Red Riding Hood

Chapter Thirty One

William was sound asleep beside me and I looked over at the clock, it was just past two. As I tried to move away from him his grip got tighter around my stomach as he clung to me. Spying the long body pillow on the floor besides my bed I tried to reach out but was unable to get it I sighed, not sure how to get up without waking him. I opened my eyes and had to stop the scream that nearly came out as the pillow was above me. Looking behind it, Margaret stood there holding it for me with a small smile on her old face. I took a few deep breaths to calm down and took it from her, shoving it between William and I as his hold shifted from me to the pillow. As soon as I was out of the bed, my skin broke out in goose bumps; the heat from the bed was so intense I had on only a tiny pair of silk shorts and a singlet. Finding my robe I put it on and crept out of my room to where Margaret waited in the hall. She pointed downstairs and I nodded, allowing all my senses to take over as I heard the snores and breaths of those in the house, my steps light and careful.

We ended up in my Grandfathers office. She waved her arms around and muttered something, which had me on edge before she looked at me smiling gently.

"No one will hear us now. Relax" But I couldn't. She pointed at the chair and I shifted it so it faced the sofa she sat down on. Her white hair seemed translucent in the dim light of the room; her face revealed her stress and she seemed smaller than I remembered.

"I haven't been honest with you Beth. I am sorry for all that has happened and all that will. But you need to know a few things" She looked at me to gauge my reaction and I just gave her a simple nod to continue.

 "Back in France, your Mum said she was worried about you wanting to go back to London, that it happened near there and if you come back she wasn't sure what is best for you. Do you remember?" Again I just nodded, it had been the second time I had caught her talking to Margaret.

"She lied, she knew you were coming and the whole conversation was staged. When I spoke to you after I sent her to bed I told you your father died in an effort to protect you. You may think it was the old alpha of the pack that did this but while he was a bit on the mad side, he had the utmost respect for your father. He may have been the one to do the deed but it was out of his control. He was weak minded and the grief that consumed him left him open to being influenced." My father's death had never bothered me like it should. Maybe I always knew the circumstances were not true. Margaret had lied to me before, could she be now? She shook her head, I had thought she could read my mind before and this just confirmed it further.

"I told you not to fear me, you are family. While my return to this world allows me some abilities, I am still at the mercy of those who bought me back. It shames me what my family has become, I did not try to keep magic from them for their safety, but for the safety of others they may seek to use it against. Everything in this world has a balance, they would corrupt this. I can not tell you who summoned me, I can not tell you of their plan but you are part of it and you need to be aware" The office door opened and Finn walked in. Margaret did not seem surprised or worried to see him as he sat beside her.

"When William was shot and Margaret saved him, she did more than save his life. She broke the spell he had been placed under and in the wine fed to Penelope there had been a binding spell leaving the witch useless. Once she realized this she sought revenge. She played the part of Lucas's wife and purposefully bore him children. Her mother had not been killed when she was a child as everyone thought. She had been banished to a remote coven. Upon Penelope's death she was able to break free and ensured her grandchildren knew of what they were and kept the magic in the family. When Margaret died, your grandmother gained her power and passed it onto her daughter, to Sarah. Ironically history was repeated and Eileen and Sarah had some deadly enemies. Like Penelope she found herself a 'werewolf mate', your father" My mouth dropped at all he told me. If this was the case how had they been able to get away with it? And I had another grandmother? Mum had always told us she had been adopted and her adoptive parents had died when she was sixteen. But I couldn't comprehend my Mum being this powerful witch. Surely we'd have known something? As if a tag team of information, Margaret spoke up.