《ALPHA’S EX-MATE》


 About the Universe

    Selene- The mother of wolves


    The 12 phases of the moon-12 Roman Deities: 6 Goddesses, 6 Gods, 3 Roman and 3 Greek. (According to the 12 phases of the moon, their names shall be made to represent this)


    Stars- These are assigned to the Roman deities. There are 12 in total.


    Aratean constellations: These are the guardians of the night sky. They are the Hyades, Pleiades and the Bears(or wagon)The answer to no one but Selene.


    Alpha: The leader of the pack and usually the other other that weidls all the making decisions power in the pack. Usually the responsible one with care for his pack and willing to go to war to keep them safe.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Luna: The mother of the pack and act like a an advisor for the Alpha. They take care of the pack in times of need and danger. They will kick your ass if you mess with their family though.


    Beta: Second in command. Acts as the assistant and back up plan of the Alpha when he is not available. Usually when the Aloha is on a pack mission out of the borders.


    Gemma: They are skilled in fighting and as such train pack members in attack and defense.


    Delta: Third to the last rank. They are the link that connects humanity and deities. They are part of the community of elders. Each pack has one that represents them.


    Epsilon: Second to the last rank. They are theassistant to the assistant. They are the messengers and the middle men.


    Omega: They are at the last rank.

 1 || Eliza

    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± I say to my betrayal, butends on both of my sides while we enter the school building in our school uniforms that swish and sway with the movement of the wind.


    The school building which was painted in plain white had a linking roof to the other sectors of the school. Trees swish and sway in soprano to the gentle rhythm of the wind, its green and orange leaves flutter in soprano to the ground.


    My two best friends have been pestering me these past few weeks to go to Alpha¡¯s son¡¯s birthday party, which coincidentally fell on the same day as my birthday. Probably in hopes that I would find my mate. I roll my eyes.


    For some reason, all werewolves seem to care about through out their life is finding their mate. It''s almost an obsession at this point. Meeting or finding your soulmate or soulmates is an ongoing event that usually happens between the period of 12-16 years of age.


    I didn''t want to be part of the population that didn''t want to live for anything or anyone else that wasn¡¯t their mate. I want something more.


    I don¡¯t need a mate. Nor do I want one, I¡¯m perfectly fine with dying alone and nobody else around my coffin except my two best friends.


    What¡¯s so bad about being single? Happiness doesn¡¯t always have to come from romantic relationships.


    Besides, it¡¯s not like I was ever going to not die alone. I just don¡¯t have the energy or the heart to start liking someone, wanting that someone and becoming dejected with the realization that they may not feel the same way about me.


    Nonetheless, If I have a mate to look out for, why put them through that type of hurt of there being with someone else or the drama that comes along with it?


    ¡°Why not?¡± Eberlyn asks, pouting her lips giving me the puppy dog eyes, an expression that has worked on me way too many times. But no this time.


    I trudge through the horde of students with them trying not to get pushed to the ground. Some people give us an annoyed look but instead if giving them attention they seek, my two friends ignore it and keep walking as the hot sun beats down on our necks. I however am not them and cannot-simply will not-ignore it. I glare at them, angrier at the blasted sun than at them, and they scamper away, no longer willing to bother us. I smile.


    What a fantastic lovely day.


    ¡°Yeah E, why not?¡± Riley inquires with her arms folded across her chest with an eyebrow raised.


    One of my dearest and closest friends of all time. And because of that, I know when to keep going and when to back down in situation like this when she questions me like this. This, however, is not one of those times.


    Even though I do cherish her advice giving skills and knowing when to put her foot down, she doesn''t always do what is best for me, as much as she tries to. Something we have often had fights about in the past.


    I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d if I lost her. Saying I would probably die is far fetched though.


    She has brown that swirl and melt into golden irises and black lips coated in sparkly blue as she likes using different colours of lipstick during the day to match whatever mood she''s currently in. So she''s either feeling confident or ambitious this morning. Using colours as a form of expression has always fascinated me.


    Usually, I see her in a different shade in a different class so I wonder what colour it''ll be in Physics as we all have opposite time-tables of our class schedule. I sigh and turn towards them.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to,¡± I state as simply as I can, already tired of this conversation. The questioning looks in their faces prove they don¡¯t believe my half lie half truth that easily. Damn it. Why do they easily spot when I¡¯m not telling them the full truth like some they''re robots or something?


    But, as much as it startlingly spot on-don''t tell them I said that, it¡¯ll go straight to Riley''s head-that¡¯s not the truth. Not the whole one at least. It¡¯s isn¡¯t a total lie, however being as I honest Selene do not want to go. Do I really need a reason to not leave my home for a party I know I won¡¯t even enjoy? That¡¯s not the whole truth either if you¡¯re wondering.


    ¡°Besides, I have more important things to do on that day.¡± I return instead. I just want them to leave the topic alone. Or is that too much to ask first? Don¡¯t they see how uncomfortable it makes me? But nope, no such luck.


    It frustrates me to no end when she gets like this. Like can''t she just let it go?


    ¡°First, that¡¯s not a valid reason. Second, more importantly, like what? ¡± She asks in a disbelieving tone. I roll my coffee brown eyes. Fun fact: I hate coffee. Like absolutely detest it. Not only does it remind me of the most bitter liquid on earth, it also drugs way too much attention to my beautiful inhuman eyes.


    I let out a sigh, annoyance and deep tiredness all rolled into one with the feeling of frustration and the situation brought in with its existence and slowly swivel around to face them. I just feel tired of this.


    Why do I have to have friends anyway if they¡¯re going to be this pushy?


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a reason. And better things like study for the test we have the next Monday''s test, sleep in, read a book, watch and play with my phone while listening to music. ¡± I reply, folding my arms across my chest, not going to take no for an answer if it came to it.


    Ha! Now they can¡¯t say I don¡¯t do anything on Saturdays. But again isn¡¯t that the whole point of Saturdays? Ah, but if that¡¯s the case my mother never got the memo; she has to make us do chores every single blessed weekend and make sure that we do them well, hovering around like an unrestful and unwelcome guest.


    ¡°Test?¡± Eberlyn asks in a confused voice. I stare at her in disbelief but Riley just ignores her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t honestly give up the chance of¡­.having fun on a Saturday,¡± Riley argues, unwilling to see the side my side of things, as per was her attitude towards me finding a mate, which I thought to be the root of the problem of this morning.


    Annoyed, I scoff, fold my arms across my small chest, not small to feel non existent but not too big to draw unwanted attention towards it, just the way I like it, and reply with ¡°Yes. Yes, I can. Riley, what¡¯s your damn problem this morning? It¡¯s not even midmorning or anything and yet you¡¯re arguing with me as if its afternoon!¡±


    ¡°We have a test?¡± Eberlyn asks again, quite louder this time. Or at least it feels that way. Half my ear perceives her words whilst the other is trained to Riley¡¯s words.


    How doesn¡¯t she know this? It¡¯s like the last thing Mr. Nandi said on Friday.


    ¡°I just want you to have fun but apparently that¡¯s so wrong. I guess I can let you do whatever you wanna do in your free time....¡± She trails off. I scoff, turning my head away to complete the action.


    Unbelievable.


    ¡°Is that the only reason that you want to force me to go to a party I don¡¯t obviously want to go to?¡± I inquire knowing that whenever I actually call her out in her annoying attitude with me she gets furious. Her lips purse, signifying that she¡¯s about to break. Her left eye twitches. And bingo!


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU WANT TO FIND YOUR MATE?¡± She yells out making everyone in the hallway stop and stare at us. I give them a forced smile and wave at them. Much to my greatdelight, they turn back to what they were doing with a shrug, but they probably view me as a weirdo now. Can''t win em all.


    I grab both of my friends by the wrists and haul them to the girl¡¯s bathroom just around the corner. The glass door shines in the light that hits its steel edges. I let go of one hand and push it open.


    This might be a werewolf run school but we still have to be cautious. I mean, you never know who or what might be listening. And when I say ¡®we¡¯ I mean, Riley. They really shouldn''t take for granted the majority in the school.


    Doesn¡¯t matter if she was angry or not, shouldn¡¯t have almost blown our secret to the whole school. But I did push her to the edge so¡­¡­.can I even really complain? Actually, yes I can.


    I give her a look silently as we all amble on into the girls bathroom. A giant mirror I instantly place myself in front of the nearest wall in front of one of the stalls. Although the chances aren''t that high of being somehow spotted by unwanted audiences since the glass is blurred from the inside out, so you can''t really see inside, I don''t want to take any chances.


    ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t yell that out and I¡¯m sorry I almost blew your secret. Forgive me?¡± She asks, lips drawn up in a pout as she searches my eyes for an answer. I bite my lip but don¡¯t answer at first as I contemplate my next words.


    ¡°¡­.No. You can¡¯t just blurt out things like that just because you¡¯re angry at me for some reason or the other. It¡¯s very¡­selfish.¡± I accuse as I raise my head to meet her eyes in a steady gaze at her.


    She gasps, putting her hand on her heart.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.¡°You¡­you think I¡¯m selfish?¡± She asks incredulously. I narrow my eyes at this.


    ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re selfish. I trusted you enough to know about my secret when I was eight and now you want to blow my whole species existence over what? Some unreasonable jealousy or something?¡±


    She visibly recoils away from me as if I¡¯ve just struck a chord. I purse my lips. Huh.


    She has no right to be upset, I¡¯m the one that going to be killed if the humans found out about us. That is if the humans don¡¯t get to me first.


    Did she almost come close to getting a death sentence with her name stamped on it?


    I turn around and walk out of the bathroom, shivering in anger, the door swinging back onto its frame with full force as I slammed it.


    People in the hall all stopped what they were doing to turn and look at me. ¡°What? Am I a movie now?¡± I ask, raising my eyes to them, my tone saying I wanted someone to challenge me.


    They slowly turn back to what they were doing and I continue on my way to class. I groan, hearing soft footsteps behind me not too long after that.


    ¡°I think you went too far.¡± Eberlyn voices out in that quiet still of hers, of which is an imprint of her soup?on personality walking towards me . The bathroom door swings shut, steel hinges swing to and fro for a hired mesmerizing second.


    I shake my head and turn to her. ¡°If I hope not, everyone did hear and someone from the pack heard as well and they go to tell the Alpha, my death sentence would be sealed even before I even have the chance to open my mouth to explain my side,¡± I explain with a raised eyebrow at her, daring her to say I was the one in the wrong.


    She sighs and looks at the floor but doesn¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡°How much time alone do you need?¡± She asks, looking back up at me. I shrug.


    ¡°A while. Two days, three at the most .¡± She nods at my answer but doesn¡¯t say anything for a while.


    ¡°Well, bye.¡± She announces suddenly breaking the heavy silence between us. I startle.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to class together?¡± I ask, quite baffled by her words. She looks away and doesn¡¯t say anything. The silence gives me an answer I don¡¯t like. We''re more than sister and I¡¯ve always felt like I could talk about anything with her and She would not judge, just listen to my problems and offer advice if she had any. How can she betray me like this?


    I fold my arms across my bosom and narrow my eyes into thin slots. ¡°So you¡¯re taking her side now?¡± I prod, too stunned to comprehend the words from her mouth that have the distinct sound of betrayal but too angry to let it go. I couldn¡¯t believe this. I didn¡¯t want to believe it.


    She can''t betray me like this. She can''t. Not after what we¡¯ve both been through together these 9 years. I won''t let her. She won''t betray me like that, right? She wouldn''t do that to me.


    But it only takes a small window of opportunity to show people who they really are.


    Silence speaks louder than words and from the tense anticipation I have my answer. The betrayal cuts me deep into my heart.


    I turn away ever so slightly, as if burned from her lack of words and the reassurance that doesn''t fall from her pliant lips, trickle tears burning at the soles of my tear lines. ¡°So you¡¯re going to pick her side over mine? When you know in your heart of hearts that I¡¯m right? After everything we¡¯ve been through together, you¡¯re night going to toss me a way like a cheap gift?¡±


    She swiftly closes her eyes as if she¡¯s being pushed into a corner she doesn¡¯t want to be in. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± My nose flares up. My pulse thunders in my ears, an angry sound of a coming storm. My eyes flash as they focus on the subject of caused hurt.


    ¡°Fine, be that way.But don¡¯t speak to me again after this. For I swear you¡¯ll regret it.¡± I say, throwing angry words of careless disorderliness and discomposure away at her that I know I will deeply regret the moment I have some quiet time to myself and rethink my choices of words as I walk away, shivering in anger on my way to class.


    But for now, I let myself stew in anger.


    With a hiss, I turn away and walk to class that I¡¯m 15 minutes late for, despite my best efforts to get to class early.


    First Riley practically courts out my werewolf secret to the whole school. Then Eberlyn, who usually helped with problems like these, took her side, even though im the one in the right.


    Am I now the bad guy for calling out Riley for being irresponsible and selfish?


    Did our friendship mean nothing to her?


    As the day dragged on and on, our interaction for the whole day doesn¡¯t change much except for when we passed each other in the hall and give each other silent nods of acknowledgement, but even those seemed too hard on my tiring psyche, and so I turned to go in the other direction.


    At least I still my birthday to lookout forward too.


    Oh who cares, its not like it would be fun and lively without them.


    Feeling down in the dumps about this morning¡¯s events, I went to the bathroom to try to collect myself instead of going to my technology class(he wasn¡¯t in school today anyway) to wash my face. Stepping into the toilet, I let out a sigh and sluggishly head directly for the tap.


    I stare at my reflection and see dark semicircle¡¯s underneath my eyes. I grimace and twist the nob, swiftly turning on the tap, water immediately gushing out in a calm stream. Placing my hand underneath, I watch it fill up into a small reservoir of water in the white bowl and bend down to splash it onto my face.


    I lift my face and stare at myself through the mirror again. I frown, now hearing the quiet muffled sounds of crying and short sniffles coming from one of the stalls. I turn to where the sound is coming from and hesitate to speak.


    They probably already know there is someone in here in the toilet with them, my footsteps aren¡¯t exactly light, but do they want to be comforted? Crying doesn¡¯t always exactly mean you want comfort, you¡¯re just out all your feelings of hurt.


    But I also feel like even if I can¡¯t or shouldn¡¯t comfort them, let me at least lend a listening ear. Sometimes all someone needs is a listening ear.


    ¡°Hey, you need someone to talk to? ¡± I call out as I slowly and hesitantly saunter towards the dark green stall. The sniffling stops for a few seconds and those brief seconds of tense silence, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to respond and start to turn back.


    ¡°...¡­ I just¡­ what¡¯s the point, you know? Why do people hurt people? What do you gain from that? ¡± She asks, sniffling in between her words, a familiar coping mechanism for the hopeless and sad, an inkling feeling tells me that she wants to continue her crying session. I bite my lip in thought before I reply.


    ¡°Well, some people are¡­different. And we have the choice to either adapt or let go.¡± I whisper in a gentle tone softer than marshmallows.


    ¡°That sounds very tempting¡­.¡± She concludes. I keep silent waiting for her to do in her thought.


    ¡°But ..what if you feel trapped in that ¡®relationship¡¯? What if you¡¯ve been threatened?¡± She continues as if she never paused her train of thought, in such a hopeless tone that I don¡¯t even need to open the stall to know that she¡¯s trying to fight back the tears. I open my mouth but nothing comes out.


    ¡°You have to believe you¡¯re strong enough to see you¡¯re not the one in the wrong for wanting to leave. Then you leave for the better. ¡± I advise as best as possible, hoping that I don¡¯t sound like a certified idiot, trying to console and encourage her.


    She sniffles.


    ¡°Do you believe in me? Even if you don¡¯t know me? ¡± She queries me with a newfound certainty that I didn¡¯t even expect she¡¯d have, both sentences null and void of the paused in between that previous ones had. And I¡¯m glad that she is feeling confident, even if that doesn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°I do. Even if I don¡¯t know you. ¡± I stop to think. ¡°Do you believe in yourself?¡± I ask although I¡¯m pretty sure I already know the answer to that question.


    ¡°I-I¡¯d like to. Sometimes I feel like I do, but it doesn¡¯t for long,¡± She admits in deep resignation, shifting sounds emitting from the stall.


    ¡°.. I sometimes felt like that too, quite a while ago.¡± Even though it had been approximately ten years, I still remember the fleeting moments of self-confidence. I pause.


    ¡°But it won¡¯t always be like that, you know. Rainbow after the storm and all that.¡± I continue.


    A sudden thought filters through my brain like something made of paper that couldn¡¯t get to me finally falling through the tiny hole of passage.


    ¡° If you¡¯d like, I could give you a hug?¡± The question slips out of my lips before I can think it through but I think, at this point, it feels right to ask at this, to offer more than just words of comfort and understanding.


    It feels like we¡¯ve grown close in this short amount of time that we¡¯ve had with each other.


    Is it weird that I trust her, even though I don¡¯t know her it even what she looks like? I wince.


    Even though I should since we¡¯ve probably both bone to the same school for the last 10 years.


    That makes me sound like such a horrible person.


    I can¡¯t even place the voice, albeit it sounds oddly familiar.


    She pauses before she cuts out a response. ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable with that yet¡­ but thank you. No one''s ever offered to hug me or to comfort me so the fact that you offered¡­.makes me feel not so alone. ¡± She titters out with nervous energy. I blink in surprise, confused as to why and how such a person like her would not be offered hugs every single second of the day if anyone ever saw her sad.


    How could anyone not like her?


    I¡¯m even now contemplating dropping my friends just to be friends with her, and considering the fact that I¡¯m still so very pissed at them (Eberlyn especially. How dare she take Riley¡¯s side!?), I¡¯m more than willing to do so right now.


    Which, I know sounds bad, but I don¡¯t see how I¡¯m just not supposed to consider it.


    ¡°Hey, you still there?¡± Her little voice meekly questions, her comforting tone jolting out of my thoughts and back into reality.


    Fuck.


    Was I crying? Why the hell?


    Using the heel of my hands to roughly brush past my wet eyes, I sniffle lowly, hoping to dear God that she didn¡¯t hear that, ¡°Yeah, I am¡­just got lost in thought¡­Are we friends now? Or are we still just strangers?¡± Immediately the words tumble out of my mouth, which can¡¯t fucking shut up sometimes, I want to take them back in. I close my eyes and groan quietly.


    Fuck. She isn¡¯t supposed to know that I don¡¯t know who she is or what she even looks like. Hopefully, she doesn¡¯t notice. Hopefully.


    ¡°You¡¯d want to be friends with me? Are you sure?¡± She queries, gentle confusion in her voice.


    Oh, thank heavens, she didn¡¯t notice¡­¡­Well, either that or.. did she just not want to ask me about it?


    A stab of over-protection tugs at my heart fiercely at this as I¡¯m filled with deep sorrow that she feels like she doesn¡¯t think she¡¯s worth becoming friends with.


    Who broke her confidence like this? And why?


    What reason would you have to break someone else¡¯s confidence like this?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I answer instead, hands closed in a tight fist as the anger rose in me. I''m going to wring this person''s neck, whomever hurt her this way and made her doubt every thing about herself. And then bring them back to life so I can torture them.


    An excited squeal startles me and I subconsciously back away. ¡°Sorry. Just excited to have a new friend.¡± She explains, shy voice meeting its match in the pauses in between both sentence.


    I smile. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯m excited too.¡±


    Something nags at my mind and I can¡¯t quite shake off the feeling that I might be missing something.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the time?¡± I ask, confused as to why that has something to do with the anxious feeling.


    Hesitant silence fills the air. ¡°Um, 11:30. Why?¡±


    Alarm bells ring in my head. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m late for class /Math.¡± My eyes widen in shock as the words for out of my mouth, unable to comprehend how I managed to make myself late.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She exclaims in a voice that would-perhaps- only belong to that of a little mouse that I almost don¡¯t hear her.


    Having super hearing does have its perks.


    I hesitate and take a glance at the door and turn my sights back to the stall. ¡°Could we¡­could we meet at lunchtime? Like at the front door?¡± I suggest, unsure if she¡¯ll accept and anticipating her refusal but hoping and hoping that she doesn¡¯t turn my suggestion away.


    She hesitates for the short breathe that comes within the stall. ¡° I.... sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡± I furrow my eyebrows. It seemed like just then she wanted to say simthing but then thought better if it.


    A strong wave of extreme relief fills me and makes me release a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Okay, see you then.¡± My voice getting higher and higher with each syllable, giving away the fact that I¡¯m excited and happy about this.


    I clear my throat and start walking towards the door.


    Peaking my head out into the hallway to see if the coast is clear of any teachers and other people so I can quickly make a run for it without being punished for it, a wide grin spreads across my face when I see that the hallway is indeed empty.


    I''m starting to feel like this is my lucky day.....


    I walk off into the hallway and step into class with a smile on my lips.


    Maybe today won''t be so unbearable after all.


    Given that I haven''t run into any of the three rich bitches(there''s four but....Can I even really call her a mean hearted person if I don''t know her?) today really looking up. So maybe I might have a good week?


    I snort, causing students to turn in their seats to look at me, and bend my head down in embarrassed mortification, moving my pen across the paper as the teacher wrote the note on the white-board. My hands work the pen furiously across the pathway of my notebook, jotting down every important information my hearing senses latched onto.


    Classes quickly spiralled past as the minutes turned to hours that languidly moved in a hazy blur and I was starting to feel suspicious.


    The times when I didn''t want it to go by so fast, it did. Coincidence?


    There were a few topics we did in some classes that I enjoyed. Not fair. The brain''s structure seemed quite an interesting topic. So much knowledge, and yet so little time to learn them.


    I pack my stuff and leave the scanty class of students, teenagers leaving inn the sane breathe that the bells rung.


    My books jostle in my hands as I step out, foot barely missing the slight interruption in smoothed floor of tiles. I glare at the steel as if I were staring down a human enemy that could respond to my annoyance. I huff and turn my heel to my locker. And here I was thinking I was going g to have a good day. I groan as my mood dampens.

 2 || Eliza

    I tap my feet in impatience as I wait for my new friend. I has managed to make up a storyline up in my head, think of numerous ways to kill and torture Adena , and daydream about the upcoming weekend.


    And still, no sign of the bathroom girl.


    Where is she? Is she avoiding me now? I dint see why she should or would for that matter.


    She told she was happy that we were now friends, although she sounded like she was more excited about having a friend more than the person of which she made a friendship with. Taking a peek of the hallway, my eyes swivel up and down the quiet space.


    I frown.


    No sign of her yet.


    Lunch is in 5 minutes though and I¡¯m only here early cause I wanted to save us a spot.


    That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just wait for her.


    As the seconds slowly tick on, my patience starts to wear thin and I almost combust.


    Where the hell is she?


    Just as that thought crosses my mind, the bell rings and the four rich bitches(exception Daisy for of course) along with everyone else, walk out of their class which lucky enough for them is right in front of the lunchroom.


    They walk in my direction and I take in each of their outfits one by one, wanting to have something to pass the time by, and begrudgingly appreciate the colour matching.


    As they walk passed, a girl an inch below my 5''6  height named Daisy Asghar avoids eye contact with anyone so fierce you¡¯d think she was actively trying to avoid making eye contact with someone in the hallway.


    Wait¡­¡­Is¡­.is bathroom girl her? Did I talk to Daisy for the first time in four years in the bathroom stall?


    I stare at her for a few curious long seconds and she must have sensed my curious gaze as she turns up her eyes to look at me.


    Swift recognition and blithe horror run through her dark eyes rimmed with red. I gasp she turns away and walks more stiffly even though her steps are brisk.


    I-I feel so confused. And yet I don¡¯t.


    Is¡­..is the person who keeps hurting her and destroyed her confidence Adena?


    I look at the disappearing back of each girl with a heavy heart. Each girl had a noticeably slim to their shoulders, even as raised up as they tried to keep it.


    She must have trusted me enough to be able to tell me something like that(or not, as it were) and now I feel like I owe it to her to keep away from Adena any way I can.


    Although how I¡¯m going to achieve that,  I¡¯m not so sure.


    But for Daisy, I¡¯m willing to go through hell and back. I''m not even so sure what us is about her that makes me feel this way but I would protect her with life and die if I have to.


    ¡®You could ask help from them. That if you feel comfortable enough with that.¡± Fern advises, making sure not to mention who they are as we both know who it is, picking her words with careful thoughtfulness.


    I grimace. ¡®Maybe but I¡¯m not so sure they¡¯ll agree to it.¡¯


    She sends me a sympathetic look through our mindlink and I send a mini hug back.


    Let¡¯s just hope I can even talk to them without trying to rip out their throats with my hands.


    I take a deep calming breathe in and walk down towards the door. Resistant g for what feels like a millennium, I reach over, my hand enveloping the cold silver handle, and push it open.


    I make a straight beeline for them, only looking at them so lock eyes with anyone and be intimidated, and come to a stop in front of their table. Not even our table, it¡¯s their table.


    Does that mean I¡¯m cutting them off?


    I shake my words off for the time being and focus on the mission.


    ¡°Um, could I ask you guys for a favour?¡±  I ask, not beating around the bush. They raise their heads up to look at me finally then look at each other.


    Eberlyn turns back to me. ¡°It depends. What¡¯s the favour about?¡± I try to shove down the flash of hurt that clogs its way up my throat.


    I clear my throat for good measure.


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s a who actually. Daisy needs to be away from Adena for however long you people can manage.¡±


    Riley furrows her eyebrows. ¡°I get that but why? Why is she suddenly more important to you than us?¡± She retorts in a semi passive-aggressive tone. I clench my teeth and try to listen to the soothing voice of Fern.


    But her words get to me.


    I let out a laugh. It¡¯s not as sweet or kind as it¡¯s supposed to be. ¡°Do you always have to make everything about you? This is about someone who needs help.¡±


    Disappointment slithers it¡¯s way into my admonishing tone before I can stop it. I can¡¯t help that my feelings come out pouring like a waterfall out my mouth.


