~BOOK 5/PART TWO~ Paranormal: Too Close To Home (Multi-Bandom FanFic)

I entered the drinking establishment and pushed my way to the front, where I spotted the well-known bartender and waved him down.

"Kenya, looking good in all that black," Will complimented me with a hint of playful sarcasm, "What can I get for you?"

"Something strong." I rubbed my forehead, eventually leaning on the counter for support, but not fully giving the barkeep eye contact.

"Drinking your problems away isn't going to help anything," Someone other than Will retorted. I turned my head and saw someone who looked eerily like me sitting in the chair next to mine, taking a sip of their own drink, which was just a glass of soda.

"Will, if you don't give me a bottle of something, I think I will fulfill that promise and kill you."

"Get her a glass of rum and coke, but heavy on the coke," My lookalike advised him. He nodded his head and went to go retrieve me the drink.

"If you're trying to pick me up, I think you've got the wrong girl."

"No, I'm pretty sure I have the right girl," She replied, looking over at me and grinning, "But I'm not here to pick you up, at least not in the sense you're thinking."

"Kenya," I introduced myself while lifting an eyebrow, "But I'm sure you already knew that."

"Already knew it," They told me, sticking out their hand, "But I bet you don't know that I'm Kai."

"Kai," I repeated, recognizing her scent. It was death stone. "So I'm guessing all of us smell like brimstone."

"It comes with being one of hers," Kai explained, earning a scoff from me, "We've been missing you, and Jack." From her demeanor, she didn't look like she gave a damn about me. "But Jack was never really one of Mom's favorites."

"And you are?" I smirked while Will slid my drink across the counter. I nodded at him in appreciation, receiving a wink in return.

"No. I'm her personal slave," She answered with a chuckle.

"I can relate." I shrugged. "You're her personal diary, and her punching bag when necessary."

"Um, no, not exactly like that," Kai murmured, raising her eyebrows, as if what I told her was shocking, "But sure, we can say that."

"What's the worse she's done to you?"

"She hasn't really done anything bad to me," She told me, "I just...I'm her messenger, basically. I pick up all the little baby birds who strayed from the nest. So...to answer your question, the worse she's ever done is probably ground me for a few human months because I took too long finding Stephan."

"You know, if you were trying to appeal to my older sibling nature, it's not working. And I'll tell you the same thing I told our whore of a mother - I'm not going anywhere."

"Look, Kenya, you staying here...you're not doing anyone any favors. Your friends aren't your friends anymore. That little human you've become acquainted with, she's going to die real soon. That witch you've befriended, she's honestly not worth your time. She's just going to wreak havoc like she always does. Oh, and your pack? Yeah, they're going to have to relocate pretty soon. And I hate to break it to you, but there won't be enough of them left to even call themselves a pack. So just come with me, and everything will be so much better. I promise."

"See? That's more of a reason for me to stay," I argued, "I can't leave these people here if there's oncoming trouble, which I'm guessing is all thanks to mother dearest."

"You don't have a choice, Kenya. Whether you stay or not, it doesn't matter. Fate is fate and you've never been a part of that, none of us have. Our existence doesn't affect everyone else's. So even if you stay, Lynn's going to die, Rachael's going to be locked down to a life she never wanted, and your pack's going to be no longer. You don't want to see that, do you?"