Chapter Thirty-Two: A Surprise and a Much Needed Reunion

                                    

                                          
Hudson:
Watching her sleep in my arms unsettled me, her whimpers shattering the peace she could have had as she slept. Judging by the stress raging in her wolf, her past was haunting her in the worst kind of way. It stunned me that she was so strong one minute, and fragile the next. How could I not protect her, and stand idly by while she continued to help us all regardless of any complaints. 
"I didn't mean to, mother!" She cried out, jerking awake. Her body trembled, a fresh sea of tears flowing from her quivering eyes. Collapsing into my arms, a wail of agony burst from her lips.  Unsure of what to do, Grappy poked his head into the room. The two of us stared awkwardly at each other, a black dress shirt hugging his chest. His dress pants fluttered in a gentle breeze, Evie smiling warmly at him. Wiping away her tears, she waved happily at him. Crossing her scratched up hands, her throat cleared curtly. 
"Hey, Grappy." She sniffled quietly, pretending that she just wasn't having a nervous breakdown. "I was just about to get myself together. Don't worry about me." His eyes narrowed with suspicion, knowing full well that she wouldn't say anything. Frustration brewed in my eyes, her tendency to hide her emotions destroying her mental state once more. Scratching at her neck, the two of us panicked on the inside. Shit! She hasn't been this bad since our parents died unless you count when she had to kill her grandmother. Rushing to her side, he cupped her hand. Small gasps escaped our lips, small lines of blood dripped down her neck. Something needed to be done, or she was going to claw out her own voice box. 
"I know that you aren't okay." He snapped hotly, raw terror hiding behind his angry eyes. "You need to stop this or you will seriously injure yourself. Tell us what is wrong before you scratch your throat out." Slapping his hand away, she buried herself back into the bedding. Picking out a tight red lace number, he ripped off the blanket. My trembling hands pulled up my jeans just in time, the two of them getting into a shouting match. Watching the two of them reminded me of how siblings argued in an attempt to fix each other's moods. 
"I had to tell someone about my past, and I killed my grandmother. I couldn't even tell her that. The kids in the village think I am some sort of hero. They even have t-shirts of me at the high school. Why do they think I am one!" She screamed bitterly, rocking back and forth. "They don't know that I am a murderer! You did, didn't you? You knew all of my sins this whole time, didn't you! Leave me alo-'' Wrapping my arms around her waist, her rant ended. Daggers shot back at me, claws growing from her fingernails. Crap, she was going wild. Grappy jammed a needle into her neck, her body growing slack in my arms. Both of us were out of breath, yet we needed to make a phone call. Shaking his head, he snapped his fingers and was gone. Only black feathers remained, her chest rising up and down erratically. Crashing onto the floor, Grappy patted the flames devouring his skin. A snarl curled on his lips, alarm widening his eyes. If he couldn't get in, we were both screwed. 
"I can't get in." He panted tiredly, Theros leaping in through the window. Apparently nothing was sacred anymore, my eyes rolling. A worn black bag sat in his hands, the ancient leather creaking as he opened it. Pulling out a black spell book, he scanned the pages. His hair hung wildly around his face, his eyes glowing brighter. His lips moved silently, his white dress shirt fluttering about. A red glow bathed her, a dark smoke bursting from her lips. Trapping the smoke in his hands, black rose petals floated to the floor. 
"Her past holds a dark spot on her soul. Who made her tell her story?" He demanded venomously, rolling up his sleeves. "I placed a lock on it, so tell me why it is breaking? I kept her together back then, and I will do that now. As the lock weakens, a darkness will take over her heart. Do you guys know how to combat that? I don't. The one time I saw her go all of the way,  she almost didn't come back. I had her grandmother attached to her to absorb all of the extra darkness. Who killed her spirit?" Rage seethed in my eyes, his suggestion that she be terrorized for a whole day was inhumane. Was this guy a freaking crazy lunatic!