I highly recommended to read The Alpha Mate first...😚

-Melody White 💃🏻💃🏻

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“Hey, Danny,” Beau said, sticking his head into my room. I laughed at his bed head, his light brown hair sticking up in all directions. Obviously, he just woke up. He ignored my laughter and threw me the phone. I caught it with no struggle. “Darren’s on the phone.”

“Okay, thanks cous,” I shouted as he walked down the hall. I put the phone to my ear and smiled, “Hello?”

“Hey Danny,” Darren replied out of breath, sounding worried.

“What, Darren? You know this is like the third time you called today. I know you miss me and all, but let’s face it, you’re becoming too overprotective. I’m fine. I’m definitely stronger now. Stop getting your panties in a twist and stop worrying about me. I miss – “

“Shut up,” he growled seriously. My mouth snapped shut, knowing what he was about to say was serious.

“Dar, is everything okay?” I said, sitting up on my bed.

I heard a door shut on his end and hushed whispers. “Darren, what’s going on?” I asked again, this time screaming as the talking on his end became louder.

“Danny, listen and listen good,” he said, getting to a quieter part of the room. “Jarred just got attacked and he’s in critical condition. He wants you here. You’re his best friend. In fact, all of us need you here. So, I suggest you get packing and take the next flight down here.”

This time, I stood up and paced around my room.  “What? What happened?” I gasped, pulling a shaky hand through my dark hair. This wall all too much to digest. I started imagining the worst-case scenarios in my head. “Is Jarred okay?”

“We’re all not okay,” Darren’s voice trembled at the end. I clutched the phone tighter, knowing what he was going to say next would top the cake. There was a moment of silence before Darren let out a sob. “Mom’s dead.” 

It took a while to fully understand what he was saying. Finding words to respond to a declaration like that was difficult. I could feel myself slipping into the same numb feeling I felt when my dad died fourteen months earlier. All I could hear were the sounds of Darren’s choked sobs and a feminine voice soothing him.

This couldn’t be happening! I just talked to my mother a day ago! I enjoyed the sound of her tinkling laughter when I told her that Beau's cooking was a disaster. I enjoyed the lame joke that she shared. The sound of her voice alone was comforting. It made me feel as if I were home.

Now she was gone.

 “Danny, we’ve just been attacked an hour ago. Mom – mom – she took the bullet for me,” Darren continued, trying to keep an even tone. “The doctors told me it would be a miracle if she still lived, so I’m assuming that she – that she –“

He couldn’t finish his sentence. My heart dropped into my aching stomach. “I’m sorry, Danny. It’s my fault again. It’s my fault that both of our parents died. I’m so, so – “

At the other end of the phone, I heard the slam of a door and a voice that sounded a whole lot like Jarred’s own. He shouted something that was too muffled to decipher.

“What?” Darren asked in shock. He choked and started to cry again. “What? Are you lying to me?”

Jarred’s voice sounded clearer now as he responded to Darren’s questions.

“Dar,” I shouted into the phone, knitting my eyebrows together in worry. “Darren, what the hell is going on?”

I kept yelling his name into the phone, waiting for his response, but all I heard was the door slamming shut again and a different voice coming from the other end. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I recognized the voice.

“Hey, D, your brother went to go check on your mom,” Jarred said soothingly as I began to cry. “Calm down, Danny.”

“Jarred, w-what’s going on?”

“Calm down. Your mom is fine. She’s still alive, Danny!” Again, I couldn’t find the right words to respond as my shoulders slumped and my eyes shut in relief. I began to smile and cry in happiness and appreciation that my mother was still alive. “Darren went to go check up on her. She made it. The doctor took the wolfsbane-laced bullet out just in time for her quick werewolf healing abilities to kick in. She’s fine, Danny. She’s just sick and needs to be treated for a couple of weeks.”

“Wolfsbane-laced bullet?” I asked in shock remembering the bullets that were found in the guns my dad had stored in his warehouse.

“Oh, Danny, Danny, Danny. You really are a poor wolf. You can’t see the hunters that are hidden in the dark?”

I shivered at the memory of his words, the way he tortured Stacey and my mom, and the way he hated my kind with a passion. Everything started to click together now. Once again, I hated myself for being the reason behind all of it. They wanted me and since they couldn’t find me, they were physically hurting the ones I loved. They knew they were my weak spot. I couldn't help the sudden surge of anger that ignited in me.