    Eberlyn shifts her gaze to Riley with a pleading look in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    But Riley pays her no mind. It¡¯s almost as if everything she¡¯s saying is going in one ear and out the other.


    ¡°Oh, so you admit she, a stranger, is more important to you than us, your friends? Is that what you¡¯re trying to tell m-us?¡± I stare at her in half disbelief and half anger at her words.


    Did she really just? No, I couldn¡¯t have heard properly.


    ¡°What?¡± Comes my confused response.


    ¡°You heard me. Is she more important to you than us?¡±


    I blink. Then blink again as the anger claws at my throat and come out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you. Someone else is in danger and needs help but you want to make this about you. You¡¯re impossible.¡± I shake my head and wrap my arms around my chest.


    ¡°Why are you being so selfish? What does it get you? I thought you were better than this.¡±


    Her eyes flash.


    ¡°Oh really, I¡¯m the one being selfish? Does it look like I''m spending more time with a total stranger, who doesn¡¯t even ever stop her friends from bullying you and making you miserable, than us, who have done that for you?¡± Her words cut through me, hurting me like the jagged end of a steel dagger.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The hurt subsides just for a few seconds before the anger cuts through it. ¡°¡­That¡¯s because friends do that for each other.


    They stick up for each other, have each other¡¯s backs.


    I throw a pointed glance at Eberlyn who avoids my gaze. Huh. At least she knows. ¡°And they sure as hell don¡¯t use that against each other.¡±


    Riley opens her mouth to reply but someone beats her to it.


    Eberlyn hisses at this as she looks at both of us, leaning towards us with a look that said a lot of things but her mouth lets out one word instead which is enough to shut the both of us up. ¡°Enough."


    ¡°Fine. Are you people going to help or not? If not I can just do it by myself, I don¡¯t mind.¡± I ask politely even while I''m simmering in anger, my hands visibly shaking, and have to bite my tongue while I wait for the response.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Riley answers from the left side. I let the disappointment wash over me and stuff the hurt in the corner of my heart.


    ¡®Is she serious!? How can she be so selfish?¡¯  Fern''s disappointment and anger at my friend reach me through the mind link which slowly calms my burning fire for a while.


    I stiffly nod in assent and turn to Eberlyn hopefully. She looks down at her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t how ill do it but I''ll try,¡± She offers in a quiet voice. ¡° Least I can do anyway¡± she adds.


    I try not to smile in thankfulness but my lips refuse to listen to me so I don¡¯t try to hide it or stop it from happening.


    I know this penance for what ages going but I can¡¯t stop myself from what I do next.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say and reach over to pull her into a short warm hug. I see Riley''s eyes flash for a second but she purses her lips and stares down at the table so I think nothing of it.


    Besides, I have other things to worry about other than her unreasonable pettiness.


    I distance myself from the hug and wave her goodbye which she shyly returns. I hum as I make my way towards the lunch line and wait my turn.


    ¡°Hi.¡± A quiet voice speaks next to me, demanding my abrupt attention. I raise an eyebrow but don¡¯t move my head to know who it is.


    I already know. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me your name?¡± I ask her, picking up a straw and tearing it open with my hands.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ didn¡¯t know how.¡± She whispers in a quiet struggle.


    ¡°You must have had a great good reason for doing so. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to say.¡±  I placate, letting her off the hook as I change the direction of my words.


    I can almost feel her sad watery smile. ¡°I''m not allowed to talk to you.  Or anyone really.¡±


    I gape at this and finally turn to her. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    She shrugs and wipes at her eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re not part of our social circle, you can¡¯t talk to anyone that is not part of it.¡±


    Pure, unfiltered rage rushes through my veins and before I know it, I''m standing over Adena gleefully pouring a random cup of strawberry smoothie onto her seemingly perfect headed hair.


    She screams and I jolt back into reality.


    ¡°I guess now you actually are a strawberry blonde.¡±  I lash out, practically shivering in anger, as I know, from whose ever knowledge it was speed from, that she wants to change her natural auburn hair colour and become a blonde. ¡°Have a nice day, blondie.¡± I walk over to where Daisy is stood frozen in shock and grab her hand.


    ¡°I think we should run.¡± I suggest, taking a glance back at Adena and her posse who are getting up at this second. She nods and we speed out of the lunchroom, running like there¡¯s a blaze at our heels.


    ¡°Bathroom!¡± She exclaims as she points in its direction. I nod and we rush towards the bathroom, stumbling in through the opening door.


    A student peaks at us as breathe heavily, both out of breath. ¡°Close the door.¡± I hiss out, breathy rasps coming out in time with my wheezy breathing.


    They nod their head in a very robotic manner and do as told.


    ¡°Damn, I''m really unfit.¡± Daisy exclaims in agonized pain as she holds her sides. I look over and can¡¯t help but let out a snort.


    She glares at me and wipes a hand across her wet forehead. ¡°Meanie.¡± I shake my head while my shoulders tremble with laughter.


    I unclamp my hands over my mouth. ¡°Sorry.¡±  She rolls her eyes but then she snorts as well.


    ¡°It is kinda funny.¡±  She admits.


    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I¡¯m unfit too.¡± Her eyes widen in surprise at my confession.


    ¡°No way. You¡¯re like super hot.¡± She says and blushes.


    Aw. Cute.


    ¡°Thank you but I have a roll. So like that¡¯s debatable.¡±


    She chews her lip. ¡°I still think you¡¯re hot.¡± I smile.


    She drags her faze elsewhere. ¡°Thank you, by the way, for standing up for me. No one¡¯s ever done that for me before.¡±


    ¡°No one? Not even your so-called friends?¡± I ask.


    She shakes her head softly with a disappointed frown. ¡°No. Although I think they would have, I hope, but they¡¯re just too scared of Adena.¡±


    I purse my lips. ¡°And no teacher ever noticed anything odd with your group of friends?¡± I probe gently, not wanting to upset her anyway lest she clams up.


    Because I need to know how angry I should be before I report this to the council.


    She twiddles with her thumb in quick succession yet synchronized hand movement and lowers her gaze.


    ¡°Daisy.¡± I call out her name gently. She shakes her head and lifts her hand to wipe her eyes at the same time that a tear spills out the other.


    I pull her into a warm hug and she buries her face into my chest, crying into my shirt while grabbing a small fist full of a top section. I stroke her back as her body shapes with the whimpers she emits.


    She sniffles and closes her eyes. ¡°You know what¡¯s funny? Whenever she¡¯d threaten me, I¡¯d believe it and-¡° she scrunches her face as if she doesn¡¯t want to go on. ¡°You don¡¯t have to-¡° I start seeing the wobbly look on her face but she shakes her head.


    Stubborn.


    ¡°She¡¯d immediately try to act all sugary sweet with me, offering to buy me anything I wanted and being nice, but the feeling never really went away. And if I ever disagreed with her or even tried to?¡± She laughs bitterly and wipes the snot underneath her nose.


    My heart breaks into pieces for her and I have to visibly make an effort to breathe in and out to calm myself down, even though Fern is ready to rip Adena to shreds too.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be better okay? I can promise you that.¡±  I weave my hands through her hair as I tell her this, making sure to keep my touch as light as possible.


    She sniffles and raises her head higher to meet my concerned gaze. ¡°How do you know that? You can¡¯t see into the future.¡± She asks staring up at me with eyes slightly rimmed red.


    I chew my lip but don¡¯t say anything in the contemplative silence.


    Her eyes widen in shock. ¡°You actually can?¡±


    I laugh and shake my head. ¡°Can you just trust me on this?  Maybe one day you¡¯ll know but for now, just trust me okay?¡± A disappointed sigh leaves her lips but she nods a small smile highlighting her face.


    ¡°I do. Just don¡¯t leave me alone with her.¡±


    I won¡¯t.


    Later, I''m clicking my tongue in impatience as I spin the house keys as I walk to the forest, multiple scenarios of killing Adena rushing through my head.


    I mean I know I can¡¯t do it, not because I''m scared, but because don¡¯t know if I could I would get away with it.


    Stepping foot inside the forest I take a small detour to a small section of it where I won¡¯t be disturbed.


    Releasing a sigh of relief as I enter my quiet place after separating the tree branches that civet it up thanks to how long they are, I go sit under my favourite tree and close my eyes.


    A soft cool breeze caresses my face and I smile slightly, my shoulder unhunching.


    ¡°Little one, you look tired.¡± A light musically voice says, announcing their graceful presence. I smile lightly and peek out at her my eyes half-open.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that obviously.¡±  I answer half sarcastically, half-amused but it¡¯s said in such a light tone that it¡¯s not even noticeable. She lets out a tiny tinkling laugh. She understands me so much even when I''ve said so little and would t take my sarcastically remarks to heart.


    In fact, she would  no sooner than be hurt with my sarcasm than she would report it to the others to make my life harder than it already and would instead retaliate with her own flare of sarcasm. In another life, I believe we could have been sisters.


    ¡°I guess I should have seen that coming. Now, what¡¯s this about?¡± She asks, getting down to business. I open my eyes and sigh.


    Her flowery pale blue hair greets me first, floating around my face almost getting in my mouth with the breeze that carries it.


    Always trying to suffocate me with your hair, aren''t you?


    I pick my words carefully. ¡°It''s Adena. She¡¯s been terrorizing students at school. And it doesn¡¯t look it¡¯s going to stop anytime soon.¡±


    She hums. ¡°And you want to bring this to the council because of Asghar.¡± She announces casually with a raised eyebrow, eyes alight with semi playfulness that teased the bubbling anger to the surface more.


    I open my mouth but nothing comes out.


    ¡°How-?¡± I ask after a few seconds of silence.


    She smiles. ¡°I¡¯m a goddess remember? Plus my sister never shuts up about her children.¡±


    Ah.


    ¡°You should do it. Who knows if it''ll eventually get out of hand?¡±  She thoughtfully taps her chin with long blue glowing fingers that sparks every once in a while. Her hand clenches into a fist.  ¡°I won¡¯t stand aside and let a helpless human be bullied by one of my own. It¡¯s just not right.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡± I ask, giving her a worried look.


    She nods. ¡°Besides someone to give that girl a bitch slap back into reality. I would rather do it by myself but rules are rules.¡± She shrugs, lifting her pale blue dress up with the movement, but I can see the frustration and irritation in her pale blue eyes. I cover my mouth with my mouth in shock, mirth shaking my shoulders.


    She¡¯s always been so polite. I¡¯ve almost never heard her be vulgar like this. It¡¯s kinda nice. She should let loose more often.


    I reach over and wrap my arms around her in warm embrace. ¡°Thank you!¡±  I end the hug and she smiles. Something about it reminds me if my upcoming birthday thus Saturday.


    ¡°Oh, um, who¡¯s my soul mate?¡± I ask, vaguely aware that site won¡¯t answer my question because she¡¯s bound by goddess laws or something to not tell me. I don¡¯t think I have the patience to wait a whole week to just find out which one person is my mate. That¡¯s just bonkers and would drive me mad. Mad me ain¡¯t pretty.


    Her smile tightens just the littlest bit, not too much for it to be noticeable but enough for me to but enough to notice the small twitch of the corners of her lips.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know well in a week, little one. All in due time.¡± Is all she says before she then decides to disappear.  I blink. That was unexpected and especially for her, out of the ordinary. What gives? I huff but let it go to the back burner of my mind for the time being.


    I get up and dash to the packhouse, excited for the upcoming event of Adena getting her ass handed to her in a very public way, it¡¯s practically a national embarrassment, and start humming happily as I near the building.


    Slipping the key into the keyhole, clicking into life as I twist it counterclockwise, my feet start tapping on the wooden boards in trepidation and excitement.


    I push it open gently and peek my head around the corner. People of all ages, ranks, kindred spirits and family lines mile about the place. Aged people sit with their mates on couched chairs, smiling fondly at each other as they whisper in secret.


    I allow myself a small smile for a moment, taking in the beautiful scene before me before I make my presence known by clearing my throat. Heads jerk towards me. Joyful, happy faces become somber once they take in my expression.

 3 || Eliza

    I carefully step into the packhouse and softly close the door behind me.


    "As part of the council of elders on the spirit realm sides, the moon goddesses Selene  has approved of the notion that humans and werewolves should live in peace alongside one another. However, this is not always the case as we can see some several occasions where we have...been in contact" I pause, knowing that I have the rapt attention, look at each and every one of them  with calmness I never knew I possessed but nonetheless the mask of the skill  hides the barrage of nervous energy I feel. I continue.


    "A young she-wolf among us has been terrorizing humans by bullying them and mistreating them unfairly." I announce, unlocking the climax of the words I had spoken prior like pulling the sheet off a cold, inactive corpse. Shocked gasps of old and aged people resound all around the room, like the echo inside a hollow deserted room, although there are some knowing looks shared among the younger ones.


    "Its Adena, isn''t it? That girl had always been a cruel person and a trouble maker." Dwante, one of  the younger ones, asks, although he poses it more like an assumed statement than a question. I nod.


    I wonder.....has she ever put any family in danger? Cause that''s against basic pack laws.


    Shunning is not looked down upon in the werewolf community if you so much as lay an ill hand of intent on a young wolf. Worse even still if it were a pregnant she-wolf.


    "I''m taking the matter to the Alpha and Luna right now. But please, no one tell her about any of this. I don''t want her to have time to be prepared for her punishment." They all nod their silent compliant to my plight.


    "Our lips are sealed dearie." An old woman from the from the left far side of the room says. Her eyes, full of wrinkle lines of age and watered down pinched almond  skin, hold no sense of loyalty or compassion to anyone as cruel as Adena. A deep fire burns in black eyes. They scream for justice. "No problem for you to worry about."


    I smile at her, lightened from the burdensome responsibility. "Can I trust you all to do the same?" I equity excuse her for moment in my periphery gaze.  Solemn nods all around me.


    "You can count on it." He chirps back at me.


    I nod and excuse myself.


    Walking further into the dimly lit room, I walk down all the way to the heart if the hallway that houses both the Alpha and Luna''s office-making sure to hide my face as I stare down at the ground and take a deep breath. Since it¡¯s conjoined, I can talk to the Luna and the Alpha would still hear every single thing I would say.


    Plus, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d do too well with talking to more than one person at a time. So I have to be careful what I say and how I say it.


    Easy.


    ¡°Luna? May I request your audience?¡± I ask politely through the door, making sure my voice is loud enough but not too crude to the ears.


    ¡°You may.¡±


    I blink. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d answer that quick.


    I open the door and enter, shutting the door with my other hand with a soft this against its wooden hinges before I turn fully to face her.


    She¡¯s sitting patiently, carefully watch full of my movement with her calm steely eyes, her hands placed nearly in her large desk. I gulp.


    Suddenly, I¡¯m nervous.


    Is it just me or has it gotten degrees lower? No?


    ¡°I have¡­an issue I need to speak to you about. The both of you actually¡± I titter out in a nervous stream of words. She raises an eyebrow at this and I can tell that I now have her attention and her interest in the way she slightly relaxes and her expression softens.


    ¡°Go on.¡± Her words still come out in a short clipped tone.


    This slightly weakens my confidence but I don¡¯t let it show. Business is not merciful.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually about Adena. She¡¯s been bullying a person in school, a human who just recently became my friend, and makes her feel sad. Not to mention that she also terrorizes other students at school, me included. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s ever gotten physical though. But I think something should be done about this.¡±


    I hope I¡¯m not shaking. Am I shaking?


    ¡°I see. Honey? What do you think?¡± She calls out to the Alpha, turning her head to the right side of my head where the other door that connects both offices is.


    Confused, I turn around and almost have a heart attack then and there but again I have to conceal my expressions and keep it calm, even if that¡¯s not how I feel. He stalks towards his wife and stands next to her, a united front and a perfect pair.


    The Alpha sighs. ¡°I guess if it¡¯s really as serious as it sounds and I¡¯ve never known you to be a liar Eliza, then something does have to be done about it. Perhaps urgently even.¡±  He glances at me as he addresses me and turned his attention back to his wife.


    She nods and leans back in her chair.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it and let you know our decision later.¡± She dismisses me as she gets ready to go back to work, her tresses falling over her face as she lowered her head.


    ¡°Actually¡­I um I wanted to take this to the council.¡± I say wiggling my toes as I wait for her response, bringing her golden-brown eyes back to mine, mentally cringing at how unsure I sound in front of them.


    Hopefully, they don¡¯t hear how my voice tips over and gets higher.


    They look at each other and I kid you not, I can hear the conversation that¡¯s going in between them with their eyes connected, blue to gold and gold to blue.


    They turn back to me, one with an apprehensive expression on but determined nonetheless, and the other an unwilling cooperative agreement but with slumped shoulders resting against their chair, a frown on their elegant face.


    Her response shocks me. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡± She trails off, giving her husband a worried uneasy look, not even bothering to conceal her expressions anymore.


    He shrugs. ¡°If things don¡¯t go well with Adena when we try, then I don¡¯t see why not. But that is to be our last resort if the talk with her isn¡¯t successful and her behaviour keeps up.¡± He answers, raising his finger up in the air as if to emphasize his point at the second half of the sentence, glancing at me with half a worried look.


    He throws a cautious glance at her but she still looks very upset and mildly angrily muttering underneath her breath slouched in her chair.


    I choose to ignore it.


    This is more than I''d hoped for. I feel stunned.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say in surprise and inwardly gulp, turning my expectant eyes to the Alpha.


    He sighs and rubs his face. I clear my throat while feeling poorly horrible for what im about to ask of him but the second he removes his hands from his face I instantly regret it and consider getting him a vacation instead.


    His eyes look so tired, so worn out by the stress and repeatedly dull by it all.


    And I¡¯m guessing that the problems Adena keeps causing aren¡¯t making matters easier for him or the Luna. I wish I could hug him, we are family friends anyway.


    But, ever such a stickler to the rules, I don¡¯t move an inch from my spot. Business is business and should remain so.


    Straightening my slight posture, I open my mouth to speak.


    ¡°I was wondering¡­could I speak to James real quick?¡± I ask, well, more like beg with how softly polite my tone is.  He smiles silently and I take it is almost as convincing as my lies but his eyes still lay flat.


    ¡°Sure. You two haven¡¯t seen each other in a while anyway.¡±


    I almost kick myself for the next stressful question I ask him and trust me, I would if I could. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s okay? I wouldn¡¯t want to intrude¡­..¡± I trail off worriedly when I catch a glimpse of the Luna who is now glowering at the table, mouth in a disapproving frown which I¡¯m beginning to think is permanent. I look back at the Alpha.


    ¡°Of course it won¡¯t be a problem.¡± He waves off my worries kindly.


    The relief that instantly fills me makes me feel guilty for the stress I¡¯ve just added to his plate.


    What right do I have to ask more than I what I came for from him?


    He opens his mouth but then closes it, a strange look of consent and resignation resting on his face as he stares at me, shaking his head as if to shake the thought out of existence. I let out a quiet sigh of relief, shoulders visibly letting go of their tension.


    I was starting to think he knew. But that¡¯s impossible.


    And besides, he doesn¡¯t.


    He doesn¡¯t though, right?


    I mean how could he? I have kept it from everyone for the last ten years, my best friends included(and they¡¯re practically my sisters!) so there¡¯s no way that he could know


    I look at him and, in my conflicted mind, I decided that I have indeed overstayed my welcome.


    ¡°Thank you for allowing to attend your attention. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±  I announce brightly, a convincing smile to accompany my words dash out of the room completely unprofessionally.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Once I¡¯m where I can panic, I let out a loud groan as my head falls into my hands.


    Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit. Shit.


    Shit. I shouldn¡¯t have run out like that or lost my composure like that in the first place.


    Now they¡¯re going to know somethings up and ask questions.


    ¡®But shouldn¡¯t they though? I mean, you never know, they won¡¯t accuse of lying as you fear.¡¯ Fern asks gently.


    I shake my head but then sigh tears filling up in my eyes.¡® I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just scared and tired and frustrated with it all.¡¯ I wipe fallen tears carefully, my hands are soft on my eyelids.


    She says nothing for a few seconds. ¡®It¡¯s okay. You can tell them when and if you want to. I won¡¯t push you to do that.¡¯


    I smile at her. ¡®Thank you, Ferine.¡¯


    She groans, the sound reverberating through our mindlink. ¡®I told you I don¡¯t like that nickname.¡¯


    I snort.


    ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll just think of  another nickname.¡¯ I finally concede to the demands of my wolf. She huffs playfully, putting her nose in the air. ¡®Good. As you should peasant.¡¯


    I openly laugh at this and start walking towards his room feeling like I could actually face him without panicking and chickening out even before I reach his door.


    Nearing the door though, the worries start to pour in and I start to have second thoughts.


    What if he suddenly decides that he doesn¡¯t want a plaything to manipulate and scare anymore and strangles me?


    What if he cuts my body into pieces and sends it to my family?


    Stop it.


    You¡¯ll only make yourself panic over nothing, I try to tell myself but it does next to nothing to ease my worries and fears of the monster behind that door.


    I try to believe those words though, more so for my sake than anyone else''s, I really do, but I can¡¯t stop the way my hands are troubling, jittering in time with the rapid palpitations of my heartbeat, only softly colliding with the cold steel metal of the doorknob.


    I let out a deep breath and open the door, creaking as it wood ground against wood, I grimace in pain at the sound. I look up and meet eyes with the monster.


    ¡°So, what brings you here? Here to threaten me again?¡± He asks, dropping his book and phone carefully on his bed, slightly straightening up and turning into his side to face me. He laughs, a deep throaty maniacal sound, and I involuntary shiver.


    I clench my hands. ¡°No, I just came to request something from you. A favour, if you will.¡± I plead of him, an act I begrudge  to ever admit to anyone outside if this room, hating the weakness in my voice, clam up and wait for his response.


    Although that¡¯s highly unlikely, I add in my head.


    He raises an eyebrow at this and languidly folds his arms across his chest. ¡°And why do you think I would do that? Or anything for you?¡±  The question peeves me off-not to mention the tone, but we can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t expect it-  but I can¡¯t deny that he¡¯s right.


    I almost laugh at myself for being stupid enough to think he¡¯d help me or anyone but himself.


    I mean, who am I right?  Just the Delta and the link between the spirit and the human world.


    No one important as far as he¡¯s concerned. Not unless he wants something from me anyway.


    But does that mean I¡¯m going to give up? Even though I was trying so hard not to make my shaking visible? Hell no.


    ¡°I just thought you¡¯d want to help me keep an eye on Adena and I don¡¯t know, somehow warn me if she was about to cross paths with us in school.¡± I maintain steady eye contact with him, even though I''d rather have hidden under my bed right now and never come out, but I stand my ground. My chest heaves up and down as I take a breath in and exhale it out.


    He raises an eyebrow in intrigue. ¡°Us? You and who?¡±


    ¡°Me and daisy,¡± I answer shortly. He hums and I have to stop myself from recoiling back as a slow smile coils its way around his lips. The hum, I think I¡¯ve headed this tune a few times, that¡¯s normally of a nursery rhyme that children sing withhapoy grains, is now almost clinically sinister


    ¡°So you want me to protect you and your friend from my sister? And what do I get in return?¡±  I open my mouth to protest, even though I don¡¯t think I will, but then promptly shut it.


    I mean what can I say?


    No, you can¡¯t ask to have a favour from me after you¡¯ve fulfilled mine?


    That¡¯s how favours work. I can¡¯t say no, much as I want to.


    I sigh. ¡°Whatever you want.¡± I keep my voice levelled so he won¡¯t hear the resentment or the burning urge to refuse his demands, as valid as they are. I clench my hands. If only id known what he¡¯d ask next I would worded my answer better fit for my peace of mind.


    Imagine I¡¯m going through all this trouble just for one person that I¡¯ve only half known for a day. The heart is weird like that.


    He doesn¡¯t see this, a new feature of his ever noticing mind that I¡¯m ever so grateful for, and instead leans back into the headboard with his long limbs folding over his top half. I don¡¯t like being made to feel afraid.  But knowing Jim, he¡¯ll somehow accomplish that and make feel like I¡¯ve gone four years back in time, back at square one.


    ¡°What about your position? What if I said I want that?¡± He inquires with a mischievous light in his eyes that twinkles in the depth of an ocean in his black eyes. I shift my feet close to the door, each step quiet as my heartbeat.


    I frown. ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that, even if I wanted to. Every position in the pack is based on the colour and strength of your wolf. You know that.¡±  I refute his baffling question with a fair and balanced explanation so as not to awaken the monster hiding in the dark.


    He folds his arms, pale milky skin that pushes out from beneath, as uncontrollable as their owner, his strong arms, of whose strength and heavy push down I know well, and slightly leans back. I left my hand to rub at the scar at the back of my neck right under my nape, wincing a bit at the tender healing skin that meets my probing curious finger. It was weeks ago but it still feels like it happened a few days ago.  I shake my head to rid myself of the vile memories of pain, and remove my hand from the squishy darkening scar.


    He suggests,  ¡°Your connection to the spirit world then.¡± His empty tone does nothing to betray his tyrannical condition although I see a little light pass through his eyes. Sometimes I wonder if he has ever felt anything in his life. I can hardly tell heads or tails of what emotion I just saw, that I¡¯m now thinking was a figment of my imagination. Because how could it be?


    What was it that I just saw? Was it just a trick of the light? Or am I going insane?


    Isn¡¯t imaging things that aren¡¯t there a sure sign of insanity?


    My jaw almost drops to the floor, incredulous laughter bubbles up in my throat, threatening to come out. I clamp my hands over my mouth and tear my eyes away that come to a rest on the floor.


    He can¡¯t be serious, can he? That request he just made -I don¡¯t think I can get my head around it-is absurd. How can he even suggest such a thing when he knows that not exactly possible?


    I mean if I can¡¯t give him my position in the pack, what makes him think I can give him this?  Even if I wanted to, which really I''d have to be mad, that¡¯s impossible.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that. Sorry.¡± I tell him with a quick look in his direction, offering what I hope to be a convincing apologetic expression on my face.


