It all happened so fast: packing clothes, saying goodbye, waiting to watch my pack shrink in the distance as I leave them in distress. Luckily my mate agreed to leave the land alone, for now. I thought we would have a journey ahead of us to make our way back to Tate Pack lands, but there were three large, nice cars waiting for us. I knew everyone would not fit inside, then I figured it was only for important people, and weirdly I happened to be one of them. Now I sit alone in the backseat, waiting until it is time to go.
I stare out the car window at the forest scenery as the sun pours through the leaves. Birds sing and I close my eyes as if their songs are slowly rocking me to sleep. It was a long night with no time for rest. Between the attack, finding my mate, finding my family, and preparing to leave, I have exhausted myself.
My family. My heart aches knowing that I won't see them for a while. Kendra was crying and didn't stop until I couldn't hear her anymore. Her reaction made me think about changing my mind, but I knew I had to do this for myself. The gloomy clouds begin to shield the sun and the forest turns dark, almost mimicking my emotions and doubt. Where is my mate? I hope we leave soon before I decide to ditch the car and flee to my sobbing sister.
My fingers wrap around the door handle, threatening to push it open. More seconds pass and the more pressure I place until the door pops open. Instead of quickly shutting it, I leave it. My foot hangs out, then my arm, then my entire leg, and soon half of my body is out of the car. My foot hits the ground and so does my other. It is as if I have lost control of my body. On a limb I shut the door and stand outside of it, looking at my reflection in the window. I should get back inside and wait.
"What are you doing?"
I look to see one of the men who watched me in the pack house walking towards the car. "Um, just getting fresh air."
"Okay well, the Alpha should be here any minute." He says and gets in the front seat while I take my place in the back.
"You're driving?"
He nods and I lean back. Hopefully, he doesn't crash the car just because I was difficult last night, though that would be a very dramatic response. A minute or two pass and I spot my mate walking towards the car with another guy, but the guy leaves and enters the car ahead of us. My heart suddenly races for no reason as he opens the door. "Okay, let's go." He mutters and I nervously place my hands neatly on my lap. Never has my posture been so perfectly straight. Awkwardly I look away from him and back out the window.
The guy starts the car and we're off. After watching my pack land disappear— like I said I would— realization begins to hit me. Everything I have ever known is back there and her I am abandoning it with complete strangers. Thankfully my emotions stay hidden.
It is not long until I find my eyes drifting shut.
~•~
Voices prod at my mind as I begin to wake. My hair blocks the light from my eyes like a curtain, and I tiredly sweep it out of the way. My eyes flutter open and I take a moment to really wake up. Immediately I realize that we are still in the car, then I notice that my hard is resting against his shoulder. Swiftly, I sit up as my cheeks stain red. "Sorry," I mumble, shying away.
"No, it's alright," he mutters as if he was about to fall asleep.
I bite on the inside of my cheek. "Everyone calls you Alpha Tate, but what is your first name?"
"Eric," he says simply and my lips grow dry. My mate, his name is Eric, like a prince. A small smile creeps its way onto my face and I think of Kendra. Her favorite princess is Ariel.
"Do you have siblings?"
He looks at me. "A sister, her name is Caroline."
"Does she live with you?" I ask.
"No, she lives with a friend. Do you always ask so many questions?"
I shake my head, "no, but I'm just trying to get to know you, I left everything I've ever known behind so this is a fresh start. It would be much easier if we weren't complete strangers."
"Alright, tell me something about yourself."
"Okay well, I love mornings, when sunlight shines under my bedroom door and through my shudders. It creates a shadowy, striped pattern on my blankets. Oh, and how it's warm and cozy under the sheets, so I lay there and dread getting up for what feels like hours. I hear birds outside and soon enough Kendra will come crashing in and she'll destroy my little moment so quickly, but with love. She would climb in with me and we'll just talk until she's hungry." I pause. "In the morning the grass is damp and the rising sun brings me a day that I'm never promised, but I'm happy to see. Then there's sunrises, just the look of tinted clouds and a pinkish glow amazes me. Oranges and reds painted across the sky... it's just all so pretty." Soon enough I catch myself and I blush harder than before. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling."
