Midnight Serenade

Chapter 9

When we reached Sawyer's home, I was nervous. This felt like an important moment. This morning, I was just a regular girl. Granted, I was an awkward girl who didn't fit anywhere, even at home, but still. Now suddenly I was part of this whole other world that shouldn't exist and that I still wasn't sure I believed in. And my supposed intended was bringing me home to his father, the pack leader.

It felt huge, in fact.

Sawyer opened the front door to the house and motioned for me to go ahead of him. Swallowing nervously, I moved into the hall and looked around. Various pictures of Sawyer, Jessica, and another girl lined the walls. I took a few more steps and smiled at one of the pictures. Sawyer looked to be about five-years-old and he was the most adorable little boy. His eyes were just as striking in his angelic little face then, and he'd apparently had trouble making his hair behave.

He cleared his throat from behind me. "Uh, this way." He motioned into the house and I bit back a smile, finding his embarrassment over the picture cute.

We made our way through the house and a minute later, stepped down into the family room. The middle aged man and women that I took to be Sawyer's parents sat together on the couch, watching a black and white movie.

Even though I'd grown up with two parents, this scene was strange to me. My parents never sat together like this, enjoying each other's company. In fact, they hardly did anything together. And I'd certainly never seen my father show affection to my mom the way Sawyer's father was absently playing with his wife's hair.

We stood in the doorway for a second before they noticed our presence. His dad looked over first and then reached for the remote. After pausing the movie, he stood.

"Good, you're home," he said to Sawyer. "I wanted to speak to you about the-" He'd taken a few steps in our direction, but halted as suddenly as his words. He was staring at me like he'd never seen a teenage girl before.

Suddenly much more uncomfortable than I had been, I glanced at Sawyer. He seemed just as bewildered as me. In the next moment, Sawyer's mom joined her husband, both in where he stood and in wearing that shocked expression.

"Mom, Dad? Everything alright?" Sawyer said warily. I wondered if he realized that he'd moved so that his shoulder was angled protectively in front of me. It seemed unconscious.

Because apparently things weren't strange enough.

His question seemed to break whatever spell they were under and they exchanged a meaningful look.

"This is Riley," Sawyer said when they returned their attention to us. "We had some questions and..."

He trailed off as his father moved closer, watching me very intently. His mom stayed where she was, but she had covered her mouth in disbelief and there were tears in her eyes.

The older man looked over my face and stared into my eyes for a few seconds before he said, "No, your name isn't Riley. It's Savannah."

Startled, I looked at Sawyer. Had he told his father about me? That seemed sort of icky. After a second, I realized he still looked completely confused though.

Turning back to his father, I forced an awkward smile. "No, I'm not Savannah. I just..." I wasn't sure how to explain. For some reason the people in this place seemed to think that was my name. People in some magical werewolf pack that shouldn't exist.

He smiled a little. "I'd recognize Jacqueline's daughter anywhere. You look extraordinarily like her."

My mouth fell open. Even if I could form words, I wouldn't know what to say.