Chapter 6

𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝙵𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚂𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝

Max sat on his bed. The other three sitting on chairs that Proctor had conjured.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier, Red. If I had, you wouldn't have gone through that. Though, I am impressed by your resistance. That was a very powerful curse. A normal being would have almost immediately offed themselves." Proctor decided that was how to break the ice.

"I'm thankful, Proctor. Really." He turned to Jake and Grace, "Why are you guys here?"

"I, erh…" Grace gulped and took a deep breath. Proctor and Jake exchanged glances. Then, they got up and left. Grace moved in front of Max, "I like you. I really like you. I've liked you since I saw you for the first time in 5th grade."

Max just stared at her in silence. She squirmed under his gaze. He let out a breath, "Is someone putting you up to this?"

Her face turned bright red and her hand arced. A loud slap rang out. Max spotted clear tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked, "Why are you crying?"

He didn't seem to feel the new palm-shaped mark on his face. He looked her over with his eyes. She didn't look injured.

"You idiot." She fell to the ground on her knees, crying even more. Max looked to his dog. The dog glanced at Grace. Max got the message. He fucked up. Proctor knew it, Jake probably knew it, even his dog knew it.

He knelt down next to her and held her. He didn't want this girl to cry. He couldn't handle crying. The cure to the curse still had residual, emotion numbing, effects so the most he could do was pat her head.

That pat quickly turned into him petting her hair, and finally with her burrow in his chest. This was moving too fast, he thought.

His bedroom door opened slightly, he could see two sets of eyes look in through the crack. They saw Max on the floor holding her, and closed the door silently.

"Grace." She looked up at him with teary eyes. He really hated tears, "Listen-"

Before he could speak again she kissed him. His eyes went wide. It wasn't like it was taboo or anything. Just surprising. She was in the same grade as him.

Shit. He remembered. She was Jake's twin sister. How had he not noticed? Was he just stupid? Maybe he got that from his birth-father. Her dad was the sheriff. Jake's dad was the sheriff. Now, he was gonna be murdered.

Might as well savor it. Max closed his eyes. Then, he noticed something strange. Her skin was a lot softer now. And… furry. Shit, was she transformed?

He didn't want to open his eyes to him kissing a wolf. Opening one eye, he saw her in a very humanoid form. Just furry. Great. He was kissing a furry.

Oh well. She opened her eyes and looked at him, "Am- Do you find me revolting?"

Max stroked her hair - that was now white - out of her face. She had ice-blue eyes. She was still beautiful in his eyes.

The second girl. This girl - Grace - was the second he liked in this whole damned world.

Hold on. Why had she transformed? It wasn't the full moon. She could apparently read minds, too, "My heightened heart rate causes a partial transformation."

"Are all wolves like that?" Max asked as he ran his fingers across her arm. Her fur was only two or three inches long, and by father it was soft.

"No." She answered, "Just me I think."

"So we're both unique. Must be Destiny." She cocked her head to the right slightly. Her fur began to shrink back, the hair on her head turned back to the previous black, her eyes reverting back to their amazing green.

"What do you mean?" As Max was about to answer, Proctor opened the door.

"Red, your parents are home." Shit. How late was it? Max checked his phone. It was exactly 6:30.

"Why don't you all stay for dinner?" Max offered.

"As much as I would love to, Red. I have paperwork to do." Proctor gave a salute and hopped into a crack in space-time.

"You two?" Max looked to Jake, who was standing in the doorway. Then at Grace, who was busy clutching onto his arm and hyperventilating on his chest.

He sat her on his bed and crouched in front of her, "Grace? Are you okay?"

She looked up at him with a smile on her face, "It's all moving so fast. I'm already meeting your parents."

For the third time today, he was relieved enough to release a sigh. He had thought she was injured somehow. Maybe a long-distance curse.

"You scared me." He was surprised, actually. He just took this girl as his, yet he cared so much? Would it be worse when the side effects of the curse-cure wore off? Oh, man. He hoped not.

If it was, he'd be at her beck and call. Nothing Preter or Supernatural about it. He'd just be infatuated with her. He hoped there was nothing Preternatural about it.

There was a distinct difference. Preternaturals were things like werewolves, vampires, gorgons. Supernatural things were things like Magic, things that directly involved a god of some kind.

Wait. He wasn't in the same weight class as her. She was a Preternatural. He's the direct result of two gods. He was either classified as Supernatural or another god.

If he was a god, would he be able to stay with Grace? Would she care that he'd be a god? Should he tell her?

"Max!" James shouted from downstairs.

"Coming." He grabbed Grace by the hand and dragged her.

When he got to the landing of the stairs, his eyes locked onto the figure behind them. He hid Grace behind him, "What do you want?"

Poiahia smiled, "I just wanted to see my son."

"I'm not your son." He was very angry at her. She was the only one who could have cursed him with such powerful magic. Unless his absentee birth-father did it.

