Lessons in Love

Chapter 66: The Garden

POV: Riley Campbell

Emma seemed tired through our little party. She was happy to be there and excited about all the cookies, but she seemed to drift in and out of the conversations. We had to repeat things to her, and she seemed to have trouble focusing. When Claire excused herself to the bathroom, I changed the conversation with Emma.

“How do you like living in the packhouse?” I asked.

“I like it.” She smiled, but she didn’t make eye contact.

“It’s a little different, isn’t it?” I said. “I’m used to having a little more space.” I added, reminding her I was new to the packhouse too.

“Yeah,” she shrugged.

“What are some of the ways it’s different for you?” I asked, taking another cookie.

“Um, you don’t see as many people.” She said. “I sometimes sat on the porch with Uncle Henry and said hi to everyone.” She eyed me cautiously. “And there isn’t a garden to help with.”

“You used to help in his garden. That’s fun! I bet we could make a garden here at the packhouse. I would love to do some gardening. And Luna Claire is very good at gardening.” I said.

“We could?” She perked up.

“Absolutely!” I smiled at her.

“I don’t know if we can build it today,” I admitted, looking at the time. “But we could go for a walk and plan it out. That way, we can buy the stuff we need to and build it with Uncle Ben and Uncle Rick.” I suggested. Emma nodded as Claire rejoined us. Emma excitedly announced the new plans.

Claire offered to be our tour guide and walked us through all the public rooms in the packhouse.

“There’s an old solarium that might be the ideal place to create an indoor garden.” Claire said, leading us to a pair of shabby looking doors in an older section of the packhouse. “This part of the packhouse hasn’t been very well looked after,” she admitted, pushing forcefully on the doors to get them open. “But I imagine we could fix it up and turn it into something beautiful.” She said.

The heavy doors whined as she pushed them open. Emma and I stepped into the dusty room. It was a glass room, even the ceiling, as it out cropped from the building. Through the windows, you could see miles of orchards and forest beyond them. The afternoon sun filled the room, warming the space despite the coolness outside. The floors had not been swept in forever, cobwebs clung to the windows near the ceiling, and the windows themselves badly needed a washing, but the room wasn’t in bad shape.

“I used to love this room.” Claire said softly. “I used to spend my afternoons in here reading when we lived in the packhouse years ago. We moved to the house when I was pregnant with Ben.” She explained. She let out a bit of a sigh and smiled. “It would be nice to see it returned to its former glory.” She added.

“What do you think, Emma?” I asked. “Do you think this space would work?”

Emma stood in the center of the room, slowly turning around, taking it all in. “Could we put flowers here?” She asked, pointing to one side of the room. “And we could maybe grow some cucumbers over there. And we need to put in an herb garden.” She paused, surveying the room before looking back at us.

Claire enthusiastically moved around the space, adding ideas and suggesting the best places to put stuff. I stood there frozen. An herb garden. My mind was replaying the conversation in the foyer of the school that first day George had come to visit. He had demanded that Hannah be the one to teach the gardening, but Hannah had recommended Henry. Hannah sold Ben the jasmine. Hannah would be able to order plants into her greenhouse without the pack’s officers knowing.

“Riley?” Claire touched my arm. “What do you think?”

I forced a smile to my face. “It all sounds fantastic. We should talk to Ben and Rick when they’re done work.” I said, smiling down at Emma. “It’s going to take some work, but I think we can manage it.” Emma gave me a winning smile. As we headed back upstairs, I stopped, like I’d forgotten something. “You know what, I have some books that might help us at the house. I’m going to grab them. I’ll be right back.” I smiled. Claire and Emma returned to the suite while I made my way to the greenhouse.

Hannah was by the door, saying goodbye to someone as they were leaving. “Afternoon,” she smiled at me. “I’m just closing for the day.” She said.

“I just need a moment of your time.” I smiled politely. She let me in.

The greenhouse was humid, and there were so many smells. It overwhelmed the senses when I walked. I was good at a lot of things, but I had never been great at interrogation. Especially the clandestine kind.

“What can I do for you?” Hannah said, locking the door.

“With everything that’s happened recently, I need to ask you something. It’s about Henry Sloan.” I added.

“What about him?” She folded her arms over her chest defensively.

“He’s an accomplished herb grower for sure,” I smiled. “I just wondered where he could have gotten wolfsbane.”

“Are you suggesting …”

“No! I’m not accusing you of anything.” I hurried to clarify. “I just wondered if you’d know where he could have gotten it. You deal in plants,” I forced a smile to my face. “You might know if someone nearby sells it or a supplier who does.”

Hannah eyed me cautiously. “There are a few human growers a few towns over.” She said.

“Thanks,” I said, racking my brain for another question to ask.

“Well,” Hannah said with a shrug. “If that’s everything …”

“Actually, I did have one more question.” I said cautiously. “More of a personal one, really,” I smiled. “I’m building an indoor garden with the Luna and wondered if you were able to order in standing planters. You’re closing now, so you could just give me a catalog for now if you have one.”

“Sure,” Hannah said and led me to the back of the greenhouse. Her office was just off her work room in the back. “Wait here,” she smiled.

The work room was clean and cluttered at the same time. There were plants that she was nursing back to health, gardening tools, a shelf full of clay pots, sheers, and clippers. I meandered around the space, sniffing at the plants she had back there. A compost bin near the back door caught my attention, and I moved toward it. I opened the lid, and the toxic scent of wolfsbane wafted up from it. I pulled my phone out and took a picture of one of the leaves poking out amongst the discarded foliage. I closed the lid immediately and turned around to see Hannah standing by her workbench with three or four catalogs.

“We’ll probably need something like this, too.” I said, patting the lid of her compost bin and discreetly hitting record on my phone. I didn’t care if the video was garbage, I needed the audio.

Hannah put the catalogs down on the workbench. She drew her fingers along the handle of a sharp pair of clippers. “He said you were trouble.” Hannah said calmly, not taking her eyes off me.

“You recommended Henry at his request.” It was a statement, not a question. Hannah gave a little smile. “Why? Why go after Rick? You knew he wasn’t my mate.”

Hannah scoffed. “Why, because the Beta bought the jasmine?” She laughed. “I honestly thought they were mated to each other.” She added dryly.

“Why help George? Did he threaten you?” I asked. George had threatened everyone else, so it stood to reason, but the way she stood confidently in front of me made me think she had reasons of her own to go after Ben and Rick.

“He didn’t have to.” She said. “They’re so busy protecting themselves and each other that they don’t protect anyone else. People die around them. My father, my brother, John and Crista …” her face got stern. “My nephew.” She added.

“He might have offered revenge, but the pack he was building wasn’t one you’d have thrived in.” I said.

“Why? Because I’m a woman.” She sneered with her hand resting on the sharp sheers on the workbench. “I have a way out.”

“Hannah, whatever George promised you isn’t going to come to fruition. If you talk to the Beta and Delta, I’m sure they …”

“They what?” She snapped, cutting me off. “They’re going to whisk me away in the dead of night, or let me stay? No, I’m not making any deals with those two idiots.” She growled. “I’m going to escape on my own terms.” She gripped the sheers and came at me.

Interrogation might not have been my strength, but combat was. I kept my distance watching the way she approached. She was sturdy but light on her feet. She knew what she was doing and had been well trained. Not as good as I had been, I thought, when she took a swing from an inch too far back. She regrouped quickly, stepping in on me. She stabbed forward, and I narrowly got out of the way.