    ¡°Hm, didn¡¯t think so anyway.¡±


    I wait for him to say more, fingers itching to grab the door handle and leave.


    ¡°What do you think you can give me in return then?¡± He questions as he means forward and slowly clasps his hands together underneath his chin, sunlight peaking in through the half-open window, its rays highlighting half his face.


    I fold my arms protectively around me. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know. I could get your patents to let you lead the next pack meeting if you¡¯d like?¡± I suggest hesitantly, shrugging my shoulders as I raise my head up to meet his eyes, which strikingly look sharper in the sunlight than before.


    Is it the lighting or is it just my imagination?


    He thinks for a few seconds, scrunching up his nose deep in thought, his eyebrows pulling up into a thoughtful arch. ¡°I actually do like that suggestion. Huh. I guess you do actually have sine bright ideas.¡±  He expresses gratitude in surprise, his eyebrows raised, even if the third part of his sentence condescends my thinking abilities. His tone is so airy and light that you¡¯d be too blinded by it not to acknowledge his words.


    But he doesn¡¯t fool me. And neither does his innocent smile. I bet you he¡¯s thinking how to make me look and feel like I¡¯ve done something wrong by disagreeing right as we speak.


    I bite my tongue and nod even as the anger courses through my veins, firing up my blood. ¡°So is that a deal? You¡¯ll help me?¡± I ask with a sceptical look cast at him, making sure to my time just as light with every little bit of effort left in me.


    He frowns distractedly and leans back into the darkness again, all traces of light gone from his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­. How am I so sure that you won¡¯t backstab me? For all I know, you could just as well feed lies to my patents about me.¡±


    I purse my lips and count my breathing in time with the heartbeat that follows.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I answer shortly in a clipped tone, my eyes holding into his firmly.¡± I can¡¯t promise that they¡¯ll agree to it but I can promise that I will follow through with my end of the deal.¡±  I say passive-aggressively his absurd claims about my person.


    I fume silently.


    How dare he accuse me of such things? I¡¯m not a user and I¡¯m sure as hell not someone who won¡¯t keep to their words. Betraying people who¡¯ve helped me just isn¡¯t my thing.


    Even if the possibility crossed my mind, I wouldn¡¯t backstab anyone, especially if it¡¯s someone I don¡¯t like because I don¡¯t see any reason to do so.


    Unless of course, they start shit with me first.


    Then and only then, is it fair to backstab and retaliate.


    But I won¡¯t do that, even though he¡¯s done way more than his fair share of mistreatment, even if I so badly want to. I just don¡¯t think I have the nerve to do so.


    Besides he¡¯s the alpha of the pack. Well, not yet anyway, but you get my point. I just hope he doesn¡¯t end up being my mate.


    And a deal''s a deal. So no turning back now.


    He taps his cheek with his pointer finger as he looks at me, looking just a little bit more convinced. I stand still, although my thoughts churn like milk being made into butter, the continuous turning making a glisten of sweat to slicken my forehead. What¡¯s he planning?


    ¡°Hm, okay. Deal.¡±


    A huge weight feels like its being lifted off my shoulders, even though they still slightly tense up. There is ominous intent, even if I don¡¯t know what it us, I know it¡¯s there.


    Wriggling into view and disappearing soon after in his eyes.


    This feels suffocating, especially in the way his eyes hold malicious intent, but gives no more information than that, no matter how hard I search and try to decipher it, and suddenly I struggle to swallow. I lick my lips.


    ¡°I-Thank you.¡± I force out in what I hope to be a polite appreciative tone. I can¡¯t let my emotions get the best of me now. I won¡¯t let him get me riled up like that anymore.


    I start to make my way towards the door, freedom so close in plain sight, thinking that all conversation had ended and I could leave, but he calls out my name, a little bit hesitantly might I add, before I can open the door. My hand stills on the doorknob.


    "Yes?" I answer but don''t make any move to turn around to properly face him as I should, my hand gripping the cold steel as my hold slowly tightens on it.


    "How long do I have to do this?" He questions, his voice coming out in loud thumps to my eardrums as my eyes widen in surprise. Did


    I hadn''t even thought of that.


    Hell, I hadn''t even thought he''d agree to do me this one favour even after all my pushing. The Alpha''s words come back to haunt me.


    "You two haven''t seen each other in a while anyway."


    My grip tightens more. " Just till Adena backs off of Daisy."


    He doesn''t respond instantly and I  wait with bated breath for what he has to say to that.


    I bite my lip in expectancy, my heart softly pounding in my chest.


    But what comes out of his mouth next shocks me so that I almost lost my balance, slightly swaying, wobbling really, from side to side.


    "Okay. I don''t mind." He announces so casually as if he were struggling as well as he said those words that my eardrums wouldn¡¯t pick up anything strange coming from someone else but sounding so foreign, alien almost, coming from him without a hint of emotion in them. Shivers crawl down my spine.


    Does he even have any emotions? I briefly wonder as I take a quick look at him before I forcefully and, unsurprisingly, hurriedly twist the doorknob, soft air brushing past my face at the swift unexpected shift, a much-welcomed event, and close the door roughly with trembly, almost slippery fingers.


    I breathe in heavily through my nostrils, my shoulders tensed in fight or flight mode as my heartbeat speeds up, and back up into the wall that is furthest away from his room.


    Taking in a deep breath, I place my hand above my chest, as if to memorize the way my panicked heart beats, in an attempt to soothe quickly soothe its unstable palpitation against my ribcage as if in a bid to get out of its restrictive cage, plainly firm on achieving its goal.


    My hands, which were supposed to be my one steady anchor, vibrate at an unusual frequency that was almost inhumane in its odd existence along with my heartbeat. I struggle to swallow spit down my dry throat


    Inhale and exhale.


    A strangled out choke comes out of my larynx instead as I try to attempt the one way I know how to calm down as if I''m choking on something stuck in my throat.


    My vision blurs in and out of focus as my tears spill out of my tear ducts, staining my cheeks with illogical emotions, as my heartbeat steadily thumps louder, not more than a soft noise in the background.


    My hands cushion my face as it lands softly into its warmth as little whimpers escape from my lips. Whimpers spill out of my mouth in reckless abandon, too selfish to stop but too restless to go anywhere else, as I get lost in my little panic attack and mental breakdown when footsteps penetrate my eardrums.

 4 || Eliza

    My hands wipe away my fallen tears in haste, a little bit too quickly as it swipes at my face a touch too rough, leaving a dry stinging sensation behind my eyes.


    I scramble up as I straighten my awkward spine and lean away from the wall, but not too much that looks suspicious, so it looks like I was casually waiting for her late arrival. My heart slams in my chest, just as much as of a nervous wreck as I am.


    Someone comes round the bend at the far end of the hallway and stops dead in their tracks as their eyes suddenly meet mine. "Oh. I didn''t expect to see you here Elizabeth." She exclaims in soft shock, a hand perfectly poised on her bag strap holding it tightly.


    A nervous laugh which is short-lived bursts out of my throat sounding like steel grating against metal.


    I clear my throat and offer her a casually lazy smile instead as best as I can muster. "Yeah, I uh wanted to surprise you." I stutter out. "Surprise?" I ask one of my best friends, even though I know that should be a statement and not an awkward unsure question.


    On the inside, I groan. Why¡¯d I just lie? I never do that. Great, now I¡¯ll have keep up it with them. I don¡¯t her to think I¡¯m not trustworthy. What¡¯s done is done.


    But still, the guilt weighs heavy on my chest like a dead weight.


    I have an honesty streak as I¡¯m all fir honesty and tend to tell the truth at all times, even the end result isn¡¯t so bright or good.


    I wince. Well, except in the morning. But that¡¯s different. They¡¯d never understand. Besides, everybody tells a little white lie sometimes. Why can¡¯t I do it?


    She smiles, brief but brighter than the stars in the night sky, humour me for a bit, but it does nothing to stamp out the growing worry in those deep brown eyes.


    "Funny." She says dryly.


    "But are you actually telling me the truth or are you lying to me?" She accuses as her arms, languidly resting by her sides before although a little bit restless, cross themselves over her chest in opposite directions.


    I grimace at the sharpness of her tone and her accusation, an easy reminder of what could happen if I made a single mistake in my answer.


    I''m hurt.


    The hurt squirms in my body and wriggles its way down to my heart where it swells to drastic proportions.


    While she isn''t very much wrong, much as I hare to admit it, about me lying to her why is it that''s what she accuses me of?


    Why does she think that I''d lie to her? I mean, I did do that but still. Does she have that little faith left in me?


    Nervous laughter is your telltale sign, you idiot, my unconscious hisses at me, sounding aggravated at my incompetence.


    I roll my eyes and shove it back into its lonely corner which causes it gives me a stinky eye. I ignore it and focus on who¡¯s in front if me.


    I decide to pick my words carefully, noting how tensed up her delicate shoulders are, as if ready for any admission of guilt, no matter how small, of doing something wrong to hurt her.


    Those eyes that are usually so calm you''d want to wrap yourself up in it and live in them, glimmering with a hostile glint in the rays of the splintered light in the hallway, never straying from mine like an unknown time bomb in a minefield.


    And I feel I''m walking through it in the dark.


    One wrong move and everything goes boom, my subconscious mind warns me.


    "I was also here to do something about the Adena and Daisy issue." I pause and make distinctive eye contact with her, a remorseful expression shading my coco-coloured features.


    "I just didn''t know if it''d upset you if I mentioned the reason I¡¯m also here for." I continue, the lie swiftly leaving my lips without a single trace, leaving me dumbfounded at how the easy the lie escapes my truthful lips and its quick delivery.


    But I make sure to mask every other emotion apart from the bashful almost apologetic expression written across my features in bold.


    I try to hide how badly I''m freaking out whilst I ponder over the mysterious arrival of Eberlyn.


    I didn''t think she''d be home this early.


    Why is she home this early? Isn''t it Monday that she always has swimming/violin practice?


    I thought I''d still have time to do what I came to and leave without being seen by her.


    Shit.


    And why do I have to lie to her? Why can''t sue just overlook my telltale sign and out it down at shock or nervousness at her sudden arrival instead of bombarding me with questions of honesty?


    I look at my hands, coffee coloured eyes gliding to their flayed open silhouettes underneath my nose in interest as I proceed.


    "What with Riley and our fight this morning, I didn''t want to do something to hurt you too. Or to make you not want to talk to me anymore." I whisper out into the air, my eyes beginning to feel soft underneath pressure from my tear ducts. I blink and a sudden tear slips down my cheek. Her countenance wavers and changes, hard shimmering back into soft, and her eyes once more hold nothing but concern and instant mercy.


    She walks closer to me and wraps her soft arms around me, standing in tippy toes to reach my neck. "It''s okay. I wouldn''t have been bothered about it." She consoles softly, her tone warming my heart more than the words that were spoken. I sniffle, my cheek pressed against the black kinky bumps of her braided tresses.


    "Really?" I probe, unsure of what she could just as easily made up to hide still burning anger. She removes her face from the crook of my neck and stares at me with an intensity that makes me want to shy away.


    "Of course really. As if id be catastrophically upset you had to do something for a new friend.


    On the contrary really, I''m happy and proud you''re doing something to help someone in need. Frankly, I think it''s about time someone put a stop to Adena''s reign for good." She says firmly, her eyes alight with strong irrevocable compassion and righteous anger, as her words did nothing to betray her tone or the look in her raven eyes.


    I smile a knowing smile.


    Always a fighter for justice, aren''t you?


    And really that''s what I mostly love about her. That and her open kindness to random strangers she crosses paths with wherever she goes. She''s really the sweetest person on earth that way.


    She smiles bashfully, probably guessing what I''m thinking about abd hitting the nail on the head too. "I just don''t like seeing people hurt for no reason us all." She dismisses with a modest wave of her hands but a pleased shy smile playing at the corner of her lips.


    A casual shrug before more words tumbles out of her mouth. "Not like I''m the hero here or anything. You are."


    I open my mouth to protest but all I can do is stare in embarrassed shock. I promptly cover my face with my hands, concealing any possible chance of seeing me embarrassed like this by a compliment. "I haven''t done anything yet though." I say, too flustered by the sudden compliment and recognition to look her in the eyes.


    "I''m just doing what''s right is all." I mutter in a smaller voice.


    She stares up at mine with a determined but gentle smile. "And that''s why you''re a hero. And my best friend." She says with all seriousness, booping my nose with her forefinger after making such a statement which I internally disagree with on its very basis of accuracy.


    A lurking shadow in the dark, a monster under the bed and a terrifying dream I''m yet to wake up from.


    I have saved people but have yet to save myself.


    So can I even really be called a hero?


    But I don''t want to cause her any worry or stress any more than I already have or disappoint her with any of what I''m feeling.


    Seeing her sad makes me sad.


    And all for what? Something that doesn''t even matter to me that much? Upsetting her isn''t worth it.


    And I just don''t think I could bear it. Just thinking about it makes me genuinely want to cry.


    So I swallow my problems, push them down into the farthest part of my being where they won''t be found even if they try to reach into my darkest and hidden parts, and plaster on a genuine smile. "As they say, not all heroes wear capes to save people." I say and strike out a heroic pose, hands on my hips.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Slowly and with a look of deep thoughtful concentration, she detaches her hands from my neck and instead attaches them to my cheek in silence, cupping them in between her palms which squishes my cheeks up. Makes me look like a puff fish.


    Her eyebrows furrow, contemplating and weighing the weight of her words, and gently taking her lower lip beneath her upper lip lost in thought. I wonder what she''s thinking about so deeply......


    And it looks like I''m about to find out, I think as she opens her mouth, ready to speak.


    "Why do you want to help her? I mean, don''t get me wrong I know Daisy is a sweet girl and all but you never sought to acknowledge her presence, much less appear like you wanted to get to know her.


    And I doubt you knew what was happening before any of this." Her eyes search mine for answers that lay awake on my tongue but die in my throat, reluctant to escape unto the cold thick air full of secrets between us. "So what gives? Why the sudden interest in Daisy? Why do you two now seem to be friends?"


    I open my mouth to answer but coherent thoughts escape my mind so much so that I can hardly catch them and bring sense back into them, swallowed by the shock of it all, the accusation that her tone yells, the question her suspicion expresses and the desperate need to be measured that her deep suspicions were wrong but hard determination set in her eyes.


    They swivel from left to right as they gaze into my eyes in rapid succession.


    I gulp and wet my suddenly dry lips with a slow swipe of my tongue. It does nothing to settle my frayed nerves.


    Do I tell her the whole truth and nothing but? Or do I give her the bent version of the truth?


    I squirm underneath her scrutiny and shift my attention onto something else, unable to think while her eyes are on me.


    I don''t like the idea of having to lie to her. Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.


    I mean, yeah I did twice but that doesn''t mean I like it.


    And seeing as I''ve already lied to her once in the last five minutes, which is one too many, I don''t think she''d easily believe me as she did the first time. She''s already way too suspicious of me to risk adding another white lie to the ever-present list.


    She''d know what it was as soon as the lie passed my lips anyway.


    Absentmindedly, I chew on my lip and veer my attention to her and once again meeting eyes with her. And suddenly I know what my decision is as well as what my answer is going to be.


    I clear my throat and open my mouth.


    "I- um. One of the reasons why I want to help is that I''ve noticed how much of a sweet person she is. She offered to him the door for me when I was trying to get out of school and offered to walk me home. Not many people would do that for me except you people. Although I am wondering how much of that is caused by the bullying. The second reason is um......." I pause and struggle to swallow some spit down my dry throat.


    It appears to be that I have yet again chosen the wrong option even though I know which one I should have made.


    Once a coward, always a coward.


    I continue, looking unaffected by the accusation my brain makes at me. "I relate to her situation of being bullied. And nobody deserves to have that kind of treatment or to feel that way. Or to have self-esteem shattered by a so-called friend. I''ve been where she''s been and I want to help her."


    The words pour out like a running tap, unfiltered and giving out nothing but what''s contained in its pipes, and the second the words leave my brain and come out of my mouth like an unconscious stream they feel somewhat true.


    I was bullied by Adena for a long time, although the event started a long way before high school and right around the time I''d discovered who she was so I couldn''t see how if I said anything that it would alleviate the situation.


    What she did to me, and sometimes still does, and said to me-contrary to popular adult belief, words do hurt. A lot. Some of what she said still troubles me to this day.


    But luckily I have friends to get me through that period in my life and help me feel like I could live again instead of just trying to breathe.


    I felt sad and alone. Scared and helpless. Lost in a sea of negative emotions that do nothing to improve my poor and quickly deteriorating mental health. I''ve been where she is, felt what she''s feeling so I can understand her more than she''ll ever know. More than she''ll understand herself. I can help her.


    I say as much to Eberlyn. Her eyes soften with something akin to sympathy, sadness and some other emotion I can''t quite place.


    "I wish she wouldn''t do things like this. It''s just not human. And it tears me apart that she could and would do that to a dear friend of mine." She says now, folding her arms across her chest and rubbing her elbow as if she were cold, her forehead furrowed in upset lines, skin folding into rolls underneath skin. Her eyes shine with grave worry.


    "Promise me something, Eliza. " Her eyes harden with fierce determination as she continues. The look in her eyes throws me off a little bit but also causes tingles to spread throughout my body which is a pleasant reaction. I almost feel dizzy.


    I nod my head vigorously. "Anything. Anything you want." I say breathless and eager to please her, a flickering light beginning to born brighter inside me from the intense fire behind and the glaringly flaming love those depths.


    Wetness prickles my eyes.


    "If anything like what she did to you in elementary school ever happens again, tell me. Or Riley. Just promise me that you''ll tell someone you trust and can confide in. Hell, if someone tries to bully you again, promise you''ll get help from a trusted person before it gets worse. Promise me that."


    I shake my head in the affirmative without a moment of hesitation to get rid of the guilt, to soothe the deep familiar feeling that rises up from within its cold dark depths and rolls into my core like unsettled ocean water licking at curiously at the shore.


    She only wants to protect me from the bad in the world and to make sure I''m safe.


    After all, she cares about me....no because she loves me like family and I do the very last thing she''d want to be done to her. She cares for me like a sister, practically treats me like a big sister but is still overprotective of me, loves me with all that she is and with all that she has to give and I repay her by lying to her. Straight to the face.


    What kind of best friend am I? Wait no, what kind of friend am I even?


    I feel horrible. I feel sick.


    As if to prove my thoughts to be true, my stomach starts to twist and turn in an uncomfortable cyclic churn that makes me want to throw up my lunch and breakfast put together.


    Great now I actually feel sick and want to puke. Fan-fucking-tastic.


    I try to swallow the thick bile that rises in my throat but it''s proving to be quite a difficult task as it vehemently refuses to go down and let me talk properly and instead decides to stay lodged in it, completely regardless of my relentless trying.


    I turn my head to the left and cough into my hand, which might have been a bad idea because splitters of saliva mixed with today''s breakfast coat my hand with a flourished splat. Scrunching my nose up in disgust, I shake my hand far away from my person so that it doesn''t splash anywhere near me or worse. I shudder.


    I rub the remnants, which is just saliva at this point as the other bits and pieces splatter onto a new surface, soon disappearing into another location, onto the side of my jeans, a poorly made choice and not all a sanitary thing to do I know, but as I don''t have a handkerchief or paper making of any sort that will have to do much as I don''t like it.


    I turn my eyes back to her and lock eyes with hers once more, determined overprotectiveness clashing with a confident countenance. "I promise." I breathe out.


    A content smile slowly wraps itself around her lips. Relief comes from making her feel reassured and content by my answer.


    "Thank you.¡± She sighs out, her shoulders lowering themselves as she visibly relaxed, all tension leaving her body. An arrow of guilt stabs my heart, piercing me in the centre with its sharp triangular tip, leaving me with a pain a hundred times worse than I''ve felt for causing her to worry about me.


    The horrible slimy feeling slithers into my tear bones and then moves up into my tear ducts, tiny silver-like tears slipping through clustered eyelashes.


    It punches me in the gut though, my emotions bursting out into the open like an opened can of worms, unwanted but no apparent way to get rid of them, wiggling and squirming around in this unknown new territory as it tries to get accustomed to its surroundings, when a worried expression glasses over her features once again.


    I scrunch up my face so I don''t cry and become a pathetic sight of snotty tears, an ugly combination as my eyes feel heavy with salty tears line an upset cloud on a stormy day getting ready to release all the pent up water it sponged up from the earth onto unsuspecting civilians. She draws my head into her shoulder with my cheek resting against her shoulder and her hands gently brushing through my hair.


    The action breaks me and the cloud breaks under pressure from the atmosphere, spraying water onto wherever it sees fit blindly as I let the held in tears flow free freely down my face, streaks of salty water trailing my cheeks. Tears leak down onto her shoulder in an unending stream and seep into her clothes, sliding down past her collar bone.


    Great. One more thing to add to the piling guilt list.


    "I''m sorry for making you worry over me. I didn''t mean to." I wail into her shoulder, gripping onto it tightly so she knows that I mean what I say, hoping she doesn''t get more upset over this and leave me too, as she threads her fingers through my hair in a soothing calming brush that has the desired effect.


    Her soft crooning voice whispers comforting and reassuring words into my ear. ¡°Sh, sh, it''s okay." She reassures me as I weep quietly, trembling as she holds me in her arms, the sound my lips can only let out come in the form of little whimpers as a response.


    "Besides, I''m your best friend. And as such, it''s my job to worry about you. Okay?" She says, taking my head into her hands and raising my head up so it''s at eye level with hers. She carefully removes a stray braid out of the way.


    I wipe at my eyes sniffling as I nod. "O-Okay. Okay." I manage in a shaky voice.


    I run my hand through my face, a cleansing coping mechanism that I use to calm down in stressful situations which also aids in calming down my speedy heart.


    She gives me her famous kind smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of my best friends. And my favourite person.¡± Then how come you chose her over me? I don''t voice out my thoughts, unread keep my lips sealed shut.


    A shadow of guilt passes over her face. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Riley I said that though. She¡¯s already angry enough.¡± She pauses to look at me with searching eyes. I grimace at the mention of Riley.


    ¡°And I care about you very much so I worry about you all the time, whether those worries or fears are unfounded or not.¡±


    I nod as im wiping the tears that fell while some threaten to spill over.


    I let out a short snort of laughter. ¡° I look like such a big baby now, huh?¡±


    Yeah, but you''re my big baby." She agrees, her lips curving into a smile too.


    A moment of silence passes before she speaks again.


    "Hey, Eliza? There''s nothing wrong with crying in front of me or people. People cry all the time."


    I stiffen but give a minor careful smile while my mind works overtime, tinkering in how she could know about my crying session from earlier. ¡°I know that. I¡¯ll keep that in mind mom.¡±


    I choose my words carefully, wary of what I say so I don''t let any unbidden information out of my mouth while keeping composed eye contact with her.


    How could she possibly know?


    I mean, sure there are sometimes where I cry loudly -I''m pretty sure Japan knows by now-but I was quiet this time. I''m sure I was.


    At least, I think so anyway. I hope so anyway.


    I frown.


    Is there something she''s not telling me?


    She notices. "Everything all right?"


    I jerk my head up at her voice, the sound jolting me out of my thoughts and hum in silent recognition of her words carelessly.


    "Yeah, everything is fine. Everything is sunshine and rainbows." I over exaggerate a tad bit, a surely stupid way to get her off the subject and off my back about it, with a relaxed smile to go along with my faux relaxed facial expression. A moment of silence elapses before I add "Why''d you ask?"


    Or do I just not want to suspect a friend of mine of something so that I can have my peace of mind?


    She twists her lips into a still concerned frown, an expression I¡¯ve gotten used to over the last five minutes as it keeps making unnecessary appearances.


    ¡°Nothing, you just looked down in the dumps is all. But if you say everything is fine, I believe you.¡±


    I turn my face away subtly but not too much that my face is completely turned away from her in a bud to hide the guilt that swims around in my shore and comes back to bite me in the ass with a vengeful wave crash down on me or the deep horrible longing to tell her everything about everything, words my heart yearns to say but my mind, the traitor that I still love, won''t let me.


    She can''t know, it whispers to me now.


    Nobody can. Nobody will.


    I''m a slave to my brain, a prisoner to the cell it has conjured up, in order to survive life''s cruel cycle of abuse.


    I blink back the sudden tears gathering in my eyes and this time, surprisingly, it works.


    For now.


    I revel in pleasure at my accomplishment.


    "Well, I''ll be off now." She waves at me, a welcome gesture but frightening all the same, and I return the gesture as I raise my hand in acknowledgement, my lips stick in a forced smile as I wave.


    She turns around, her left hand precariously holding into the bag strap sling over her shoulder hurriedly, as it slips slightly down and walks further down the hallway to her room.


    But I can''t help wondering that there''s something she''s not telling me about, can''t help the wiggling doubt that''s trying to take up all the remaining space that isn''t filled to the brim with worry, stress and grief from today''s events.


    Not can I break away from the growing suspicion clouding most of my thoughts, regardless of how hard I try to push them back, but they gave the power now and they''re running wild with it.


    Why do I feel there''s something she''s not telling me?


    She comes back around as though hearing my thoughts and asks once again, "Eliza, are you everything''s fine? I could stay with you want. Or you could sleep-over. ¡± She offers, persistent, even though the issue of her betrayal is still on my mind and my heart still sputters from the bone crushing hurt.


    I turn away.


    ¡°Everything is fine. Peachy.¡± I reassure, desperately hoping she¡¯ll believe the lie and let the issue go. She to take the bait as she nods slowly in response.


    She bites her lip. ¡° Okay, okay. I guess I''m just paranoid.¡± She says and finally retires to her room.


    I shake my head, clearing all and any thoughts of suspicion, and start my walk home.

 5 || Eliza

    Tuesday morning, we arrive at school in Eberlyn¡¯s stepbrother¡¯s car in silence. The soon to be Alpha once he finds his mate and my sworn enemy. It¡¯s a wonder how she managed to smuggle me into his car willingly.