She lost her smile and looked at Grace, hiding behind Max, "You've found yourself a beautiful mortal. What will you do when you outlive her?"

"Go. Away. Bit-" A slap came from nowhere. The hand sticking out of the rift shook its finger. Then, it flipped off Poiahia and left.

Grace almost laughed, but held herself. Poiahia gritted her teeth as she seethe in anger, "I'll have his head!"

She vanished in a twirl of leaves. Jake was slack-jawed, "What. The. Fuck."

Max sat silently at his kitchen table. Another serious talk at this damned table that could - and would - change everything.

"I'm adopted." Max blurted out. He looked at the nodding Grace, "That was my biological mother. Poiahia."

That threw them for a loop. Your mother was a goddess and you told her to go away? That was the thought on their heads.

Grace squeezed his hand. He felt so reassured just by that simple action.

"My biological father is also a god. Magnus." Grace's hand went slack, he looked over only to see her with wide eyes.

"Y-you're a god?" Grace asked. She wasn't sure if she should be kneeling for him.

"Not by choice. And, hopefully not for a long time." Max pulled Grace close to him. She unconsciously leaned on his shoulder.

He liked this girl. He wanted to spend the rest of his Immortal life with her. That probably wouldn't happen.

He had known her all of a week. Why did he feel this way? Was it because she had confessed to him? Or, because he felt she was telling the truth.

Or, was it because he had always liked animals? And she was, like, half animal. He glanced at her, she was looking up at him with happy eyes. She looked like a puppy, and he couldn't help but 'boop' her nose.

She giggled slightly. The other three people had different reactions. James looked proud. Helen looked a little worried. And, Jake… Jake was very, very uncomfortable.

His best friend was currently swooning over his twin sister. His twin, werewolf sister. He didn't want Max to die.

His father was definitely gonna kill Max. If Grace didn't eat him up first. Maybe Proctor could save him?

Jake cleared his throat. Everyone turned to him. He glanced at Grace, wrapped in Max's arms, "We should head home, Grace."

"Oh." Grace frowned, "Do we have to? Call dad. Tell him we're staying here."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Helen interjected.

"Why not? It'll be a sleepover." Max decided.

Helen looked to James for help, "I think it's a good idea."

Jake and Helen were outvoted by Grace, "I'd like that."

Grace returned to Max's embrace. And he accepted her. How had he never noticed this girl before? She was everything he ever wanted. Ever.

He shook his head slightly. He'd have to ask Proctor to do another exam on him in the morning. He felt this was too much, but couldn't say no to having Grace with him.

Helen finally caved. Grace dialed her fathers number, "Hey, papa."

She called her dad 'papa', how cute. Max smiled at her. She had cute little dimples when she smiled at the answer she got from her father.

"Papa says it's okay." She basically fell into Max as she leaned into him. How could she be his age - 17 this year - and still be small enough to sit in his lap like a child.

She was a full foot shorter than him. He set his chin on her head. Man, she was perfect. Max blinked. Outside the window behind his parents, he could see someone. He got up, "Stay here."

Grace looked worried. She grabbed his sleeve, "Where are you going?"

"I have to check something. Just trust me." As he passed Jake, Max tapped him and gestured to follow. Jake did so confusedly. They exited the front door, Jake slightly behind Max. Across the street under a streetlight was Max's father, Magnus.

"You can go inside, Jake. False alarm." Jake seemed worried, but are you gonna argue with a Watcher? Someone who is protected by literal Space-Time.

Jake went inside, and Max closed the door. He walked across the street. When he arrived, Magnus smiled.

"What?" Max asked. He didn't care if he was rude. This guys love affair cursed him. The bit- he was slapped.

Could Proctor hear his thoughts? The hand affirmed.

Is he being affected by Magic or something when around Grace? The hand denied, a thumbs down gesture.

So, it was love? Or some bullshit. The hand waved and left.

"Interesting friend. I like him." Magnus sounded slightly western. Was he a Texan?

Magnus: God of the Moon, The Night Sky, Time, Changes, Cycles, Transformation, Wisdom, Knowledge, Magic, and Death. And, maybe, Texas.

Max chuckled. He bends Propane and Propane Accessories.

"What do you want, Magnus?" Max asked.

"I just wanted to meet my son. I don't plan to do anything, I promise." Magnus held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Poiahia said something similar. Then she cursed me." Magnus frowned.

"She disobeyed my orders. I'll have to talk with her." Now, it was Max's turn to frown. What would this 'talk' entail? Would he have a younger brother or sister afterwards?

Magnus chuckled, "No. Those days are behind us. I'm married now. I'm a God King. I can't go around having sex with every pretty creature, now can I?"

"Stay out of my head, Old Man." Max was visibly pissed. The only person he wanted in his head was himself. He only accepted Proctor cause he was his boss.

"Very well." Magnus agreed.

"Why are you really here? And don't just say you wanted to visit your son." Max asked the God King.

Wait, if the old man was a God King, was he a God Prince or something?