Eric says nothing but he continues to look at me with adoration visible in his eyes. His gaze stays fixed on me as I unknowingly let my blush show.
"Alpha, we're almost here," the guy pipes up and he snaps out of his trance like state.
"Uh, Yes." He answers and takes a long breath.
I can't help but ask, "are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
I nod and look forward, hoping that I didn't make things awkward. Rambling is a habit that I am very guilty of, and most of the time it is about random nonsense.
I notice a building in the distance and Eric turns to me. "That's the pack house. It's located at the edge of our land for quick access to the main border position, but it also gives breathing room from the rest of the pack. My sister lives close by."
"Your sister, is she younger?"
"She's older, not by much."
The car stops in front of the house and I take a moment to admire it as if the house was painted and hung in a gallery. I open the door and shut it behind me. Suddenly the front door opens and a middle-aged woman appears. "Eric, I warned you not to attack."
He sighs and I look up at him. "Isabella, this is my mother. Though she doesn't live here anymore, she keeps finding her way back."
I smile and make my way towards her with my mate following right behind me. She stops and looks at me. "Who is this?"
"This is Isabella."
"Hello Mrs. Tate, it's nice to meet you," I greet her kindly, praying that she will take a liking to me.
"Call me Evangeline, please." She says kindly, but somewhat confused. Evangeline looks to her son and he walks up beside me.
"Isabella is my mate."
Her eyes grow wide and her expression molds into one with more excitement. "Your mate? Wow, this is so sudden. Isabella, please come in. Can I get you anything?"
"No, I'm fine but thank you." I smile and follow her inside.
"Mother please, Marina can handle things around here."
"Marina is getting old, leave her alone," she takes my hand and sits beside me on the couch in a living room. "I'm guessing you're from the pack my son decided to attack? I'm sorry about that."
I hear Eric sigh again as he leans against the wall. "It's alright, nothing permanent."
"Why are you here?" Eric asks and she glares at him in some motherly way.
"Excuse me for wanting to see my son, and making sure you didn't destroy another pack."
"Destroy is a harsh word." He says. "Isabella, come, I'll show you around."
Evangeline grabs my hand. "Why do you have to take her away so soon?"
"You are here pretty much every day, I'm sure you'll see her again," he motions for me and I stand up.
"It was nice meeting you."
She nods and smiles. "Yes, you seem like a lovely girl from the five seconds I've gotten with you. My son has always been greedy when it comes to things that matter to him, so I guess this is a good thing. I'll bring Caroline over later."
After we say goodbye Evangeline leaves and we are alone in the house. My eyes roam around the room. "You're mother seems great."
"She is a good person." He tells me. "Now let me tell you where everything is."
"These doors are all empty bedrooms, guest rooms, and the last one down here was mine, but now it's ours."Our bedroom. I swallow and make my way towards the double doors hesitantly with Eric behind me. Grabbing onto the handle, I turn it and push the door open. I glance back at Eric before slipping inside.Light floods the room through two large windows on either side of the bed, and I wonder further in. Everything, every piece of furniture is delicately detailed, giving the room a charming aroma. These pieces must be passed down through generations. The bedding is gold and white with looks of being from a fairytale, and I carefully run my fingers along it. "This room is beautiful," I say back to him, though the bed is quite intimidating."I'm glad you like it, and I'm glad we finally
Caroline shouts and I panic. With no time I wrap my arms around the base of the trunk as the branch falls and hangs on by a thread. With my heart slamming against my chest, I frantically try to reach for another branch but I begin to slip down the trunk. "Oh my god, Isabella just hold on!"The bark scratches against my hands and arms while my eyes stare harshly at the hard ground. Below me, I spot another branch and I know I have to descend down to it. Caroline tries to hurry up but I continue to slide, not being able to grip on.Finally, my feet barely touch the branch and I stop myself, letting go of the trunk. My hands and arms sting and I look to see scratches, dirt, and blood. "I'm bleeding!" I shout to Caroline and she curses."Does it hurt bad?"