“Jarred, I’m coming home,” I declared, feeling the canines itch out of my gums and my wolf moving underneath my tight skin.

“Coming home, Danny?” Jarred whispered. I could hear the shuffling of his feet. “Are you sure that’s a great idea? Wes is still hurt about the whole break up and he’s still – “

“I’ll deal with it. Right now, my mom is my main priority.”

“Okay, I’ll call you back later to plan it out. Right now, I have to deal with Alpha duties,” Jarred said in a rush as I heard the door open on the other end. “Bye, Danny.”

“Bye, Jar.”

I’ve kept in touch with Jarred ever since I’ve left Huntstown. Ever since then, we’ve still been as close as we were when I was still there. Jarred has and always will be considered a brother to me. He was there when I told him about how I learned to use my hands to heal things. Yes, I was a hand healer, but I haven’t perfected it yet. He shared my happiness with me. He was also there when I experienced the most painful heartbreak I had ever experienced five months ago.

My heart constricted again at the memories.

It was the first time I’ve ever felt my heart literally breaking into a million of pieces. It felt as if a cobra wrapped itself around my chest, squeezing the life out of me as I panted for more air. I remember the piercing screams mixed with the howls of my wolf that emitted from my chest. My body felt like it was on fire. I remember Beau and my other relatives surrounding me as I curled in on myself, willing for the pain to stop. It was an hour later that I stayed on the ground, limp and lifeless with tears running down my cheeks.

My mate had made love to another woman.

Jarred was pissed off and drove down for the weekend to cheer me up. He was about to beat the crap out of Weston when he heard the news, but Jade – Jarred’s mate and Weston’s sister – stopped the two of them from getting into a fight. Darren had found out and ever since then, ignored Weston’s existence. Both Crescent Pack and Stone Pack were mad at Weston for doing what he did. Weston shrugged it off.

I still love him and I guess that was what hurt the most.

Every now and then, I would feel the familiar burn in my chest. It occurred so many times already that my wolf learned to take it lightly and eventually, we both got used to it. She was hurt, but she did not abandon me. If anything, she wanted to help me get stronger. Therefore, she helped dim the pain every time he would to another woman.

The memory caused me to touch my Crescent Shaped mark that sat where my neck met my right shoulder. A tear rolled down my cheek. I missed him, but I knew he didn’t miss me.

I quickly wiped away my tear when I heard a knock on the door. Beau stuck his head inside, his hazel eyes showed concerned. I knew he wasn’t going to leave me alone until I told him what happened. 

He was as stubborn as I was.

“Just to let you know, I was eavesdropping,” Beau said quietly and sat on the couch in my room. “You already know me - nosy.”

Beau Wrode was nineteen - just like me. He hadn’t found his mate yet, but he couldn’t wait to find her. I knew that whoever his mate was was extremely lucky. He’d treat her like a queen and would cherish her and spoil her.

Beau was a Healer of the Wounded, meaning he could only heal cuts and bruises. He was stronger than I was in many ways – including his senses, agility, and energy. He's been training me ever since we first met and because of him, I was a better Healer now.

“I’m coming with you whether you like it or not,” Beau declared.

“I have no problem with that, Beau. There was just one thing. They’re not too fond of Healers.”

“You mean, the prick isn’t too fond of Healers,” Beau growled, directing it towards Weston. “I don’t care what he thinks, Danny. I just want to be there for Auntie Ella and you. That dickhead doesn’t deserve satisfaction.”

Beau knew everything about me. That included my heavy past about Huntstown, Michigan. He knew about Warren. He knew about Jarred. He knew about who were supposed to be mated to each other. He knew about my friendship with everyone in Huntstown.

I wasn’t overly excited to go back to Huntstown. Reuniting with my friends, my brother, and my mom made me all giddy inside. I missed them so much that I couldn’t wait to see them. There was just one thing I wasn’t so sure about.

My mate.

He would probably be mad at me for coming home. He’d probably not allow me to be on his territory. Whatever he’d do, I wasn’t too happy to see the man that broke my heart and the mate that I thought was perfect. I really don’t know where this reunion may lead to, but I was about to find out soon enough.

