The Winter Solstice: A Cassandra Blake Mystery

Chapter 4.1

Cassie inhaled the frosty night air deeply as she cradled her cup of coffee. The streets were lined with town citizens and tourists as they wandered from booth to booth and sampled the wares of the food vendors. It was a beautiful clear night, and the celebration was in full swing. The response Cassie was receiving was one she was expecting because it had happened every year since she had left her little town of Bloodstone. Some glared at her with disdain, others completely ignored her presence, and a few greeted her warmly. She made her way toward the station her mother, sister-in-law, and aunt were manning jointly. They combined the bakery and diner food into one area to make it easier.

“Cassie!” came her aunt’s voice over the crowd as she waved frantically to her niece.

Cassie waved back and called out, “Aunt Sam!”

Cassie worked her way through the crowd and had almost reached the table where her aunt was when she felt someone grab her wrist and yank her to a stop. She turned to see a man standing before her who she did not immediately recognize.

“Brandon? Is that you?” Cassie questioned cautiously.

“Of course it’s me,” the man said as he pulled her into an unexpected hug, causing her to drop her coffee. “Oops, sorry about that. I have missed you so much,” the man said without releasing his hold on her.

Cassie began to tense and analyze the best way to extricate herself from the situation without making a scene. She began to push him away as soon as she felt him sniff her neck and hair. She knew his wolf was doing it, but that action made her feel completely violated. A hand touched the small of her back, making her pause.

“Let her go,” Malekai said in dangerously quiet, measured words.

The man instantly released Cassie, allowing her to take a long step back from him. She could feel the anger radiating off Malekai as he stepped in front of her in a protective stance. Cassie took his hand to let him know she was alright and to calm him.

“Relax, Mayor Stone,” the man smirked. “I was just getting reacquainted with Miss Blake. I assume it is still Miss Blake. I am sure word would have spread if someone had claimed her.”

“You need to leave,” Malekai warned him.

“I’m going,” Brandon said, putting his hands up and stepping back. “There would only be one reason for me to hang around, and I know she won’t stay in town long.” He threw a glance at Cassie that made her skin crawl before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

“Cass, was that Brandon Collins?” Malekai asked as he picked up her coffee cup from the ground, still holding her hand.

“It sure was,” Cassie answered with an involuntary shiver as Freya growled in her head.

“You should have let me rip his throat out,” Freya hissed.

“Maybe next time if there aren’t so many people around. Now, try to settle down,” Cassie told her.

Malekai grinned and leaned in close so only Cassie would hear him whisper, “Freya wants to kill him, doesn’t she?”

Cassie nodded as she leaned her head onto his shoulder and tried to calm both her and her wolf. She took a deep breath and let out.

“Are you alright, Cassie?” Angela’s voice sounded in her head.

Cassie turned to look at her mother and responded, “I’m fine, Mom. We will be over to see you and Aunt Sam in a minute.”

“Your mom paging you?” Malekai chuckled.

“Just checking on me. Why?”

“Because your Aunt Sam is yelling at me in my head about not protecting you the way I should as the pack Alpha, among other things. I have never heard her use language like this before.”

“Uh oh. That means she is really pissed. You should be careful because she might add a little something extra to your bowl of chili,” Cassie laughed.

Malekai let go of Cassi’s hand to slip his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her to his side and kissed her on the head before they turned and headed to where her aunt and mother were waiting. The women were standing side by side with their arms folded across their chests, emerald green eyes blazing at Malekai. They were identical twins with the same furious expression written across their faces.

“Aunt Sam, Angela,” Malekai greeted them, bowing his head slightly to them as he spoke.

Cassie smiled, making the women soften and move around the serving table to push Malekai out of the way and hug her.

“Why didn’t you come into the diner and say hello to me today?” Aunt Sam asked Cassie, not waiting for her to answer. “And what was that that just happened? Who is that guy?”

