Addy’s POV
I can’t believe Braxton had the nerve to try to pull, I am your future alpha crap on me. He can be such a jerk at times. I grabbed the baskets Luna Maria had left for me in the kitchen and loaded them up in my car. I drove home so I could get started on the grief baskets.
As I entered the house, I was still so angry at Braxton. I felt bad for what I said to Tristan, and I know I need to apologize to him, but Braxton. I should have knocked his teeth out. I don’t know why I let him bother me so much, well I know why. I have had the biggest crush on Braxton for as long as I can remember. It’s not like I would ever act on it. I promised I would never date or do anything with anyone until I find my mate. I turn 18 next month. I will finally get my wolf and maybe I will find my mate. I don’t care as much about the mate part yet, but I am super excited about meeting my wolf. I have dreamed of this my whole life. I just wish my mom and dad were there for me as well, it’s hard to think about the night of my first shift without them there.
I start laying out the materials I need for the grief baskets in the dining room. I sort through all the typical stuff we put in them, and then get started on writing the personal cards I will put in each basket. I am finishing up my last card when I hear the back door open. I know it’s Tristan by his scent. I feel embarrassed and ashamed with how I treated him earlier. He’s my big brother and I love him so much. I know what I said hurt him. I hear him walk up behind me and lean against the doorway.
“Hey Little Moon.” He says softly. My parents and a lot of the older pack members have always called me little moon. My mom uses to say that it was to remind me of my strength and of my destiny. I never understood what she meant.
“Hey Tristan.” I said as I stand up and turn around. I am scared to look up because I am so ashamed. “Tristan I am so sorry.” I start. I feel arms wrapped around me and he pulls me into his chest and holds me. “I know. I know you didn’t mean it. I miss him too.” We just stand there holding each other for a long time as he rubs my back. We finally pull apart and he grabs my chin and makes me look up at him.
“Hey, I love you. Nothing you ever say will change that.” He smiles softly at me as he speaks.
“I love you too, and I really am sorry. I really shouldn’t have said that.” I smile back. “You mean like how Braxton shouldn’t have pulled the whole I’m your next alpha on you.” He smirked at me.
I roll my eyes as I smile and shake my head, “Yeah that wasn’t a good move on his part. If my knuckles weren’t already busted, I would have punched his teeth out, alpha or not.” I said in air quotes at the end.
Tristan chuckled, “and he would have deserved it. I am pretty sure Alpha Jack would have applauded you as well.” We both laugh at that. He probably would have too. Alpha Jack and Luna Maria have always treated me like their daughter, and there have a been a few times when Braxton has said something stupid, and I have socked him for it. They always tell him not to say something stupid to me to get hit.
“Addy look, I know you don’t want to grieve yet, and I am not trying to replace dad. I just don’t want you to go around hurting yourself, okay. I love you, and I can’t handle you getting hurt. It hurts me when you do. I am always here for you little moon.” He wraps me up again as he speaks, and I just lay my head on his chest.
“I know Tristan. I will grieve, I promise. I am just not ready yet.” I don’t know if I ever will be ready.
He let’s me go and kisses my forehead. “Alright, I have to get back to the packhouse. I have to teach training tonight. I have a meeting with Braxton before that as well. You want me to punch him for you? You know I will.” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
I chuckle and shake my head. “Nah, its only fun if I get to do the punching.” We both chuckle and he kissed my forehead one more time.
“I shouldn’t be back to late.”
“No problem. I will be making cookies for the grief baskets, so I have plenty to be doing.” I smile as he walks towards the back door.
“Save me a few, you know I love your cookies.”
“No promises.” I smirk at him.
He shakes his head, and yells back, “See you this evening little moon, love you!” as he walks out the back door.
“Love you too!” I yell back.
I walk to the pantry and start getting out the ingredients for my mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies. She made the best chocolate chip cookies in the entire pack. I had the recipe memorized since I was 5 but she also had it written down in her recipe box. I pull it out, just like today, when I feel like I need her close to me. I touch the words written in her handwriting on the card. “I miss you mom.” I whisper to myself as I caress her words. I put the card down on the counter start pulling out bowls and cookie sheets. “Now is not the time to break down.” I tell myself. “I have to be strong. I have to hold it together. Tristan needs me. These warriors’ families need me. I need to keep it together, just stay busy and you will be fine”
I put the bowls down and I start getting busy with making cookies.
