My Stepbrother is a Werewolf?!

6.

***

As soon as the bell rang, I flew out of my seat and headed straight to my locker. I needed to get home before Asher, because I had a plan formulated in my head. It had taken me two hours to come up with, and for it to work, I needed him to stay out of the house.

Thankfully, when Lily and I stepped out of the building, we found him and his friends talking excitedly about a movie.

"I've got some time to kill," Asher was saying. "And I don't think I'll get another chance if not today."

"Sweet," Connor said with a little dance. "I've heard the reviews, and apparently it's even better than the trailers led us to believe."

Asher was about to say something when his gaze shifted towards me, and he stiffened immediately. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I watched him, which made me look away quickly. Our previous encounter was still fresh in my mind, and I could tell that he was thinking about it too.

"Did something happen between you two?" Lily asked, noticing how we looked away quickly.

"Of course not," I replied quickly. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "You two are just acting weird."

“It’s nothing,” I said. “Come on, let’s get going.”

As we started walking away, Lily kept asking if I was actually fine.

“You gave me a fright,” she said. “I mean you flew nearly ten feet in the air. It was unbelievable.”

"It wasn’t that bad," I said. “What I can’t wrap my head around is how fast Asher was able to get to me.

Lily nodded, her brow furrowed in thought. "Yeah, it was pretty incredible. I've never seen anything like it. He must be hiding some serious skills."

“Or maybe he’s a superhero who’s keeping his identity hidden,” I said, which made her laugh.

“Well, he certainly looks the part,” she said. “I can totally see it.”

We had just started laughing when a black Range Rover suddenly pulled up beside us, and the window slid down to reveal Lily’s father. She immediately stiffened beside me, and I could sense that something was wrong.

“Hey girls,” he said. “I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I’d give you a ride.”

“Hey, Mr. Valdez,” I said. “Long time no see.”

“Hi Enaya,” he said. “It’s been ages.”

Lily was silent for a while, and the look she gave him belonged somewhere in the North Pole. I thought she wasn’t going to say anything, but then she simply said, “Hi, dad.”

“Lillian,” he replied, narrowing his eyes infinitesimally. “Get in.”

We hopped into the car, with Lily sitting beside him while I got into the back. Mr Valdez was a large and terrifying man with dark, coarse hair and a thin goatee. His eyes were a chilling shade of grey, but he was the nicest man you’d ever meet. Mom used to say that he was the perfect representation of “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, because from a distance, you would assume that he was some sort of mafia drug lord who slit people’s throats for a living. But then you got to know him, and you realised he’s really the sweetest person ever.

“So tell me, Enaya, how’s your father?” he asked. “I heard that he recently got married again.”

“Yeah, the wedding took place this summer,” I said. “It was a very small ceremony, but he’s really happy now.”

“Who’s the lucky lady?” he asked.

“Our social studies teacher from middle school,” I replied. “Ms Amelia.”

“Amelia?” he asked. “That name sounds familiar.”

Lily coughed just then, and Mr. Valdez’s gaze snapped towards her for a brief moment before he turned his attention back to me.

“Well, I suppose I should congratulate him,” he said. “Please send my best regards. I’ll call him when I get the chance.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Valdez,” I said, my gaze shifting to Lily who was so silent that you’d easily forget she was even in the car. I didn’t understand why she was being so hostile towards her own dad, and I made a mental note to talk to her about it as soon as I got the chance to do that.

When we finally got to my house, Mr. Valdez parked in front and smiled at me through the rear view mirror. “Home sweet home,” he said.

"Thanks for the ride, Mr. Valdez," I said. "Lily, I'll see you tomorrow."

She didn't even wave as I walked away, and I could have sworn that I heard her whimper as they drove off. Surely there had to be a reason why she seemed so terrified of her dad. I wanted to know what was going on, but as I watched them drive off, I didn’t notice anything suspicious. Mr. Valdez was still drumming the steering wheel as he drove off, and there wasn’t a hint of hostility in his face.

