and sells her wares online and at craft fairs. That’s not fair to my mother actually. She’s an artist and that’s what she does for a living. She’s amazing and creative and loving.But she’d cut anyone who tried to mess with her family. She’s actually scarier than my father on some levels.”
Through the glass above them, she watched the sky, gray with late fall, and Simon just listened.
“So anyway. As I said, we’re competitive, my sister and I. Every race she won, every award she got I needed to try for too. Needed to outdo. And it was the same for her. I’ve never felt jealous of her achievements. I just wanted to do as well. My father says it was that she and I were each other’s idols and so we felt like the only way to be good enough was to be as good as our sister.” She snorted. “That’s pretty close to the truth. Anyway, my father was attacked and nearly killed by a band of rogue werewolves. His recovery took months. In fact it was two years until he could use his left leg fully again. So at that time, he had to step down and hand leadership of the Hunter Corps over to someone else. Edwina’s sister Rebecca holds the clan, as you probably know, and she told my dad the choice was his.”
“Ah.” He nodded his head, assuming, most likely that he’d chosen one over the other and that started the problems.
“Nah, that’d be too easy. I’m not easy, Simon. Just FYI.”
He snorted a laugh and then reached out to give her hand a quick squeeze.
“He didn’t choose Helena. He didn’t choose me. He appointed us both. Caused a huge issue, but he did it and he did it without flinching. To be honest, it was a good decision, especially at that time because things were in upheaval and my sister and I are very different when it comes to how we run our team. We complement each other, and especially did then. That was three years ago.”
“My god, how old were you?”
“Twenty-two.” She shrugged. “The year after we took over, she met a guy. Nice enough. He treated her well.”
“ Nice enough is not a compliment.”
“I had no real reason not to like him. I was worried my wariness was more about my lack of a boyfriend than reality. I love my sister, I might kick her ass when we’re shooting targets or running a race, but I don’t want to see her hurt. So I kept my feelings to myself. I wanted to be supportive.” She blew out abreath. “She and I shared a house. There’s an inner courtyard and I was on one side and she was on the other. He was there all the time. So much that I started looking for another place to live. It was time, I told myself. She needed to be on her own with the guy she’d just gotten engaged to.”
“Was this asshole human? I’m assuming he’s an asshole because this story isn’t going in a good direction.”
Surprised, she snorted a laugh. “He’s not. Human that is. He’s totally an asshole. He’s a witch. A witch who showed up in my bedroom as I’d returned home from a patrol.”
Simon knew where this was going and it got him pissed off. Any male who disrespected women needed a punch in the face.
“He… came on to me. I turned him down. He got grabby. Which is pretty stupid, considering. I think maybe he figured the worst he’d get was a slap in the face. Instead, I kneed him in the balls and dragged him across the courtyard by the ear as I called my sister’s name. I was so angry, so offended on her part that I blurted it all out right then and there. I should have told her in private. But I was so mad.”
“She didn’t believe you?”
“No, she believed me all right. She believed me, threw him and all his shit out on the street and broke their engagement. Things have been… strained between us in the year since. I moved out a few months ago. I’ve been apartment sitting for a family friend who decided to trek across South America. In the time since that night our competition got worse. It became something else.” Horrified, she heard
Through the glass above them, she watched the sky, gray with late fall, and Simon just listened.
“So anyway. As I said, we’re competitive, my sister and I. Every race she won, every award she got I needed to try for too. Needed to outdo. And it was the same for her. I’ve never felt jealous of her achievements. I just wanted to do as well. My father says it was that she and I were each other’s idols and so we felt like the only way to be good enough was to be as good as our sister.” She snorted. “That’s pretty close to the truth. Anyway, my father was attacked and nearly killed by a band of rogue werewolves. His recovery took months. In fact it was two years until he could use his left leg fully again. So at that time, he had to step down and hand leadership of the Hunter Corps over to someone else. Edwina’s sister Rebecca holds the clan, as you probably know, and she told my dad the choice was his.”
“Ah.” He nodded his head, assuming, most likely that he’d chosen one over the other and that started the problems.
“Nah, that’d be too easy. I’m not easy, Simon. Just FYI.”
He snorted a laugh and then reached out to give her hand a quick squeeze.
“He didn’t choose Helena. He didn’t choose me. He appointed us both. Caused a huge issue, but he did it and he did it without flinching. To be honest, it was a good decision, especially at that time because things were in upheaval and my sister and I are very different when it comes to how we run our team. We complement each other, and especially did then. That was three years ago.”
“My god, how old were you?”
“Twenty-two.” She shrugged. “The year after we took over, she met a guy. Nice enough. He treated her well.”
“ Nice enough is not a compliment.”
“I had no real reason not to like him. I was worried my wariness was more about my lack of a boyfriend than reality. I love my sister, I might kick her ass when we’re shooting targets or running a race, but I don’t want to see her hurt. So I kept my feelings to myself. I wanted to be supportive.” She blew out abreath. “She and I shared a house. There’s an inner courtyard and I was on one side and she was on the other. He was there all the time. So much that I started looking for another place to live. It was time, I told myself. She needed to be on her own with the guy she’d just gotten engaged to.”
“Was this asshole human? I’m assuming he’s an asshole because this story isn’t going in a good direction.”
Surprised, she snorted a laugh. “He’s not. Human that is. He’s totally an asshole. He’s a witch. A witch who showed up in my bedroom as I’d returned home from a patrol.”
Simon knew where this was going and it got him pissed off. Any male who disrespected women needed a punch in the face.
“He… came on to me. I turned him down. He got grabby. Which is pretty stupid, considering. I think maybe he figured the worst he’d get was a slap in the face. Instead, I kneed him in the balls and dragged him across the courtyard by the ear as I called my sister’s name. I was so angry, so offended on her part that I blurted it all out right then and there. I should have told her in private. But I was so mad.”
“She didn’t believe you?”
“No, she believed me all right. She believed me, threw him and all his shit out on the street and broke their engagement. Things have been… strained between us in the year since. I moved out a few months ago. I’ve been apartment sitting for a family friend who decided to trek across South America. In the time since that night our competition got worse. It became something else.” Horrified, she heard
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