Braxton’s POV I am sitting in my office trying to get work done, but my thoughts keep wondering off. My wolf Blake won’t even talk to me right now. I know I shouldn’t be fooling around with Baylee, she isn’t my mate, but I just needed comfort and she was there. Knock Knock “Come in” Tristan comes in and slumps into the sofa, he looks a little better than earlier today after the argument with Addy, but I can still see the pain across his face. I know the death of his father has been hard on him. It’s been hard on all of us. My parents maybe the leaders of the pack, but his parents, they were the glue. Everyone loved his dad and mom; they were like second parents to me. I know when we lost his mom 5 years ago it was rough, but his dad helped pull him and Addy through. Now, it’s just him and Addy. “I’m not going to ask how you are doing, because I know the answer by how shitty you look. You want to talk?” “Which part? The part where I am trying to figure out how to grieve
Braxton’s POV As I walk towards the back door of Tristan’s house, I am hit with a smell of burnt food. My brows scrunch up knowing that Addy is an amazing cook and I have never known her to burn anything. I open the back door quietly and walk down the short hallway to the kitchen in long strides. I peep my head around and see Addy. It looks like a flour bomb has gone off in the kitchen and there are burnt cookies and bowls of messed up looking batter on almost every surface of the kitchen countertops. I watch her quietly as she pours ingredients into the bowl. I scowl as I notice she is putting in a large amount of salt into the bowl. She then lifts the oil and starts pouring it in when, I walk all the way into the room. She still does not notice me, which she should have sensed me from the moment I walked in, so I know she is out of it now. I reach over and grab her hand and keep her from pouring more salt in the bowl. She screams when she feels my hand on hers. “Damn i
Tristan’s POV I am exhausted from training. Ever since dad died, I have taken over his job of teaching evening training. On top of everything else I am exhausted. As I walk up the back of the house, I can smell Braxton still here and…burnt cookies? What the hell? I walk in and see Addy and Brax on the floor. I see Addy’s tear-stained face and my anger goes through the roof. I swear to God if Brax hurt my little moon I will kill him. “What the fuck happened!?” I yelled as I marched towards them. Before Brax could even respond Addy jumps up and explains, “I may have destroyed 10 batches of cookies and had a complete and total meltdown and ruined Brax’s shirt with snot.” She looks down ashamed and is standing as though she is in trouble. I look from Addy’s tear-streaked face to Brax’s snot covered shirt and realization hits me. Shit. My best friend was here when I should have been. He held her and let her cry, when it should have been me. Damn it. “Oh little moon.”
Addy’s POV “Addy Wake up! It’s just a nightmare little moon!” I am woken up with Tristan shaking me in his arms. I look at him and I know I must have been screaming in my sleep. He looks down at me and wipes the tears from my face. I am looking around wildly trying to figure out where I am. I was stuck in my nightmare again. “Hey, little moon. Look at me.” Tristan grabs my face with both hands and looks me into the eyes. “Hey, you are safe, you are okay little moon. Talk to me, what was going on?” He wipes the tears that are still falling down my face. “Look at me Addy, you are safe. Do you hear me?” I look into his eyes and shake my head. “I am safe.” I respond weakly. “Addy, how long have you been having nightmares.” Tristan asks as he releases my face and pulls away a little bit so we can talk. “Since dad died.” I respond quietly. “What are you seeing in your nightmares?” He asks. “The moment I get taken away from dad,” I respond. I have never told anyone abo
Braxton’s POV I found an excuse to come over to Tristan’s and Addy’s house this morning. I kept telling myself not to, but I had to see her. I am now standing in the kitchen a little bit a way from Addy as Tristan makes his way upstairs. As soon as I hear him shut his bedroom door. I turn to Addy, taking a deep breath. I try to get out my words. I spent all morning trying to find the right words to say to her, so things aren’t awkward between us, but that is exactly what it is right now. Awkward. “Hey” I said softly. As I moved closer to her. “Hey” she whispers, I am not sure I would have even heard it if I didn’t have my werewolf hearing. I can see how tense her body is, and I know I am making her uncomfortable. I hate that. I look her body up and down. I can’t help but notice how sexy she is and think about how bad I want her. “Addy, I just wanted to say…umm…” She wouldn’t look at me, and I needed to see those beautiful blue eyes. I stepped closer to her and turne
Alpha Jack POVAs Tristan explained what Addy remembered I started to realize that we would not be able to withhold this information from him and Braxton much longer. They take over as Alpha and Beta next week. We always agreed we would wait until Addy turned 18 which is in six weeks, and they would all learn the truth. Maybe we needed to divulge a little bit more information before then though. I need to talk to Maria and Blake before I make this decision on my own. With Andrew gone, I am not sure how to keep Addy as safe unless the boys know. I stand up as Tristan finishes up his story and walk over placing my hand on his shoulder. I know it’s been hard after the loss of his father. It has hurt us all, Andrew was not just my Beta but my best friend. We had been close since pups, just like our kids are now. “Tristan, your father is a hero. He sacrificed himself, to protect the life of our future. I know you boys don’t understand everything I am saying right now, but you
Addy’s POVTristan came home early today, said his meetings were done quickly, and he had missed me. Tristan and I have always been close, but since losing dad, our bond has grown even deeper. We had spent the morning chilling on the couch and having a movie day. Tristan decided we should cook the cookies first and then have Jimmy’s. I was surprised by his change of plans, but more so because he seemed like he was up something.We had spent our time baking laughing and singing along with the music on his playlist. I was pulling out the last batch of cookies, when I turned around and caught him grabbing a cookie off the cooling rack.“Tristan! I told you no cookies until we have them all packed up!” I yelled at him. He dodged away from me when I tried grabbing the cookie from him. I maybe the younger sister, but I can pack a punch. I have socked him and Braxton several times before for being jerks.“Oh, come on! It’s one cookie Addy. I couldn’t wait.” He takes a bite and groa
Braxton’s POVI was finishing up in my office when Baylee walks in. I look up annoyed, “Baylee how many times have I asked you to knock before coming in?”She walks over and leans over my desk, pushing her breast up to show off more cleavage. “I just wanted to come and check to see if you need a stress relief.”I rubbed my temple in annoyance, I was not in the mood to deal with Baylee right now. “No Baylee, I am good right now.” I said trying not to show my complete annoyance. “Then maybe you would be willing to take me out to lunch, Alpha.” Baylee says with a sickening sweet voice. “as friends,” She finished. I looked up at her. I was hungry, and Baylee was a friend, I guess, before we started fucking. She has comforted me lately, so maybe taking her out wouldn’t be terrible.“Okay, I will take you out to lunch, as friends.” I say, emphasizing as friends at the end.“Yeah!” She jumped up and clapped like a small child and cheered. What happened to not giving her any ideas? B