Chapter 7 - Waters of Envy

Brandon’s POV

Disappointment settled heavy in my chest, my heart sinking as I looked at Beatrice.

Her eyelids fluttered for only a moment before closing again, her body writhing as if her blood was boiling inside her veins.

On closer thought… it probably was.

Being turned into a werewolf was painful enough I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it felt like to become a vampire on top of that.

She was already a hybrid, but my bite changed everything. More virus into her bloodstream.

More chaos.

Now she was becoming something else—something unstable. A disaster waiting to happen.

I just knew it.

Walda interrupted my spiraling thoughts. “Relax, Brandon. I’m a first-class witch, remember? She’ll be fine. I just don’t know when she’ll wake up.”

She crinkled her old nose, which, if I had to be honest, kind of looked like a wrinkly potato. Cute, in a weird way. Walda had charm, that was for sure—flair too, even if she was ancient.

“And I have to be here when she does! The witches’ tea party ain’t over yet,” she huffed, rolling her eyes at both me and Marc. “So make me feel at home, will you?”

“Get to work now, puppies!” she added, just as Luke my beta burst out laughing.

Walda promptly kicked her feet up onto the coffee table Amanda had just painstakingly dragged there and just finished cleaning it.

“Walda, your shoes!” Amanda scolded, clearly exasperated.

Of course, Walda played the I’m old card again.

“I’m old, and my shoes are clean. See?” She waved her hand, muttering something under her breath, and suddenly, her boots and the coffee table sparkled like they’d been freshly polished.

That shut Amanda up real quick.

I smirked.

“It’s not funny, Brandon!” she pouted, acting coy, clearly trying to get my attention.

And I wasn’t going to lie it worked.

There was something about her that intrigued me, which only made things even more confusing when it came to Beatrice.

Her scent alone distracted me.

It had made me do something reckless—something impulsive.

I had turned her without her consent.

If she died, it would be all my fault. The guilt still lingered.

“Well, puppies! Back to work!” Walda barked again.

“All right, all right!” I groaned, waving my hands to execute the order. I was the Alpha, but somehow an old lady was calling the shots? I sighed—what could I do? I owed her now.

“All right, folks. Amanda, Marc, Luke… fix up this place! Make it look nice for, uh… Walda and Beatrice!” I ordered.

Luke rolled his eyes. “What, you want us to make a pond too? For those two fellas?” He smirked, pointing at the two swans.

“Yeah, actually, you can do that!” Walda interrupted before I could respond. “They need a place to swim and play, but don’t worry I’ll make an enchanted, self-cleaning lake for them!”

I swear all our jaws hit the floor. This old woman’s mind truly worked in mysterious ways.

She pulled out a sorry-looking wand from her pocket—a crooked, polished oak stick, old but clearly well-used.

Not that I even knew dresses had pockets, but whatever.

She waved it and muttered something in an ancient tongue, her expression utterly amused.

Not that I could blame her. We all stood there dumbfounded, as if we’d never seen witchcraft before.

Then, with another flick, the space just below the biggest window in Apartment No. 13 on the 13th floor of the Giraffe Building transformed.

Beatrice’s new apartment now overlooked a small, lush pond just below the window, its waters shimmering with fresh plants as well.

The water turned in to a deep, tranquil turquoise, reminiscent of Paraiba gemstones.

Bright orange koifish and a shimmering goldfish swam gracefully beneath the surface. It seemed the swans wouldn’t feel lonely after all.

…and I guess Walda was a girl’s girl after all!

I nearly laughed again. This night was giving me both anxiety and stomach cramps from stress and from laughing too much.

Then everyone got to work, bringing in more new furniture. Thank God the elevator was working—we all needed it.

As an alpha, it was important to have the right connections, and surprisingly, I didn’t mind walda’s company.

But my mind kept drifting back to Beatrice. I couldn’t help but steal glances at her.

What was wrong with me?! This was so unlike me.

Normally, I was sharp, always on guard.

But now?

I felt… fuzzy, like someone had placed a perfume-soaked cotton swab right under my nose, clouding my thoughts.

I could feel Amanda’s gaze burning at the nape of my neck. A flicker of tension crept up my spine, making my hair stand on end.

Amanda’s POV

This new girl Beatrice was unconscious, yet she somehow managed to steal what was closest to my heart: Brandon’s attention.

Brandon is everything. Smoking hot, with that smoldering intensity I can never look away from.

I can’t stand it, her presence.

She doesn’t belong here.

I belong there, with him.

I didn’t know what to do with the jealousy she stirred up inside me. It felt like I could snap her in half like a twig. The urge was maddening, but I couldn’t deny it. I wanted to.

I bit my lip, trying to hold it together.

But I had to do something. I couldn’t just let her waltz in and take what’s mine. I pulled out my phone, fingers trembling with urgency. I had to keep tabs on Beatrice, and I knew exactly how to do it.

“Hello, Linda?” I spoke quietly into the phone.

Linda was my sister and was a mute. She hadn’t spoken or sang a song since she was eight.

Nobody knew why.

Doctors said there was nothing physically wrong with her; she just…stopped. But she could communicate with taps on the phone if I wanted to talk instead of write.

Three knocks. A greeting.

“You go to Morgenlicht Kunsthaus, right?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, though my thoughts were racing.

I couldn’t remember exactly what class she was in, but that didn’t matter right now. I needed answers.

I needed to know what Beatrice would be up to.

One knock—yes.

“Is there a new girl named Beatrice in your class?” I asked, my fingers itching.

Another knock—bingo.

I smiled, a dark satisfaction settling in. “I want you to keep tabs on her for me. Befriend her, okay? She had an accident, and I’m not sure if she’ll be back on Monday, but if she is, sit with her. Just… sit with her.”

A hesitant knock.

“You just have to tell me everything she does, everything she says. No big deal. She’s after Brandon too, and you know how crazy I am about him. My heart can’t take it if she snatches him away,” I whispered, stepping into Beatrice’s empty bedroom and closing the door behind me.

My eyes, already a deep green, darkened with jealousy. I couldn’t stand the thought of Beatrice getting close to him. What else could I do?

“Thanks, sis. You’re the best. Love you.” I ended the call, my heart racing.

And with that, I knew I was one step closer to taking back what was mine.