“Happy Yule, Mom. And a happy New Year.”
With that, she hung up.
And when she stepped outside, she let her anger burn.
Thegoodthingabouthaving a supernatural boyfriend was that he could easily put out a small grass fire. Unfortunately, now everyone was keeping their distance from her, save for Henrik, but she didn’t want to tell him why she was so angry, because she didn’t really know what to say.
And, she was still angry. She was angry enough that she was barely sleeping. Angry enough that she barely even spoke to Luka the day before, as he wrapped up the project.
Angry enough that she was avoiding everyone and everything in return.
Instead, she had been wandering, trying to cool off. After days of wearing so many layers, her skin felt like it was boiling, even as the nights became darker and colder. Snow was sure to come soon, which would be more than welcome, but until then, she was exploring the woods around the town, trying to process... everything.
A witch couldn’t control nature. They could only urge it. What was the point of all the spells? Why was it always fire with her? Why was she unable to accept things? Did she have an anger problem?
Well, yes, she had an anger problem, and that problem was her mother. Honestly, manifesting distance between Violet and her soulmate? What on earth! She didn’t have the right!
She needed clarity. She needed a break. She needed to head out of Garoureve for a few days.
Shit, she didn’t want to run from her problems, but right now, she needed something different, something away. Something other than people glancing at her with worry and concern.
She needed to be surrounded by people that didn’t fear her.
Henrik was going to have to forgive her for borrowing his truck. She should have driven her own car, so she had a way out, but it had seemed stupid, given they were going together. Now, she regretted it.
Just one night out of town. One night, and then she would be back, refreshed, ready to tackle...everything.
She packed herself a quick overnight bag and jotted a note to leave on the dresser in the place of where Henrik left the keys, and headed out to the truck while pulling her phone from the side pocket. She had a voicemail from Sam she hadn’t listened to yet, but she was going to just call her friend anyways and ask to crash at her place. A change of scenery altogether sounded perfect.
Violet started up the truck before pressing the call button and sliding the phone between her shoulder and ear, waiting for Sam to pick up. She was normally more of a texter, obviously, but Sam had been the one to call first, which was weird, so Violet was calling her back.
Only, Sam was crying when she picked up, and that wasn’t a good sign at all.
“Sam, what’s wrong?” Violet asked, suddenly concerned. Okay, it was a good thing she was already planning to head out of town, if her normally not emotional friend was crying. “Did you get into a fight with your dad and step-monster again?”
“Bitch, did younotlisten to the voicemail?”
“Fuck, no, sorry. I can listen to that then call you back? I was calling to say I’m heading your direction and wanted to crash, but now I’m going to say it’s a requirement rather than a request.”
“No, don’t hang up. You’re going to think I’m crazy either way. That guy I’ve been seeing? Holy shit, babes. He told me something big, and I thought he was lying, and, we’ve been fucking, and it was happening more and more, only he wants serious, and I told him no, and he said there’s no choice, and like—“
“Okay, deep breaths, Sammy-girl. No man is worth crying over.”
“This one is, Violet. He’s... perfect. But like, you know I don’t do love. Like, men are scum, you know? But this one, I think I believe him, and like, don’t call me crazy, but Violet... he says we’re soulmates, okay, and... and just, don’t call me crazy, because I’ve seen him do it multiple times, but he’s a freaking wolf, Violet. Awolf.”
The truck stopped so abruptly, the seatbelt cut into her neck, making the brand on her shoulder ache. What the fuck had Sam just said, and why—
Why had the truck stopped? Because, she sure as hell hadn’t put her foot on the brake.
“Violet? Please don’t call me crazy. And, don’t tell anyone else. You’re like, the only person I can tell, because you just give the vibe that you would believe this sort of thing. You’re always, you know, aware about this sort of thing, but—“
“Sam, give me a minute. I don’t think you’re crazy, but just give me a minute.”
Violet had been looking around, trying to figure out what happened to the truck, when her eyes locked onto something on the side of the road. The sign itself was backwards for her, but she knew what was written on the other side.
Welcome to Garoureve.
The town line. She was at the town line.