“Then, you better start packing because we’re leaving first thing in the morning,” I sighed, grabbing the dusty luggage at the back of my closet.

“I completely forgot to ask and I feel like such a bad friend,” I spoke with sympathy on the phone. “I can’t believe I forgot that Darren told me you were in critical condition. I guess I got distracted when he told me my mom was dead.”

“No biggie. I’m fine. Just a few scratches and bruises here and there,” Jarred said. “When I was on the phone with you, I was much better. My wolf is such a bad *** that it’s helping me heal a lot faster. Where are you at now?”

I grinned and felt the nervousness bubble in my stomach as I passed the old worn out sign that read “Welcome to Huntstown! Home of the mythical forests!” in faded yellow lettering. The wood was damp, green algae covering the legs.

“I just crossed the border,” I said happily.

“Just hurry up and get your fine butt over here,” Jarred whined. I heard a loud thump and Jarred’s grunt. I laughed, assuming it was Jade. “Okay, okay, babe, stop it. You know you’re my one and only.”

“Oh, Jarred, still the same as ever,” I said through the phone. “I’ll see you in twenty minutes. Bye.”

I finally made it back home and all the emotions were bubbling to the surface. Beau laughed as he rolled down the windows, letting the cool air blow through our hair. I sniffed the familiar green leaves and the scent of both the Crescent and Stone pack mingled in the air.

“I love the wind blowing through my hair!” Beau screamed, catching the attention of a few people as we drove by local restaurants and small stores.

“You’re a true dog,” I joked. “Maybe that’s why Cheryl dumped you for the human.”

“And you’re a true bitch,” Beau grinned. “Plus, that was her mate. Get over that.”

“You cried like a baby,” I laughed. “I remember how badly hurt your ego was that you went through the whole popular phase. That was funny. Remember how you went up to that one girl and she called you cute for sharing that one pick up line?”

“No,” Beau snapped, turning red. He took off his sunglasses, seeing as how it wasn’t really sunny this time of year. I could see the memory bouncing in his hazel eyes.

“Is your dad a baker? Because you’re a cutie pie,” I snorted after I recited the words.

“Oh, shut up,” He laughed, ruffling my hair.

“Please slow down with my car, Beau. You know how much I love my Land Rover,” I scolded as he turned sharply. I gripped onto the black leather clad seats as he sharply turned another turn.

“Land Rovers aren’t all that!” Beau shrugged.

“Just slow down, okay? We don’t have to rush to get there. I don’t want us to get into an accident,” I lied.

Don’t get me wrong, I was overly excited to see my friends and family. I wanted to squeeze the living daylights out of them. I also wanted to hug my mom – to feel the comfort of her slender fingers playing with my long brown hair. I wanted to see for myself that my mother and my best friend were all right.

Then there was the other thing that made me want to stall this trip back home. Weston Marshall. How would he react with my return? Did he even know I was coming back? What if he didn’t love me anymore or he wholly dismisses the fact that we’re even mates? What if he married somebody else and had his babies with her?

The thought clenched my heart. “No,” my wolf said. “Don’t think that way. He’d never go that far.”

Beau sensed the worry in my voice and he looked at me. I’m pretty sure that he could see the conflict swimming in my green eyes. He sighed, slowing down until we were just cruising.

“Danny, you have to face him eventually,” Beau said as he clenched the steering wheel so his knuckles were white. I’m surprised the wheel didn’t crush under the pressure being applied to it. “I personally can’t wait to see his face with bruises on it.”

“Beau, I really appreciate that you’re looking over me like a normal cousin would do, but please don’t cause any trouble with him,” I fiddled with the loose thread on my white sweater. “This trip isn’t about him. It’s about my mom and Jarred.”

“I can’t stand that he did that to you. A mate is a precious gift and he’s lucky he even found his own,” Beau said, envy dripping from his voice.

“Promise me you won’t?” I pleaded.

“Okay, fine,” he huffed.

“You’ll find your mate soon,” I smiled. “She’d be lucky to have you.”

Beau didn’t seem so sure of my reassurance, so he simply nodded and shifted in his seat. We didn’t say much and the car was silent. It was a comforting silence though as we were too absorbed in our own thoughts to say anything.