    And, oh boy was there tension. . It was almost stifling.


    I wasn¡¯t so sure if it was the air between me and Riley or the suspicious yet worried glances Eberlyn gave but I refused to pay them any attention as I kept my eyes firmly glued to the window in my seat.


    I shift around, trying to find a non-arguemental way to brain the subject and trying to find a more comfortable sitting position, and made the mistake of touching Riley¡¯s thighs with mine as she sat with me in the back seat.


    As she begins to turn her head, I flinch, fearing for the worst,  an automatic body and slide my eyes down onto my lap to avoid it.


    Or so she can¡¯t ask me questions I won¡¯t have the answers to?


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I all but quietly squeak out, giving her no time to say anything first.


    She says nothing fat first but I can still feel her eyes burning into the side of my head as if that response is enough. I squirm around more carefully this time so I don¡¯t make the same mistake twice in a subtly way of moving away from her.


    It feels like I''m on a battleground. It feels like I''m sitting next to a stranger I¡¯ve known all my life.


    I don¡¯t like the feeling.


    What even was this? We¡¯re acting as if we''re strangers but we¡¯re best friends.


    We¡¯re more than best friends at this point.


    And family always solves its problems with communication.


    I swallow and dare to raise my eyes in her direction. ¡°Um-I-About yesterday-¡± I start bravely, even as my uneasy voice betrays my little confidence, shying a glance at her. But im not allowed to go any further with my words as she cuts in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it. Drop it,¡± her words finely cutting through my sentence like a butcher¡¯s knife cutting through fresh liver. And although her voice is low, I can hear the quiet rising anger in her tone, her sudden response short and clipped in nature.


    The refusal to talk about the issue of the elephant in the car is so swift that it almost hurts much more than the burning sting of her tone like the sharp jagged edge of a knife.


    There¡¯s also a warning sign, an alarm that screeches at me to turn back, to not continue with my dangerous intention, to shut up to keep the peace, even as delicate as it is, in her voice that almost makes me rethink my decision to continue with my goal. But I persist on as if nothing happened.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t talk about it-.¡± Again she cuts me off. My nostrils flare as I breathe in heavily through my nose, my fingers aching to meet skin in harsh contact as my fingers twitched.


    If there¡¯s anything I hate more than anything, it¡¯s being rudely interrupted while im speaking.


    I remind myself that she is just as uncomfortable as I am and her emotions are just getting the best of her as I breathe in slowly, reigning in my anger as I try to calm down.


    Tensions are already high anyway. Won¡¯t do much good if I add more fire to the flickering flame.


    I raise my eyes to hers, knowing that they¡¯re already, and sure enough, her eyes met with mine.


    ¡°I. Said. Drop. It.¡±  She clenched her teeth suddenly, her eyes glaring at me.


    Subdued into silence, I  meekly lower my gaze down onto my lap again. ¡°Okay,¡± I whisper, my voice barely infiltrating my eardrums as they escaped my lips.


    Eberlyn throws me a worried glance through the mirror, her eyes holding a sympathetic aura to them.


    Silence reigns in the car once more as I fall silent. We arrive at school soon after which Riley interprets as her cue to leave.


    She jumps out of the car once it murmurs to a stop, slams the door in a hissy fit and stomps off without a word to either of us.


    Releasing a small tired sigh, I let my head fall back into my open hands as exhaustion and exasperation flood through my body, drowning the rest of my senses and emotions out.


    We¡¯ve only just arrived at school at a fashionably early hour that made me feel sluggish even though the sun was brightly peeking out from behind the slowly moving clouds, its golden rays glaring down at our bodies, making it hotter than it needed to be. I scowl.


    And Riley chose to cause me more grief than I already had this morning when I only wanted to sort out the problem because I couldn¡¯t bear with the silent treatment any longer. But alas, good intentions can only reach so far before they backfire.


    And the day hasn¡¯t properly started yet. It¡¯s still too early and our teachers aren¡¯t even in school.


    And too early for Riley''s stubbornness.


    I groan. I run my hands up and down my face, trying to scrub away the sudden tiredness and the heavily weighted stress that equally dragged my body down that rotated around this morning¡¯s events were like a bad dream that I didn¡¯t need to be relived.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Eberlyn¡¯s voice filters through my ears, jarringly loud as it pierces into my quiet jumbled mind as it single-handedly scrambling my thought up into a bubbling goop of scattered thoughts.


    ¡°She¡¯ll come around. I know she will.¡±


    Hopefulness drips from her tone like syrup onto a pile of fresh pancakes, sweet but not tantalizing enough to my ears to convince me that they were true words. Saying that she would come around, a possibility that I didn¡¯t think would ever come to fruition, was like saying pigs could fly or better yet, that dolphins could walk on two feet.


    A bitter exasperated hopeless laugh escaped out my throat before I could stop it. ¡°When? Next week? Next month? Next year?¡± I accuse, knowing full well neither of these is going to happen, with a raised eyebrow as I fold my arms across my chest.


    If there was any person out of the three of us and I put together who was the most stubborn, it was Riley. That girl could give Zoz a run for his money.


    I sneak a peek at her through the open spaces in between my hands and catch sight of the crumpled expression on her brown face. ¡°Sorry,¡± I say quickly guilt swimming through my thoughts, delighted as it violated my thoughts, and making them more scrambled than ever.


    She lets out a soft sigh of resignation before she sends a brightly little sombre smile my way, which, im not gonna lie, was quite infectious. As infectious as it was though, my lips sit silently on my face.


    Even when she was being serious, she still manages to smile. An admirable quality.


    ¡°It''s fine. I just don¡¯t like seeing you so hopeless and frustrated like that.¡±  She says with an honest tired smile on her lips.


    I consider reaching a hand out towards her to comfort her, to let her know she wasn¡¯t going to be admonished for attempts to reduce my stress and frustration with the situation, as unhelpful as they were, and that they were not going to go overlooked. I don¡¯t want one if my best friends who¡¯s practically a sister to me to ever feel like that, like she¡¯s alone.


    Because I know what that feels like. Sometimes I still feel that way, but nkt as bad as it used to be because of him.


    But then I stop myself, hands already midway through reaching for her in the air.


    What if she didn¡¯t want support that way? What if she shook me off? Am I overthinking this?


    I shook my head, my hair whacking me in the face in silent punishment.


    Don¡¯t be stupid, she¡¯s not going to, she¡¯s one of your best friends, I gently chastised myself in my head for thinking such vile distrusting thoughts about my dear friend.


    But still, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reach across to her in silent support.


    My mind wandered over to happier, less harmful thoughts.


    Letting myself briefly, very briefly, forget how stubborn Riley was, I allowed myself a teensy weensy bit of hope to flicker and bloom within my chest. People can often change after all. Who¡¯s to say Riley couldn¡¯t?


    I look out towards the direction in which she left in, my gaze drifting right past the car door which eventually lands on the unopened gates of the high school.  My eyes slid further down past it and descended upon the looming building up ahead.


    But I couldn¡¯t still believe that, couldn¡¯t even fathom the thought, ironic seeing as how I entertained it.


    ¡°If we do give her more time and levity, how soon do you think she''ll come back?¡± I pose to Eberlyn, gaze still fixed in the building that called itself a school for teenagers.


    Silence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t- I don¡¯t know.¡± Comes the quiet response from the front seat. I expected her to answer my question with that but I didn¡¯t expect how much the response would tug at my heartstrings like a puppet in a show and tell.


    I slid my eyes back to her, momentarily caught in between two places before I zipped back into one.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not going to happen seeing as how stubborn she is and how obtuse I am, but if  I apologize for all those mean words I said yesterday what with calling her selfish and all, do you think she''d forgive me and come back to is sooner than later?¡± I ask, hope laced around my words like cyanide, folding my arms around my middle as I suddenly felt cold but it did nothing to abate what I felt on the inside.


    I rub at my arms, chills spreading throughout my body, and look at Eberlyn beseechingly, pleading with her silently to lie to me this one time. But uncertain silence answers me instead.


    Wetness dripped past my eyelids and landed splat onto my cheek.


    But I knew deep down past the stupid light of rapidly dying hope, past the desperate wish to be in her good books again, past the helpless need for her to forgive me and forget what I said to her on Monday so we could continue being a happy group of best friends, that that wasn¡¯t going to happen. At least, not anytime soon.


    Once it hit me, the pain rattled off towards my heart and wrapped its slender weighty body around it and squeezed. The force of it almost knocks me over but I stay seated though barely managing to not start crying. I silently wheeze out as I lay bent over clutching my lower abdomen as the hurt spread.


    I pressed a hand to my mouth to muffle any sounds that may come out.


    But despite my best efforts, tears now sped down my cheeks.


    She reached out a hand lightly placed it on top of mine. I dropped my eyes down to it. ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, she has had some people betray her before but im sure her outburst won¡¯t last long.¡± She says but the sentiment of her words are, as beautifully crafted as they appear, lost on me as their raw syllables hit my ears like bullets.


    I quickly snatch my hand out of her grasp, hot fury building up in my stomach, my chest burning up with rage. ¡°I would never betray her, friend or not.¡± I hiss out, my eyes narrowed into snake-like slits.


    Never, my heart longingly whispers.


    She splutters, almost choking on her spit. ¡°I didn¡¯t- I never-that¡¯s not what I meant!¡±  She finally lets out, eyes magnifying in her oval-shaped face which was frozen in horror that grasped at my heart and squeezed painfully to the point of heavy breathy rasps.


    Guilt tore at me, swimming up into my throat, making me fidget uncomfortably in my seat. I made a noise at the back of my throat and opened my mouth, getting ready to apologize to her for the unfathomable time lapse in the last 24 hours.


    But then something flickered in her eyes, gone before I could make out what emotion it was and what it meant for me, flashing at me like a red warning strengthened my weakening resolve.


    I fold my arms across my chest as I levelled my eyes with hers. ¡°While we¡¯re on the topic of betrayal, why don¡¯t we talk about how you betrayed me yesterday. Would you care to enlighten me why you chose her over me?¡±


    Her eyes dim, dark anger swirling within those depths as her jaw sets. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    I laugh and fold my arms across my chest. ¡°Or what, you¡¯ll run back to Riley and choose her over me right? Even though you knew I was in the right? Even though you trust me more than her?¡± The words pour out of me like acid, each one more harmful than the next as it spews out my mouth in an endless stream.


    I didn¡¯t want to say there words nor did I like the way they poured out of me like serene calm water. I really didn¡¯t. But the hurt inside me still ran deep, squirming and pulsing like it¡¯s own entity that screamed at me to hurt her and I wasn¡¯t so sure I wanted to let go of that yet.


    She turns her head away from me in a quick fluid moment but not before I  catch sight of the anger, the volcanic animosity that shimmered in her eyes which were usually a calm loving brown but now turned into a dark brown almost liquifying into black, and grips the wheel.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to pick sides. I didn¡¯t want to divide us any more than we were already were or make any more problems between us. Is that so wrong?¡±  she grits out, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly with her shoulders pulled up into a locked hunch.


    I stare at her with furious anger, shaking and trembling as it surged through me like strong waves pushing against the shore, so much I thought my arms were going to fall off from the intensity, feeling my temperature rise along with my shallow erratic breathing. The heat of it feels like burning from the inside out.


    ¡°So you chose to divide me and you instead? After everything we''ve been through?¡± I spit at her in hard, roughly edged syllables as they glace past my lips, the hit range and cold hurt fueling me on.


    I saw her jaw clench and her grip on the steering wheel tighten even as they began to tremble.


    From what though, I don¡¯t know. From hurt? From anger? From guilt? I didn¡¯t know and I wasn¡¯t so sure I wanted to.


    Cause I didn¡¯t care if I hurt her. I wanted to hurt her as much as she hurt me. I wanted her to feel the same betrayal I felt.


    Fern tries to reach out to me, to soothe the raging waters clawing at me, rising to the surface front and centre, but I hiss at her. She shrinks back into herself with a low yelp. I narrow my eyes.


    I don¡¯t have the time nor the patience to worry myself about hurting her feelings right now, much as it hurts seeing her and knowing I''m the one that hurt her that way. Couldn¡¯t she see that I too was hurting?

 6 || Eliza

    "So instead of not choosing between Riley and me and just stepping away from the situation so we could sort it out ourselves," I continue, feeling the urge to slap her hotly across the face rise within me swiftly, almost overwhelming any other swirling emotions inside me but I reign it in, gathering all of them close to my chest and stuffing them deep inside of the darkest parts of the blood pumping organ.


    I curl my fingers into my palm, numb pain distracting me from committing the tempting crime as my bails embed themselves deep inside. "You still decide to so anyway. You-" I cut myself off again as angry tears well up in my eyes and mistreatment to spill over as they blur my vision.


    I choke back an angry sob.


    "You betrayed me. You betrayed my trust." I whisper into the air now, sad, tired and defeated, as hot angry tears slide down my cheek and land on my clavicle, making a soft plop upon harsh contact. I flinch against the strange sensation.


    I don''t wait for her to respond, I''m not even sure I want any sort of response from her, not sure I will believe it, not sure if I want to listen to her, and hope out of the car.


    Slamming the car door roughly in her stupid teary-eyed face that I catch a glimpse of through the mirror, I turn my head to the front gate of the high school.


    Riled up, I decided to walk my anger that still sparks off and stay as far away as possible from my two friends.


    Gritting my teeth in anger though, I let the hot air of Durr?s warm up my wet cheeks and shiver as it runs cold fingers across my skin. I wrap my arms around myself as I walk onwards.


    I flick my eyes towards the gate as I inch closer to it then briefly glance in the direction of the car again, my heart lurching in my chest once I see the heartbroken but angry expression on my 17-year-old best friend, and flick my gaze back to the gate as I try to swallow the lump in my throat.


    I take my phone out of my picket, an easy distraction from my conflicting feelings starting to overwhelm me, to take a look at the time and know if I should be taking my ass into school grounds any time soon.


    6:35 it reads, glaring at me in the face like disappointed parents, a reminder rod my now angry best friend. I sigh and stuff it back into my pocket with a gentle shove.


    Might as get going since it''s more than officially morning.


    Or am I running away from my problems like I always do?


    The morning sun follows me like a protective family relative shielding me from the harsh and brutal evil truth of the world as I grudge onwards to the school gate, casting off a dark representation of myself off the handle and more than half of the floor as I reach forward.


    Another shadow of disembodied parts of a human being, as regarding their movement which isn''t as fluid as one would like, swaying in the wind as if it were moving behind me.


    Alarmed, I bite my lips in a concentrated frown so I don''t scream and shift my eyes behind me while my heart leaps in my chest like a scared horse. A lump of bile is swallowed down my throat thickly.


    Hand movement in the air easily floats into my vision. Startled by the sudden appearance, I jerk my head up with wide eyes.


    ¡°Hi," she whispers into the soft air swirling around, black eyes shining brighter than the sun itself as they locked onto mine.


    I''m too tired to force a smile into my sad lips, but her mood this early morning is too dazzling and delighted that I can''t stand the thought of making it drop. So I lock my problems in a box, throw away the key that was going to be lost for the time being, and carve my lips into a bright smile as a response.


    I part my lips. "Hi. How''s your morning so far?" I ask, my voice echoing too much sugary sweet to my ears, so much so that I was starting to doubt if that truly was my voice, as the words flew out of my mouth, not quite thinking them through I pour them out. I frown inside myself.


    Probably better than mine anyway.


    Her smile widens, filling her face with unbridled joy, as if that was even possible, as the question echoes out in the air between us. "It''s been great so far. More so now that im with you again. What about you?" And just as expected, my dreaded questions backfires on me.


    I try to retain my composure and maintain my sane mind whilst struggling to find common ground between both. "It''s been fine so far too. Com''on, let''s get to class." I answer and quickly change the subject in a seamless motion that I feel proud of if I do say so myself.


    I hope she doesn''t notice it though. I don''t want to be the one that ruins her mood.


    Her eyes dim noticeably for a split second but then brighten back up again so fast that im not quite of what even sure of what I saw. Surely I can''t be losing my mind this early. But could I have seen what I thought I just saw? I didn''t know.


    I eye her suspiciously but her quaint smile on her small face and her eyebrows raised in joyful apprehension looks so genuine and feel so contagious that I can''t help but be a little bit happier with her, letting my suspicions fade away into nothing and leave me worry-free.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Maybe she didn''t actually just look suspicious or worried right now. Maybe I imagined it. Yeah, I think I imagined the slight crease of worry in her forehead.


    I hope.


    We walk into school together our measured steps in sequence with the other,  our elbows interlocked with each other, the quiet squeaks of our shoes against the polished tile floor being the only sound in the whole school. It feels comforting, serene in the chaotic noise that was my mind, and I liked it. I allow myself to get lost in it.


    "Your locker or mine first?"  She asks, voice as soft as a fluffy cloud on a rainy day, jolting me out of my thoughts. I raise my head up and peak at her with unfocused eyes.


    "Hm? Oh, yours. I mean, if you want to." I say, adding an afterthought after a beat of silence, giving her a small smile.


    Quiet contemplation crossed over her features before she sent me a measured look. Our eyes met and I stare into them, putting to memory the way her eyes fascinatingly glimmer faintly and sparkle at the same time in the span of a few seconds. "How about we go to both of ours? It''s close anyway."  She shrugs as she tells me what she thinks about my suggestion.


    I blindly nod and blink, quickly snapping out of my daze. Her eyes pick up on it but she says nothing about it still.


    "Kay."


    We continue to walk together in the patient comfortable silence that stretched up and over the mere existence of time between us, cloaking me in its protective warmth. Sharp wetness prickles at my eyes and I blink back the deep sudden urge to let out tears, stubbornly refusing to cry now of all times.


    And in front of her too. I didn''t want her to have to comfort me just because I was crying. Not if she didn''t want to of her own accord, at least. Besides, I felt that it was still too early into our relationship to seek comfort or be comforted.


    And too early to tell if she would let me do the same thing for her.


    That thought sent a jilt of hurt into my heart and through my head, attacking me in both defences. Eye liquid threatened to spill over and coat my cheeks once more with their damp presence.


    Not now, I hiss at them forcing them to obey my command whether they liked it or not. My eyes dry up once more, leaving me faintly red-eyed in their uncaring wake. I sigh, momentarily forgetting to do it in my head so Daisy doesn''t get worried about me.


    It bites me back in the ass though, as expected. I almost groan out loud but that would mean making her worry more about me so I clamp my lips shut.


    That¡¯s more than enough people I need worrying about me. Even she''s becoming overwhelming.


    I pause and really wonder, I hate to say it, if Eberlyn even would still be worried about me right now after what just happened in the car. I mean sure, she might be angry at me for the things I¡¯ve said to her-ok, no who tf am I fooling? She¡¯s furious- but surely she won¡¯t be that angry for her to start hating me just because of that right?


    Right?


    She hesitates, almost looking downright opposing to airing out her thoughts and concerns, and I''m glad that she doesn''t ignore it instead.


    "You okay? You seem like you have a lot on your plate today." She asks, taking my hand in hers as she shares deeply unto my eyes, startling me out of my jumbled thoughts of regret and wishful thinking about turning back time so I could take back the words I¡¯ve said or, better yet, prevent me from saying them in the first place.


    A motherly gesture that I more than appreciated and more than she¡¯ll ever know. I feel my eyes prickle again with silent promise and this time I let the tears flow down my cheeks. Her eyes soften and she takes me into her arms.


    I wail quietly into her shirt as her arms subtly tighten around me when my shoulders start to shake with each silent but heartbroken whimper that comes of my throat. She starts to stroke my hair and says nothing, a gesture that reminds me of the last person I want to be thinking about right now, in comforting me as I let out all my tiredness, sadness and some other emotion I can''t quite place onto her.


    I squeeze my eyes shut against the onslaught of tears that spill down my cheeks.


    For endless minutes, we both stand there in the middle of the empty hallway not really saying anything to each other but holding onto each other the only noise being the steady and unsteady beating of two hearts for two different reasons. I sniffle and slowly raise my head up only to find her looking down at me already, her face not too far from mine. Shock jolts me through my insider but then I realize that she''s plainly worried about me.


    "Want to talk about it now? Or when we can be alone?" She asks, eyebrows furrowed inwards in her forehead as she looks searching into my eyes, a deep worry frown on her lips. I open my mouth to give her a yes to the former option but then look surreptitiously at the silver door handle.


    Daisy, for whatever reason, glances in the direction I''m looking at and soon detached her hold in me, leaving me somewhat colder than before and missing her warm arms around me in her embrace.


    I look at her and notice that, to my amazement, her cheeks are slightly flushed although I can''t tell what with. Embarrassment? That can''t be it.


    Her fear of Adena? Who could arrive at school at any one time and witness our hug? Maybe. Maybe not. But why?


    She clears her throat loudly and, not very discreetly, shift her gaze towards the other end of the hall like eyes avoiding my eyes now. I narrow my eyes but don''t make any comment in it. Instead, I make my decision and although impulsive, I know it''s the right one to make.


    "Later. Classes will start in just a few minutes anyway so we better not be late."


    I say letting out an audible sigh afterwards. Slightly, ever so slightly, her gaze wanders back to mine for a few seconds before it snaps back to its original concentration spot. It happens way too fast for me to register it and for that, I''m left blinking rapidly in confusion and curiosity.


    I see her chew her lip as she contemplates her next words very carefully before she speaks. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you at lunch then.¡±  She says shrugging, all the while not back around once to look at me or anything and that, that simple gesture that probably has nothing to do with me, makes me want to cry all over again.


    Although this time, im not so sure I¡¯ll have her comforting arms around me or her presence. I wrap my arms around myself and close my eyes. ¡°Okay, see you then,¡±  I reply.


    Maybe it has nothing to do with me. But maybe it does.


    Footsteps distance themselves from me and seem to hesitate for a few seconds of dead silence to go further. A sigh and suddenly I feel her hug me again which feels me with much hope and positivity that I feel like sharing this feeling with everyone.


    Her hug only lasts for a brief second, a brief second that that said what needed to be said in just a simple action. ¡°It¡¯s not you. I just-something just occured to me and I''m not sure how to go about it.¡± She says squeezing my hands in a silent apology.


    I nod, still closing my eyes, feel my eyes glisten with tears again, and faintly smile.


    I let out a breath of relief in a slow stream. ¡°Okay.¡±


    She smiles, although it doesn¡¯t shine in her eyes as much as it did a few seconds to minutes ago.


    Her hand squeezes mine in a reassuring hold, telling ne that she would still be my friend after she''d sorted out what was going on with her which I hoped she wouldn''t betray her silent promise to me, once hers gently but firmly grasps it briefly before letting go.


    She waves at me and turns back toward her destination, not looking back once as she walks down the hallway, taking the better part of my heart with her.


    I watch her go, heart in throat, fearful yet believing in her words all the same, and soon hear a quiet hateful scoff behind me. It''s so quiet that I almost don''t hear it but because of my human heightened abilities, I hear the sound as clear as day. In times like these, I''m indeed grateful for my werewolf blood.


    I almost groan out loud as I spin around, as I recognize that voice from anywhere.


    Even within a ten-mile radius and in another country, to make eye contact with the pissed off Auburn-haired Adena who about looks ready to stranger me with her bare hands. Nothing new there really.


    Her purple irises starting to make a faint appearance as they flickered to and for between her original colour and her wolf eyes, as almost every single emotion from anger, shock, mild disbelief mingled with stupefied curiosity and last but not least, deep hatred that ran through her veins like blood shifted through her cold penetrative stare.


    Her arms lay across her abdomen in a restless tight clinch. "What the hell do you think you''re doing?"

 7 || ELIZA

    Confused, I slowly blink at her as her words land on my ears, staining it with her pretentious act. "What?" I exclaim, eyes wide in surprise at her choice of words.


    Her eyes narrow. "Don''t act dumb. You''re trying to steal my friend from me right under my nose." She accuses haughty as she stares me down, pointing a manicured finger at me that I wanted to slap out of my face.


    "You don''t treat your friends like trash," I roll my eyes as I refute her accusations and her sudden concern for her so-called friend Daisy, bristling with still potent anger leftover from Eberlyn''s and Riley''s betrayal and inconsiderate actions towards me.


    ¡°All you do is hurt and manipulate her.¡± At this close range I start to notice some things about her appearance, her uncosmeticized face, the deep dark dent under her eyelids and the lack of her usual group of ¡®friends.¡¯


    I almost open my mouth to ask her what was bothering so much that she didn¡¯t have usual armor around her.  Had the Alpha and Lunar spoken to her about her behaviour yesterday?


    Although it wasn¡¯t in my culture to air out our dirty laundry, or any dirty laundry for that matter, that didn¡¯t mean she obeyed the same rules of a lifestyle just because I did. But still, highly unlikely that she would choose me of all people to confide in.


    And if I had learnt anything about Adena in the last three years is that she doesn¡¯t share any personal information with  just anyone. Trying to get her to tell you was like trying to get a brick in the wall to talk to you. She hoarded secrets like an addict.


    Her eyes wickedly glint as a slow smile maps its way up her unglossed lips.


    "You''re one to talk." She announces proudly, so sure of herself and of the unknown deed she''s accusing me of doing, an unspoken and unspecified threat, her unapologetic eyes sharpening its focus.


    I stare at her. Whatever shred of sympathy I held for her, however small it may have been, it was gone now. Anyone who  was aware of what they were doing to another person and that it was wrong didn¡¯t deserve any sympathy of mine whatsoever. And she looks smug about it too!


    I freeze, heart thudding loudly in my quiet eardrums as those hit me like a boomerang, echoing treacherously in decadence. The replenishing liquid of saliva seems to have evaporated from existence in my mouth as it suddenly becomes the Sahara desert, leaving me no source of air to breathe in,  my mouth became too tied up to speak.


    W-What does she know? What''s she accusing me of?


    How could she hold such information?


