The Tribrid and Her Reflection {Book Two - - Complete}

DaZed and Confused

Hope yawned as she settled in the back seat of the car. It had been a reasonably long trip, and she was excited to sleep where she could stretch herself out. Sleeping in the car had been challenging, but now they searched for a spot to set up their camping supplies.

They would be staying for a week, and Hope insisted that they not use magic at least for a bit of their time here. They'd agreed, but she had the notion it was only because she asked.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, realizing she must have started to drift while thinking because the thirty-minute drive into the forest had gone by in a blink.

"Hm." She groaned as she stretched, looking out the window to see an incredible sight.

A good distance from the car, but not too far, Newt and Albus were trying to manually set up a tent without their wands.

"No, it goes like this," Albus said, holding up two ends that collapsed in the middle.

Newt frowned. "Why are there so many pieces?"

"Need help?" Hope asked, getting out of the car with a wide grin. She couldn't help it. Watching them be so helpless with something like this was adorable.

They looked over with sheepish smiles, and Albus shook his head. "It's alright. We'll figure this out eventually. Could you find some firewood?"

"My pleasure." Hope skipped toward the thicket with renewed energy from her nap. She wasted no time finding suitable wood. Some bigger pieces mixed with some dry kindling. Late afternoon was turning quickly into evening, the sun painting hues of pink and orange across the sky.

By the time she returned, they had finally put the tent up, though it was a little lopsided.

Newt beamed proudly, sending a jolt of electricity through Hope's chest.

"I love it!" Hope looked it over. "Hm, it's perfect." She kissed his cheek, then Albus', before moving away to dig a pit for the fire. She worked methodically, stacking and laying the wood in a way that the flames would be able to breathe.

Moving onto the kindling, she placed a bit of dry fiber grass on a thin piece of wood.

Taking a stick between her hands, she moved her hands up and down, rubbing the rod hard and fast. She had caused a spark almost instantly with the extra strength and speed. Pushing the pieces into the teepee formation of wood, she laid on her belly and blew on the tiny flames until they captured the whole stack in smoke and fire.

Hope leaned back on her heels and smiled, looking over at them, finding they were watching her intently.

"You've made a lot of fires, I see." Albus chuckled, laying out blankets for them to sit on around the fire as darkness descended quickly.

"I was around people in the pack often. It was kind of a staple to know how," she nodded before touching her shoulder, "you know the birthmark I have?"

Newt sat down, bringing his knees to his chest. "The moon one?"

"Yeah. Those who are born to the Crescent Moon Pack have them. My mom had it, too."

"You didn't return to them after you left Mystic Falls?" Albus asked, eyes not wavering from hers.

With a shrug, she smiled sadly. "Without my mom, it wasn't the same. I felt more like a lone wolf anyway. Not to mention, there's so much politics in Werewolf Packs." Hope scrunched her nose. "I don't particularly like being told what to do, and if I can't call the shots for my own life..." she shrugged. "They even had arranged marriages. Something my mom had to go through, and Jack was a good guy and all, but it's not right being able to choose that for yourself."