I felt the nervousness deep in my belly as we turned into the street with the humongous pack house at the end of the street. It’s huge structure could be seen from here with the smoke coming out of the chimney in gray swirls. It was a deep brown color with large windows and balconies.

The Crescent Pack had bought a new pack home, using the old yellow one as a meeting area between them and the Stone Pack.  They’ve decided to purchase a new one for – nothing in particular. They just wanted a new and bigger hang out spot.

Beau pulled into the driveway, parking in front of the huge double doors. I sniffed the air, noticing that the Stone Pack was here as well. The laughter and conversation coming from inside the house died down as the engine from our car cut off.

I wasn’t even half way out of the car when the double doors slammed open and familiar dark hair and rusted color hair came running my way. I shrieked when they almost tore off my baby’s door and practically squished me to death.

“Danny,” Elliot yelled in happiness. “Finally! You know how boring it’s been since you’ve left? I had to endure Abigail and Jade’s constant PMSing.”

“Yeah, you know how hard it was to be in the middle of Abs and Eli’s constant banter alone? I missed it when we used to make fun of them,” Jet cried in joy. “Now I’m not so alone anymore!”

The two boys let go of me and Eli smacked the back of Jet’s rusted hair covered head. I laughed at them and noticed Beau standing off to the side looking quite uncomfortable. It’s unfamiliar territory for him so I understood.

“Guys, this is my cousin, Beau,” I gestured towards the male standing next to me now. I pointed towards the two males in front of me. “Beau, this is Jet and Eli.”

They did a man handshake and started to haul the luggage into the house and up the stairs. I followed behind, hugging my arms to my chest. Sniffing the air, I only found the slight trace of the familiar manly smell that I missed in the time I was gone. My arms slumped in relief and disappointment.

While the boys traveled up the stairs, I stayed behind looking at the pictures of the Crescent Pack that hung on the cream-colored wall. My eyes found a picture of me, smiling as Weston held me tightly from behind as he kissed my cheek. It wasn’t on the wall, however. I found it faced down on top of the fireplace. My heart clenched again.

“Sorry about that,” I heard a familiar feminine voice say as she took the picture from my hands. She hung it back on its hook on the wall. Her crystal blue eyes showed concern. “I’m still putting pictures on the wall. We haven’t completely settled in yet,” Jade lied and gave me a comforting smile.

“You don’t have to lie to me, Jade,” I said. “But thanks for trying. Plus, you look like you’re a clown on crack when you lie.”

“When did you get so mean?” Jade laughed and hugged me. I returned the embrace and laughed with her.

“When did you get short hair?” I said, pulling back and playing with the black hair that framed her face in a bob cut.

“Since Eli thought it was funny to bleach half my hair in my sleep,” Jade pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

I laughed at Eli’s idiocy and ruffled her hair. “It looks nice. I could never pull off short hair.”

Right when I was done saying that, I heard a warrior battle cry. I looked up at the second level, startled and saw Jarred climbing over the banister about to jump on top of me. Before he could crush me, I used my werewolf ability to move out of the way and watched as he landed on his face, groaning.

Jade rolled her eyes and helped him up, “How many times do I have to tell you to stop getting yourself hurt? You’re still recovering.”

“Gosh, she’s gotten super fast,” Jarred slowly got up, smoothing out his shirt. “I give you credit for that.

I couldn’t respond as I gasped in shock at the bruises on his face. His bare arm was covered in gauze, blood clearly visible. My hands trembled at the sight of Jarred. I’ve never seen him so wounded and injured. I’m sure my face paled as tears welled up in my eyes at my wounded best friend.

“Jar,” I whispered, coming closer and touching a bruise on his face lightly. “What happened?”

“I don’t want to kill the welcome home vibe, so you’ll just have to wait for the meeting tomorrow to find out what happened,” Jarred shrugged it off like it was nothing. He opened his arms and crushed me into his chest. I was momentarily out of breath when I hugged him back.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” I said, letting go of him and noticing the small smile on Jade’s lips. She was happy that her mate reunited with his best friend.

“Of course I’m okay! Nothing could take me down!” Jarred hollered. I rolled my eyes at his cockiness.

“Yeah right,” Jade snorted. “I’ve taken you down before.”