    Not wanting to rise to the bait, whatever reason she may have to bait me like this I don''t know, I raise my head up and stare her dead in the eye.


    "My relationship with my friends is none of your business. And as for Daisy, im not sure if manipulating your ''friend'' into having to apologize to you continuously for something that''s not even her fault, is any friend that you deserve. She''s a sweetheart and she deserves better than you." I express, feeling deep affection and motherly protectiveness swell up in me at the mention of my acquired friend, folding my arms across my arms as I heavily berate her.


    She has shed too many tears for Adena and I''m determined to put a stop to it. Sure as my name is Elizabeth Salver Vernisher.


    Her lips fold into a thin line, disapproval and distaste running rampant on her dainty features. "I am the Alpha''s and Luna''s daughter and you will not disrespect me like that." She snaps out, eyes hardened on mine as she demands to be regarded with respect as her fortunate position commands of her.


    I suck in my lips onto themselves, the top folding in unto the lower, trying to prevent the laughter rust was surely bubbling up in my throat at her remark which I suppose she sought to be a threat and a warning to me. My shoulders shame me by shaking in repressed laughter, struggling to keep up with our phony charade.


    But alas I can''t hold the laughter in and it escapes my throat, leaving me a figure bent over in loud chuckles which turn to deep snorts in between that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon at the sheer stupidity of the sentence that just graced the public with its amusing presence. Adena sure is a funny one.


    "Oh, oh you''re a funny Adena. You should become a comedian." I say as I recover from my laugh if fit, wiping a tear of mirth from my eyes with a quick flick of my finger.


    She bars her teeth at me and growls. "Do not talk down to me, you insolent pup. I thought you would be of better behaviour than this but I guess I was wrong." She cuts, a low blow lower than the lowest, her eyes flashing brightly aflame in self-proclaimed victory. I narrow my eyes at the dig.


    Just because I''m the Delta of the pack and the spiritual link between our pack and the moon goddess doesn''t mean that I think I''m better than anyone or that I''m now so self-entitled that I don''t respect anyone when they earn my respect.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Had she earned my respect? Hell no. Not even half of it.


    But I am not going to let another person tell me what I should or should be doing with MY position. Piss off.


    Respect or no, don''t butt into my life.


    My lips posses a slow smile. "Oh? You think I''ll obey you when there are other higher-ups I answer to? Please. Oh and, well done on the nice big word in there, by the way, I hope that wasn''t too hard for the princess." I bite back at her, folding my arms across my chest, and smile politely as I bite her back.


    I notice the small tick of veins in her neck as she clenches her jaw. "I am this close to hitting you across your stupid face. I will do it if you tempt me one more time. Just one more time." She breathes out through clenched teeth as she glared daggers at me, the promise of violence lacing her not so sweet honeyed voice anymore, as her stance screamed for blood.


    I pout. "Aw, you think that''s a threat to me. How cute."  I try not to smile as I feel vindicated by the utter look of enraged wrath that twists her face.


    Good. Feel the anger and hurt you made me feel earlier in primary school and the early years of high school.


    As I stare at her face, going back and forth with the irises in my eyes, the more I realize I truly and haven''t gotten my own back at her for that, for the hellish years of primary school she put me through.


    Why I still don''t know till this day.


    But that''s not on my priority list right now.


    "I hope you like surprises." I say allowing a small mysterious smile to wrap around my lips, the crazed furious look quickly falling off of her face soon being replaced by an open curiosity splayed across her features.


    Feeling smug, I turn my head and let my lips grow into a wider smile of victory.


    Now choosing to ignore her presence, I properly return my attention to my locker, my eyes zeroing in on the metal as my fingers cling back onto it, I begin to hum a happy tune in the back of my throat softly as I continue nimbly picking out the books I need for the day.


    Although the books were going to cause a heavy strain in my arm because of their weight put together, I didn''t fancy having to go up and down back to my locker to get each separate book out of my locker after every 45 minutes. These feet were not meant for strenuous walking. And I refuse to abuse them like that.


    But other than the fact that I am just a lazy sack of atoms that stubbornly refuses to move around multiple times daily, I genuinely do not want to waste any of my energy that I could use for something important and worth my time. That just doesn''t sound appealing.


    "What? What surprise?" She demands growl ripping through her throat, urging a response out from me but I pay her no mind as I continue to distractedly whistle, my hand pushing my locker closed. The quiet bang echoes in the loud silence between us save for my quiet humming as I turn the dial on my locker.


    This action seems to annoy the fuck out of her, more than it should naturally might I add, as she lets out a guttural sound between an infuriated growl and a frustrated groan. I reach into my locker to get some books I need.


    A flurry of movement and suddenly she stands in front of me, eyes blazing in red and slams my locker door that I had just pulled open. Quickly, I pull my hand out from it before it slams shut.


    I whip my head back, taken aback by her actions.


    "You will tell me what you meant by that statement."  She demands, placing her manicured nails on her hips, slightly dipping as she glares at me from under her lashes. Her nostrils flare.


    "I don''t have to tell you shit." I retort, holding my arms across my chest as I level my eyes with hers in an I''m-tired-of-your-bullshit tone.


    "You''ll live to regret this. I swear it." She threatens, pointing a finger at me which was dangerously close to my face. I eye it up and down with a barely concealed annoyed expression on my face.


    I bite my lip to keep myself from laughing, even though a splinter of fear has lodged itself within the walls of my throat. I try to sort out the chaos but it prices to be futile as it only ends up more tangled. My throat constricts in midst of my efforts, though I still try to remain in possession of a calm exterior.


    Narrowing her dark eyes at me, she turns back around to leave, hope rises in my tightened chest, bringing me immense relief as her back gets further and further away as she saunters off in a hissy fit. I let out a sigh of relief abd feel my shoulders relax for the umpteen time today, which probably won''t be the last.


    My lips purse, a downturn in slight partition,  and draw my books closer to myself which are leaning on my arm precariously, threatening to fall over the edge if care isn''t taken, crushing the books to my chest.


    The door bursts open, slamming into the lime green wall for the fifth time this month, leaving behind another miniature dent in its wake, that shrieked for my immediate attention as my eyes were drawn to the noise.


    Soon the once quiet hallway is filled to the bream with students of many colours and backgrounds, both familial and religious, initiating the once quiet room with loosely boisterous footsteps.


    Chatter quickly fills the room and floated up and above the walls of the building, each student talking above the other(sometimes I wonder how they hear each other talk.)


    Every student glues themselves to their respective chosen friends side, clinging onto them like a scared young duckling to its overprotective mother who then took to shielding their young from the treacherous dangers of the world, in groups of twos, sometimes in threes.


    I frown, slowly becoming aware of how socially bereft my sides were, positions which were mostly occupied by the two people whom I was currently not in speaking terms with.


    Sighing, I walk onwards, departing farther and farther away from the one place in this wretched building that provided me with solace, and set my shoulders firmly against my body, readying myself for the onslaught that the day had to bring on this fine, horrid day.


    Or maybe it was the company of the people I talked to at my locker that bring me solace?


    I don''t get to walk too far when im clung to by another human being, as I feel their soft skin against mine, entertaining their elbows with mine in perfect harmony.


    "So,  shall we go to class?" A voice suddenly exclaims cheerfully, almost deliriously happily at this point, almost to the point where I was felt annoyed, but instead, I let my tensed up shoulders lower themselves back into their normal position.


    I turn to her, my mood suddenly brightened up a hundred times over. "Not really but with you by my side, I could face anything," I say and smile at her warmly, tightening my grip on our conjoined elbows.


    Daisy''s smile brightens and together we begin to walk towards our class when I suddenly catch sight of Eberlyn and Riley walking together elbow in elbow, lowly talking and whispering to each other which suddenly ceases when they see me looking their way. Riley''s face darkens when she looks down and notices our joined elbows.


    My eyebrows knit together as I try to decipher what that the expression means as I know that one face change can mean a million things when it comes to Riley which makes it much more difficult and tricky to know if she''s angry or not. I squint at her, searching for any other clue but she turns away and they march on ahead of us to class.


    My heart pinches in my chest as I stare at her, at them as they bundle off and slip inside class unnoticed by the unconscious public eye.


    I''m happy that I just gained a new friend but did I just lose the other two? And for good?

 8 || ELIZA

    Friendship.


    Some might say it''s the bond cultivated over time with people who more or less have the same interests at heart. Some might say it''s the feeling of between two or more people who share a bond that none other seems to match.


    But to me, friendship means something different.


    Friendship is keeping the company of each other without having to ask for it outright; it''s the comforting silence between people whether they be in public or the comfort of their home, it''s the acceptance and loving of each other''s flaws from best to worse, it''s the pinnacle of a deep connection between two people. It''s the intertwining of two souls together which cannot be ended without the consent of both parties.


    It''s cruel, I know, but it''s the way Selene made it to be.


    It''s worse for soulmates, though not as much of big deal in my opinion. But still, my heart goes out to those who have suffered a terrible rejection from their soulmate.


    Rejections can be tiring, given into the fact that they drain your energy(which is weird cause it''s not like they don''t get to have a second chance mate or a third if need be, so why does it need to drain their energy?), not to sessions the depression you go into afterwards, and leave you moodier than ever and cry at the thought of your ex-mate or being reminded of them by a random coincidence of a person''s actions. It can be quite inconvenient if you''re in a position of power that people depend on like say the beta or the Alpha.


    The heartbreak is quite devastating as it leaves both parties feeling dejected and not pike themselves, a hollow shell of happier times. Some often commit suicide hearse they can''t take the pain.


    When the two souls are torn apart and their bond is severed, there is no possibility that they may ever meet each other, or be as in perfect harmony as long before.


    But luckily, your wolf is there for you and consoles you, just as you would do for them. If, hypothetically, that we''re to happen to me I''m positive and grateful for the fact that we shall both be there for each other in our time of heartbreak. Although I''d be more worried about her than about me because she feels the mate more strongly than I do and I  don''t think could bear seeing a sister of mine suffering like that.


    The family that I can''t afford to, refuse to lose just like my two best friends.


    Riley, Eberlyn and I have been best friends for a damn near a decade since I was 9.


    We met due to some unfortunate circumstance but hit off after some initial reluctance to talk to one another in the first place, talking and laughing together as if we''d known each other our whole lives and we just knew we were meant to be besties, meant to be family, stuck with each other whether we liked it or not, bonded together for a lifetime.


    The better halves of a whole that fit into the empty spaces like missing puzzle pieces.


    They have never been anything less of what I saw as the most amazing perfect best friends. I mean, don''t get me wrong, they have flaws and we fight a lot(not more than normal family though) but I accept them as they are, flaws and all and I love them.


    This fight though could very much tear us apart and I was more afraid of that fact than I was aware of it. I shake my head, banishing the very thought of being ripped away from them just  because of a mere fight.


    I don''t know what I''d do if I lost them over something as trivial as a normal fight, although this one didn''t feel normal; this one felt....different, and could never talk to them about something that was bugging me and paying on my nerves or just something silly and random.


    Nights spent at each other''s whispering and giggling at funny jokes only one of us would understand within a heartbeat in our blanket fort in a sleepover as the dark blue sky turned and mellowed to black flickered through my eyes for a moment before the memories dispersed leaving a spasm of hurt to ripple throughout my form starting from my upper frame.


    Years if friendship flash before my eyes and, as if to mock me, makes me feel every bit of emotion I felt with them through those years.


    The hurt lurches in my sternum starts to bubble up in my gullet at the thought, of the possibility of losing the two most important people in my life, almost had me lurching from my seat and throwing up this morning''s breakfast. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.


    I barely have time to close my eyes as a lone tear silently seeps out and makes its way down my cheek in rebellion, pressing my lips into a thin firm line to suppress a whimper that threatens to escape from its enclosure. I open my eyes with a reluctant resignation and flicker my attention to the ceiling instead.


    What if I lost them over this?


    My free hand crosses over my mouth at the thought so that I don''t scream as the horror sets in.


    What if I could never get them back after this? I think, continuing to torture myself with each thought more alarming than the last as they raced through my mind as if in a bid to see what could terrify me more.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    A broken whimper bursts out from my lips against my rough hand as the pain-both emotional and physical- writhes and thrashes about in me, struggling to find a way out into the open.


    A softened thud draws me towards her, her pen skids across her notebook as my eyes thrust in her direction and casts a glance over at me, dark eyes shining with anxious concern.


    She nibbles on her lower lip,  chewing on the soft skin, as her gaze wander''s back and forth between the teacher and me in what I think to be contemplation of her options and thoughts on what her plan of action should be.


    She asks me, "Are you okay?" turning her to give me her full attention. She reaches a hand across the small space between us that divides our chairs from each other and places it on my uncovered knee, which brings me more instant warmth than it should as opposed to an uncomfortable feeling.


    I want to nod my head so badly, bad enough that it hurts, to say yes, to not worry her more over me than she thinks she needs to.


    But then she lifts her other hand to cup my head and levels her eyes mine, silently pleading with me to tell her nothing but the truth, fierce determination mixes with compassion colouring them in the bright streaks of sunlight shooting out from curtain covered window.


    I break down then, overtaken with too many emotions, some describable, some not, rapid hot tears streaking across my face as they glide out, dropping onto my collarbones with a soft plop, cold and violent sensations fighting against my sensors. Small whimpers escape my lips every once in a while as I lean into her comfort.


    "It''ll be okay, I promise."  She whispers to me, orifices filled with emotions, too many different ones that I don''t even know how to name, filters through them like a slideshow.


    She gets up, her warmth slipping right through my fingers, and strides to the teacher''s desk as she owns it all the while ignoring the looks she''s getting from curious other students.


    She slaps her hand onto his desk which startles him into lowering his glasses to look up at her. Soon they start to speak to each other, quite amicably might I add, which is an odd occurrence after she just slapped his desk like that, after some reluctance felt on his part.


    She points at me silently, although I can''t tell because my vision is blurred from all the teardrops still spilling out at an alarming rate, after what seems to be a question asked.  Her hand wobbles as it points in my direction.


    His head turns in my direction, then reverts to hers passing a questioning look at her over his black-rimmed glasses. His head whips back in my direction again. Finally, he sighs in resignation and makes a sign with his hand which causes her to let out a series of minor squeals as she slings her arms around his neck like you would do a relative.


    Curious, I watch their interaction closer but my timing is too late as she bounces her way to me with a skip in her step, face beaming in pride, euphoria-but worry still lingers in her gaze, wriggling and wiggling in the depth of the sea of emotions once they come to rest upon my frame. I frown, mind wondering what he could have said that would make her smile that much or that bright light in her eyes to come alive again.


    Was it something he said?


    I don''t get to explore the thought or the jealousy that plagues my core. As its presence infects me like an unforgiving entity, it stills as soon as her hands come upon mine which, I won''t lie, sends a shameless delicious shiver of delight up my spine. An inaudible gasp leaves my lips as the feeling lingers but soon dissipates into nothingness.


    What was that?


    That was.....weird but I don''t think I hated it...?


    She drags me up with her dainty hand. It''s not too painful but still enough she''s satisfied that I''m in safe hands.  Too shocked by the sudden movement to do anything I let her lead me by multiple students seats and out of class straight into the once empty hallway.


    I quirk a brow at her. "Where are you taking me?" A cheeky smile flutters across her light brown lips and she reaches across to boop my nose with her pointer finger. I blink.


    "All will be revealed soon, young padawan." She answers mysteriously, tapping her nose with a delighted glint in her eyes. I laugh, even though my heart is still burdened with the heavyweight of heartbreak and my mind toils away distraught with worry, and nod my head in assent.


    "Have you ever even watched Star Wars? I feel like you''re just saying that phrase because you heard it from someone." I tease. She flushes but smiles in a good-natured way as she surrenders her up into the air.


    "Guilty as charged I guess. But for some reason, it just never appealed to me. Still like fantasy movies though."


    I brighten up considerably as multiple fantasy movie names filter through my head ranging from Equals, Wonder woman, Doctor strange and every single marvel movie that I''ve watched that I''m going to make her watch. She notices this and feigns a look of horror which only ends up making us both snort.


    She leads me out of the area that the school presides over the landscape beautified with shrubs with all different types of flowers from hibiscuses to sunflowers and  red and white roses, out into the large open space that surrounds the establishment.


    The light of the sun bursts into my eyes, a hiss involuntary escaping through my lips and throw a hand over my eyes, shielding my peripheral vision from the overwhelming glare of the white arrows trying to pierce through my skin. The grass flattens underneath the trample of our feet as we stride on.


    Pulling me along with a gentle tug, she occasionally swivels her head around to check if I¡¯m still there, palpable concern dancing in her irises. I¡¯m not so sure if it¡¯s the way the sunlight hits her eyes from the angle her head stops at it if it¡¯s a natural dark shade of her eyes, whatever it makes her eyes look¡­.majestic.


    Almost ethereal.


    One beat.


    Then two beats.


    My heart quivers.


    I look away.


    I consider opening my mouth to distract myself and my thought from the growing confusion clouding my senses but eventually decide that it should remain as it is; shut and silent. Besides, that would make the silence awkward on my part and I don''t want that. I''ve already given too much away. We push on.


    It isn''t till we near the locked gate that guards the premises that I start to get worried. The black and white colour theme clashes with the green flowers that lay in the neat space between the raised platform leading to the guardhouse and the immediate exit. At least the greens flatter our atrocious brown and grey uniforms.


    I think they would go better with black regardless of whatever a fashion-crazed person says. The invisible swirls professionally sewed with anxious care into our skirts simple and collapse into each other with each swish and sway of our knees that they barely cover.


    Where are we going? Where was she taking me? Was it someplace I knew?


    Having sensed the growing worry etched on my facial features, although I don''t see how she would have, she presses my hand in hers with a delicate caress. "I''m not taking you anywhere I''m not sure of okay?"  She asks me lowering her brows into a downturned arch line in her forehead,  inquiring of my acceptance to trust her words and her actions. I hesitate then nod.


    "Okay, I trust you," I respond as I clutch her hand in equal measure of reassurance and as a sign that I mean the words that I say; verbal and non-verbal.


    She says nothing back in response, doesn''t even need to, the comfortable silence envelopes us as we walk together, both lost in our different thoughts.


    Soon though we arrive at a well known graciously decorated establishment furnished with white plastic chairs that chose to announce its presence in whirring ice cream machines. People dressed in white overalls serve their currents customers which range from young to oldest.


    Swivelling to face Daisy, I cross my arms atop my fleshy bosom as I lift the arched hairs above my eyelid as I lay my silent questioning sights upon her. She turns around with a shaky sweet sheepish smile glazing over her honeyed facial features. I gulp but set my shoulders atom my frame as I look her dead in the eye.


    ¡°Why on earth are we at an ice cream parlour?¡± I demand a little more sharply than I¡¯d intended.

 9 || ELIZA

    Her eyes sharpen with tears. The facial expression shakes and cartoons itself as she shrinks back into herself at my raised voice suggesting that she may start crying. Its fragile hands painfully tug at my heartstrings.


    I sigh and run my hands down my face. ¡°Im sorry for yelling at you. Forgive me?¡±  I plead. I gaze at her with pouty lips and puppy eyes, hoping this will make her feel tempted to forgive me with my cuteness turned on.


    A smile graces her lips, edges slightly turning upwards.  ¡°Not that I can stay mad at you for long anyway but yes, you¡¯re forgiven.¡± She shyly enunciates, eyelashes flashing at me a mile a minute as she lowers her gaze to the floor.


    Relief swarms my cardiovascular region, loosely sitting in with the low thumps of my heartbeat at her words. I grin.


    She laughs, a tingling bell melody that fills my ears with its beautiful notes. ¡°But to answer your question, I just wanted to cheer you up,¡± shy movement of her shoulders in a brief lift and lower as she continues, ¡°I just can¡¯t stand seeing you upset and stand by and do nothing.¡± She raises her head up and meets my eyes from across the table.


    Surprised, I blink at the sudden outburst of emotion just as the door tinkles again in the silence as if in response to her impassioned confession, signalling that another customer has entered the parlour.


    Their footsteps fade into the noise that is my thoughts whirring about in my head.


    Slowly taking in her genuine expression, I maul over her words, even as they echo in my head like thunder striking on a rough rainy night. Shock isn¡¯t even a word I can use to describe how I''m feeling right now.


    A worm of guilt worms its way in between the bones leading up to my heart and squeezes painfully hard like a cobra to its prey and the look of open and earnest devotion tinkered across her face, a  random but beautiful splatter of emotion on a canvas.


    Here she was trying to cheer me up, an unexpected but appreciated attempt nonetheless, and I''m thanking her by complaining, making her feel like her efforts aren¡¯t so appreciated or welcomed when they are.


    I had a nagging feeling that she was trying harder than most people would, or that anyone would, to achieve the said task and I had the inkling suspicion that she would let herself bleed if it meant the happiness of the person she trusted with her whole being. And yet here I am treating it like I couldn¡¯t care less when I care more than I can say with words that just aren¡¯t enough to express it.


    My lips itch to turn into a frown as I think over my recent actions.


    I should better than to do that. Especially to her. She deserves better.


    For the past two days that we¡¯ve known each other, although not as very intimately or familiarly as I¡¯d like, I¡¯ve seen just how sweet and can¡¯t caring she can be, which just fuels the flickering flame of anger in my gut at Adena''s past actions against her.


    That¡¯s not a disposition that everyone possesses which makes the process of finding a friend is a damn near impossibility as you tend to find more assholes instead. I hope my past actions don¡¯t instantly put me into that same category.


    I should know better though, I scold myself, feeling like a bad friend and a bad person all in one.


    Looking back at her now though, it was confusingly evident that she thought otherwise, the radiance of the hanging lightbulb illuminating her sparkling eyes that seem permanently stuck on mine, her cheekbones higher than normal as her face stretched into a ditzy smile.


    ¡°I-¡° I stop for I''m not really sure what im going to say to that. I shaky my head to clear the sudden fog in it. I inhale and exhale and start again. ¡°I-Okay, what do you want to get?¡± I ask, pulling out a small black purse from my side jean pocket, ¡°I think I might get a little bit of everything really.¡±


    Her hands jut out to mine just to stop my movements which I look at her in confusion for, although I don¡¯t make any move to protest about it. A strange sensation burns its way through my fingers to my hands where her hands lay atop.  I lower my eyes to the then back at her. lay. She smiled a gummy smile at me.


    ¡°My treat so I''m paying for both of us. What''d you want?¡± She gently admonishes me? I chance a look at the ice cream display.


    Differently frozen coloured creamy goodness lays await in tots square imprisonment, imitating their flavours as best they can, but not giving anything away to what they taste like. I can¡¯t possibly pick one from that whole as of ice cream and I can¡¯t even see them that well as I''m not up close. Its transparent encasement only representing them in bright outlines against its plane glass.


    ¡°Um¡­.surprise me?¡± I answer, slightly turning my head back around her frame faded back into view in time along with my turning peripheral. She smirks, an odd frame on her face, pokes my nose once and flounces on towards the counter. I snort softly and turn to look for a suitable place for us to sit.


    I cast a glance over the plastic spoon embed in my mouth, the other end being courteously held down by the curl of my fingers, cheery tinged sweetness blazing a cold fire on my taste buds a few minutes later. She had never released me from her sights in the last few minutes we had sat down, concern, frustration, curiosity and patience that was starting to wear thin each passing minute.


    I shift my eyes back from hers and quietly plonk the plastic into the fragile ice cream paper cup, the frozen substance slowly melting. I slide back into my seat,  her scorching gaze set on me intensifying with each passing second, burning through my thick braids, which seems a dead weight under her piercing eyes. I shift again and pour my attention on the plastic in from of me.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    She¡¯s the first one to break the silence between us. ¡°So, are we gonna talk about it or are we just gonna stare at each other all day?¡± Her voice cuts through my distracted thoughts and feelings, sharp steel grating against already frayed nerves.


    My eyes raise up to meet with hers with a startled jolt, making me inevitably flinch.


    She releases a faint sigh, bosom heaving up and down with the slightest of breaths, and pushes her empty ice cream cup away. ¡°I can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± She leads now, clasped hands silently begging, a voice crack drawing my full undivided attention to her, vision blurring with tears.


    I look back down and let it out in a slow stream. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to go about this but okay¡­..¡± anything for you, refuses to leave me, choosing to burn and die on my tongue, unspoken and unheard as I clamp my mouth shut.


    I gulp, wetting my suddenly parched dry throat. I raise my head up to hers, her shadowy outline framed by my fluttering eyelashes.


    Her eyes brighten quite a bit at my remark, hope twinkling in those dark depths, but not enough that''s anything against her usual glimmer. The light emanating from the barrier window hits her eyes, adding more luminosity that cast a shadow of it against the windowpane. A smile briefly captures my soft features which slowly lose their warmth and returns to a solemn streak across my lips as my demeanour changes.


    ¡°Well, I had a dispute, with my two best friends because one of them kept trying to force me to go to this stupid party just for the sake of finding my soul-me a boyfriend. Which I then called her selfish for.¡± I start, the words carefully escaping my dry lips.  With a grimace I continue, ¡° Then after I went to the bathroom and¡­..¡± stopping once I am unable to continue past this, not wanting to continue my torment even as the words weigh heavy on my soul.


    ¡°And you befriended me¡­..¡±  She completed with a hollow whisper as silent teardrops rolls down her cheeks. ¡°I ruined your chances of getting your friends to apologize and now,¡± she hiccups on a whimper, ¡°now they might hate you for stealing you away from them.¡±


    I shake my head. It''s not your fault. None of what has happened between me and them is any of your fault, kay?" I coerce, as I try to soothe her.  My hands cross the table to envelop hers in mine. A teardrop lands on our interloped hands, thudding in a soft plop onto my skin. I stare into her eyes pointedly as my thumb absentmindedly stroke swipes on her thumb.


    She swallows thickly and lets out a shaky breath. "Okay."


    I pin her with a look, not satisfied by that short answer, but I let it go for the time being. I didn''t want to rush her to commit to anything she wasn''t confident about yet.


