The Gamma’s Secret Witch

Choices

TABITHA

I had left Sorren's cabin and followed the same path I had taken there to get back. With every step I took I thought about how to break the news to the rest of my friends. Rowena and Tobias would not take it as well as Sorren did, that's for sure. Cedric, well he was a little more forward-thinking, he wanted the best for the coven and who could blame him, that's all I wanted too. I reached my front steps and decided to sit on my porch for a while.

I couldn't go to sleep even if I had tried. The sun was rising over the horizon and watching that happen brought some aspect of peace to my current situation. As the sun crossed the horizon I heard footsteps coming from behind me, I looked back and saw my father Thale Brynn standing about a foot behind me. "Oh, you’re back from Sorren's already?" He asked as he closed the gap between us. My father sat beside me on the porch as we both watched the fall sunrise. "Yeah, he needed to rest." I said, trying to change the subject.

Father was having no part in that, he wanted to know how Sorren felt about my current situation. "How did telling him go?" Father asked, I just gave him a look and he seemed to understand. "That good huh?" He said and I shrugged my shoulders.

My father and I spent a few hours together, we talked about twin flames, the wolves and the coven. "you will know what's best for everyone involved Tabitha." Father said, trying to reassure me that everything would be fine in the end. I, on the other hand, wasn't so sure about that. Eventually my father got up and wandered back inside.

Mother would likely be out for a while still, she would have exerted a lot of energy to help heal Sorren. She would need time to recuperate and gain back her strength. The brisk autumn air hit my face, I loved this time of year. The leaves were changing colors from new green to sunset yellow and flames of red, it was like a new beginning was coming.

The buzzing sound from my phone pulled me from my thoughts. I had a new text message. I quickly skimmed over the words and knew that there must have been a smile on my face. "good morning beautiful" is all the text said. I held the phone, ready to send a response, I wanted to say something, anything but I couldn't get my fingers to type anything. I was surprised, I think. I was definitely in shock that Asher had bothered to text me in the first place. What really threw me off was that he seemed to be trying to flirt with me. "Good morning wolfy" I texted back. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Asher and I texted back and forth with each other for a while. We didn't really talk about anything in particular, but the conversation seemed to flow between us easily enough. I was thinking about heading inside when my phone buzzed to life again. "I need to see you again." I wanted to see him too, but I didn't want to seem as eager as I felt. "You know where to find me Wolfie, I'll be waiting." I replied. I stood up and headed back inside, it had already been an eventful morning and the day had barely begun.

The house was quiet, as I suspected, my mother was still asleep. I could see my father sitting in the living room reading a book like he usually did, he was looking forward to his retirement. It was time for him and my mother to start the next chapter of their lives, and the only thing stopping them was their youngest daughter.

I walked past the living room and headed towards the kitchen. I needed coffee and something to eat. I got to the kitchen and went straight to the coffee maker, there was a hot pot already brewed and waiting for me. I grabbed a black cup from the cupboard and poured the delicious liquid into it. I took a sip from my mug and a little sigh escaped my lips, coffee was truly the nectar of the gods.

I got a bowl and put some freshly cut up fruit in it before making my toast. I wasn't a heavy breakfast eater, but I did need to eat something. I sat at the kitchen table nibbling at my food and sipping away at my coffee. Just as I set my mug on the table my phone started to vibrate. I looked down at my screen and saw that I had another message from Asher. "See you soon, beautiful! " is what the message said and the butterflies in my stomach began to flutter once again. I quickly finished my breakfast, I didn't know how soon that would be.

I decided to curl up in the window box and look over one of my spell and potion books that my mother had given me. Reading and memorizing spells relaxed me, it calmed my nerves and that morning was definitely a day I needed to be calm. "Father, I think we may have a visitor today." I said to him, I watched as he closed his book and looked over at me. "Oh?" He remarked. He knew exactly where this conversation was going. "Asher, he said he would see me soon." I replied to his lack of conversation. My father just smiled, he was never one to overreact or pass judgment before it was necessary to.

"Tabitha, everyone will get used to having a wolf around eventually. It will take some getting used to for everyone, including you." He said. My father looked at me with such love in his eyes, I could see the pain he was trying to hide as well, but decided it was not the time to bring that up.

After my father left to take care of some business in his office, I was left thinking all by myself. I pulled out my phone and decided that I needed to know how soon, soon it would be. "How soon?" I replied back to his text. I waited looking at my screen for a bit but nothing, Asher never got back to me about how soon it would be before I saw him again.

I read another few pages before a knock on the door interrupted me. I shot up out of my spot and raced towards the door. Composing myself, and my breathing, I peeked out the window and could feel my face begin to flush. Slowly I opened the door and came face to face with a handsome-looking Asher.

His piercing green eyes found mine and I could feel his gaze, it was paralyzing and intoxicating. He was leaning against the frame of our front door with a smirk on his face, and his phone in his hand. "Soon enough?" He asked me very cockily. I could feel the embarrassment all over my face. I groaned which made Asher laugh. I stepped outside and closed the door behind me.

Asher and I sat down on the porch steps, "How was your night, I hope you didn't get into too much trouble." I asked him. "Nah, Griffin and I go back a long way, he was just worried is all." He said as he reached across my lap and grasped my hands. The warm fuzzy feeling that I had felt when we touched the day before was back. I could feel it taking over my body slowly. I leaned into Asher so that my head was resting on his shoulder. "How is your friend doing?" I heard him ask me.

I was surprised that he remembered why I was in the forest the other day in the first place. "Sorren will be okay, he is a fighter and will recover nicely." I said trying to sound more casual then I needed to. I could feel Asher's body tense when I talked about Sorren. I knew wolves were very territorial creatures, so I didn't know why I thought Asher would be any different.

