It was deceptively sunny. You'd only know how icy the autumn mountain air truly was if you stepped foot outside. Trevor wasn't that dumb. He stayed right in the living room's big bay window — a perfect vantage point from which he could observe the family's comings and goings and still be cozy.

From where he was, he could see the entire living room, the stairs at the far end, and just past them, half of the kitchen table.

Sean was there, though Trevor could tell he was more focused on his phone than the piece of toast that had been half raised between his plate and mouth for a full minute. Trevor had half a mind to run over and start licking the butter off his toast, but a figure coming up the sidewalk caught the tabby's attention.

The knock that echoed through the front half of the house was enough to make Sean's hand twitch. There went his toast, butter-side down onto the floor.

Trevor felt his heart sink as he turned back towards the figure still waiting patiently on the veranda.

"Who is it?" Sean mouthed at Trev as he strode towards the door.

"Mailman," Trevor replied in a bored tone.

After signing for the package addressed to him, Sean brought the box to the dining room and finished his text to Anna.

"You're gonna come with me to talk with Tobias, right?" Sean asked while picking at the tape on the package.

"Hah! Of course. I'll go get my vest!" Despite the enthusiasm in Trevor's voice, he was worried, but not about Tobias.

Sean was getting older, and the package on the table was likely an early birthday gift — just another reminder of that fact. When they were little, they'd always just assumed that they'd graduate together, and then they'd be roommates through college. The day that Trevor had died, so did all of their plans.

As Trevor got to Sean's room, he hopped up onto Sean's bed and strode over the comforter to the nightstand where his vest was neatly folded. The Tabby stared at it for a moment. Even that stupid vest wouldn't be enough for him to follow Sean to college.

He knew that the day would come eventually when he and Sean would have to go their own ways... He just didn't think it would be so soon. It'd been hard, watching his friend's life go on — watching Sean do all the things he would never get to do. He would never want to take that away from Sean, he just ... envied him.

After Sean had helped Trevor into his vest, he pulled on a heavier hoodie. The walk to his cousin's house would have been nicer without the wind, but at least Anna was cool with giving him a ride before heading to the salon.

"You nervous?" She asked as she turned down the radio.

Sean stopped bouncing his leg and looked at her from the passenger seat. "Sorta."

"Hey, I'll trade you. You can fill in for me at work, and I'll go get paid to sit in a fancy living room and talk."

Snickering, Sean shook his head. "Nah, I'm not that nervous."

Anna shrugged. "Is your alpha okay with you talking to Tobias about the pack?"

"I'm not gonna—" Sean paused, spotting the cheeky smirk on his cousin's lipstick-tinted lips. "Why you always gotta say it like that?" He laughed. "You know his name."

"It's kinda sexy," Anna teased.

"No. No. Nope."

"Sean. Sean. You cannot tell me that man isn't attractive. I don't even dig redheads and I know he cute."

"He's thirty-three... I think. Thirty-two...?"

Anna just nodded with a knowing grin, tapping her glossy nails on the steering wheel. "He cute."

Sean stifled another laugh. "Oh, he is. Wasn't saying he's not. The whole rank thing, though, that's all way less fun than it sounds."

"But I do love a good power struggle."

"Anyway," Sean continued, "I don't plan on telling Tobias any more than I've told anyone else. If he or the rest of the coven is that interested in the pack, then they should be willing to meet with Dakota when he gets here. They can ask him themselves."

"Takes the fun out of it."

"You mean it's less fun to gossip about that way."

"That's what I said."

Sean turned his attention back to the trees as they rumbled up the path towards the Beaumont estate. "Fewer chances I'll get in trouble that way too."

Anna's expression sobered a bit. "You were a witch first, Sean."

"The coven has less to worry about than the pack does—less secrets."

"Don't be so sure about that," she said softly as she pulled up to the house. "Text me if you need a ride by the time I'm off."

"Thanks." Sean took Trevor in his arms and got out.

The last time Sean had been at the Beaumont estate, and most every other time he could recall, he'd come for an event and had used the public parking lot near the waterfall on the back of the property. This time, however, Anna had been able to pull right up the front drive and it was a completely different experience.

Just like the back of the house, the drive and most of the architecture was made from natural stone but still seemed European. Nestled in between the towering pines and golden aspens the stone Victorian looked almost castle-esque. The large iron gates were left open, so Sean made his way towards the front doors.

The stories went that the Beaumonts came from France with ambitions and money, forming the coven not long after. Given the size of the house, Sean believed there was a great deal of truth to those stories. But what had once been a large and powerful family, had dwindled down to Tobias as the sole heir.

Sean pushed the doorbell button, and took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly.

Moments later, a man in a tailored suit with a trimmed grey mustache and beard opened the door on Sean's left. He looked like an aristocrat someone pulled straight out of a history book.

"Hi, I'm uh... here to see Tobias?"

"Of course. Please come in, Mr. Brooks."

"Just 'Sean' is fine."

The man smiled politely and stepped aside for Sean, and closed the door after him. "Will you be requiring any special accommodations for your companion?"

Sean raised a brow before glancing down at the cat in his arms. "No, I think he'll be fine, thanks."

"This way, then, please."

In the absence of guests, the foyer seemed much larger than Sean remembered. The floor was so clean and polished that he watched the reflection of the man, himself, and Trevor as he followed him down a hall and to a set of french doors.

Opening both, revealed to Sean a sitting room, with large windows, packed bookshelves, a small, lit fireplace, and delicate, expensive-looking furniture.

"Please make yourself comfortable while I inform the young master that you're here."

"Thanks," Sean said slowly as he stepped into the room.

The man closed one of the doors but left the other ajar. Once the sound of his footsteps and their echoes had faded completely, Sean took a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Dude, he has a freakin butler," Sean whispered, setting Trevor down on one of the cushioned chairs.

"Right? ...Do you think he has a pillow room too?" Trevor wondered as he strolled around the room, his tail high in the air as he sniffed about.

"Maybe?" Sean said, sitting down on the edge of one of the seats, fiddling with the drawstrings of his hoodie.

When the doors opened again, Tobias strode into the room carrying his same formal smile and a large book with loose papers jutting out between the pages. He shifted the book under one arm as he reached out to shake Sean's hand.

"Thank you so much for coming. Shall we get started?" he asked as he took a seat across from Sean, catching a glimpse of Trevor before the tabby jumped up onto one of the coffee tables. Tobias eyed the cat a moment before looking back at Sean.

Sean snatched Trevor off the glass surface, not wanting to look rude.

"Actually, perhaps that can wait ... Sean, you are aware that black magic is forbidden by the coven, correct?" The smile had faded from Tobias's features as his eyes settled critically onto Sean. "That includes voodoo."

Shout out to Sim-AntinI, kaywerewolvesreader, and IvaNeedsHolyWater!! Thanks so much for your support!