“And you, mister,” Aunt Sam spat, turning to Malekai and jabbing her finger into his chest. “You are the Alpha and Mayor of Bloodstone. Aren’t you supposed to be her best friend and sworn to take care of her no matter what? Why weren’t you with her? You are largely the reason why people in this town treat her the way they do.”

“You’re right, Aunt Sam,” Malekai said, barely audible. “There are many things I should have done differently and need to fix.”

Cassie gazed at her friend in confusion, trying to understand what he meant by that. She was sure he would have told her if anything had been wrong with the pack or city business.

“Freya, do you know what he is talking about?” Cassie asked her wolf.

“I have no idea. Let me see what I can find out from Sebastian, and I will get back to you,” Freya replied, cutting off their communication before Cassie could thank her.

“Cassandra, are you going to answer me?” Sam turned back to her and asked.

Cassie took a deep breath and answered Sam, “I didn’t come in today because I had a lot of things to do, including helping to finalize the plans for the security and emergency routes for this festival. I’m not entirely sure what happened back there or why that guy acted that way. He is a guy we went to school with and was a grade below us. I hadn’t seen him in years and barely recognized him. And before you ask, I plan on coming in for a late lunch tomorrow at the diner so you have time to sit down with me, and we can catch up a bit.”

“I guess I can live with that,” Sam said as she turned and began to head back to the booth she and Angela were manning. “Come on, kids, let’s get you fed. I swear you are wasting away to nothing, Cassandra.”

Cassie smiled as she linked arms with her mom and followed Aunt Sam, with Malekai taking up the rear. “Do you have anything to add, Mom?”

“Not a thing,” Angela laughed. “Sam has always been the assertive one between us, and she asked all the questions I had just like she always does.”

“Where’s Ash?” Cassie asked.

“She was worn out, so we had Zach and your father take her home and watch the kids for a while so she could sleep,” Angela told her.

“Alright, kids,” Sam said as she motioned for them to follow her behind the serving table and for Cassie and Malekai to sit at a small prep island with two stools. “What would you two like? I have burgers, hotdogs, chili, chicken soup, vegetable soup, and if you don’t like any of that, I will whip something else up for you.”

“It all sounds amazing, Aunt Sam,” Cassie replied as she and Malekai obediently followed her aunt’s directions. “What sounds good to you, Kai?”

“It all sounds delicious, Aunt Sam. I will take whatever you have the most of so you don’t run low on anything,” Malekai told her.

“Nonsense, and for that, you are both getting some of everything,” Aunt Sam said with a smirk. “Plus, my sister has been trying some new recipes and needs a couple of guinea pigs. She brought samples with her hoping you would give them a try.”

Malekai smiled, “We would be honored.” Angela placed plates of sweets and pastries on their table before he finished his sentence.

“Oh, Mom, this looks amazing!” Cassie exclaimed. “Between you and Aunt Sam, I will gain thirty pounds by the time I head back to Seattle.”

Angela winked at her daughter, “Try the dark chocolate, caramel, and sea salt brownies first and let me know what you think. I have to get back to serving.”

Angela smiled at Cassie before she turned and walked back to where she had been handing out goodies to the passersby. There was something in her expression that showed sadness. Cassie knew that was because she mentioned going back to Seattle. As she thought about that, she picked up one of the brownies and bit into it. It was pure heaven as the mixture of bitter dark chocolate, sweet caramel, and sea salt melted in her mouth. There was no doubt that her mother was a magician with all things baked.

“You OK, Cass?” Aunt Sam asked as she set two large trays with deep wells on the table before them.

“I’m fine. Why?” Cassie asked, genuinely confused by her aunt’s question.

“You just looked far away there for a minute,” Aunt Sam told her.

“She’s fine, Aunt Sam. She was experiencing brownie bliss thanks to her mom,” Malekai laughed before he took a bite of one of the brownies. “Oh God,” he groaned. “Now I understand. These are like nothing I have ever had before. How does Angela come up with these recipes?”

