shut gently behind me as she left the room leaving only the three of us inside. Her footsteps sounded softly on the carpet off the hallway until they faded away and the only thing I seemed able to hear was my own heartbeat pounding roughly in my ears. Luna took a few steps closer to me, before offering me a seat on the sofa next to her. I took it as my legs seemed to turn to jello, my body starting to shake in fear as Alpha drew closer to us and took a seat directly in front of me. 

"You saw my son's death, yes?" (Alpha)

"Y-yes sir." (Mag)

"We will not hurt you no matter the answer, we simply wish to know that he passes in a manner that we would not be hurt by. Does that make sense?" (Luna)

"I....I think so but death is final no matter the answer or the path that I see." (Mag)

"We understand dear, we just wish to know." (Luna)

I nodded understanding her request was the concern ofa parent for their child, though it was the reaction of her husband that had be on edge. I feltshe would not harm me no matter the answer I gave but I could not be sure ofhim. I took a deep breath before I closed my eyes, recalling the death visionas if I was reliving it again but without the pain this time. I opened my eyeshearing her quiet gasp but I could see nothing but the world in which thevision was in.