“That’s right, baby,” Jarred continued, putting his arm around her shoulders and nuzzling her neck. “You could take me down anytime.”

“Okay, ew. My eyes are burning,” I screamed, covering my eyes with my hands.

The couple laughed and settled for just holding hands. I looked down at their linked hands, feeling envious towards their perfect relationship. My wolf howled and I had to remind her it was my fault that we weren’t exactly happy right now.

I heard Jet, Beau, and Eli come down the stairs as they talked about the training Beau does on a daily basis. Jet whistled at the amount of work Healers put into their training. Eli looked intimidated, but still praised the hard work and dedication that Beau does.

“At least Abs is not around or else, you’d feel like you were watching porn,” Jarred groaned. “I swear, Eli and Abigail have the worst case of public display of affection in the whole nation.”

I poked my tongue out in disgust as Eli turned the color of a ripe tomato. “Where is Abs?”

“She went with Stacey to see Warren,” Jade said with no elaboration.

I quickly dismissed it with no questions asked. The tense silence that followed lasted a couple of seconds as they all looked at me. I cleared my throat and smiled.

“Guys, this is Beau,” I motioned towards my cousin. Jade and Jarred introduced themselves, welcoming him with bright smiles.

“Did you visit your mom and Darren yet,” Jarred asked, concerned.

“Not yet,” I sighed, scratching the back of my neck. It reminded me of Weston, so I quickly dropped my hand. “I’m going there when Darren calls. They went to the were doctor for a daily check up.”

“You’re staying here, right?” Jade asked with a warm smile and I nodded.

“My room is being used as an equipment sight for all my mom’s medical machines,” I said. “I hope its okay that I stayed.”

“You’re welcomed anytime,” Jade said. “In addition, Beta Eli gave you permission.”

I was about to say something when I heard the distant sound of car doors shutting. The familiar manly smell wafted up my nose, causing my wolf to jump in joy. I froze, feeling my heart drop into my belly. My heart beat faster with every step that grew louder as he approached the front of the house.

What confused me was the sweet, feminine smell that mixed with his and the heavier sound of footsteps that followed after him. I inhaled deeply, trying to recognize the smell. However, I couldn’t. I shrugged it off. It was probably a new werewolf.

Everyone around me watched me with wary eyes. Beau stood behind me as we all awaited the presence of my mate. I really didn’t want this moment to come so soon, but I quickly closed my eyes knowing I had to encounter him sometime.

When I opened my eyes, there he was staring back at me with his beautiful crystal blue eyes that darkened like a storm. I could see all the emotions that flickered in them. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was at a loss of words.

He was still as handsome as before with his black hair cut short, his prominent jaw line, his sculpted cheekbones, and his muscled arms I remembered myself being wrapped in. My wolf demanded that I embrace my mate now, but I followed the same muscled arms that used to hold me and saw that his hand was intertwined with a smaller hand.

My world came crashing down as I took in the woman next to Weston. She was around my age and she was extremely pretty. Her light brown hair was in a lose side braid, her shorter hair framing her heart shaped face. She looked happy to see me as her lips pulled into a big, welcoming smile. She was … average. She wasn’t a slut like I was expecting to see wrapped around Weston. She was normal and … human.

For a couple of seconds, it was quiet as I wallowed in on myself. I could literally feel my heart breaking in two. My vision started to blur, but I blinked back the tears and plastered on a fake smile. “Hello, Weston,” I addressed formally and his expression never changed. He still looked at me with all the emotions flickering on his face. “This is Beau Wrodes, my cousin.”

I looked up at Beau to see his lips set in a thin line. His light brown eyes had darkened in anger. “Calm down, Beau. You promised,” I spoke through the mind link. He didn’t listen, but stared at Weston as if he wanted to kill him right there.

“Baby, are you okay?” The female next to Weston put a hand on his shoulder in worry. I held in the growl that dared to escape my lips.

That seemed to snap Weston out of whatever he was thinking. He ran his hand in his hair before glancing at me again. He, too, plastered on a fake smile as he spoke. “Welcome back, Daniella,” I cringed when he said my whole name. His smooth and deep voice brought back memories of when he used to tease me, tell me a story, and whisper adoring words in my ear. I shook it off. “Beau, welcome to Huntstown.” Beau shifted his weight, but didn’t say anything.

