"You didn't really have a heart attack, did you?"

My anger was heavy in the air as I spat those words, and I could feel it begin to diminish the peacefulness that once existed in the living room I stood in.

Suffocating tension arose as I glared down at the man, my father, who was reclining on a plushed white sofa, a cigar in hand and a glass of whiskey by the corner of the furniture he laid upon.

My father waved a hand in the air, gesturing around the room. Smoke wafted off of the cigar he held, and I resisted moving away from the scent.

"I made those men say that," He revealed, not looking at all guilty. "It was the only way I knew that you would come home, to this city."

"This place is not my home."

His eyes narrowed. "You consider that shack you dwell in and empty road you live by to be your home, Skylar?"

My fingers formed fists, and tension crackled in the air. "What do you really want, Medric?" My words were a snarl, and I watched as my father slowly straightened.

He placed the cigar on an ashtray and rested his elbows on his lap as he studied me.

"I want you to stay here, in the city," His words dropped to a soft whisper as he spoke false worries. "I am concerned about you, deeply. Living where you do is not safe for a woman like you," His eyes glittered when his eyes lowered.

When they raised to my face once again, and saw that my expression had not changed, it was then that he decided to finally speak the truth, "You could make a fortune by using your powers here, especially with my help."

"I am not interested in making a fortune."

My words seemed to infuriate Medric, and before he could utter a word however, I heard his wife enter the room, and the soft sounds of a baby's gurgling laughter shot through the heavy tension filled air.

I watched my father for a moment longer, his face red with anger, before I faced his wife, Amy.

She appeared to have recently awoken, as she wore a nightgown. Her auburn hair was pulled away from her face, but tumbled down her back in waves.

She seemed surprised at the sight of me, but brightened when her gaze went to my half-brother swaddled in her arms.

I had met Amy when I was a teenager. My father had persuaded me to visit their home then, and had introduced us. We were both civil towards each other, but I could tell that she was somewhat uneasy around me.

It was not very often that I came to this house, and calls and visits from my father had been very seldom when I'd stayed in the home that I still now live in and is miles away from this city.

The last time I did visit Medric's home, was after his insistence that I meet his baby. He had spent most of the week that I had stayed attempting to convince me to use my magic to help a friend of his who had been injured from a fall. I'd done so reluctantly eventually.

However, unbeknownst to me at first, I had been filmed doing so, by my father.

When my face along with my father's had been shown on televisions in the city, I had discovered what he'd done and promptly left when rumours, some of them entirely degrading, surfaced of me. That had been five years ago.

Amy's five year old daughter, and my half-sister, Amber, entered the living room shortly after her mother did, and I shifted on my feet, sending her a small smile while all the while beginning to think of the quickest way in which I could return back to my home.

The men, who my father had hired, had driven me here, and I strongly doubt that Medric would be willing to make arrangements for me to return back home soon.

"Will you be staying for a few days, Skylar?" Amy's sweet voice broke into my thoughts, and I hesitated to respond at first. There was a bus that traveled out of the city and would take me somewhat near where I lived, but from there I would have to walk.

That bus only left the city once a week however, so I would have little choice but to stay in the house for the time being. I rested my gaze on my father, but he purposely avoided my stare.

"When will the Trein Route bus be leaving the city?" I asked Amy. She tilted her head in thought, and began gently rocking her baby boy.

"Thursday morning, I believe." She murmured, one of her fingers moving to sweep along the baby's cheek, earning her a coo. A sly smile lifted my father's lips at her words, and I watched as he briefly bent, lifting up the glass of whiskey from the floor.

"I will show you to your room." He eagerly told me as he exited the room, taking the suitcase I had packed with him. I could hear Amber's voice behind us as I begrudgingly followed Medric. My name was mentioned throughout her inquiry, but I didn't bother to listen further to what she asked.

I had not bonded or spent much time with either of my half-siblings, and we were very much strangers to each other.