Getting out of the shower, I wrap a towel around my dripping body. My hair sticks to my back as I grab the clothes I set to the side to change into. A hot shower after a long day is always refreshing. At first, it was weird using a different shower, but I quickly let it go and decided to keep an open mind.I dry off and slip on my clean clothes before taking the towel and drying my hair to the best of my abilities. It still lays damp on my shoulders but I know that is as dry as it will get. Surprisingly I found my clothes unpacked already as if some invisible fairy did it all magically while I was gone.When I finish up in the bathroom I open the door but immediately close it when I notice Eric in the bedroom. Thankfully he doesn't notice as I peek through the thin crack of space left. Suddenly he takes off his shirt and I look away, cl
I lay in bed and stare up at the ceiling, still feeling the trace of his kiss on my skin. After our short moment in the kitchen we headed upstairs and I convinced him to let me sleep in one of the guest rooms, knowing that if I was in a bed smothered in his scent I would not be able to sleep. Though I am cozy under the covers my eyes will not shut. It is simple; I cannot fall asleep. Over the hours I have sifted through different causes: I'm still hungry, I don't feel good, I miss Kendra, I'm worried about my pack, I'm nervous about meeting Eric's Dad, and even that Olivia's acts have me worried.I have tried it all: pacing my breaths, counting sheep, taking deep breaths, progressive muscle relaxation, visualizing a peaceful place, yet no matter what I do one factor stays glued in my mind; the fact that my mate is sleeping in the bedroom beside me and I cannot get to him. Obviously, I ca
Slowly, I lift up my face from the pillow beneath it. I blink, close my eyes, and blink again. Rays of sunlight shine through the windows and blind me. I reluctantly sit up and rub my knuckles onto my eyes. Looking around the bedroom, I find myself alone, so I instantly wonder where Eric is.I slide out of bed and peek into the bathroom, but it too is empty. Raising an eyebrow, I check the guest room I was supposed to sleep in— then all the others. After that my feet carry me downstairs and random noises grab my attention, sounds that are coming from the kitchen. "Eric?" I call out as I make my way towards them, wanting to unmask the creator. "Eric is that you?"Instead of seeing Eric, an older woman turns around and smiles. "Hello, good morning, I'm Marina, the housekeeper. You must be Isabella; it is so wonderful to meet you."
Sitting in the center of the living room, I look around the walls at the family pictures and smile. I especially enjoy the picture of Eric when he was a toddler. There are no pictures of him as a child at the pack house. "They're in here," I hear Evangeline's voice from further in the house.I glance to Eric, who is standing off to the side, seeming rather uncomfortable. His gaze is glued to a random spot on the wall."Sebastian, this is Isabella." Turning to the hallway, I see Evangeline standing beside the man from the pictures. He looks like an older, different version of Eric.Immediately I stand up and reach my hand out. He shakes it. "Hello, it's nice to meet you finally."He smiles in a fatherly way. "Yes, of course, I was wond
I lay sleeplessly in bed, staring at the ceiling while not being able to take my mind off of my sister. I wonder if she is still awake, or if she has found the ability to live without me. It has only been a few days, which makes me sound dramatic, but I cannot help but hope she misses me still. What if earlier she only got upset for a bit and now she is perfectly fine, perfectly asleep in her purple and blue bed. I cannot sleep not knowing how she is feeling; we used to tell each other everything.My eyes roll over to the clock. It is one o'clock in the morning.Silently groaning, in an attempt to not wake up Eric, I turn away from the pillow wall and sigh. I have to see her.Hesitantly, I slip out from underneath the bedding, and my toes brush against the cool, wood floor. Sitting up,
"You were trying to hurt me, weren't you?"Olivia begins to sob. "I'm not this type of person, and I don't do things like this."Leaning back against a near tree, I take a deep breath in an attempt to collect my thoughts. As I am doing so, I notice Olivia struggling to her feet and swiping the hairs from her face. "I'm sorry," she mutters as she limps towards me, "but I need him. Eric was all I had, heisall I have. I've been trying to get him to see that we don't have to be mates to be together, but then you show up, and he forgets I exist. You have what I want, and I'm desperate."Confused, I stand up straight. "What are you talking about?"She wipes the stray tears from her cheeks. "I want to fight for him."