It was strange, after being away for so long, being back in Beacon Hills. So much had changed, in so many ways. Yes, there was now a Starbucks right around the corner, and the gas station near her house accepted credit cards at the pump, but it was other ways as well. She was more in tune with the world, with the preserve in particular. New banshee talents at 18 were strange, particularly when she was in the middle of the city. It had taken the local werewolf Alpha finding her and taking her to their emissary for anything to start to make sense. They had tried to help her, but they only just knew of banshees in passing.
Most? They went insane... just like her grandmother. But Lydia? Somehow, strength of will and a killer drive kept her on track. It wasn’t her banshee abilities that sent her home. Oh no. It was a drunk one night stand, her inability to regularly maintain her diet, and her overworking that resulted in Lydia realizing at 22 weeks that she was pregnant, and too far along to do anything about it, even if she had wanted to. Surrounded by all that death... it was good to have new life, and now, with a fancy PhD and a three year old that charmed better than even Lydia, returning home seemed the best idea possible.
Things that hadn’t changed? The grocery store was still severly lacking. All she wanted was to buy foods with ingredients that most people could pronounce... unless, of course, they were exotic. And really, what was the price on the ground beef? In the city, she could purchase it for half the amount with a better quality. She let out a huff as she stared at the steaks, trying to choose a nice cut to cook for her mom as thanks for letting her and Victoria move in until she found a nice apartment, when she heard her toddler start to squeal with delight.
Turning around, Lydia looked first to the three year old, sitting happily in the cart with her playdo in one hand, and then towards where Victoria was looking. “It’s a woofy!” the little one was squealing, and Lydia thinned her eyes as she noticed the man. He was... not one that she had met when visiting Talia Hale, but the Alpha had mentioned that a few of her family members were not present. It was entirely possibly... but how had Victoria even known? Victoria hadn’t even met Talia. The only werewolves she knew were those back in the city. So then how...
Rather than contemplating her daughter’s new ability, she went to the little girl and bent down a little, trying to get her attention. Oh no, the three year old was entranced with the man, trying to wave at him and calling for the “woofy” to come say hello, even as Lydia started to talk to her. “Tori, that’s not nice. You do not know this man, and you don’t know... we aren’t supposed to talk about such things out of the house.”
“No one else is listening,” her daughter huffed, pouting slightly, and Lydia let out another sigh. If he was a werewolf... he would hear her next words, and that would confirm it. Her voice was soft as she spoke to her daughter, so that no humans would possibly hear. “Even still... we haven’t met everyone in this town. He might not even know there is a banshee that moved here. If he wants to say hello, he can, but no more calling out for werewolves, okay?”