Medric began to approach the topic of me using my magic to gain wealth and popularity once we reached the room I would be sleeping in, but I shut him down quickly soon afterwards.

My mother had left money for me, enough to make me live comfortably for many years if I spent wisely.

I also had an inkling that Medric would use the fact of me being a half-witch and his daughter, to ultimately benefit him and his family.

After the video had been published, attention had been shown to him after I'd left the city because he'd been the one to film the entire interaction.

Medric is already wealthy and fairly popular, but he is also a well known money-hungry business man. Medric had already exploited me before, and I could easily imagine him trying to do this again.

************

Medric brought up the proposition of me using my magic once again throughout dinner later that day.

Amy looked uncomfortable as she looked between him and I, and I rested the fork I'd been using to eat down noisily against the plate as my father rambled on,

"You could stay here, in Lasker, and I'll help you open a business. I would have that film I made advertised once again, and bring people in," Medric spoke around a mouthful of steak. "Think about all the people here that you could heal, Skylar."

My eyes glanced to the little girl who sat beside my father as I decided I would choose my words carefully, despite the frustration brewing in me.

"There are many people where I live and near the areas in which I live who do not have the resources or medicines to help them if they are injured," I told Meridc, unable to hide my irritation towards him as I spoke,

"That is not the same for the people here in this city. There are more than enough doctors who can assist them. I would rather use my magic and be available to those who can't afford treatment."

Medric's scowl became harsh at my words, but he didn't bother to argue with what I'd said. Lasker is filled with many well off and affluent persons, and was one of the few cities that had not been invaded by lycans.

Security was also very visible in the city, and the fear which many held elsewhere was something the people here could never understand.

Apparently, some persons who'd fled their invaded towns or villages attempted to enter this city, but were driven out by those who lived in Lasker.

I was able to enter because of an identification card given to me when I was a child by Medric, and it was somewhat presented to me as if it had been a gift.

Amber's legs began to swing, and the sounds of what I assumed to be her toes hitting against the underside of the table were the only noises that resonated in the room for the next twenty minutes that passed until I decided to leave.

I called Esmeralda shortly after reaching my room, knowing that she would be concerned about my sudden disappearance.

"That alpha you helped stopped by my store today," Laughter could be heard amongst her words as she told me this after I spoke to her about my whereabouts.

"He'd been by your home, but I suppose figured you weren't there. He came over and talked to me, asking questions about you, and he spoke about the store as well. I think Athena or Hannes, actually, more than likely Hannes, might have told Nicholas about you being a half-witch, because he didn't seem surprised when I'd mentioned it. He was a bit of a chatter box. And very much eye-candy. I told him I didn't know where you were when he asked about you."

My fingers curled around the telephone and I pressed closer to the glass window in the bedroom, watching many people pass by and walk down streets.

"Esmeralda?"

"Yes?"

"Did Athena tell you what information Nicholas had that clearly involves me?"

There was a moment of silence before Esmeralda drawled, "Whatever do you mean, dear?"

I looked heavenward. "You heard me." I slid down onto the window seat. "Has Athena told you that I am Nicholas' mate?" 

There was another space of silence and then Esmeralda demanded, "How did you know that?"

"I confirmed that last night after seeing your and Athena's smirks whilst she spoke to me about him," I muttered.

Putting together Nicholas' reactions towards me when I'd been forced away from him, the way he'd behaved after leaving the building, the strange way my magic and palms had felt as I'd healed him, and seeing Esmeralda's and Athena's knowing expressions the day before, had led me to the conclusion that I was his mate.

"So what are you going to do now? Seek him out?"

"No. I have no idea where his pack is. Besides, I'm sure he'll find me soon enough." I settled back into the rather comfortable window seat, and for the next fifteen minutes, listened as Esmeralda spoke of her day and the few customers, other than Nicholas, who had entered her store.

**********

The rest of the time spent in my father's home had been short but tension-filled. Arguments had arisen between him and I, with him constantly asking that I allow myself to be interviewed by reporters, something he insisted that he could easily arrange.