    All I could do now was to lend genuine support to her, even if I didn''t like that she would carry that guilt, huge weight to bear on one''s shoulders, that wasn''t even hers in the first place. My thumb caresses hers in warm slow strokes.


    "Can we talk about something else, please?" I  quietly plead, lowering my head so that she may not meet my eyes, "I seem to have upset you with my response and I don''t like seeing you upset."


    A hint of a smile. She raises her hand to clean up her fallen teardrops, flashes of her smile occasionally twinkling at me, hand movements obscuring half of her caramel complexion. "I''d like that. Maybe um we should get to know each other better?" She suggests with a cautious simmer in her tone.


    A mischievous grin hits my lips. "Moving that quickly are we?" I tease her for her choice of words which makes her blush. She uses her other hand to lightly hit me in the shoulder and I have to press my hand against my mouth to stifle my laughter.


    "Okay, fine, fine. I''ll stop. Favourite movie?" I ask when I''m sure that I''m calm enough to speak.


    She nibbles on her lip as she ponders. "It''s a tough one but I''d have to say Enchanted."


    I quirk an eyebrow. "I hadn''t perceived you as someone who liked romance and fantasy. Adventure maybe but not fantasy." I quip shortly after. Which makes me wonder......


    Would she react badly if I told her I was a werewolf? Or would she be completely alright with it?


    Her smile widens. "Well, what can I say?" She dramatically falls over and lays a hand on her chest. "I''m a helpless fantasy and romantic." She says. A coy smile coils around her lips slowly. "Although I wouldn''t mind a bit of adventure every now and then." She adds as an afterthought. Her frizzy coils of tresses slide off her shoulders while a side part covers half her face when she leans forward, catching me unawares.


    Damnit.


    I gulp, the chasm of my heart heaving up and down in and out of tune with the minuscule sounding of my heartbeat. I slide my eyes up to meet hers so my eyes don''t drop down into any dangerous territory I''m not ready for yet. "Wh-What type of adventures?" I manage to get out, never minding the brief stutter in my words.


    Her nose, a perfectly square shape set on her small heart-shaped face, scrunches up cutely. ¡°A little bit of everything really. But I really like those that fill you with adrenaline, y''know? It''s.....exciting." She shrugs with half a smile.


    I nod.


    "What about you? What''s your favourite movie?" She asks without missing a beat. I don''t miss the way her shoulders lean towards me, a mesmerizing sight to see, even as she slouches to do so. Or the darkened eyes that survey me in what I can only describe as a predator looking at its prey.


    I suppress a shiver as my heartbeat drums in my ears that starts and stops for a second as her eyes, not as slyly as they think, roam over me from head to toe and starts up again, the loud pounding of my heart against my ribcage, once her eyes come to rest upon mine again with a slow head raise.


    My breath catches in my throat.


    I don''t think I''ve said this enough but her eyes are breathtakingly beautiful......I could stare at them all day. My heart swoons.


    "Um, " I shift uncomfortably to which she retracts her hand a little from my own. A whine almost crawls out of my throat at the loss of skin contact. "U-um, fantasy movies b-but my favourite movie is Colossal." I breathe a sigh of relief once I finally get my words but internally cringe at the stuttering, which oddly enough causes her to flicker a smile. I swipe my tongue across my lips and feign a cough when I notice her eyes, not at all subtly, follow the movement.


    Not sure why though.....unless¡­...could she, perhaps, have romantic feelings for me? Or developing them?


    Inwardly, I shake my head against the idea, because I mean, why would she? We''ve only known for two days after all.


    And I still have a mate out there to find.


    The realization of the situation hits me like a run of bricks to the face though, taking the energy out of me, my shoulders slump.


    My eyes prickle with teardrops which I sniffle back with a stronger will than the force of the itching behind my eyes. My thumb, being dead to the world- I was actually starting to think it has going numb, the little traitor-extended its affectionate caress to her  thumb, as if on its own accord, as I tried to sort out my conflicting feelings.


    "That actually quite sounds like you." She murmurs to herself but thanks to my wolf abilities I hear as loud and clear as day.


    Distantly, I hear a throat sounding its agreement but then I realize that it was me.


    The bell tinkles likewise and the chattering parlour abruptly goes dead silent. My breath stills in my lungs and I manage to choke as I try to inhale in the dying air at the sound.


    His scent floats toward my nose. I scrunch my nose up, an involuntary reaction to its lingering persistence.


    I will myself not to bolt out of here which would mean leaving Daisy with someone, a monster my heart whispers, that I don''t like to think about too much or, if possible, at all, which I loathe thinking of ever committing.


    Quiet whispering, they''re braver than I am at least, loud to my wolf sense of hearing, have nothing on the loud buzzing in my head as it conjures up every single speculate every single possible thought known to man. My thoughts are distracted as I hold my breath, his slow, almost quiet, footsteps draw nearer towards our direction. I flinch.


    I lick my lips, wishing to wrap my arms around myself in a cocoon of safety. One beat. One footstep. Another beat. Another footstep.


    I stiffen. A voice I know all too well having grown and been their friend once a bitter lifetime filters into my eardrums. He walks into peripheral vision.


    "Well, well, look who we have here."

 10 || ELIZA

    "So what''s your name? I don''t think I''ve been well acquainted with Elizabeth''s friends." He asks a polite smile that screams nice to every other person in the room, but whipers out its evil intentions me, rolling into the next syllable smoothly as if he hadn''t just hinted at something obscure which I know nought of for as far as my knowledge allows me to and is mocking me for it. His smile is distrustful and unnerving.


    I turn my eyes away.


    His emphasis on friends doesn''t prevail in escaping my observation, however, nor does his use of my full name instead of my nickname Eliza, or any really, just as long as it''s good, that I would only permit the use of such nicknames to close friends. Realization begets smug knowledge that lifts my lips into a hidden smile behind my warm blooded hand.


    At least he''s right about that.


    Daisy, as if sensing my internal conflict, sought out my hand, blindly reaching out, and calming disturbed feelings and stray thoughts as her hand clamped onto mine in embraced warmth that reminds me again, to torture me perhaps, of Eberlyn and instinctive thought to comfort people who need it, whether they realize they need it or not, in the form of a hug or a kind smile at a passing saddened passerby with a patient affectionate heart that never seemed to cease it''s giving.


    I quietly sniffle and squeeze her hand back. She raises her menu, to hide a secret smile no doubt, up to the front of the mouth.


    I turn my head to face him with protest and open my mouth to answer and he out of what I can only call felt necessity pins me with a look that has me squirming in my seat, uncomfortable under his piercing dark sights on me.


    "I want her to tell me, not you Elizabeth." He states simply as if that one simple sentence doesn''t hold malicious intent coded into its words directed at me, eyes on the prize, elbow-deep into the table, a pose that I know means business and business only.


    After setting my eyes into narrowed slits at his indirect order to pipe down, I flicker my eyes to Daisy to see how she feels about being pushed into the spotlight and being interrogated like this.


    I hope she isn''t fooled by his mask and sees through it. She doesn''t deserve any of this, nor does she need it.


    She stiffens and slowly turns her head to look at him directly in the eyes. I guess I shouldn''t have worried about this then, I muse.


    I try not to feel so smug about her obvious dislike for the boy in front of her, fighting off the triumphant grin making its way up onto my lips, glad that she saw right through his deceitful personality.


    Curiosity hit me on why she should see his faked persona when they had never met before.


    "It''s Daisy. Nice to meet you." She answers, a low curt response dipped in a clear tone of distaste which she makes no effort in hiding. Her lips purse when she sees his curl up in a slow smile that reveals nothing to any prying eyes, but confesses everything from young ignorance to plain planned sociopathic intent, underneath its mask sly and calculating as always.


    "Nice to meet you too. How long have you two been friends? You seem close."


    I clench my hands into fists, anger bubbling up inside me like a ball of fire in a volcano, but don''t say anything for fear that clouds my sense of judgement.


    Besides, Daisy looks like, I think, able to handle herself in this environment. I bite my lip as I lower my head in concession, still spurting from the decision that I was forced to make.


    "I don''t see how that''s any of your business, or of any importance to you for that matter."


    She clicks her tongue, eyes set on him. My head jerks up to meet her gaze, shocked by the sheer confidence she''s saying those words in.


    That''s new.


    "I see. Well," Chair scraping against the polished hardwood floor grates at my ears, a sound I hope I never hear again. I wince and mice to cover my ears. It,  for some reason, reminds me of the sound white chalk makes pressed against a blackboard. It occurs to me then that they both have something in common; irritating and excruciating to hear.


    I tip my head up just as he lays a hand on her shoulder. Hot red rage rushes at me.


    How dare he!? He has no right!


    I feel tears of scalding anger builds up atop my lower lid at the sight. I clench my jaw.


    He smiles around the both of us, a free open face to be beheld by those who dare to wander past the sign screaming danger which is unlike any face changes of expression of his that I''ve ever seen. I purse my lip, suspicion brewing deep in my belly like a hot cauldron.


    "It was nice meeting you." His eyes shine in a vivid luster as they flicker to me briefly but he takes too long to drag them away that I notice.


    I stiffen, unsettled and apprehensive of the promise of something malevolent,  glassy and restricted by the kaleidoscope of green of his irises. "I hope you two enjoy your friendship and your outing." He bows as he wishes us well, a small wispy grin licking its way up to his lips. He stalks by past out the door, a preppy-cherry gait to his steps that I don''t like, the bell overhead tintinnabulating as the door swiftly opens and closes in one forceful push.


    I share a look with Daisy before she asks the dreaded question I knew she was going to as soon as I noticed he hadn''t told her of his name.


    "Who was that? What was that?"


    I grimace and bite my lip. Bearing around the bush isn''t going to get me anywhere and isn''t going to help anyone but I didn''t see any other way else to tell her who he is. Anything werewolf related is obviously out of the question. I''m not even sure how she would react to that.


    I mean yeah sure she likes fantasy but does that go as far as bringing what was thought to be fantasy into reality?


    I close my eyes. I don''t want her to think I''m a monster.


    What if I lost her over it?


    What if she told the whole school? I mean, granted its majority and werewolves as opposed to the ratio of humans but still.


    It''s not my fault I''m made the way I am.


    I spring my eyes open and raise them up to meet hers. Her open and curious face. Her concern shadowed face mocks me, saying that im overthinking things that haven''t even happened yet. I snicker inside my head, the  humourless sound bouncing off the walls of my skull.


    I''m an overthinker. If not I don''t know what else you want me to do.


    Lie to her, my sub-conscience whispers to me like an intoxicated lover of temptation. I shake my head.


    I don''t think I can do that. But that''s the only option I have, isn''t it?


    I take in a deep breath and expel it from my lungs. "Um, he-he''s from around the neighbourhood. We see much of each other though....." I quickly add when I see her worry deepen. A sigh of relief passes from her lips as her shoulders lowered,  tension leaving them. "His name is James."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    With an inaudible inhale of uncertainty, I wait for her response, fearing for the worst.


    ''You''re treating this as if this is an intervention. Aren''t both of you friends?''  Fern asks, muddy brown furry tail swishing up and down.


    I give her a shrug. '' I don''t know. I just want to make her uncomfortable and she closes herself off from me.''


    A thoughtful silence. ''It''s only been what? 4 days? I''m sure she''d understand your reasoning with time. Plus, she looks like she trusts you a lot, at least give her the benefit of the doubt.'' She advises.


    I nod and let out a sigh. ''Okay, you''re right.''


    She uses her claw-like paws to slick her none existent hair, competing it with the sassy head turn.


    ''Of course I''m right, I''m always right.'' She boasts tail swishing in every possible direction, proud of herself. I giggle.


    "Okay, just stay away from him okay? He gives me bad vibes." She finally let out after a long silence of contemplation, lips twisted down in a frown. I blink, taken back by her quiet question that was asked in a way that wasn''t really in a request, and jerk my head up in a nod.


    "I was planning to keep avoiding him anyway." I state casually plopping our joined hands back onto the table with a distracted smile. "Wanna get out of here?"


    "Let blow this popsicle stand!!" She exclaimed then burst into little cute giggles behind her hand. We stand up and I grab both cups in my other hand to toss them away into the bin at the entrance and exit. I scrunch my nose up at her.


    "Really?" I tease, not at all expecting  her to have said that. Or rather, her to know about Descendants. She shrugs, smiling that bright and beautiful smile of hers that animated her complexion.


    "Descendants is a good movie."


    "Matte did it better though." I point out, lips struggling to round up into a smile.


    Her eyes brighten up to life, excitement now tinting her irises as she grabs onto my forearm as we stroll out of the parlour. She makes a point to wave at an incoming couple of customers. I shake my head but can''t help becoming more fond of her antics and her sensitive good-natured persona.


    "Ooh, who''s your favourite character?"


    I think it over. "I think Cedar wood.  She''s good at thinking on her feet, especially in times of crisis and I like that. You?"


    "Good choice. My favourite is Raven Queen. Although she does like making people she likes happy, she will not have you stomp on hers. She''s kind and she''s brilliant. I like that in a person." She gushes on as we walk back to school.


    "And your worst character?"


    "Um, Apple White. That should have been obvious though." She raises an eyebrow at the second sentence.


    I laugh but agree. "I guess it should have been. But same. Like why did she force Raven to be evil? She knows people don''t always step out of their predestined character even after their done playing their role in the story. Just take the Evil queen trying to corrupt wonderland just because she was still evil." I point out.


    She hums. "Thing is I get your pint but I also get hers. She almost drowned in a well when she was 6 and she was scared that she would have to face that type of danger at every point of normal life that wasn''t secured by the safety of her fairytale." She shrugged.


    "Confused me why she sought to force Raven to be evil and poison her at every turn though. And pisses me the hell of."


    "Oh, why? Almost drowning seems like a good-ish reason as any........"


    She wrinkles her nose. "Well for starters,  she was already living a normal fairytale life, except living in a castle of course, so how does signing the book of legends change that? And she had to have realized that she was going to continue living outside of her rile in the Snow-White story.  And if she really wanted safety, why not just secretly sign the storybook of legends?"


    "Apple was a stickler for rules thought so highly unlikely but I yes I get your point."


    "My baby Raven served better. And Apple was so much worse in the dragon games. I still can''t believe it took her falling off a giant beanstalk to realize that my baby was right but eh, I''ll take what I can get."


    "Huh. Realizing the world isn''t safe and wanting her fairytale to happen quickly so she could safety by falling down a well and then realizing that only Raven was right about her mom, which of course she would she''s the Evil Queen''s daughter so she''s known her longer, but she also realizes that people still had a choice in their fairytale and whether they wanted to follow in their parent''s footsteps? I like that parallelism." I notice.


    "Oh yeah, it looks like that was meant. I never noticed that before," she says as she eyed me closely. I look everywhere else but at her, avoiding her eyes.


    "It''s nothing, I just pointed it out is all."


    "No it''s nothing, you just noticed something I never have and I''ve watched that movie like 10 times and read the first book just as much if not more."


    We continue getting to know each other as we head back to school, minding to keep to the safe sidewalk. We tease each other about our likes and dislikes, we talk out about our dreams; we talk about what we want to be in future and why we chose that career path.


    Then I ask her about her fears, one of the things we don''t yet know each other but baby steps I guess. Although I don''t want to scare her off, I feel like this is also something we should know about each other. But eh, I won''t force her to if she isn''t comfortable with telling me. I wouldn''t want to lose her over something as trivial as this.


    Her face clouds over, even though I''d kept my tone extremely lightened, almost jokingly at this point, and turns away, carefully snatched her hand out of my grasp. "I don''t wanna answer that."


    I give her a worried look all the while kicking myself for asking her such a sensitive question in the first place and now she''s probably going to close herself off from me because of my stupid decision.


    Guilty thoughts swamp my mind.


    Argh! How could I be so stupid?  I''m usually a more logical person.


    And I should have known that that was a too personal question.


    I guess I''ve been distracted these last few days. At least, I hope so. The fight I had with Riley and Eberlyn floats through my mind almost of its own accord. It could be why I''ve felt so off-put lately. Or it could be the fact that we haven''t spoken to each other since then.


    I grimace.


    "That''s okay. I-uh can ask you about something else?" I offer, happily letting her off the hook on that question that now that I thought about it, didn''t really need to be answered, gently placing my hand on hers as I met her eyes.


    Besides, there was no rush and we had all the time in the world to become familiar with each other. For whatever reason she had in opting out to answering that question, I was going to respect her and her boundaries.


    She smiles and slips her hand back into mine with simple pleased ease but it doesn''t animate her eyes in light as much as it used to.  I bite my lip but don''t say anything about it and instead focus on the feel of her hand in mine where it felt like that''s where it belonged.


    Plus she''s already upset with me and I really do not want to make it worse. She''s the only one that I have right now and I don''t wanna lose that. The thought of possibly losing her makes me want to cry. I feel my eyes water, as if following the unspoken instruction of my thoughts, and flick away the teardrops threatening to spill over my eyelids with the tips of my thumb.


    "Thank you. Now, what about what you''re afraid of? If you feel comfortable  with answering, that is." She asks drawing my attention back to her.


    "Um, losing my two best friends. Although, since I''ve already accomplished my worst nightmare, I guess I''ll have to bump that to last place and have to come up with a new one." I answer, shrugging my shoulders, with a casual tone. That wasn''t the answer she wasn''t expecting, and apparently not the tone she expected it to be said in as she lowered her eyebrows into a worried crease and frowned upon my casual answer.


    "I''m sure you haven''t lost them. They''re just...upset is all. They''ll get over it and you''ll have your friends back in no time." She advises kindly and squeezed my hands in equal reassurance.


    I stay quiet for a while just as we step back onto school premises. She didn''t know them like I did-do? I¡¯m not sure anymore-of course she thought positively about them even after I''d told her in detail about our fight, or at least like to think positive about them I''m not quite sure which, and gave them the benefit of the doubt, something I had not yet allowed myself to do concerning them or the issue that had got to solved soon, but to say that without a hint of doubt?


    I was starting to wonder if she was truly trying to console me out of the depths of my despair and beginning to think that she liked my friends, the traitors that they were, more than me and I''m her friend. It wasn''t fair.


    I''d like to think that I hadn''t lost them, I really really did, but for the fact that neither of them had spoken to me since our last fight earlier today or to apologize to me spoke volumes about how they wanted to do neither.


    Frankly, I was perfectly fine with thinking the worst than rather be hopeful only to have them dashed away again.


    But I didn¡¯t want her to feel guilty for trying to console me to the best of her abilities when I should be doing my own part and not letting myself feel so sad about this.  So I do the only thing that comes to mind.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure they will. We''ll probably be back to being with each other again in the next couple of days.¡± Or at least till Riley and Eberlyn get up the guts to come and apologize to me. I still don''t understand why she chose Riley over me when she knows that I''m clearly the one in the right. It still baffles me.


    "So I guess my next worst fear would be uh fear of high elevations? And the unknown of the dark." The first half of the sentence comes out as more of a question than I''d like.


    I''m horrified. That''s basic knowledge that everyone knows about themselves and I don''t want it to seem as if I don''t know what I''m afraid of.


    "Acrophobia." She pushed past the opened front gate and waved at the security guard in greeting as she passed by. I stiffly nod at him.


    She pries the school front door open with her nimble fingers, sunlight bouncing off of its transparent glass, converting at its steel hinges and hitting us in the face.  I use my hand to shield my eyes against the glare. "Huh?"


    We enter the tall establishment, feet barely touching the threshold as we walk over it, and waved at most of them who were students coming from boring classrooms and no doubt more boring lessons, who barely had the energy to wave back. I shared a worried glance with Daisy.


    We amble further into the building that hardly matches its uniform in colour, brown painted walls swallowing its white and black mixed colours on its sharp triangular awnings, a prism of brightly lit dull colours that didn''t really do the job of enticing one inside its confinement.


    ¡°It¡¯s what your fear is called. Although, I¡¯m not so sure the second has a specific name for it but the closest one is nyctophobia.¡± She explains.


    ¡°Ah. Huh. How do you know that?¡±  I ask then quickly add, ¡°don¡¯t have to answer that question if you don¡¯t feel comfortable with it,¡± as I remember her allowing me the opportunity to do the same if I¡¯d wanted to.


    She smiles, leans over, my breathe hitches in my throat at her closeness my heart starts to this against my chest, feeling short out of the excitement, our lips almost grazing each other in an impassioned embrace, and pokes my nose. "Google my little padawan." She giggles as she retracts back into her space.


    My heart lurches in my throat at the loss of contact.


    Away from her, I again have the space to safely breathe in. I breathe in and out as I attempt to unscramble my jumbled thoughts. I feel confused. What just happened?


    I can still feel my heart rattling against my chest. Inhale. Exhale. My eyes of their accord glance towards her only to find her seeking out my eyes too. Started, I look away.


    What is going on with me lately?

 11 || ELIZA

    Words break through my thoughts unprecedented, "So any other important person in your life I should know about?" She asks, smiling up at me bemused as her questions evade her lips.


    Suddenly my synapses snapped back into focus and it clicked in the posterior end of my brain what''s nagging at me. It did strike me as odd that the teacher waved at her AND smiles at her as if they knew her. Whether by proxy or I don''t know.


    ¡° Daisy, do you have any relatives that work as a teacher?"


    Cursory surveillance glides past my facial expression darts into my eyes before her eyelids press down on each other as she blinks. "Yeah, why?" My lips twitch but I try to keep my composure.


    I continue my line of questioning, my curiosity burning brighter and brighter with each passing second as it flares up to know the who''s, where''s and what¡¯s. "Do they work here? In our school?"  Unsure silence beats between us, the pleasing tone hitting a note into the drum, as she contemplated my next question, nose scrunched up in thought.


    "Yea....."  She slowly lets out, still unsure. My lips twitch wanting to form an amused smile but I remain my composure which isn''t so easy with that look on her face.


    "Do they teach a science subject?"


    This time she pauses and stares at me for an extended amount of time before she nods, a slow reply. "But what has that got to do with anything?" She questions, reservations about what answer she may have to give, reluctant to answer but brave enough to proceed.


    I shrug, put off by her sudden secretive attitude. "Just wanted to know why the teachers were so friendly with you and all."  Although it is not uncommon for subject teachers or specialty teachers to be friendly with their teen students, it struck me as odd that it would as far as a hug in front of a class.


    Staring at me in quiet point black contemplation in those reserved eyes, she purses her lips into a thin line, I see a little snippet of reluctance to believe my words. And try not to feel hurt about it. I shoot a sharp glance at her only to come face to face with her unreadable and closed off countenance that strikes me as an odd, if not unusual facial expression for her, thing that doesn''t belong on its host. I turn away. I can''t help but wonder though.


    What did I say wrong?


    All and any intentions to continue conversing with each other flee and soon simmer to nothingness as we walk down the long hallway. The students of Albanian Design Academy all of who had just come out of their boring and no doubt long-suffering classes shift and scramble out of the way, giving us a wide berth as if sensing the conflict that exists and yet does not between us, sticking their bodies to the horrific sight that is the green and black walls, stretching the space that exists between us from a safe distance.


    Their countenance reminds me of that of prey against its predator, scared and intimidated. Their movement is jerky and their hands are trembly as they stare at us with wide frightened eyes, inching away bit by bit from the threat they perceive us to be. It is no wonder then that they should be easily intimidated and frightened by Adena who has no qualms about harming people in whatever ways she sees fit and any means she is opportune enough to find.


    I groan quietly in the back of my throat but there is no purpose for me to force them to change their personality; naive and willing to be afraid of someone.


    One cannot confront what one cannot trust or see.


    I purse my lips and head to my locker, fingers matching onto the steel rusted dial that begins to twist and twiddle in clockwise turns. I give a satisfactory nod when it clicks and the door freely swings away from its metal counterpart. Stretching and grabbing the subject textbooks I had for the remainder of the day, I catch a few snippets of conversation going on a few feet away from me. Using my heightened wolf abilities and posing as if I''m still filling with my locker, I listen in without turning in her direction.


    What''s that about? Who''s she speaking to?


    Adena''s voice floats into my eardrums loud and clear, unfiltered and thought through week enough to let out into the open. I frown.


    Is she arguing with Daisy over something? Cause I''m not having that. Nuh-uh.


    I stalk up to them. She stands in Daisy''s path breathing heavily, blocking her left side, looking like an angry bull ready to sell into whatever imbecile being made it angry, and slams her open locker shut, Daisy removes her hand quickly seconds before it slams shut, a close save, and stares at the perpetrator that is supposed to be her friend in shock and fear.


    My eyes widen and, although I am relieved she managed to get her hand out in time,  my blood rages within me, boiling with bloodthirst.


    How dare she!? How dare Adena!?


    I try not to let my worried eyes linger on Daisy for too long and set my sights on Adena. My eyes harden. People move in closer.


    With clenched hands, she stood trembling in full murderous fury. "I see that you have a new friend."


    Daisy, having recovered from her earlier spook but still shook up as her trembling hands could tell not different. She curves them into her palm. "Yea......"


    She swiped a hand across her forehead which, now that I looked closer at it, was smudged with dark shades, soling her perfect tanned creamy complexion, a mirror of her brother''s skin tone. I wondered what else they had in common other than their bullying and intimidating ways. "And you tossed your old one out for your new one. Am I wrong?"


    She spat out, crossing her arms over her bosom, challenging her to prove she wrong even though there¡¯d be hell to pay if she did.


    I tremble, shaking at a furious velocity, my heartbeat pumping furiously against my chest and, my breath coming out in toils of hot air, take more steps towards them, each step,  feeling like it didn¡¯t belonged to me, even while my thoughts whiled and twisted in panic.


    Why hadn''t he texted me about this? No signal, no warning, no nothing. Even now as I was trying to search for him with our mind link, something I hadn''t used in years, I couldn''t sense out heads or tails of him much less see him. Stupid weak mind link.