“Uh,” Weston continued, still wearing that fake smile. “This is Hayley Price, my - um - my girl friend.”

“Nice to meet you,” I forced out. “I’ll see you guys at dinner. I’m going to go – um – unpack my stuff.”

“Do you need help?” Jade asked, her voice soothing. I didn’t dare look at anyone else in the room afraid that if I met their sympathetic eyes, I would burst.

“Um, no. Thank you.”

Walking past Weston and into the corridor where the stairs were located, I felt the tears roll down my face and heard the whimper of my wolf as she cried too

Even if I sat as far away as possible, I was aware of his every movement.

Usually, I would bathe in his manly smell that engulfed me for the past two hours. I would bury myself in my favorite scent, content and happy. However, it felt suffocating when I reminded myself that we weren’t together anymore or he didn’t want me.

Weston was quiet, occasionally looking in my direction. My wolf would purr every time he secretly glanced at us. My hands itched to wipe the intsy bit of food that smeared on the corner of his mouth. Whenever I was aware that Hayley entwined her hands with his own, I had to stop the growl that wanted to escape from my lips.

“Danny,” Jet groaned, smacking his forehead with his hand. “Please tell them to stop!”

I laughed when he motioned towards a bickering Abigail and Eli. They sat across each other, leaning forward in the heat of the moment. Beau, who sat next to Eli, stared at them with wide eyes.

“Listen to me, Elliot Cooper –,” Abigail scolded angrily, her face turning red.

“Only if you promise to talk dirty, babe,” Eli winked, crossing his arms over his chest. His gray eyes danced with amusement while Abigail’s green eyes glared at him.

Abigail twirled a piece of her long blonde hair before biting her lip suggestively. She looked down at Eli’s lips. Slowly dragging her gaze to look straight into his eyes, she smiled seductively. I held back my laughter when Eli’s eyes widened before darkening.

“Why don’t we -,” Abigail said sweetly before someone interrupted her again.

“Oh gosh,” Jet cried, gripping his hair with both his hands. “Please shoot me now!”

However, the couple ignored his comment.

“Why don’t we go to your room,” Abigail said suggestively before her voice went harsh. “So that way, I could suffocate you with all your pillows.”

“Oh come on,” Eli leaned back, still smiling at Abigail. “You know you love me.”

“Shut up, lover boy,” Abigail said, before returning her gaze towards me. “Where’s Jade and Jarred? They sure are taking long with the dessert.”

In that precise moment, we heard glass shattering inside the kitchen. We all laughed when Jarred yelled, “Ouch! Gosh, Jade, it was an accident!”

“That was my favorite glass bowl,” Jade retorted. “Because you are so vertically challenged, you ruined it.”

“Are you calling me clumsy?”

My eyes landed on Stacey, Weston, and Hayley. Stacey and Weston were deep in conversation, probably discussing about Warren’s well being. Hayley stared down at her porcelain plate, playing with her food.

“Danny,” Abigail whispered so only I could hear. “I’m sorry about what happened.”

“You didn’t do anything, Abs,” I said, smiling at her. “It’s fine. If he’s happy, then I’m happy for him.”

“Weston obviously doesn’t see what a great girl he was blessed with,” Abigail said angrily. “He doesn’t deserve you at all.”

“Abigail, I wanted the break up. Not him. So he’s not at fault.”

“Still! He doesn’t need to be gallivanting with other girls when he found his mate, does he?”

I stayed quiet for several seconds before voicing the question that has been on my mind. “Does she know about us?”

Abigail shook her head. “I think its better that way,” she whispered. She looked over my head, her eyes widening slightly. “Oh, no.”

I looked back to see Hayley coming towards us. She sat in Jade’s chair – which was next to me – with a friendly smile on her face. “Hi guys,” she said.

‘Stop it,’ I told my growling wolf. ‘Being jealous won’t solve anything.’

“Hi Hayley,” Abigail said stiffly, plastering a fake smile on her face. She was interrupted when a crumpled napkin hit her cheek. Her smile fell and she turned to glare at Eli’s smug face. “You’re such an attention seeker, drama queen!”

Jet and Beau groaned as the couple argued again.

