Plans changed in an instant; Rogan told the pack that they needed a centre base, a single place to report back to, a stable abode. Nadia moved in too, giving Noah some much appreciated independence. Arabella even started spending less time with the coven, and more time helping the O'Connell pack track down their Beta.
The only person's plan that didn't change, was mine. I still had a business to run and keep afloat, bills I had to pay, and a cure to find.
Of course, Mathias and Nadia continued to work at the pub, and took voluntary, part time hours at the bookstore, but it seemed like neither could go anywhere without the other; it was somewhat sickly.
Rogan returned to his job at the bookshop, reading to the children once a week, in 'the reading nook'.
Arabella took the occasional voluntary hour as well, though she spent most of her time with Rogan's Trackers; a group of four wolves, whose duties were to find missing pack members.
A Tracker's role was risky; leaving the safety of the pack put them at risk of being taken by another pack, and imprisoned for being a 'Rogue', so they often worked in pairs.
Today would be no different. Arabella would use personal items of Esther's to create a tracking spell.
I swung my legs out of my bed, reached for the hair bobble on my bedside, and pulled my hair into a messy bun.
I walked into the living space and knocked Rogan's feet from the sofa arm.
"Wake up. And for pity sake, stop crashing in my living room." I checked the clock on the wall; 8:25. "Todays Trackers are meant to be here in five. I'm sick of getting up at the crack of dawn, to let relative strangers into my home, to search for a woman that wants me dead." I didn't know what had gotten into me. Perhaps it was the 2 weeks of sleep deprivation, or the lack of any progression, whatever it was, it had to stop.
"Nina, we should really talk about Arabella's gift." Rogan's voice was rough with sleep. I knew the gift he was referring to, and I really didn't want to talk about it.
"Just get your ass of my sofa." I walked straight to the kitchen, grabbing my favourite, long, thick cardigan off the back of the armchair and wrapped it around myself to fight off the morning chill. I headed straight for the kettle, but there, right beside it, was Arabella's gift.
I don't know what came over me, I grabbed it and prepared to throw it.
"Nina don't."
I closed my eyes and took a breath.
"Nina, please, that's our chance to not have to run, at least for two months."
"Two months is nothing! I want a lifetime without having to run. Arabella calls herself a witch, and this is the best she can do?!"
"Nina, take a breath, and hand me the bottle. Arabella is trying her best, trust me."
"And what if I don't?" I looked at him, wide eyed and terrified. "Will you wolf out on me? Let the Huntress tear out your heat again? What is two months, when I've mourned you for 150 years?"
"BREATHE!" Rogan had grabbed my face and shouted. I took a deep, shuddering breath as I looked into his eyes. "It's a start. And this," he gestured to all of me, "this isn't you."
Suddenly it all clicked; the first full moon of the year was approaching. Everything fell into place. I had become irater and more volatile, towards Arabella, the Trackers, to Rogan, and even Mathias, but it had been Rogan's words, 'this isn't you', that had finally snapped everything into place.
"We're left with only two choices; use Ary's gift, or we split ways."
Those were out options. Either, one of us left town until the full moon waned, or Rogan took Arabella's concoction and risked the side effects.