    I let out a low growl of frustration, even though I knew getting upset would not solve anything but irritate me more. I had to grit my teeth to dissuade more inhuman sounds like that from escaping my lips to make sure Daisy doesn¡¯t hear it. I don¡¯t want to scare her off, that is the last thing I want to do, when she¡¯s already scared and upset enough.


    ¡°I never implied that with my actions. We can still be friends, there¡¯s no reason why we can¡¯t be a groupie.¡± Daisy refutes softly, keeping a levelled tone as well as calm eye contact with her. Adena doesn¡¯t like the offer though.


    ¡°Can we?¡± I feel my claws start to rise up from my fingernails, the head of a sharp curved claw sporting out at the response that is barely a tone away from her usual with my Daisy, a tone that is cruel and heartless in nature. I try to relegate their lengthening and will it down to a small unnoticeable but sharp peak. I struggle to move closer, having to shimmy my way through a crowd of bodies that don''t seem to know the meaning of personal space as they stay and stare, transfixed on the scene before them.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we?¡± Daisy sputters, beginning to lose a little bit of confidence at the indirect refusal, a response she had not anticipated, taken aback. Adena throws her head back and laughs. It is not a nice laugh but rather a ¡°are you kidding me? You¡¯re not seriously thinking that¡¯s a good or smart idea, are you?¡± mocking laugh.


    ¡°Not if you¡¯re friends with that thing.¡± She sends a glare behind Daisy directed right at me. I send one back and walk right next to Daisy to drag her away from this minefield but she doesn¡¯t budge in the slightest. Baffled, I turn to look at Daisy and see a fire of determination burning brightly in her eyes. I turn my attention back to Adena.


    Her countenance doesn¡¯t change once from its steel hostile gaze, not even as she gazes as someone she formerly recognized as a friend of hers. I turn back to look at Daisy an it hits me in the face what she means to do.


    Nothing good will surely come out of  trying to calm the storm before it blows over. She has to know that. Surely.


    Daisy¡¯s shoulders lift up and down with the smooth and quick inhale of air. She lets it out, unmoving and unrelenting, even to my futile gentle small tugs admit my own frustration. Inwardly, I groan.


    ¡°Why do I always have to choose between you and someone else?¡¯ She asks without stumbling her words, although there is deep-rooted pain in her voice that whisper she might break and wonders if anyone would bother trying to put her back together with cracked and breaking pieces. My heart hurts for her, even though I don''t know what else she has gone through, the girl that is breaking apart piece by piece in front of everyone but yet they are too self-absorbed to notice it, to notice her, and my arms ache to comfort her in their warmth.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    My hand keep tugging, trying to pull her along with me, trying to save her from her irrational want to keep trying to find something that isn¡¯t there even when the person has shown time and time again that they have shown time and time again that they aren¡¯t capable of giving her what she wants.


    Again, I am puzzled with the reason she is putting herself through this hurtful encounter though she need not to for her own well being. I may have not known her that long but surely she must see that doesn¡¯t even make sense on the part of her personality these last few days. Right?


    "Because you keep making friends that would ever love you as I have loved you. And trust me, they ain''t gonna do half of what I did for you." She smirks after the poisonous words leave her tainted lips. My fury spikes and finally tips over, too much and too full to stay in the entirety of my body by the next thing that happens, the action that breaks the camel¡¯s back.


    Daisy blinks, eyelashes and eyelids fluttering in rapid synchronization with each other, teardrops simultaneously welling up in her eyes, believing in Adena''s false manipulative words.


    Enough is enough. "Enough Adena.  You can admit that you''re jealous but you do not get to speak to her that way. Who do you think you are to be rude and mean like that? We¡¯re all students here and if you don¡¯t like that then I suggest you take it up with the principal." I say firmly loud and clear enough for her to hear every word, every threat in my words, staring at her dead in the eyes as I stand in a protective stance in front of Daisy. Her head snaps to me.


    I can see the shock register in her face before she has time to cover it back up with angered disbelief, her face turning a little bit more coloured. I''m surprised smoke hasn''t started coming out of her ears.


    "This doesn''t involve you." She hisses now.


    I snort angrily and move back closer to hide Daisy from her peripheral vision, folding my arms across my bosom, soft flesh tickling my skin upon contact. "The hell it doesn¡¯t. She''s my friend and as long as she is," I pause and harden my eyes, fire burning within me now at the lock onto hers, scalding anyone and anything in its path of sweet vengeance and flickering wildly like an untamed flame of passion, "anything you have to say to her, you can surely say it in my presence because it IS my business."


    At this point, Riley and Eberlyn have now joined the pressing crowd that forever says silence throughout the spurtle of words flowing from my mouth, neither of my peers lending a helping hand in taking down the school bully. I guess she must scare off everyone''s sense of morality too.


    They, I would have to presume we are now former friends even if it hurt to acknowledge them as such, both openly stare at me in a manner that I can only perceive as they think they are being betrayed by the one person they¡¯d never have thought would betray the man¡¯s a camera shutter of emotions pass through their face, each captured frame stating for no longer than a few seconds,  each emotion slid into its perfect slot ranging from betrayal and hurt to anger and suspicion.


    Then the final click of captured picture of human feelings, indifference. That one hurt the most but do you want to know what hurt more? Them turning their back on me and leaving. The hurt lurches inside my chest and threatens to spill out in a torrent of unkind words.


    I want to scream. But my throat shuts down on me as the hurt of the last two days of silence since Monday and Tuesday  pile up into bile stuck to the back of my throat. So I scream in my mind instead.


    WHY WON¡¯T YOU JUST APOLOGIZE! You almost sent the guillotine for almost revealing my werewolf secret and making my whole species hate me! How am I being selfish for not apologizing for something im not guilty of!? Don¡¯t you think I don¡¯t want you back, the very thought of losing you as my sister makes me want to cry from the heartbreak and puke at the disgusting thought?  I scream at Riley.


    And you! You actually betrayed me when you chose her over me! Wasn''t it me that held your hand while you grieved for your beloved lovely father when he passed away due to a diarrhoeal disease? Wasn''t it me that took care of you and took you in when your mother couldn''t make ends meet for a while? Hasn''t it been me that has struck through thick and thin with even Riley couldn''t? Why do choose her over me when I have loved and cared for you even when I too was hurting? Why? Why am I playing the second fiddle to you? I scream at Eberlyn.


    I''m tired. I''m so tired. This madness has to stop one way or another.


    Daisy tugs at my hand. I turn my eyes back to her, the person who needs me right now, and shove my problems deep down where they won''t be found for the time being even though it hurts too much.


    Her downcast eyes gaze at nothing but the floor. "Leave it. I just want to leave. Can we?" She spoke lowly, voice thick with emotion although she tried to keep it levelled. My eyes soften and-I can''t help it- an emotion of full affection swirls like a tornado inside me- I push a stubborn dark lock of hair like there''s no one else in the room apart from us and squeeze her hand as I reply "Anything you want."


    My anger at Adena subsides, almost too insignificant proportions for me to care about it, as my priority becomes protecting and making sure she''s alright no matter what the cost. I engulf her hand in mine and lead her away crowd, throwing my last glare at the students so they can dissipate enough for us to pass. They happily oblige. I lead her to the empty classroom at the other end of the building, far away enough from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears. Salty teardrops hit my long sleeve, melting into my skin as it seeps into the polyester fabric.


    My heart squeezes in my upper body at the pain she must be going through. I push open the door and hold it out for her to pass as she walks out.


    "Why does she always have to be this way?" She cries out, teardrops dripping down past her cheeks as they slide down in a torrent.


    "Why can''t I just have a normal best friend?"


    She blubbers. ¡°Am I not good enough?"  She asks her head resting on my shoulder, wetting my shirt with her tears(not that I mind, she can cry on my all she needs to.) I stroke her hair, offering solace to her hurt, and choose my next words with great care.


    "No, you are not good enough. You''re better than what she makes you think are and you deserve the world. Even though we''ve only been friends for a short while, I know I would do anything to make you happy and know that you deserve that." She sniffles and faces me. "Really?"


    "Yes really. Even if the world were to be ravaged by zombies and I had the anecdote, I''d give it to you first." I tell her, my hands cupping her face, smiling down at her. She laughs at the odd example and the use of zombies.


    I reach out a hand to move a lock of hair that was hiding the beauty behind it. She smiles shyly but the remnants of teardrops still shine in her eyes like the moon''s reflection on the deep blue brine in the night.


    What did I say wrong?


    "Thank you. You''re so nice to me." She confesses shy still, deep gratitude spreading across her light-brown lips. I shrug. " It''s no big deal. We''re friends anyway aren''t we?"


    The light in her eyes dim a smidgen bit but not such that you''d notice if you weren''t looking for it and if you weren''t looking closely enough, (which I was, how else am I going to talk to her? Look at the fucking wall?) But then it quickly blinked away as if it never happened or never existed for whatever its purpose was in the first place, too soon for me to study closely. I could have sworn I just saw an emoti8n passes through her pupils before it exploded into the dark pools of brown irises, almost hiding so it is not caught or perceived by an outer human eye, blending in we¡¯ll into plain sight, one that I cannot place.


    Was that anger? Embarrassment? Jealousy? Hurt? Trepidation? What? No matter how much I try to decipher the emotion, no matter how much I try to change the picture so that it fits the frame that wears it, though I barely had a good long look at it bends and distorts in my ray of vision. I was stumped.


    ¡°Yeah, we are.¡± The quiet agreement loudly rings with resignation at that im not sure is only a figment of my own imagination that startles my eardrums and floats somewhere over and against my skull, a screeching tone of recognition. I furrow my brows into a reflective worrisome and curious crease in the space between my eyelids and my straightforward forehead.


    Her lowered sights brought me no comfort as they stayed trained on the space between us, never once rising up to meet mine, trouble festering up inside me like its forever home nest. The thing that also irked me about this was that she didn''t want to tell me about what was bothering her so much that she had to break eye contact with me.


    Don''t make her do anything she doesn''t want to, my subconscious advised.  I hissed at it, irritated with its self-entitled need to remind me of the promise I made to myself. As if I need the reminder. I roll my eyes.


    "Does she always do things like this? Again, you don''t have to talk about it if you don''t want to which you don''t since it makes you upset." I whisper, the need to know if things were as bad as I thought them to be; paranoid that things had gotten physical once. I silently bed for it not to be so.


    She turns away and fidgets with her sleeves but answers nonetheless. " She has this stare like she''s stealing all the air in your lungs and puts fear in your heart. She-she threatens to leave me enough she knows, she knows I don''t want her to, I don''t want to lose my best friend, and then I''d cry and she''d -shed take me into her arms and tell me that she wasn''t going to abandon me, that she was just kidding. A joke she said."


    Tears stream and streak their way down her cheeks.  But some tears are unshed, unspent, unspilled, or unspecified. Seeing her cry in silence made me hurt more than it should have and just as much did the rage swell up in me, heart seething and boiling in a hot syrup of emotion that called for justice to be served.


    "You know you don''t have to....." I start but then she called her head firmly. "I want to." She sniffles. I say nothing and let her continue. She takes a few seconds to wipe her tears away, an impatient swipe across her forehead.


    "For the time that I''ve been her friend, she always had to have something against me, something to start an argument with between us, even if she had to create an issue that hadn''t existed before." She shakes her head.


    "Don''t get me wrong the early days were nice but," she bites her lip and lets it go a moment late, my eyes follow their movement of snapping back into freedom, "sometimes she wouldn''t speak to me for days on end, weeks and months even, leaving me to wonder what I''d supposedly done wrong to make her mad. I often wondered where that would leave us and if, I know it was stupid now but I couldn''t help it, she would willingly go through the same thing for me because she cherished me the same way I did her. I wondered if she''d against her own demons to keep me. But she didn''t and it doesn''t look like she has yet."


    She shrugs as if it doesn''t bother her, as if it still doesn''t kill her every time, as if it hasn''t broken her more times than she can count, but I see right through her even with her back turned to me. "She would never look at me on those days but allow me to come with her on whatever errand she was on. Instead of at me, she stared right through me. It made ne feel  like I was a ghost, non-existent but see-through."


    Her voice broke halfway through and I had to steel myself, feet stock firm on the floor, so that I wouldn''t jump up and haunt her down for what she was-and had- caused Daisy to go through for so long before a so broken whimper crashed through my ears, snapping me out of my Adena torture filled reverie.


    "I''ve never felt so alone." Her shoulders shook in suppressed wails that barely escaped her lips in coordination, broken sobs falling off of her life in disconnected calls. I grit my teeth but move closer to comfort her. She pushes her head into my neck and cries to her hearts pain. I want to wring Adena''s neck and bite off her fingers one by one with my human teeth. Human teeth are sharp enough to cut into flesh anyway.


    Soon, soon justice will be served, my fury croons, a tempestuous lover. I smile. And I will be its executioner.

 12 || DAISY

    My life is terrible. Terrible things come in threes. For one, my mom is a substance abuser, which really is just a euphemism of saying that she¡¯s a drug addict and an alcoholic.


    Most days, she isn¡¯t lucid enough to get through the day to keep herself from tripping or bumping into things(I have to hide a lot of glass away from where I suspect she¡¯ll walk towards next because of this.)


    I usually find her out cold on any random couch like furniture we have and there are bottles or clear packets of some white crushed substance, drugs no doubt, in it that I have to put far away from her unconscious reach.


    Sometimes, it¡¯s almost like taking care of a child.


    It¡¯s exhausting.


    Two, my dad is¡­.dead. I lost him to car accident when I was , now I¡¯m not really sure because my memory¡¯s a little bit blurry on it, 9 or 10 and mom and has never been same after that. I remember going to his final resting place for the first few months religiously to visit him and to let him know I missed and, try to, resume our normal father-daughter relationship even while he was gone. How fucked up is that? I cried myself to restless sleep for a week after that realization while staring at his grave stone. His funeral wasn¡¯t that much better to be honest but that¡¯s based in in fact that not much of his family on his side came for his funeral. I just hope he knows how much I miss him.


    And, last but not least, I have a lost of low self-esteem issues. But what I mean is I have literally no confidence in myself whatsoever. None. Nada. Zilch. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m good at anything; I¡¯ve tried to be but I just end up doing a poor job of it so I gave up trying in well, anything really.


    Apart from academics that is. At least, that¡¯s one thing I can control. But the feeling just never really goes away you know?


    So you can imagine my surprise when Adena, the most popular girl in town, it felt that way to me, walks up to me on the first day of high-school with a friendly smile and all, and says Hi to me. I was gobsmacked; surprised is an understatement.


    I didn¡¯t even know what to say for the first few seconds and we just stated at each other in awkward silence, on my part I didn¡¯t expect this to happen but what was her excuse?at each other in complete astonishment and confusion before I finally found my voice.


    ¡°U-um, H-Hi? Were you-Did you mean to tell me that o-or is there someone else behind me you meant that to?¡±


    She smiled more, remarkable green eyes flashing against my brown ones as the met across short distance, and I kid you not, my heart fluttered. ¡°Of course I meant you. Who else would I mean?¡±


    Her reassuringly tone brought me down back to earth before my mind could take off into imagination where I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it, and made me  immediately welcomed to this big new scary establishment when  no one else seemed to want to take notice of me or even look at me.


    I get it though; I must not have been anywhere near their radar of priorities so they needn¡¯t spare me a blind glance. But she, she took that first brave step into the unknown towards a new student and greeted her in a friendly manner even though she didn¡¯t necessarily have to.


    Just with that one act of amiable kindness of character, she¡¯s made an unsure and unconfident student feel welcomed. And for that alone, I owed her my life.


    She made my life instantly better; I felt like a weight had been taken off my heavily burdened shoulders. How many time had I wished for something or someone else to make my life easier?


    And how many times had it come to fruition I steady of frustration?


    I didn¡¯t-couldn¡¯t allow myself to really-trust her yet.


    She was too good to be true.


    She must have sensed this because the next thing she said shocked me more than she could have ever laid out on me. It still baffles me till this day.


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t expect me to be nice to you but hopefully I can change your mind about that perception. If you¡¯ll let me that is, don¡¯t wanna overstep boundaries.¡±  She exclaimed with such a perfect warm smile on perfect lips. I blinked then eyed her in suspicion.


    ¡°How do you plan on doing that? By merely tying to charm me with your perfect presence?¡± I ask as I clutched my books closer to my chest, as if I couldn¡¯t even trust her around my books; Lord knows what she¡¯d do once got her hands on them,  going straight to the point as I didn¡¯t try to hide my suspicion and my distrust of any random human act of kindness towards me.


    ¡°Perfect presence? Never heard that before but okay. Will you let me show you around school and show you the ropes? You do look really new here.¡± She offered as she easily slipped back into amicable conversation  that I only knew to be  between the people graced with the precious term of besties.


    I quirk an eyebrow at her as I even to suspect some other ulterior motive, never minding her comment about having never being called a perfect presence( I was nervous okay!!) ¡°And if I say no?¡±


    Was it really that obvious that I just moved here?


    She shrugged. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t come to that but, ¡¯ll have to find some other way for you to trust me. Maybe carry your books for you. Or  at least show you the rooms to your classes, would be the least I could do anyway. ¡±  She scrunched up her nose in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t even think anybody did that for me on my first day.¡± She added as an afterthought.


    I swish my feet to and fro as I contemplate my options, the noise of teenage chatter becoming  white noise in the background with the rough scratches of shoes against polished tile floors, and looked down in between the books I held closely to my protective bosom, my diary with deep blue leather cloth that spiralled beneath the heavy paperboard cover that sheathed it, curvy spirals decoratively splashed across of what lay atop.


    I fingered its turned weakening pages with caution as I thought, a caress of what would be like a lover¡¯s you have against one¡¯s skin for the first time; unsure but still passionate. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.I¡¯ve always been told not to talk to strangers¡­..buy then again that is how you make friends.. so I guess it¡¯s okay. For now.¡±  I condition firmly as I agree to her desire to befriend me.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Her smile stiffens a little but never once does it lose its shine; it almost seems to be too big to contain such a miniature face like hers, how does she do it? Even as I come bearing bad news, it remains stainless as steel.


    ¡°But if you let me down, I won¡¯t ever talk you to again, am I clear?¡±


    She nods her affirmation, oddly not shocked in the least bit of my condition.


    ¡°Crystal.¡±


    So I then went about my first day of high-school and we to teach and every one of my classes without wasting a single second with the assistance  and guidance of Adena, who true to her word never overstepped her boundaries and tried to force me into anything I wasn¡¯t comfortable with already, led me through the whole tour of school with impeccable time keeping. Huh.


    I guess she was serious about this whole friend thing. But how long will it last before either she gets tired of me or realizes that I¡¯m not worth it and leaves me friendless and lonely?


    It took me till almost the end of school however to realize that I didn¡¯t even know her name.


    So before she had the chance to dash out of the school parking lot, her shoulders kept doing this weird raising up and lowering down thing in circles so I could tell she was antsy to get somewhere, I mustered up the courage to tap her shoulder and ask her. ¡°So¡­what¡¯s your name? I just realized I don''t know it.¡±


    She looked at me over shoulder with a slow relaxed smile. ¡°Adena ?elti. What¡¯s yours?¡± She asked after having not wasted any time in answering my question.


    One flip. I return it, although bashfully aware of our close proximity. ¡°Daisy Asghar.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful name.¡±


    Coming from school and seeing my mom out cold on the couch, which I¡¯m sure she just fell upon, is not out if the ordinary; it¡¯s normal. So I wasn¡¯t all that too surprised to find her passed out on the couch in the living room.


    Her long cinnamon legs hung over the edges of the green olefin fiber, her unmoved  face turned out towards the back of the couch where I can tell her drool is dropping onto quite unceremoniously with half an open quietly snoring mouth.


    Her back rose and fell as she slept soundlessly, unconcerned and unconscious form dead to the world and its sad harsh realities. Her pills and bottle of alcoholic friends lay emptied on the floor  underneath her dangling legs.


    I sigh after watching her for a few moments longer in her blissfully ignorance that has been in the slave between me and her for as long as I can remember after dad died and walk over to the other couch to pick up soft blue wool blanket that is t too scratch against her skin but not too smooth that keeps her in her knocked our state. I walk back over to her and staring at a her again, lift the blanket in the air, short edges softly smacking air, and gently spread on her unconscious body.


    I leaned forward and placed a kiss  on her forehead, like  how she used to do when I was little, a motherly gesture I all too well know that I miss, ¡°Night mom.¡±


    In bed, I laid awake, thinking but listening in fir any signs or signs of her waking up, thinking of what life has been so far.


    I was 9 when I first noticed something was wrong with my mom.


    Flashback


    Dad had been an overnight shift now and hadn''t been home for several times a week in a few weeks and the empty side at the dinner table was a constant reminder but I had to remind myself that it was okay, he was doing for me and mom so we could be happy together without having to worry about money so I dealt with it. I didn''t let my feelings cloud what was important to him.


    It was a rainy day after I''d gotten back from school and seen as the day hadn''t been that bad I thought hey why not ask mom if I could go over to a friend''s house and play with them till dad came back. Mind you, I didn''t have that many friends or people to talk to. He had a habit of coming back on the late nights of Thursdays and I didn''t want to spend the whole day doing nothing but waiting and waiting.


    Plus, the test they gave us had come back with my score and I was excited, bursting with happiness at this point to show it to mom that I could hardly stay still. I couldn''t wait to see the proud look on her face for me.


    I peeped into her room and saw that she wasn''t in so I slipped in, my floral shorts quietly swaying in with me, and plopped myself upon their bed to wait for her. That''s when I noticed a piece of paper that I''d never seen before on her bedside table. Its edges looked marked with dirt and aged with use.


    I stood up and as the curious little child I was I went over to see what it was. She''s never kept, or been compelled to anyway, anything from me, why would she start now? As she was open and trusting of me, I was open and trusting of her. We had a better relationship this way.


    I picked up the white folded up paper with my little inquisitive hands and turned it over so I could read it. It had a little weird cursive writing I couldn''t understand no matter how much I looked at it(Dad usually joked about doctors having that type of handwriting) I flipped it over and rolled my eyes. It was upside down this whole time, stupid.


    But still in cursive.


    I walked over and splayed out in front of the sun-kissed window where rays of the sun scattered and shattered through the steel bars and bled out into the room in fragments of gold, and the words burned in front of my eyes. I couldn''t drag my eyes away much as I would like to. I blinked once, twice, eyelashes fluttering open and close as I tried to fathom the idea of what was inscribed hurriedly onto the piece of paper.


    My vision blurred.


    Was this-Was this a drug prescription she never told me about? That she didn''t want me to know about? That she didn''t want dad to worry over?  Did this count as a breach of trust? I didn''t know what to think. What was I looking at? I wanted to look away but I couldn''t.


    The paper gets snatched out of my fingers, catching me off guard, a light sizzle of a shock bolting through fingers that touched mine for the briefest of moments before I could examine it more and I turned around in shock to see my mom.


    She looked furious, eyebrows turned down, mouth pressed shut into a slim tight line-but was that a flash of guilt?-and had her arms across her bosom, pressing down her soft skin under the weight, and asked me, ¡°What''s the meaning of this? Why were you looking through my things?" with eyes flashing in fury. What I didn''t know however that would soon become the most animated I''decer seen her.


    I  looked down at my shoes, ashamed of my actions. "I''m sorry ma."


    "Go to your room. We''ll discuss this later."  I took her instruction as my cue to scurry my feet out of her room and back into mine. It was then that unnoticed my shaking legs. I tried to calm down my loud thumping heart with calm breathing but they came out in panicked rasps that I couldn''t control.


    My hands shook as I borough them up to my face and bared myself in it as I slid down my wall to cry.


    Later, I heard my mom calling me from downstairs and with quick hand swipes wipe my tears away. Although my head feels light and aches in undesirable pain, I hastily stand up and go out of my room to meet her.


    She stared at me for a few seconds, making g me feel uncomfortable with the silence between us under her scrutiny, and then said ¡°Dinner is ready.¡± My head whips upwards from staring at the floor towards her in a quick flash of hair and head merging together the second to stare at her in confusion.


    What did this mean? I¡¯m not one to misunderstanding what a person wants, at least  I think, but what she had just said left me feeling g confused. We¡¯re there any indicators I missed? Were we not going  to talk about it? What did this mean for us going onward?


    During dinner when dad had come back, she kept giving me this short glances that she didn¡¯t think I¡¯d notice. Conversation wasn¡¯t as fun and merry on the dinning table like it always had been.  Something in the air had shifted, I could feel it. But what?


    Eventually,  she came to my room and made me promise to never tell anyone what I saw in that paper. Confused but willing to appease her so she wouldn¡¯t be upset with me anymore  for fear that our relationship would be ruined and damaged if I didn¡¯t, I agreed.


    End of flashback.


    Closing my eyes with a sigh, I fall back into restless sleep that never makes me feel less heavy with the responsibility of taking care of one person than I have to, no matter how many times I cry in my dreams for it to take away this pain.


    This consuming burden will never leave, will it?


    Absentmindedly, almost like it¡¯s a thought I¡¯ve had all day like but didn¡¯t want to acknowledge, I wonder how Eliza is doing. Her friends ate being selfish, even for whatever reason that they¡¯re upset.


    Surely, they shouldn¡¯t take this long to apologize for doing her wrong.


    I do hope she¡¯s okay. Just because I had a bad ending to my day doesn¡¯t mean other people should¡­¡­¡­.

 13 || ELIZA

    Today is Friday. The last two seemed to go on and on in an agonizing slow pace.


    Its nearing Saturday, the day of my beloved 18<sup>th</sup> birthday,  as dawn quickly spirals into orange tinged dusk, the d-day of his birthday, as the clock on my phones glows 9:18 and neither of best friends have contacted me to talk to me reasonably or to apologize. Are they asleep? Or they just occupied? Even as I think these thoughts, I know that they are not the case.


    I bite my lip, my bottom lip caught in between the incisor behind the top lip, and peer over the rim of the random book on leadership in the spirit world and how to harness it- now why is there a book telling me how to do my job?