“Hey Hayley,” I said, turning back to Hayley with the friendliest expression I could muster. I probably looked like a hyperactive chipmunk, but it was better than being stoic.

“Danny,” she returned. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Your group of friends had many good things to say about you. I was excited to meet you from the way they described you.”

“Good things, I hope,” I laughed awkwardly.

Although Hayley was being immensely nice and kind, I couldn’t help but feel awkward around her. She was dating the man that was made for me – my soul mate. She loved my first love, my current love, and the person I will love forever no matter the circumstances.

  “From the way your friends talked about you, I don’t think there was anything bad to say,” she laughed.

“Good, because I would have smacked them all,” I joked.

We noticed Weston staring at the both of us. Hayley smiled at him and I averted my gaze elsewhere. It made me wonder if she knew about me and Weston’s past.

“So,” I cleared my throat. “You and Weston, huh?”

“Yeah,” she gushed like a girly teenager. “We’ve been together for six months.”

Even if I prepared myself for her answer, it still caused my stomach to twist into an agonizing knot. My wolf howled at the thought of her mate being with someone else. I ignored the growing ache in my chest and quickly shook off the feelings before Hayley saw.

“That’s great,” I said brightly although I wasn’t feeling so bright at the moment.

“He’s the best,” she continued to gush. “I’m so lucky that he’s my boy friend. He’s really sweet, funny, and gosh, is he handsome.”

“I’m happy for you two!” I exclaimed. My statement was half-true. I was happy that Weston was happy. “How did you guys meet?”

“As cliché as it sounds, I was walking to the store when I bumped into him. From there, our journey started.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her. She was one heck of a vulnerable, hopeless romantic.

I didn’t know what to say next, because of my raging jealousy. I wasn’t going to lie and say I wasn’t jealous. I also wasn’t going to lie and say Holly wasn’t a friendly girl just because I envied her relationship with my soul mate. The hard truth was Weston had found a girl worth keeping.

“The dessert is finally ready,” Jade sang, saving me from responding to Hayley. “Sorry it took so long. Jarred here was no help at all.”

“I did mostly everything,” he cried, following behind her. He held a huge cake in his hands and I resisted the urge to attack it. They knew how much I loved carrot cake and there it was, glorious on the porcelain platter. “I iced it, I piped out the letter, and I even baked it! Sorry dear, but you are one horrible cook.”

“Anyways,” Jade digressed, straying away from her embarrassment. “We made Danny’s favorite cake to welcome Danny and Beau.”

“You guys are too kind,” I said, shooting appreciative smiles towards Jade and Jarred. I looked at everyone – including Weston – in the eyes with gratitude. “Thank you for welcoming me back and being friendly towards my cousin although he is a little slow – “

“Hey,” Beau warned.

“I’ve missed you guys a ton and I’m glad that I’m here right now. You people have been amazing friends. Actually, you guys are like my family and you will always be my family,” I said honestly while everyone at the table awed.

“The world must be ending,” Jarred said, blinking. “I’ve never seen Danny be so nice.”

“I agree,” Eli and Jet said in unison.

“We’ve missed you,” Stacey said, pushing her platinum blonde hair out of her face to give me a warm smile. “Welcome to Huntstown, Beau.”

“Thank you,” Beau said, smiling. “Thank you for taking me in.”

“Oh, we’ll take you in anytime, handsome,” Jade said bluntly.  

“I agree,” Abigail giggled.

I laughed when Beau blushed and shot me a frightened look when Jarred and Eli growled. “Oh, relax,” Abigail and Jade said simultaneously, laughing, and giving each other a high five.

“Welcome back, Danny,” Everyone said while Stacey, Abigail, and Jade hugged me.

“The fabulous four are reunited,” Jade cried.

“This is way to sentimental for my taste,” I joked bitterly.

“Whatever,” Stacey said. “I know you missed us.”

“You love us,” Abigail joined in.

“Hey,” I yelled when I saw that Jarred already started eating the carrot cake. He froze with cream cheese on the corner of his mouth, brown eyes widening in horror. “You didn’t just touch that carrot cake first!”

“Oh, I did,” Jarred said smugly, taking another bite of the angelic cake on his plate.

I poked his belly. “You better watch out. You got big,” I lied. Everyone roared in laughter.