“Magic. And don’t groan like that. People will think you and Cassie are back here doing more than eating and expect a show that is not safe for children,” Aunt Sam laughed, causing Malekai to choke on his brownie. “Anyway, if he doesn’t choke to death tonight, I have been working on a few new hot wing sauces. I expect both of you tomorrow, so I can use you as guinea pigs. Angie can’t have all the fun.”

“What time do you want us there?” Malekai asked, his face beaming at the thought of Aunt Sam’s famous hot wings.

“Does two o’clock sound good?”

Cassie nodded at Malekai, and he replied, “Works for us.”

“Perfect! And bring that worthless Beta with you. You’d think that with him being married to my daughter, I would see him more often than I do,” Aunt Sam told them, shaking her head.

“That might be because you are continually putting the fear of the Goddess into him,” Cassie laughed.

“Nah! That can’t be it,” Aunt Sam laughed as she turned. “Enjoy your food and eat fast. You have a speech to give, Mayor.”

“How are we going to eat all of this?” Malekai asked Cassie as he stuffed the rest of his brownie in his mouth.

“We eat everything that we can’t carry with us and take the rest home to eat later,” Cassie suggested with a shrug.

They sat eating quietly for a few minutes, enjoying every bite of the delicacies before them, when Malekai stopped and looked at Cassie.

“What?” she asked.

“Why is your wolf in my head with my wolf, and they have me blocked out?” Malekai asked Cassie through their mind link.

“They missed each other too,” Cassie laughed through the link. “They are friends and tell each other secrets like we do. At least that is what I hope they are doing.”

“I would rather not think about that,” Malekai said as he took his last bite of chili and picked up his burger. “Are you going to be able to eat everything your aunt and mom gave us”? he asked out loud.

“Are you kidding me?” Cassie asked, pretending to be insulted. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast in your office. I am still starving, and I have eaten more than you.”

Their meal quickly became an eating competition to see who could finish first. The results were what they had expected. Cassie finished first with a somewhat commanding lead over Malekai, leading her to reach over and take a few bites of the desserts he was still working on.

“I will never understand how you can eat that fast,” Malekai said.

Cassie grinned, “Years and years of practice due to not knowing how long you will have to eat your meal or when your next one will be.”

“I don’t know how you do that.”

“It is sort of a primal thing,” Cassie explained. “Think of it as a wolf in the wild. They will gorge themselves on a kill and then not eat for days. I make sure to eat a huge breakfast before I go to work; after that, any meal I get during the day before I go home is a luxury.”

Malekai looked at her with a look she knew well. Worry, sadness, and loneliness. She saw it every time she came home, and they talked about things Cassie had to give up to do the job she loved. She looked at her watch and changed the subject.

“Let’s walk around before you have to give your speech,” she suggested.

“Sounds like a plan,” Malekai said just before his eyes went blank momentarily. “You go tell your mom and aunt bye and give my apologies for eating and running. Aaron needs me over by the arch.”

“I will meet you there.”

She watched Malekai stand, make his way out of the area, and head toward the arch made to look like solid ice. She smiled as she stood and went to say goodbye to her mother and aunt.

“Mom, Aunt Sam,” Cassie said as she placed a hand on each of their backs. “Kai asked me to apologize for him eating and running. Aaron linked him with a problem he had to take care of.”

“Let him know we don’t mind. We are just glad you both had a chance to sit and eat,” Angela told her daughter sweetly.

“Forget all that,” Aunt Sam said with a wave of her hand. “How did you two like the food?”

“Freaking amazing!” Cassie gushed. “Aunt Sam, I don’t know how you do it, but every time I eat something you have made a thousand times, it is better than the last. And Mom, those brownies and that cheesecake were the best I have ever had.”

“That’s what we needed to hear,” Aunt Sam told her as she hugged her.

Angela hugged Cassie and told her, “Tomorrow, I will make a peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake for you to try. I will run it over to the diner so you can have it after you try all of Sam’s new hot wings.”

“Thank you, Mom. I have to get going to meet Kai by the arch. I hope there isn’t a big problem.”

“See you later,” Angela and Sam said in unison as Cassie turned and hurried to where Malekai would be waiting.