Entangled

Chapter 13

Sasha has always considered herself a pretty good actress, but either she's wrong or witches are just that hard to fool, because Mina laughs warmly as she and Seth approach. "You must be Sasha," the witch says. Then, with a little less surety, she adds, "And you're... Seth? Seph? Sorry, my phone connection isn't the greatest."

"Seth," he confirms, stepping forward to shake Mina's hand.

Casting a look around at all three wolves, Mina laughs again. Sasha's more used to solemn witches—even those she calls friends tend to take their powers seriously—but Mina seems refreshingly bright. "Let's see if she's pregnant before you all start fretting, shall we? Follow me." Then she leans forward to shake Sasha's hand and points to the pendant she's wearing. "Greta's work. I'd recognize it anywhere. She has a great eye for flow."

Sasha's not sure if Mina means that in a magical sense or in terms of fashion, so she simply nods and follows as the witch leads them into her farmhouse. It, like the exterior, is genuinely weathered and comfortable. Two cats perched on an old piano open one eye each as the werewolves pass, but otherwise seem unbothered. "Thank you again for seeing us on such short notice," Sasha says, vaguely confused when Mina walks right past a room filled with armchairs and an old sofa. It seems like a natural place to sit and talk, but clearly the witch has other plans. "We really appreciate it."

"You didn't... have to do anything special with the animals so they wouldn't freak out when we arrived, did you?" Becky asks, a hint of worry in her voice. She has a soft spot for animals—all three of them do—so she would hate the idea of animals being subdued on her account.

Mina shakes her head. "They're used to it, for the most part, and in all honesty, animals have closer bonds to the earth than most of us do; they think they're the magic ones, and really, they aren't wrong." Then she stops in front of what looks like a bedroom door. "Do you want me to do the test in private," she asks, "or would you like company?"

Both Sasha and Seth freeze up for a moment. Of course she wants us there.... But even Sasha's train of thought trails off. Pregnancy is a deeply intimate thing, and she can tell Becky still hasn't wrapped her head around the possibility. Maybe she does want some space, a buffer of time between when she hears the witch's diagnosis and when her packmates are informed. Sasha reaches over and squeezes Seth's hand. They'll both honour Becky's wishes, but the thought of not being there to support her feels like acid in Sasha's gut.

"I'd like them with me," Becky says softly, "if that's okay. And if there's enough room...."

"Okay." Mina pushes open the door then. "Becky, on the bed please. Sasha and Seth, you can sit on the loveseat or at the head of the bed, if Becky prefers." The room they enter looks like nothing more than a cozy guest room, outfitted with a generous queen-sized bed, large dresser with mirror, a faded but functional loveseat, a small en suite bathroom, and framed black and white photos which Sasha quickly realizes are pictures of the farm buildings in different seasons. Noticing their surprise, Mina smiles. "My home doubles as a halfway house of sorts. Lots of supernatural runaways use that highway you came in on. They know they can come here and have a good meal and a safe night's sleep and I'll check them over for any curses or health issues before they move on."

"That's very kind of you." Becky glances at Seth and Sasha quickly, and Sasha knows that expression all too well. Even though most of the locker room knows about their triad, they still have to be careful when there are visiting celebrities, new wrestlers up from NXT, or even new crew members. Mina knows they're all werewolves and she's likely guessed that Seth is the father of the theoretical child, but does she know Sasha is more than just a friend? If she's part of a network that helps runaways, the witch is likely good with secrets, but Sasha understands Becky's hesitation. "Can they sit on the bed with me?" Becky asks. The question is barely out of her mouth before Seth and Sasha both set their coffees on the dresser.