Accepting Fate - (Slums to Riches, Book one)

Chapter 52

Angelique always envied Michael for his soft brown tresses. Her hair had never felt light to the touch. It hung heavy down her back in a single plat, or curled into unmanageable knots. Before his change, Michael wore his hair cropped neatly along his ears and neck. His fringe hung over his left eyebrow, in a boy-band style. Now, everything draped to his shoulder-blades in straight, shiny tresses and fell freely across his face. Each time he moved, she had to brush them away from his mouth and nose.

She could not help her snickers when Michael turned and ripped through the seams of his pants and shirt.

"Bloody hell. He's not going to shift, is he?" Andrew asked.

Her snickers turned into full out belly-laughter. Tears dripped from her eyes when Logan, Cook and Ben joined in. Jenny sat in all her innocence grinning at them, while the other three crossed their arms and scowled.

Angelique wiped her eyes, unfazed by their serious faces. "You guys can't tell me you do not see the difference in Michael. It's not as obvious in you and Ty, because you always had muscles, but Michael looked like a twig compared to you. Now he is positively buff. His clothes don't fit anymore. That's why they ripped."

"And you think that's funny?" Jamie asked.

"Yes, I do. I find it hilarious. Our little brother is not so little anymore." Her smile fell away with her sigh. "In fact, he is older than we thought and he will shift for the first time in a few weeks, not years. Which brings me to why we are all in the living room and not in our warm, comfortable beds."

She covered her yawn with the back of her hand and shook her head. "Cook, may I have that coffee now? I'll need to stay awake for Michael."

Cook rushed off, so she turned to lean against Logan's chest. She probably would not sleep at all that night, but Michael's safety came first. He still had a fight ahead of him.

"Before you start, can you tell us what happened? How or what happened to Mickey?" Andrew asked.

"I can, but first I will ask you one questions. Do you all remember the rules Cook explained to you. Particularly the one about staying away from me when I release my energy."

"Oh, hell. Michael went outside while you were busy. Did your energy go into him? Is he going to die?" Ty asked.

"No. Michael will never be the same, but he won't die. It's better if I start from the beginning, so you understand why and what happened."

Cook brought her the coffee she asked for, but also a plate of food. Her stomach growled so loud, she decided to eat while she explained, so she shifted closer to the coffee table.

"So, as you all know, Michael has not coped well with what happened to him. He still has nightmares and in those nightmares, he fights Bob. And he's losing. Jamie knows about the bond between Michael and me. It allows us to hear each other telepathically. It's almost like hearing your thoughts, but we can have conversations in our minds. Now, here comes the real problem. It also allows him to feel what I feel." She looked over her shoulder at Logan as she added, "He created the bond, not me."

"Which is why you do not have a link with the others," Logan said as though a lightbulb exploded in his head.

"Exactly. Michael felt everything I went through; the pain in the forest, and the pain in the demon dimension. He begged the mothers to give him a way to help me, so I never had to go through that again. Not alone. He asked to become like me."

"Like you? As in a witch?" Andrew asked.

"As in a hybrid. I am as much a wolf as I am a witch. That is something I have to remember as well. I've concentrated more on the witchy side of things because it dominated every second of the last few days, but as the queen of the wolves, I have to start learning about shifters as well. Coming back to our discussion, I have another question for you. Has Ben told you the story of the mothers?" she asked. They all nodded. "Then think of it as the elders before the mothers took their powers away. That's what Michael and I are."