"Asher, please, just try to get to know him. He was my rock when my sister turned against us, he has been my best friend my entire life but that's all he is." I found myself pleading with more than just my words. I was looking into his stunning green eyes, trying to make him understand that even though I couldn't explain it, he was it for me. Sorren, while extremely important to me, would only ever be like an older brother to me.

Asher was silent for a long time, then I felt his body relax slightly. "Liam says I should trust you. I just hate that another guy is closer to you than me" Asher admitted. I perked up a little, "who's Liam?" I asked him curiously. Asher chuckled and I nudged him with my head. "Liam is my wolf's name." He said as casually as possible. I wondered about what it would be like to have a wolf, I mean I already talk to myself enough at least then I would have someone to answer me. "Can I meet him?" I asked even more curiously. Again, Asher laughed. I had no idea what was so funny about what I was asking.

"You really are a curious one aren't you?" He said after he finished laughing. "You already did meet him, he pinned you to the forest floor remember?" He said jokingly. I was glad to see he wasn't always so serious but he was starting to get on my nerves. Asher's vibrant green eyes turned emerald green and his voice was a lot deeper. I could have sworn I heard a growl escape his lips before he started speaking. "Hello Tabitha." The deep voice coming from Asher's lips said. "Liam?" I asked, amazed that I was actually talking to Asher's wolf.

"Liam?" I asked again, this time he answered me. "Yes, Tabitha?" I thought about what I wanted to say next. "Is Asher for real?" The question had to be asked, I needed to know that before I gave him my heart that he wouldn't turn around and break it into tiny pieces. "Beautiful, you have nothing to worry about." Was Liam's smooth reply. I had to admit, the wolf's voice seemed trusting enough. "Asher might look hard on the outside, but he has a pure soul and has been looking for you for a long time, Tabitha. You truly have nothing to worry about." Liam said again reassuring me that yes, Asher was for real. "Thank you, Liam, can. I have Asher back now please?" I asked politely.

Liam whimpered a little but eventually, he gave control back to Asher. In the blink of an eye the dark pools I had been staring into returned back to their vibrant green . Asher blinked a few times before he looked back down at me. "Did you two have a nice chat?" He asked me. I nodded and went back to resting my head on his shoulder. "I will try to relax when you talk about your friend," Asher said. "Sorren," I replied to his comment. I wanted him to use his name. "Yes, Sorren, I will try and relax when you talk about Sorren." He said. It was a step in the right direction.

"Tell me about your pack, Asher," I asked him. I wanted to know, I was curious about where he came from. " Well… there is a lot of forest around it." He began. I listened to him intently as he continued to talk about his home, his family and his friends. "The packhouse looks like a giant wooden mansion, I'll have to show it to you sometime" he said without realizing what he was saying. There was no way I would be able to get to see the pack's house for a while because of who I was. Asher went on talking about his friends, and really they seemed like my group of friends.

"Griffin and Everett have been my friends for as long as I could remember. We grew up together. Meadow and Ainsley came around a few years later. It's always really been the five of us." He explained. I got what that was like. Sorren and myself had been best friends forever, Rowena and Tobias had joined the two of us and then eventually Cedric came around and joined us rounding out the group. "What about your family?" I asked him. He didn't seem to talk much about them, at least not yet.

"I am an only child, my father was the Gamma of Dark Woods before I took over. When they retired from their positions in the pack, they began traveling the country, but finally ended up living in Florida" He explained. I wondered if he had any other family that was close by. He didn't seem to want to talk about them much with me. "Do you want to meet my friends’ Asher?" I asked. I wasn't sure if he would be up for it. Asher seemed to be warming up to the idea of having a witch for a mate, but I am only one witch. I had no clue if he would be up for meeting more.

"Well, I mean, yeah, I guess." He said fumbling with his words. I giggled a little at his nervousness, it was definitely an adjustment for both of us. "It was just a suggestion. You don't have to." I said, giving Asher an out. He shook his head no but didn't respond verbally. I shrugged my shoulders and pulled out my phone. I quickly type a message to Rowena, Tobias and Cedric.

I told them I had a surprise and to meet me at the spot in an hour. Then I sent Sorren a text, I told him we were all meeting at the spot, if he didn't have the energy I would swing by later. As soon as my friends confirmed, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and looked up at Asher. "They really aren't that bad." I said, trying to ease some of the tension in the air. "Come on, let me show you around." I said standing up on my feet. Asher slowly stood beside me and I led him down the path leading down into the forest. It would take us a little bit to get to the meeting spot so I thought I could show him a bit of my home in the process.

As we walked Asher took hold of my hand. I felt that same familiar warmth I felt every time our skin connected. "So where are we going?" Asher asked me as we walked through the forest. "We have a meeting spot, it's not too far away. The five of us used to come out here a lot as children, even more so as teenagers. It sort of became our spot, a place we could be us, be free.

A place where we didn't have to worry about what was going on in the real world. I guess you could say it was our sanctuary." I explained as I climbed over a fallen log. Asher followed close behind me as we came to a clearing in the forest. It looked like Rowena and Cedric were already here and waiting. I walked into the clearing with Asher right on my heels, he was looking around and I could tell he seemed nervous about everything that was happening.

I stopped walking before my friends realized we were there. "It's okay Asher, no one here will hurt you." I said, trying to be reassuring. He had never been around this many magic wielding people before, it was probably a lot to take in all at once. Asher smiled at me and tightened his grip on my hand. We continued to walk into the clearing. Rowena and Cedric had their backs turned to us, they were having a private conversation and as much as I felt bad about interrupting that, this was likely bigger news.