Untamable Resolve: The Witheridge Witches

Ch. 15 - The Dinner

I woke up with a jolt as I felt Lucas' hand rubbing my back, and the warmth of his body radiating into mine.

"Jo."

He whispered softly, "It's time to wake up."

I narrowed my eyes at him as I wiped a small amount of drool off of the corner of my mouth while I sat up on the couch. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I noticed that he had changed into business casual attire. He reached into his pocket before saying, "I brought you a few presents."

Before pulling out my garnet ring and placing it into my hand. A small but fleeting smile crept onto my face. I put it back onto my right ring finger and instantly felt drastically better and somehow more in control.

"And I got you a few toiletries so that you can get yourself ready for dinner. They're in our bathroom."

With that, I stood up and walked upstairs, passing the multiple bedrooms into "our" room to find a brush, a tube of mascara, deodorant, body spray, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. I looked at myself in the mirror and found that my hair was disheveled, and I didn't have to guess that I didn't smell like roses after my short but strenuous outing earlier. I grabbed a washcloth and doused it with warm water from the sink and a bit of soap. After giving myself a cat bath, I applied deodorant and spritzed some of the clean smelling body spray onto my dress. I refused to put on any makeup. I would be hygienic and take care of my body, but I would do nothing for him or anyone else for that matter. I then went on to tackle my hair. I managed to comb out the last knot when I heard my name being called from downstairs.

After making it back to the kitchen, Lucas had his arms full with a pitcher of some sort of drink in one hand and a glass container of the side dish that he had prepared in the other. I put on my shoes again while grabbing my sweater before following him out the door. I hopped in the car and closed the door behind me while Lucas climbed in on the other side before I laughed somewhat mockingly.

"You really think you found a witch? They can't be real. They're just a character in a fairytale"

Immediately, I knew I had hit a sore spot when he froze and became deadly serious before saying, "Weren't we?"

Nervously, I broke eye contact with him and opted to stare out of the window. With all of the change that had happened in the past week, it was hitting me hard just how much I didn't know. I shook my head, almost kicking myself as I realized I should be paying attention to the roads even with the low visibility and slowly creeping onset of darkness with the setting sun. My very livelihood depended on it.

The car rolled into a long driveway, and I could see at the end of it was the massive three-story packhouse. After getting out of the vehicle, Lucas asked, "Will you hold this?" as he handed me the side dish. I wasn't keen on holding on to it because I think that he wanted everyone to have the impression that I had made it.

"Sure."

I responded, emotionless. I would play a good domestic type of girl, I suppose, for the moment. I needed his trust. He led the way into the doorway and shockingly I found that the house was empty. 

Noticing my reaction Lucas said, "We cleared everyone out for you and Delia tonight so you guys wouldn't be too overwhelmed."

I nodded. Delia came to greet me with another woman that I assumed was the Gamma's mate. Silas pulled Lucas to the side and passed the pitcher to Delia before excusing themselves to the Alpha's office. 

They said that they had pack business to discuss. Delia looked happy as she looked at me and said, "I have great news. Claudia's brother is Claire's mate."

My eyes widened as I had a vivid flashback to a feral naked man charging at me. I repeated back at Delia, "Great news?".

The woman she had with her I assumed was Claudia said, "Oh yes, Jack is such a sweet one. He's been so kind to his new mate."

I smiled back at her and nodded. Yes, I thought. He was so very nice. So nice he mauled her the second he met her. I would have to check on her. God knows what more that vile creature has done.

"Why don't we set the table?"

Delia recommended. As Claudia was placing the silverware and plates on the table, she looked up at us and said, "I'm just so thrilled to have female company. We are all going to be such great friends."

I had a feeling me and Claudia were not going to be friends.

Delia and I eyed one another before I responded, "Yes, I think it will be good for us to be able to rely on one another."

It seemed that Delia was jumping ships. I didn't blame her. And although she would always be a friend I couldn't trust her anymore.

"Let's sit and chat!" Claudia said. 

She poured us all a drink, and I sat back and let Delia and Claudia do most of the talking with the occasional nod or yes thrown into the conversation.

Claudia's mate came to sit down beside her when I leaned over and said to Delia,"I need to use the bathroom before dinner."

Hesitantly, she said, "Yeah, sure. I can show you."

Slightly annoyed, I responded, "Delia, where am I going to go? It's fine, really."

As I pointed to my tracking bracelet. Reassured, she smiled, agreeing with me, and pointed to a hallway and told me there was a more private one on the second left. I peered into some of the rooms as I wandered as I made my way to the bathroom. I could hear some sort of a commotion coming from behind a closed door right next to the bathroom, and against my better judgement I decided to listen in.

My breath hitched as I overheard part of a conversation when I could hear Silas saying, "Delia was difficult in the beginning, but marking her definitely helped. I'm surprised Jo hasn't let you yet."

After a pause; Lucas continued saying, "Hopefully, we don't have to hold a ceremony. I think Jo might never speak to me again, and I don't know if I'd blame her."

Silas clicked his tongue and responded with a sigh, "Yeah, I wouldn't want to have to do that, but you know what, man? Gotta do whatcha gotta do. You'd be better off by just marking her."

A ceremony? Marking me? I didn't like the sound of that. My thoughts were interrupted when from behind the door, I heard Silas whisper playfully, "I think someone is listening in."

Fear flooded my body. I had overheard something I wasn't meant to, and I didn't want to be caught snooping even if it was done innocently. I ran quietly down the corridor and found a stairway that led down to what I assumed was the basement.

I quickly rushed to the door and closed it behind me. Instantly, I could smell a mixture of blood and urine, and I knew that I had found my way to somewhere I really shouldn't be. I pinched my nose as I held my breath until I was certain that I heard both Silas and Lucas walk-off searching for me in the other direction. 

Suddenly, I heard the lock to the door click, and as I jostled the handle, I realized I had been locked in. I noticed I could faintly feel a hum of electric buzz radiating throughout the room into me. Turning my head to try to find its source in the corner of my eye, I saw that there was someone balled up in the corner in a single metal cell looking directly at me. Her gaze was fixed on me and then moved towards my hand. I looked down and noticed my ring was glimmering, but this time it didn't stop. Her appearance was ghostly pale, and she dawned an earthy white dress to match. Her dark grey eyes peered into my very soul. Her raven black hair almost dragged on the ground as she crawled closer to me before grabbing the metal bars with a knowing grin on her face and with absolute certainty said,

"You're one of us."