Strangers▪ Matei Covaci imagine

Twenty Five

5 days later

Matei flashes me one final smile before disappearing behind the door to number thirteen. I watch from the other side of the road, sinking backwards into my own house. My cheeks begin to ache and it's only now I realise I must have been grinning for the whole walk back from school.

My mother is in the living room. If her perfume wasn't enough of an indicator, I can hear her typing from the front door. Soon after I shut the door, the tapping stops. 

"Is someone with you?" 

"No?". I curse myself for being stupid enough to wear Matei's school jumper back home; his scent is all over it. I fold the jumper into my bag and chuck it upstairs, flattening out my school shirt. I've been on thin ice since the full moon incident. Thankfully, everyone bought Katrina's lie, but that didn't lessen the battering I got for "single-handedly putting our entire species at risk!".

"Where's dad?" I ask, flopping onto the sofa.

She looks mildly annoyed already ."He's gone to see family in the north."

Her reply catches me off guard and I can't help my curiosity. "He's gone to the wilds?"

She nods. "He won't be back for at least a week. They're travelling south for the winter and asked your father for help."

"And you didn't want to go?" I ask, half teasing. I know there's nothing she'd hate more than being away from her beloved wifi. 

She stops typing with a flourish. "Actually, I'll be joining in a few days. You'll be staying with Katrina."

"What? Why can't I come?" I protest.

"This isn't a trip for leisure, y/n." She sighs heavily, then -for the first time- looks directly at me. "There's a sickness in the pack. The healers have done all they can, but it's taken four people already. With winter coming, it's only going to get worse. That's why your father and I are going."

I'm stunned into silence. Then, after a moment of thinking, I have an idea.

"Does Imara know?" I ask. "That company she works with...Segolia...they could do something. They helped Matei and Emilia."

She says nothing.

I shift a little closer. "Actually, could I stay with them? It's easier, and I'll just get in the way at the Kafe."

"No, I don't want you going over there." she snaps, recoiling to her laptop, "Besides, as a thank-you I promised you'd work in the Kafe for free."

"What? So first you tell me to be their ally, and now I can't go near them? Mum, you're making no sense..."

She won't even look at me now. All of a sudden she's turned cold. Well, colder than usual.

"Can you just tell me what's going on? Mum, if you and dad fall out with this pack, Imara can banish all of us!"

"Your father and I aren't the ones running around Newcastle on a full moon." she snaps, "This weekend, you're staying at Katrina's, and you're helping at the Kafe."

"A sleepover? I don't need a childminder." I protest.

"Oh you do. You've more than proven that since we got here."

I try to think of something to hit back with, but it's no use. Whatever I say, she won't change her mind, and she certainly won't tell me why the Covacis are now out of bounds.

"You should start packing" she says bluntly, "Katrina will be here after dinner."

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