Menagerie

Chapter 5 - Charlotte

I stood and looked at the house. It was intimidating, not only because of my current situation but because it was so lovely and big. I'd grown up comfortably, but this house was a museum compared to mine.

And I was stalling.

I lifted my chin, straightened my posture, and walked as confidently as I could toward the house. When I walked in, the scent of my potential bondmate immediately smacked into me. I winced but tried my best to carry on like a normal human being. I took off my shoes in the foyer and headed for the kitchen. I didn't know what time it was, but I was hungry.

Jasper was there. He had bedhead but was already dressed in a crisp button-down shirt and grey slacks. I was wearing crumpled, grass-stained pajamas. Thankfully I slept in a bra when away from home, so I didn't have that particular issue to worry about. I hastily ran a hand through my hair and hoped that it was the neater kind of tousled instead of homeless-tousled. Jasper raised a brow but didn't comment, settling that matter.

I ate a muffin as quickly as I could and hurried back upstairs. My future mate might be here, might see me like this. I still didn't know what I wanted to do, but just in case, I wanted to look presentable.

Upstairs, the scent was more concentrated and my skin heated again. I knew my cheeks were flushed and I staggered down the hall to the right room. Serena smiled widely at me when I entered the room we'd shared. She deftly caught the phone I threw at her and said, "I was just about to come down and check on you," she said. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah. Thanks. I'm going to grab a quick shower." I took my packed-up duffel bag into the bathroom and hurried through a shower and light makeup. My general philosophy when it came to makeup was that it was better to remain recognizable and to stay true to yourself rather than enhancing every feature to the point of looking like a different person. So, light eyeliner and mascara with a trace of foundation were all I wore most days.

I left my hair down to air dry and called it good enough.

I thought I was getting used to the scent and its effect on me, but once I walked back out into the bedroom, the heat almost overwhelmed me. How did people endure this? Had I simply hit an age where my body was being less subtle about potential mates? Or was this one really such a strong bond? If it was the latter, I'd be an idiot to walk away from this.

I was committed to my decision to face this head-on. So rather than hiding out in the room, I hitched my duffel bag higher up and headed for the SUV. Better to load it up now so we could hit the road as soon as the brunch was over. It was too weird to consider the possibility that I might not go on with the road trip today, so I carried on as though that were the only option. Since my potential mate still hadn't emerged, it was easy to pretend.

I found Penny in the sitting room with two people who looked to be about our age.

"Char! This is Anita and Jake. They've been mated for a year." She turned to them and added, "This is my cousin, Charlotte."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, and shook both of their hands. "Anita... you're Elaine and Bradley's daughter, aren't you?"

She smiled widely. "Good memory. We were with Jake's family all day yesterday. I'm glad we stopped over this morning; it would have been a shame not to meet you."

I glanced at Penny questioningly.

Penny's eyes widened like she was trying to will me to realize something. I had no idea what she was getting at. Anita, sensing my confusion, leaned in. "Jake's a werewolf," she said. "I've never had a chance to talk with a hybrid before. I have some questions... if you don't mind answering them."