With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out the door. Mary didn’t bother looking after him.
Four
Cormack dropped me back at Belle Isle before heading off on his own. I wanted to offer him comfort but he seemed closed off, which really wasn’t like him. I took the time to shower and change my clothes, then pointed myself toward Grimlock Manor. The texts I’d received indicated that the Winters family would be there for supper and I didn’t want to miss what would undoubtedly turn into loud dinner theater.
Aric was parking in front of the house when I pulled up. I waited for everyone to exit the vehicle, figuring I would guide them inside, but there seemed to be a vigorous argument happening within the confines of the SUV. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but the way Sami waved her hands around told me she was pleading her case — although I had no idea about what — and her parents were having none of it.
After a full two minutes, Zoe realized they were being watched. She offered me a head tilt, jabbed a finger in Sami’s direction, and then pushed open the door. She was all smiles when she stopped in front of me.
“Sorry if you were waiting for a long time,” she offered. “We were having a ... discussion ... about Sami’s behavior.”
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “I take it she’s still grounded.”
“Yes, but that’s not what we were discussing. We were talking about manners, and how we were going to be sharing a meal in somebody else’s house.” Her eyes shifted up to the impressive façade of Grimlock Manor. “You were right about it looking like a castle.”
I chuckled. “It’s surprisingly cozy, although there are some weird marble statues here and there. Apparently Aisling and Jerry used to dress them up when they were kids.”
“More Grimlock children?”
“Aisling is. Jerry is her best friend. He also happens to be engaged to her twin brother.”
“Oh, well ... .” Zoe’s smirk grew wider. “They sound like an interesting family.”
“They have their moments.”
She studied me for a beat, tilting her head. “You love them.”
“I do.”
“They’re your family.”
“They are.”
“Paris told me about your other family.”
I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. “I still have some of them left,” I said finally. “My grandfather raised me in New Orleans after my parents died. My aunt — my mother’s sister — stayed here but would visit at least once a year, and now I see her frequently. She runs a magic shop over in Royal Oak.”
“That sounds fun. Is she a witch, too?”
“Too?”
“You’re a witch, right?”
I held out my hands. “I’m a bit more. I have a lot of the same powers. There’s more to me than that, though. Where I come from, meaning New Orleans, I’m called a bruja.”
“So you practice folk magic.”
I was surprised. “What do you know about it?”
“I’ve run into magical folk here and there over the course of my life. Paris likes her research and I remember her telling me about people who identify as brujas a long time ago. Basically it means you focus on hexes, curses, divination, and charms.”
“That’s the magic my grandfather taught me,” I confirmed. “The witch in me knows a bit more magic, enough that Sami’s little show of power this morning was attributed to me and nobody blinked an eye.”
“And that magic comes from your mother’s side.”
“Yes.”
“So you’re a mixture.” Zoe’s smile appeared genuine as she glanced over her shoulder, to where Aric and Sami continued to spar inside the SUV. “I like meeting people who are of two worlds.”
I followed her gaze. “Like Sami.”
“There are times I think Sami has ten devils living in her head,” Zoe admitted. “She’s my karma.”
I couldn’t understand what she was saying. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that she may look like her father, but she takes almost all her social cues from me.”
“Oh.” I wanted to laugh but she seemed serious. “Well, I don’t know what you’re worried about her doing, but this is not a prim and proper house. The kids inside — although they’re technically all adults — are going to be much louder than she could ever dream of being.”
“That makes me think I’ll like them.” Zoe gestured toward Aric, her eyes flashing. “I don’t understand why they’re still arguing.”
I understood. “Your husband is a shifter.” It wasn’t a question but she nodded all the same. “He’s an alpha. He understands about respect. Cormack is an alpha, too, although not a shifter. Aric simply wants Sami to behave because he believes it would be disrespectful otherwise.
“The thing is,” I continued, “Cormack is something of an indulgent father. He’s all bluster and brass balls when working and meeting new people, but his kids basically run roughshod over him. He’s especially fond of his daughter, although he swears up and down he only picks a favorite for the day and then wipes the slate clean at midnight so they all have a chance to be the next day’s favorite child.”
Zoe snorted. “That’s kind of funny. He has five kids, right?”
“Four boys and a girl.”
“And Sami reminds him of the girl.”
“Oh, she definitely reminds him of Aisling.” I snickered at the memory of Cormack’s smile when he realized what the teenager had done to the revenant. “As far as I can tell, there’s little he loves more than a mouthy teenager. His daughter is spoiled rotten and he encourages it. His new granddaughter does nothing but laugh and clap and he’s already supplied her with several rooms in his house. He’ll dote on Sami, too. He won’t be able to help himself.”
“She’s already spoiled enough,” Zoe argued. “I don’t think she needs any further encouragement to be a pain.”
“Perhaps not, but Cormack needs it.” Why I felt the desire to lay this out for her was beyond me, but I wanted to see Cormack do more than
