Chapter 12


    I heardughter- it was loud and carefree, the kind that you made when you were around friends


    and you didn’t need to hold back. It was the kind that warmed you from the insides and I knew I had


    to find the source of it. I looked up to see father and Brittany. At first I doubted that the sound came


    from any of them but Brittany’s mouth fell open and the same carefreeughter filled the air.


    I looked around trying to see if I could recognize my surroundings but I couldn’t. From what I could


    see, we were in an open field. There were tall fruit trees all around us but mainly it was an open


    space of grass with a small water fount in at the edge almostpletely hidden by some trees.


    I was on one end of the clearing, leaning against a tree with a book right next to me while father and


    Brittany were on the other end. He was holding a baseball bat and she was pitching balls at him for


    him to hit. She was horrible at pitching and sometimes she threw them too low or too high but he


    didn’t seem to mind and he would just patiently retrieve the ball for her to throw it again.


    The first thing I realized was that my father was smiling. Each time he hit a ball very high, they both


    laughed with reckless abandon. I haven’t seen father smile in a very long time and I was marveled


    by how much younger and carefree he looks when he smiles.


    I felt a tug in my chest as I watched how much fun they were having and I realized that I wanted to


    be a part of it too. I watched them for a few minutes longer before I finally gathered the courage. I


    left the book where it sat and made my way over to them. They didn’t notice my presence at first, or


    maybe they ignored me but I walked over until I was within earshot.


    “Can I join?” my voice was soft but like a knife it cut through the air and I felt the exact moment


    everything froze.


    As my words hung in the air I realized what a grave mistake I had made. Their smiles fell instantly,


    their shoulders tensed and both of them turned to me with barely concealed disdain in their eyes


    almost as if they were angry with me for interrupting their fun, almost as if I was an inconvenience


    and they wanted nothing to do with me.


    I wanted to shrink into myself and take back thest few minutes. I wished I never walked up to


    them as I noted the coldness with which they regarded me- I was an outsider and they wanted me


    gone.


    “What do you think you’re doing?” Brittany asked with a sneer.


    “I’m sorry,” I said quickly, “It was a mistake.”


    “What would ever make you think that we would want to y with you?”


    “I just wanted-,”


    “I don’t care what you wanted,” she spat, “dad and I are having fun and we don’t want you here. If


    you want to y so much then go y with mum.”


    What did she mean by mum? I wanted to ask but she had turned back to her game with dad and


    they were both pointedly ignoring me. I sighed in defeat and was about to go back to my tree when I


    noticed movement by the water fountain. I made my way closer and I realized that there was a


    woman standing there, she was hidden by the trees and that’s why I didn’t see her earlier.


    She wore a flowing dress the color of a sandy beach and she had the exact color of hair as me.


    Somehow I knew if she turned around then she would have the same hazel eyes I have gotten used


    to seeing in the mirror. I ran over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind.


    “Mum,” I began, “They won’t let me y with them.”


    She ran her hands over mine softly and she slowly disentangled me from her b*dy. She turned to


    face me and as I looked up. at her, I realized that her face was clouded by shadows. No matter


    what angle I tried to look at her from, I couldn’t see her face.


    That was when it hit me- I was dreaming. I couldn’t put a face to hers because I have never seen


    her. Father told me that she died of an illness a very long time ago and he refuses to speak about


    her or even show me pictures of her.


    Tears blurred my vision and I wiped them away quickly, I was determined to spend as much time


    with my mother as I could but when I looked up, she had gone a few feet further from me.


    I wasted no time in running after her but it seemed like the closer I got, the farther she got. I turned


    back to my father and sister but they were too engrossed in their game to care.


    I chased after my mother deeper and deeper into the forest until we got to ake. I rushed up to her


    and just when it seemed, like I was going to reach her, I heard a loud bang.


    The sound jerked me from my dream and I looked around to see that I was in my car. I rubbed at


    my eyes at the memories hit me like a freight train. I remembered the wolves that my family sent to


    kill me and the pack I took refuge at. I


    remembered the Alpha at theke and I blushed. I remembered how I ran and hid until he was gone


    then I got into my car and drove into a more secluded spot so I could rest for the night.


    I heard the same bang that woke me from my sleep and I sat up straight. I didn’t know what it was


    so I decided to look at my side mirror but then an emotionless face appeared at my window and I


    screamed loud.


    The face morphed into a frown and the owner ced a hand over their ears. A sh light was shone


    into the car and I saw the face of a young girl probably around my age. She had dark brown hair


    and a faraway look in her eyes as she gestured for me to get out of the car.


    I was skeptical but I figured she couldn’t be any worse than the guards who would have probably


    just dragged me out. I rolled down the window instead to be safe and stared at her as I waited for


    her to speak.


    She cocked her head to the side as she scrutinized me and then she whistled, it was soft and


    melodious and it was so quiet that you would have barely heard it.


    i wondered what she was doing but a familiar bird perched on her fingertip. I recognized it as the


    bird that led me to the pack. She stroked the birds plumes softly and I was astonished by what I can


    only assume is magic.


    “Did you send him?” I asked and she nodded with a small smile. “You were the one who helped me;


    thank you.”


    “There is no need for you to thank me,” she assured me, “my friends told me you were in trouble


    and I decided to help. Why don’t youe out?”


    I realized she was no harm because if she wanted me dead, then she would never have helped me


    get into the pack in the first ce. I got out of the car quickly and that was when I noticed that the


    girl was in a long dress and she was barefoot.


    “Don’t your feet get hurt?”


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    “It helps me feel closer to nature.”


    She spoke in an almost whimsical tone. Her choice of words and the breathy nature with which she


    spoke had me wondering if she was even from this world or if she was some sort of fairy godmother


    who was sent to protect me.


    She whispered some words to the bird and it looked at her as if it understood and flew away. i


    couldn’t stop my mouth from falling open in awe and astonishment. She noticed my staring but if it


    bothered her, she didn’t say anything.


    Instead, she turned to me with a warm smile, “the Alpha is looking for you.”