Maybe I was just imagining things. Still, I had to talk to Lily about this sooner or later. Sighing, I pushed open the front door and stepped into the house, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting through the air and hitting me in the face. Amelia was busy at the kitchen counter, singing to herself as she moved gracefully through the kitchen.

For a moment, I stood in awkward silence as she hadn't noticed me come in, contemplating whether I could actually pull this off. I had formulated the plan in my head, but now that I was standing in front of her, I couldn’t figure out the right way to bring up my thoughts. What if she thought I was crazy? Or what if she got angry and yelled at me?

"Um, hi Amelia," I began tentatively, my voice barely above a whisper. "Do you... need any help with those sandwiches?"

My stepmother glanced up, surprise flickering in her eyes before giving way to a warm smile. "Oh, Enaya, that's very kind of you. I think I've got it covered, but thank you for offering."

I took a hesitant step forward, keeping my eyes on the floor. "Are you sure? I mean you seem... different."

Her smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly rearranged her features to look nonchalant. "I'm fine, Enaya. Just getting used to my new routine, you know?"

I nodded, slowly making my way closer and trying to look friendly. "Yeah, I understand. It must still seem strange, suddenly becoming a part of our family."

She nodded, a wistful expression clouding her features. "It's been an adjustment, for sure. But I'm grateful to have your father in my life. He makes me happy."

“And I’m sure you make him happy too,” I replied, which drew a smile from her.

As we talked, the awkwardness slowly began to melt away, and she seemed to relax soon enough. For the first time, I saw my stepmother not as my former teacher, but as a regular woman who was trying to adjust to her new life. In a way, I felt guilty for not being more welcoming. We’d never really had a one-on-one conversation before, and I felt guilty doing it now under these circumstances.

But I couldn't forget my mission. I had questions that needed to be answered, and I wasn't going to get them talking about French braids and the new mall.

"Amelia, if I may ask, what was Asher like as a child?" I asked, trying to sound casual, as if I was just asking about the weather. "Did he always have this... charm about him?"

My stepmother chuckled, a fond smile gracing her lips. "Oh, Asher was always full of energy. He had this mischievous streak a few years ago, always getting into trouble with his friends. But underneath it all, he has always had a heart of gold. He has faced more darkness in his life than you could possibly imagine, and I fear that there is even more darkness ahead."

I listened intently, realising that maybe she wasn’t even aware that she’d said the last part. I needed to keep her talking, while making sure that it didn’t seem like I was interrogating her. It was a delicate balance, and I had to be extremely careful so I didn’t scare her away.

"And what about his hobbies? Did he have any particular interests growing up?" I asked, reaching for a sandwich casually.

My stepmother's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Oh, Asher has always been passionate about sports. He started playing football at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks. He's a natural athlete, that's for sure."

I nodded, filing away the information for future reference. But now it was time for the serious question, and I wasn't sure how she was going to react.

"Um, Amelia, I couldn't help but notice... Asher's always been... well, he's always been really strong, hasn't he?" I said, my voice trailing off slowly.

For a moment, a flicker of apprehension passed across my stepmother's face, her expression tightening immediately. But just as quickly, she composed herself, her smile faltering slightly.

"Yes, Asher has always been quite athletic," she replied, her tone carefully neutral.

"And his father?"

"It's a long story," she said. "Listen, I would love to chat, but I'm afraid I have some errands to run. Your father said he won’t probably won’t be back today, as he had some business to attend to in Knoxville. But I really enjoyed our conversation. We should do this again sometime."

“I could come with you,” I offered, jumping to my feet. “I’m not doing anything right now, and we’ve never really hung out before.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t want that,” she said, waving dismissively as she headed for the door. “Lots to do… really boring stuff… I’m sure you have better things to do.”

And just like that, she excused herself and practically fled from the room, leaving me alone in the kitchen with a lingering sense of unease. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had touched on a sensitive topic, something hidden beneath the surface—a secret that my stepmother was not yet ready to share.

But one thing was for sure:

Whatever secret Asher was hiding, my stepmother was already aware of it. And she was helping him to keep it.

***