Wolves of Enchantment

Chapter Seven: Friendships in Bloom

Lilith’s Point of View

“That fits you perfectly,” grinned Juniper, and then she beckoned me to follow her and Ember back outside.

As I walked past Emily and Jason, their expressions were filled with shock. I simply shrugged in response. Jason looked at Emily as if saying, "I told you so." I guess he was right all along. These kids were nice enough, and I did need friends at this new school. But if Jackson threatened to splash and push me off the raft, he had another thing coming. There was no way I would let him get away with that. I would make sure he went flying off the raft instead.

As we continued walking down the dock, I noticed two beautiful girls sunbathing. They looked like twins. Seeing my curiosity, Juniper stopped to introduce me to Hazel and Pru. They were the daughters of Jace and Anna, close friends of the Foster family. Both girls were friendly but didn’t seem interested in carrying on a conversation, more so in catching rays.

Juniper, Ember, and I dove into the water and swam to the raft. The boys were still pushing each other off and laughing hysterically, thinking it was the coolest thing ever. Juniper looked at me and rolled her eyes as she grinned. I liked her. The girl seemed sweet but mischievous. We were going to get along just fine.

When we climbed on the raft, Jax came running, picked up Juniper and threw her into the water. He looked at me, ran to do the same, and I just stepped out of the way as he fell face first into the water. It looked like it hurt, but I couldn’t help but smirk. I wasn’t getting tossed into that water by any of these boys.

I could sense him before he came into view. Jackson. Fucker thought he was going to knock me in. Somehow, he managed to get his arms wrapped around my waist and was trying to lift me. I wasn’t having any of that. I hooked my leg behind him, causing us to both fall hard onto the raft, but Jackson cushioned my fall as I landed right on top of him. I could feel something hard and pressed into my thigh. Oh, hell no, this was not happening. I jumped up quickly… and then fell backwards into the water.

As I submerged, I saw Jax and Jackson high-fiving each other, thinking they were all that. What they didn’t see was Juniper and Ember sneak up behind them both and shove their asses into the water too. The girls both reached out a hand to pull me up onto the raft with them. We exchanged smirks with the two guys now treading water, marking the beginning of our raft war. Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and I was utterly caught up in the fun.

Sage called us in from the water to eat, informing us that the food was ready. I quickly dried myself off and joined Juniper at one of the tables set up outside to savour one of the delicious hamburgers Phoenix had grilled for our dinner. As Juniper shared details about Meadow Lane Secondary, a handsome young man with dark hair and piercing green eyes sat beside us. He reminded me of Jackson; I couldn't help but wonder if he was a relative in some way.

“Hey, Axel! Where were you?” Juniper asked him.

“Helping to get the food ready,” he shrugged.

His green eyes lingered on me, trying to determine who I was and what I was doing here.

“The burgers are delicious! Phoenix did a great job! This is Lilith. She is staying with Jason and Emily,” Juniper smiled. “She’ll be a senior at Meadow Lane Secondary with us in the fall.”

“Axel is one of the triplets,” my new friend added with a grin.

Seeing my confusion, Axel smiled warily at me.

“Sage is my mother, and Anton is my father. Phoenix is Jax’s dad, and Jackson belongs to River,” he explained.

Whoa. Three kids, three dads, all at once. And I thought my life was complicated.

Axel asked if I had gotten my timetable yet, and I nodded. Everything was balanced, and the heavier subjects weren’t all in one semester. Perks of your guardians being friends with the guidance counsellor.

“It’s a small school, but there are a lot of teams and sports if you are interested in that,” Axel said.

“I’m not much of a joiner. I keep to myself,” I shrugged.

He nodded and looked at me intently as if Axel was trying to figure me out or something.

“What did you do for fun before you came here?” Axel asked.

“Skateboard, reading, riding my motorcycle,” I answered.

“Oh! I have a joke you might like then,” Juniper brightened as Axel cringed and discreetly shook his head as if to tell me not to encourage her.

“What do motorcyclists eat in the summer?” Juniper giggled while she looked at Axel and me.

I had no idea, but Axel just face-palmed. He may have heard this joke before.

Seeing that I didn’t know the answer, Juniper was very pleased to tell me.

“Ice-cycles!” she laughed, enjoying her joke.

A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I couldn't help but chuckle. It was amusing, but what really made it funny was Juniper's obvious delight in telling the joke. Her animated movements and facial expressions were so entertaining that I couldn't help but laugh.

I looked up and saw Axel peeking through his fingers, trying to hold back a smile. This only made me laugh even more, causing Axel's grin to grow wider. He had a charming smile. I couldn't help but wonder why Axel always seemed so serious. I found myself drawn to him and wanted to learn more about him.

Jason’s Point of View

“I told you she would have fun if we gave her space,” I whispered to Emily, kissing her on the nose.

“She’s laughing and smiling,” Emily whispered in awe as we watched Lilith interact with Axel and Juniper.

Watching Lilith and Jackson on the raft made me anxious, but my worries were put to rest when she effortlessly took him down. When it seemed like he was trying to make a move on her, Lilith quickly disentangled herself, even if it meant falling into the water. She had been through a lot after losing her parents and moving here, but I knew our friends' children were good people who would look out for her at school. I was also relieved that Lilith wasn't one of the many girls swooning over River's son; it warmed my heart knowing she was not caught up in that drama.