“Oh please,” Jarred said, not bothered by what I just said. He flexed his arm. “The only thing that got big were these muscles.”

Everyone started teasing Jarred and the laughter and conversation just grew from there. It was loud, everyone fighting and joking with each other. I looked at my friends with a big, genuine smile on my face.

Although it was loud and crazy, I was happy to be back home.

***

My heart raced in my chest as the phone rang. Please be okay. The knots in my stomach constricted as I tightened my grip on my cell phone. Shaking slightly, I drew in an unstable breath.

I looked up at the dark sky, which was dotted with twinkling stars. There was a slight breeze, causing a rustle to come from the millions of leaves in the forest behind the pack house. It was silent as I sat on the porch steps, waiting for Darren to pick up.

“Hello,” a tired voice answered from the other end.

“Dar,” my voice shook. “What happened? How come you didn’t call me? Did something happen with mom?”

“I’m sorry, Danny,” He said. “I just didn’t want to bother you. I knew the packs planned a welcome back dinner.”

“Mom is my priority. It was the reason I came here.”

“She’s fine,” Darren reassured with a lighter voice. “The doc said she’d be able to eat right in a couple of days.”

“Can I visit?” I said, anxious to hold my mother in my arms.

“Sure, you can come over now, but she’s sleeping,” Darren said.

“Oh,” I said slightly disappointed. “I think I’ll just come over tomorrow after the meeting. She’s resting. I don’t want to bother her. She needs her rest.”

“Okay, then I’m going over there to come see you,” Darren said. I heard the jingling of keys. He yawned. “I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there to welcome you home.”

“Dar, just get some sleep. I’ll come tomorrow. Don’t worry. I would rather you take care of mom than welcome me home.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course,” I smiled even if he couldn’t see me. “Just so you know, I’m smiling right now.

“That’s right, kiddo,” I heard Darren’s voice lace with happiness. “Hold your head up high and smile. Stand –“

“Stand up tall and remain strong. You are strong,” I recited, remembering the words my older brother always told me when we were going through rough times. “You too, Dar,” I sighed, hoping that my brother was okay. “Are you okay?”

There was a short pause before he sighed. “I’ll be fine. Now go sleep. You must be tired from your road trip.”

“See you tomorrow. Good night, brother. I love you.”

“Love you too, little sis,” Darren said, before the line went dead.

Tears slipped down my cheeks, wanting to embrace my family in my arms. I felt useless sitting here, crying while I could be over there to help Darren take care of my family. There was only one reason that made me take residency in the pack house for my stay in Huntstown.

I had a feeling that the only reason they were attacked was because of me and I didn’t need to lead any more danger towards my injured mother.

“Are you okay?” I heard a familiar voice say. I closed my eyes, my chest clenching at the soothing, male voice. Although I hated that he had to see me like this, a shiver went down my spine.

I got up from my seat on the porch steps and turned to face Weston. His crystal blue eyes still held a lot of emotion. He slightly flinched when a traitor tear rolled down my cheek.

“I’m fine,” I said distantly, walking around him to go back into the house.

“Ells,” he whispered. The pain in my chest grew, hearing him use the nickname he gave me. I closed my eyes once again, walking towards the door as if I’ve never heard him.

“Ells,” he said with concern. I froze when I felt his hand on my arm, causing the familiar warmth and tingles to spread all throughout my body. My wolf howled, wanting to be closer to her mate.

I refused to turn around to face him, feeling the tears roll down my cheeks some more. There were a lot of emotions surfacing now that I just talked to my brother and Weston finally wanted to talk to me after fourteen months. “Yes?” I whispered, my voice quavered and I cursed myself for being so weak.

“Can we talk?” He asked after a short silence. He dropped his hand. I felt his eyes burning holes in my back.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“We need to talk – or I think we should talk – about the – about where we -,” Weston sighed. “Can we talk about us?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I shrugged. Even if my back was facing him, I felt him flinch.

“We need to talk about us and I know you’re probably wondering about Hayley,” Weston said, his voice trembling.

“Wes, there’s nothing to talk about, okay? It’s my fault that we’re not together anymore. I’m happy for you and Hayley. You deserve to be happy.”

I didn’t give him time to answer as I opened the back door and entered the house. Once again, I walked away from Weston with tears in my eyes.