Many had seen the video shown of me healing his friend five years ago, and had recently offered to pay Medric and myself to be interviewed.

I had declined that immediately, as I was not comfortable with that idea.

Another argument regarding fame had taken place between him and I, and it soon became even more clear that he cared little about me, and rather was far more interested in what my gifts could bring him and his family.

I had somewhat known this since I was a child, but his behavior and words as I'd stayed in his home only confirmed this.

I didn't hide my excitement whilst leaving his home thursday morning for the bus, but that happiness had dwindled throughout the three hour walk I had taken after being dropped off.

Before I'd left the city, I had attempted to convince several taxi drivers to take me to my home, but they all declined. They were wary of leaving the city, so I'd opted to take the bus instead.

After walking for three hours, and after entering my home, I knew something was off. Firstly, the door had been unlocked, and some of the cupboard doors were opened.

And thirdly, a uniformed Alberrechian woman sat comfortably in my kitchen chair.

Any tiredness I'd felt disappeared at the sight of almost all of my potions missing. Hot anger flooded me entirely, and I almost lost my composure as I gaped at the half-empty cupboard.

My eyes began to burn with pure fury, and I with-held from crying as I looked back at the Alberrechian woman, who no doubt had a role to play in some of my potions' disappearance.

A cup of dark tea rested between the Alberrechain's outstretched arms which rested on the table, and I made quick work of morphing the tea into a hot liquid which would have some effects on her body if she decided to consume it.

My lips moved fleetingly but no words could be heard, and the color of the liquid changed slightly, but not enough for the woman to notice.

"Skylar, is it?" Her head tilted, and her smile was quick, humourless. "I've been sent by Rhyan to collect you."

At my silence, she rested back in her chair. "Listen, you can follow me without struggling, or I could simply call for help with carrying your body after making you unconscious with the help of this bad boy." 

My body stiffened as I watched her hand lower and then raise a peculiar looking gun.

She rested it on the table, and her hand wrapped around the teacup, raising it to her lips to blow, and then sip the liquid, much to my satisfaction. The cocky expression slowly started to slip away, morphing into confusion and shock.

"What will it be…"

Her upper body slumped in her chair as the magical liquid worked its way through her, and her head tilted over to rest against the table in what I knew to be an uncomfortable position. She now could not move, or speak.

She also couldn't see when I dug the heels of my palms in my eyes, but certainly heard the muffled scream I released as I mourned the loss of my potions.

My mind raced with thoughts as I stepped to the once locked cupboards. I knew that the likelihood of some Alberrechian soldiers passing by this home, now that they somehow knew that this is where I lived, would be high.

Their comrade had been sent and not hearing a response from her for a period of time would only urge them to come here soon.

I began taking out the few potions that had been left behind, placing them on countertops. I couldn't stay here. I had no doubt that the Alberrechians intended to use me for their benefit, and that was something I wanted no part of.

Since they were willing to search for me like they did, I knew that they were very determined.

I glanced again at the woman still slumped over, and quickly headed into the back of the house, into the bathroom.

On the floor, between the sink and toilet, and covered with a small rug was a handle. Pulling at it revealed the shotgun I'd hidden under the wooden panels, a dagger and a handful of large bags of money.

I carried them with me, using the strap on the shotgun to hoist it over my shoulder and placing the money bags into the suitcase I'd carried with me.

My mother's books had not been taken, and I stuffed them into the suitcase as well, and ensured to lock it.

My bedroom had been searched through, as it was very messy, and I sighed through clenched teeth as I studied it one last time before heading towards the kitchen once again.

Carefully, I began to place the vials into a large bag, using soft materials to cushion them and hope that the glasses wouldn't crack when I walked.

That gentle process took fifteen minutes, and I promptly left soon afterwards, tears that I refused to let fall making me blink rapidly as I lugged my suitcase with me out of the house's door, leaving the unmoving woman resting partially on the table.