    Buzz off- a small portion of its old eland worn out brittle pages trapped underneath the pressing down of my fingers at the screen of my phones, hoping, expecting its information would have changed in the last time I checked it in the last one minute.


    But the sight stays the same  unread and ignored, even though it has its signatures positive strokes of deliverance testifying g to its purpose next to it.


    Unresponded to but read. A large lump of sadness and disappointment, ever the secondary emotion I''ve been feeling since the incident of yesterday afternoon that refuses to leave no matter how many times I''ve been proven wrong time and time again, former easily overpowering any other emotion my heart and soul can possibly contour up in its daily dealing with people and coagulation, dried up and hardened matter instead of liquid substance clings to the taste buds on my tongue.


    But no matter how badly I wish it to change, it hardly ever does concede to my wishful demands. Not unless someone makes the first.


    But why does that have to be me? Why is it always me that fixes our problems after every fight? Or Eberlyn? Why does Riley never take the first initiative?


    Suddenly, my lungs burn as they fid it too hard to perform their daily norm of breathing and breathing out, each intake and outtake harsh against the shuddering and trembling of its trachea and tubular branches, a heavier task to bear than the prevalent trying to breathe in enough air to feel okay as tears blur my vision.


    ¡°Maybe if I just give them a few more minutes, another hour if need be, and they¡¯ll respond¡­..?¡± I whisper to myself  my foolish heart with its hopeful  desire to give people a second chance when they be hurt me too much.


    My eyes stay glued to the dimming light of the screen, hoping, searching and waiting, but yet no response, no acknowledgement, except for the blue stokes that now mock me with a triumphant grin at me in their silent victory. Truth is a harder pill to swallow than fiction.


    Have I really lost them? I¡¯ve known them and loved them like sisters since I was 6 so we¡¯ve grown up together and gone through a lot together. All the fun times we had, all the frustration and irritation of being treated like a kid but expected to act like an adult we suffered through,  all the pain we went through together, sometimes caused by our family, sometimes by our peers, and sometimes caused by ourselves, all the  silent and comforting hugs we offered to one another in our times of need.


    Eberlyn and I especially have grown closer in our relationship with each other-she always made me feel loved and cared for even in my darkest times- because we knew un our deepest of hearts no one would ever understand us the way we understand each other as if we¡¯re connected to a single heartbeat.


    Sisters from another mother. Or rather, another family. I can¡¯t imagine-I don¡¯t want to even, just the thought makes me down and hopeless-a life on my own without her.  Can she?


    Is she really just gonna throw all of that away for her? For Riley? After all we¡¯ve been through together? I never knew I was that disposable.


    Absentmindedly, I run my fingers up and down on the screen whose light had already gone out, as I co template my feelings and thoughts on what to do next as my plan of action. Accept the inevitable truth or reject it and fight keep our friendship and our sisterhood?


    The truth does often distance fact from fiction and it could save me the heartache if I just accept it now and move on with my life without them, without her.


    A bright idea pinged off in my mind, the sudden blast of positive energy springing all the negative feelings aside for the time being long enough for possible solution to sink into my core. Bolting upright in bed, the otherwise cool cotton blanket slid off my shoulders where it had been half heartedly placed upon, I beam at the darkness of my phone.


    Looks like I''m going out to party soon.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Tossing and turning all a ways into the early morn, I could hardly sit still on my bed as I could handle the unmetered and uncontrolled energy that flowed through like a river bank-or was that nervousness?- the golden light of the sun, filtering in between the bars of window. It showered the room in fragments of glittering gold , one face of the giant ball melting into the room like a spinning disco ball. I wasn''t so sure how my parents would react to my ''request'' for a sleepover over at Eberlyn¡¯s.


    Of course it wasn''t uncommon that we had sleepovers on every weekend as it was the only day we were free from any and every obligation.


    But would they agree? Normally, we were a happy go lucky family that had no problems spending quality time with each other, even though it was quite lengthy, or just having our furniture airy banter with other mixed in with some of our opinionated world squabbles but lately things had been terse.


    Mostly between my parents who made no effort to hide what was going on between them on eavesdropping silent nights in the house. Sometimes, their bad mood obtrusive spread out like a wild untamed familiar flame that sought to burn and wound anything in its blazing path. I didn''t want to be caught in the middle of it, or worse, be the one to be the mule that finally broke the camel''s already weakening back.


    After being married to each other for so long, after spending so many years building and creating, and mending nothing into  something precious with each other,  I didn''t want I to all come to a painful waste of lives, of painful and beautiful time spent with each other, to come torn apart just because of me.


    Was I overthinking this?


    Possibly.


    Definitely.


    Am I going to do the obvious thing and get it over with to prove my pessimistic side wrong?


    Nope.


    "Hey, short-stuff, what you worrying about?"


    A voice I know all too well inquired to the mistaken space between is. I can already see her posture in my mind''s eyes; relaxed shoulders drawn down in a cool slouch, long soft arms flung loosely apart in different directions upon her tender bosom, a leg slid  outward while the other stayed on the wooden panel of the door. I flicker my gaze over my shoulder for a few moments of short eye contact.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I''m.......just thinking." I lie half-heartedly as I contemplate my options , legs pacing round my room in unperturbed breathing.  Burning thoughts that raced about  in my head fueled anxiety and overwhelming senses, in their connection to my restless feet, hadn''t caught up reality yet.


    "Just thinking? Bullshit. If you were just thinking, you wouldn''t be looking as if you were about to cry or be pacing around your room either." Footsteps echoed in my head as they drew near till I could see the brown ankle lengthened boots covered scantily in fur. I scrunched up my nose as I knew where they had most definitely come from and turned my attention to her inquiring concerned eyes instead. Black eyes searched mine with careful worry. ¡°Eliza, what''s wrong?"


    "Huh?" I spammed as I zoned back into reality, eyes fluttering as they blink in rapid succession. "Oh, sorry I just zoned out." I shook my head to clear the woozy feeling gotten from the fog clouding my mind.


    She snorted a little but her expression clued to her face never moves or changes , although light cheer dance in those dedicated eyes. Her boots move in the direction of my bed and distracted and half interested, I follow the curious movement with my eyes.


    She patted the space next to her. ¡°Come, sit and tell me all about your friendship woes.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re inviting to come sit on my own bed?¡± I question sceptical of her sudden command. My feet walk over to the my bed and fall underneath the edge of my bed as I drop onto it unceremoniously, the possibility of disobeying her ordered flickering in and flowing out of my grasp as I  consider it for a brief second before doing away with idea completely.


    I don¡¯t speak for a while and instead focus on my hands placed on my kneecaps instead. ¡°Well, Riley almost revealed to the whole school the existence of werewolves and then accused me of being selfish when I called her out for it. Then Eberlyn-¡° I pause as the betrayal still burns brightly I my chest. I close my eyes. ¡°She took her side.¡±


    ¡°She what? That bitch. Why on earth? Where does she live again?¡± Sh burst out in angry waves of fierce sisterly love. I smile a little as I wipe a rough hand over my eyelids, coming away with my tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯ll just make things worse and I might actually lose her forever if I haven¡¯t already.¡± The bed sunk in again.


    I laid my head on her strong shoulder.


    Nimble fingers played with tresses of my hair before reverting to their usual spot of offered comfort,  rubbing deliciously  soothing circles into my scalp.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of asking mom and dad If I can go over to my friend¡¯s house for a sleepover with them like we usually do. But I¡¯m going to a party that¡¯s holding at the same place instead.¡±  I swallow nervously and look back up at her.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not so sure how they¡¯re going to take it.¡± I added without being probed or cajoled into adding more information about the crisis I was having. I breathed out a slow stream of unknown and unsettled air. ¡°Thoughts?¡±


    Contemplative silence steeled between us. ¡°Is it-I¡¯d hate to pry- James¡¯s party you¡¯re going to because they¡¯re going to be there as well?¡±


    Hesitation cuts my words off for the faintest of seconds, but she notices it in a split second.  She doesn¡¯t say anything about it and instead awaits my response.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s pretty ironical of you think about it.¡±  I shrug as I blurt out the words.


    ¡°Are you sure about this though? I mean, I don¡¯t want you getting hurt or anything.¡±  She worries, hands reaching over to holding in a quiet shield. I bite my lip. ¡°Its okay, I can easily call for help or call someone¡¯s attention if things get rough."


    Besides, three¡¯s a crowd and a threat at the same time. I¡¯m going to be fine¡± I whisper to her assuredly, a shrill in my borrowed words that didn¡¯t ring true to me as I let them fall from my lips.


    ¡°Okay. If you¡¯re sure, I trust you.¡± She concedes, although I can smell her rebuke and argument a mile away on her tongue.  Black eyes struggle to maintain  their pigment as it fights with gold.


    She breathes in and let it out, her shoulders relenting their upset with their usual straightforward temperament. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± She lets out.


    I¡¯m stunned. ¡°Wait, really?¡± I ask, remembering a lot of scenarios where one of us, usually being me, who would tell the other off for being  stupid and reckless for executing their dangerous plan.


    I hadn¡¯t expected her to agree to this idea of mine seeing as its usually the other way around and I for one would never go for it. She laughed, a timber above a whisper but not loud enough to draw unwanted attention.


    ¡°Of course. Besides, I isn¡¯t everyday you see the goodie two-shoes rebelling.¡± Mischief slid down from her words like a savory sauce and for a few seconds, I felt like I had just carelessly dropped  an important delicate subject into the most unsubtle and clumsy hands.


    But then warmth and security flooded my being. I look up at her with bright eyes filled with love.  "Okay."


    ¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î??¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î??¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î


    I hitch my purse back onto my shoulder. I let out a breathe, staring at the reflection of myself in the mirror. My dark brown eyes stare back at me, scared. I chew my lip as I mentally go through everything, gearing up my weakened and strained  nerves about me.


    Our plan was to drop me straight at Riley¡¯s first then over to-I wasn¡¯t so sure I would be still be able to look her in the eyes-Eberlyn. Hopefully, her stepsiblings won¡¯t be home at that hour. But of course, that probably won¡¯t happen. Things like these never usually work in my favour.


    I¡¯m not even particularly sure if they¡¯d want to see me. I can see this playing out and it doesn¡¯t end so well. My hands clutch the thin black leather of my handbag and squeezes it in a death grip. I don¡¯t want to think pessimistically but what with the look they gave me on Tuesday¡­¡­..I don¡¯t know what to expect but I hope what I fear won¡¯t become reality.


    The door creaks. She pops her head round the open door, dyed dark red-haired falling off her shoulder. ¡°You ready?" She asks, bright bubbly nature splitting forth from her ginning mouth. My shoulders shrug. ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be I guess.¡±


    She paused then walked over. She draped an arm long across my shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Look, if anything turns sour, you can always call me to come pick you up. Anytime.¡± She squeezed my  shoulder, bending her head down onto my own. I took a deep calming breathe of air and nodded.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I managed to get out.


    Water suddenly a good idea as any for my parched throat. Thank heavens my words didn''t out in a croak instead, She''d never let me live that down. I can already hear the nickname little froggy echoing in my treacherous head like a bad headache.


    Altin nods and squeezes my shoulders one last time before her fingers flitter away, taking their reassuring warmth with them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the car.¡± She announces back before she leaves. In short strides with her long thick strong legs, she crosses over to the other side of my room.  The door slams shut , thudding with a bang.


    I swallow. My adam¡¯s apple bobs  underneath my chin, hard vertical bone jutting out. Its now or never I guess.


    I exit my room, not once looking back.


    ¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î??¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î??¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î??¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î¡î??


    The door handle blurs in front of me. My hands still at my sides.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± I whisper to myself. I glance at my the dark screen of my ozone and contemplate calling Altin to come take me back home. The offer flashes through my mind. But I leave the phone as is, either too stubborn to call her and admit defeat or too scared to open the box of worms, unawares of what mat await me once I turn covering of the can over.


    My eyes water as I close them. My lips clamp onto each other, trying to hold back a whimper.


    They¡¯re your friends aren¡¯t they? My thoughts asks.


    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s mocking me or if it¡¯s asking is genuine.


    Our group chat still remains empty. They haven¡¯t spoken a word to me since Tuesday. They¡¯ve been physically avoiding me as if I¡¯m the plague.


    If you don¡¯t open the door, you may never know, my subconscious offers.


    I let out a breathe.


    Fine.


    For a few seconds of silence,  I don¡¯t move, I don¡¯t breathe. I¡¯m not even sure if my lungs are inhaling enough air as it is. I gulp and reach over, hands reaching out for the dark door handle.


    Time to face the music. Whatever symphonies it may be playing, I am willing to dance to it. Not so sure about readiness however.


    I reach for the door just as it leans away from my outstretched hand. It leans inwards, slowly opening up to show a familiar face I hadn¡¯t expected to see so soon.

 14 || ELIZA

    I stare at Eberlyn. Eberlyn stares at me. Silence aggravates any words breaking through.


    ¡°Um, hi?¡±  I offer, feeling like a stranger. She doesn¡¯t respond, instead continuing to stare at me. I squirm.


    ¡°Can I come in? I want to talk to Riley.¡±  She hesitates and then steps aside as she opens the door fully. ¡°Thank you.¡± I say as I pass on through.


    We don¡¯t speak. We don¡¯t blink at each other, we just look elsewhere.  ¡°Uh, should I go call her or do you want to go to her?¡± She suggests, unease seeping through the seams of her polite voice. ¡°I¡¯ll -I¡¯ll just go to her. You coming with?¡± I add.


    She shakes her head. ¡°Um, later.¡± I stiffly nod and walk further  on into the house.


    Walking into Riley¡¯s, I had the delusion of hope mixed with my anxieties about the conversation I would have to have with friend. Here¡¯s the thing, I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s aware that I want to fix whatever this is between our or if she¡¯s even willing to cooperate with me. She can be determined when she sees or feels that she has to have something.  I don¡¯t think she would want me here.


    The soft sound of ambient music dulls out the itch to run away from this situation as fast as I can and never look. Familiar words echo from beyond the wooden door.


    Is-is she listening to our favourite song?


    I stare, frozen with shock, at the doorknob in front of me. With the intensity of my fixed gaze, I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s not melting and turning back to


    Why? Isn¡¯t she still angry at me, even thighs I see no absolute reason for that,  abd wants nothing to do with me since Tuesday?


    I have to know.


    An action I would never in a million years commit or even think of doing, I barge into her room uninvited. The door slams against the wall with a loud bang. Startled, she takes off her earpiece, and turns around. Stares at me with blank eyes.


    ¡°Riley, I-¡° I start, caught off guard just as much as she is, if not more by my own actions, the urge to apologize rising up within me.


    ¡°Its fine. What did you want? Finally come to apologize?¡± She asks, pushing her phone down into her back pocket, deliberate scoffs tilting her vocal coeds in my head. The show grows and changes, however, into clear confusion, then fades back into hidden surprise.


    ¡°What? No. I came here to fix things between us. Why would I apologize?¡¯ when I have nothing to apologize for?


    She eyes me and sits down on her bed. ¡°If I¡¯m not getting an apology out from you any time soon, I suggest you leave my room. I don¡¯t like being in the space as unremorseful people.¡± Her misguided accusation slaps me in the face, unexpected and hard,  not bothering to hide her obvious dislike for having to be in the same said presence as me. Hot anger flares and burns through my veins.


    ¡°I would have been sentenced to death and or exile if any human knew about us werewolves. You know this and yet still jeopardized my safety. But somehow, I¡¯m the selfish one.¡±


    She barely flinches at the words that fall from my lips, barely blinks as she turns away from me. ¡°You know that was a mistake. You¡¯re taking things out of proportion.¡±


    I fold my arms. ¡°Was it? For all I know, you could still do that again. And you promised that you¡¯d never reveal that secret of mine when I told you. You promised.¡±


    I breath heavily, chest starting to exert itself as I struggled to breathe in through my nostrils. Shaking, I balled my hands into fists.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    I continue. ¡°So are you going to apologize? Or am I going to be friendless?¡± Her eyes flick from the wall to me for the briefest of moments. ¡°You have Daisy.¡±


    Exasperated,  I yell. ¡°She¡¯s not you!! ¡± Teary eyed, I whisper, ¡°I just want my best friend back.¡±


    Is that too much too ask for?


    Silently, she turns back to me. Stares at me for an aeon. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do without me then.¡± Her brown eyes barely show emotion.


    I stare at her, really look at her, as memories shared between us for the last 8 years fall before my eyes. Her first crush. Squealing about it to me. Her feelings about mother nature. Trying to get us, me, to see the beauty if it. Our first sleepover at Eberlyn¡¯s. Giggling for no apparent reason for an hour. Eberlyn¡¯s and Riley¡¯s first night at mine. Gossiping about whatever there was to gossip.  A life time of friendship which I know, my heart is certain if this fact, that would not, could never think of doing, ever dream of throwing away. For whatever reason  she was upset, she still held our friendship in high regard enough to shove aside her stubborn pride.


    So then, who¡¯s this person I¡¯m looking at? Cause this is not my Riley. This isn¡¯t-surely can¡¯t be- one of my best friends. Can it?


    My shoulders droop. ¡°So you¡¯re just gonna-gonna throw away the years we¡¯ve spent together? Trust, friendship, pain, and joy we¡¯ve built together? Over some stupid mate thing?¡± Emotional pain spurts up in my eyes,  casting a physical reflection of the pain I was going through, was putting myself, shivering in the blast of cold through.


    Had the room always been this cold? It feels like its 0¡ã in here.


    Silence. Aghast with disgust and disappointment,  I turn away. ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s how you want it to be, fine.¡± I wrap my arms around myself, shivering and trembling in sadness. Gulping, I blink teardrops away. I take a step forwards, then stop in expectancy of telling,  or calling after , or anything to stop me from continuing.  She doesn¡¯t. I take a few more steps forwards, hope flowing and ebbing when she still doesn¡¯t make any move to stop me from leaving.  The hairs in my neck prickle in the tense silence of foolish anticipation.


    Soon, the drag of  footsteps lead me towards the door.  I stand between one side, one foot out in front of the other. Not a word cones from her. I¡¯m tempted to turn around and force solve this thing. Even if it means apologizing for something I¡¯m not responsible for. And is it me or does it feel like she was upset about some other thing? The way she mentioned Daisy¡¯s name leaves unsettled.


    ¡®Well, if she hadn¡¯t made the decision of almost causing you your life, you wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to befriend her. Simple as that¡¯ Fern states as if it were a mere common fact.


    I bit my lip, contemplative. Her words struck a chord with me.


    I know that in my heart of hearts she''s right. But knowing is different from feeling.


    "And if I hadn''t? Would she be still jealous?'' I ask back.


    Scratches of fingernails on wood. It echoes in my heightened hearing.


    I sigh. "I know your there Eberlyn." Shuffling of feet permeates passed my ears.  She bites her lip a d looks at me, worried.  I look at my fingernail, interested in the dirt in between.


    "I wasn¡¯t listening in¡­..I just happened to stumble upon¡­?" She says, trying o hard to cover her tracks, sprung up hand gestures, timid and  tentative.  I raise an eyebrow.


    "Okay, fine I was listening in but it was mostly muffled. " She admits, lowering her gaze. I shrug.


    "She doesn''t want to apologize.  I don''t want to apologize for something I didn''t do. I don''t think we''re friends anymore. And I think she''s jealous of my relationship with Daisy." I state in a nonchalant tone, although the reality of our choices hits me in the face with a blow to heart. I let my shoulders droop heavy with their sadness.


    She looks up at me, mouth agape and closing like a fish trying to grasp at the air that¡¯s not getting into their lung thanks to the constriction of their chest.


    She groans, tilting her head back in what I can recognize as frustration. You and me too. "I had hoes she wouldn''t let her feelings get in the way. Guess I was wrong."


    I snort, finding her humour to be funny even while in sadness, and fold my arms.


    "Yeah, guess you were."


    Silence ensues. She hesitates, wanting to say something to me but too unsure to say it in case of reproach


    I notice. ¡°If you wanna say something say it. I do not want to stay here all day.¡±


    She stares at me earnestly open in honesty. "Eliza, About Tuesday.... I''m sorry. I was trying to help and went about it the wrong way I guess.  I know that you won''t forgive me easily or forget, but I also sorry that I took her side over yours when she''s the one that''s at fault."  She twiddled with her fingers, turning them one way and then the other in an up and down manner. Air hitched up in the back of my throat hearing the sentence I¡¯d wanted, needed to hear since our fight, the result of her betrayal.


    Now the questions is, do I forgive her? Have I already forgiven her? Do we just jump back into being best friends or is it ruined? I didn''t know.


    What if she does it again? What if there''s no going back after that? What if I lose her for good? I''m scared. I don''t think I can go through this again. I don''t want to be this hurt again.

 15 || ELIZA

    ¡°I-I don''t know. Could you let me think about it for a day or two?" I whisper, avoiding her eyes now.


    I could the silence that followed shortly after my damnining response but there was nothing I could to stop it. I needed time to think. Wasn''t I at least granted that small privilege?


    What if I made the wrong decision?


    I didn¡¯t want to just think it over a few brief fleeting seconds turned to minutes and then still make a decision I''d regret well into my ailing years.


    But still, I was merely going on my emotions now instead of my head where one couldn''t tell the difference between honesty and cruelty , had my once abrupt response cut too deep?


    "Okay. I''ll wait." Her tone of voice sounded resigned but also accepting what she couldn''t change. It was out of her hands now and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. I let out a sigh that was more of relief than any other emotion of significance swirling around inside my heart.  I hadn''t expected her to give in that easily to my terms in the possibility of letting her back I to into my life.


    Honestly, I had expected worse. Although she was much more precious to me than that of Riley, Eberlyn wasn''t above giving silent treatment.


    "Thank you."


    She shrugs, a  half heartedly voluntary response,  "Its the least I could do." She reached over and squeezed my hand. A light smile grace my lips and I bid her a goodbye before making my way down the not so dark hallway anymore. I held my head high, brown plush carpet underfoot, approaching footsteps light as the tumbling snow on the tender touch of a fingertip.


    I exit out of the house, passing by the other end of the other hallway that we''d all converted into our hide spots in games of hide and seek into over the years, pause and stare at the empty hallway. Young child giggles filled the dark looming space in my head, a delighted merry sound to fill my memories for years to come, and allowed the deep ache if sadness fill me to the brim settle in my bones of youth. . I close my eyes and let myself float atop the barrage.


    Although I know for naught what the dear unknown future held for us, I knew the good were always going to outweigh the bad and I would always be her best friend. In life and in death.


    I just hope she knows that.


    I let the memories, the times of both happiness and pain settle into their new cocoon cradle of a semblance relating to a home, warm and quiet place to stay, and glide down the hallway to the door. The wooden panel smoothens the rough of my hand, coldness sinking in and making the soft skin its burial ground.


    Cold fingers across the red brown, lingering touch, as if wanting to keep dancing to the music of a now-burned-out fire, with the overarching feeling of a longing lover, dipping into the shallow valleys made in the sturdy surface, and hold onto it for a brief moment before falling away.


    Memory through memory will I remember you.  But I¡¯ll also mourn for what was once mine.


    I turn away and swallow the wet lump in my throat. My fingers tear the door away, midday sunlight bathing me in its otherworld orange red glow, and step out. Fingers pulls the door shut, doorknob encompassed by the grasp of my hand . Taking my eyes away from the spot it seems to be locked onto , I trot downstairs onto the dirt spotted floor.


    Walking out into the stiff air, I look down the neighbourhood.  There were no signs if any cars but some people walking about under the sun. Houses of differing colours and shades lined up in a straight line on both sides of the pathway. Window curtains blocked seeing into houses on opposite sides.


    I bit my lip and shook my wrist, anxious.


    I didn''t want her to drive all the way out here from where she was located but I also did t want to stay here any longer than I has to. But then again, she did say I could call here anytime.....


    I look at my phone as if it holds all the answers to my questions, trying to make a decision. Should I call her? Should I not call her? I don''t even know what to do anymore. Panic rises up in my chest, blocking the ease of airway in my lungs. My eyes water as I struggle to breathe, although the rising fear and overwhelming sense of doom triggered horrible feelings that I found it hard  to control.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I breathe in and out, counting the seconds in between each muscle exertion. Each shaky inhale and exhale, the pumping thud of my heart against my chest calmed down like a tired child to sweet lullaby, burrow into my tired lungs. Shaky hands went up to wipe fallen tears. Building blur out of periphery vision n front of me.


    ¡®Focus on your breathing and list 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear and 2 you can smell. It¡¯ll help.¡¯ Fern suggest, trying to get through to me in my panicked state.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I look around the neighbourhood.


    The first thing I get to notice is the setting sun painting the horizon reddish-orange, the arms of the sky holding it still in its darkening cradle of comfort.  Although I can¡¯t touch the sun physically, I¡¯d like to imagine my raised up hands can fell the heat of the orange ball in high sky. The second is the slow moving of the graying clouds moving across the vast range of the sky.  Third is the rushing free air on my brown skin, brushing past my black tresses, blowing in my face with the strong wave of an electric fan close up. I lean my face my face into it, relishing in the feel of the wind my skin. Third is the fence protecting each house down the lane.


    Fourth is the swaying of the leaves on the green trees.  The fluttering  of tress drowns out the secret ruffling of the brown thin and thick branches. I get mesmerized, following the movement of the swaying leaves on their sticks that mold them to the thick bark of the tall tree. Fifth is the cars spread out far and wide on the streets idea, occupying empty spaces in between distances per car, silent engines that give no sign of starting. I let out a slow breath of air, heartbeat beginning to steady its unsteady music against the concave bones of my ribcage.


    After going through the other four things you can see, hear and taste, my hard breathing stills and changes back to the rhythm of calm and steady,  I can finally breathe and think clearly without the threat of a panic attack stopping me. My finger presses into the medium sized switch below the other long strip for volume. The thin strap asses my command and obeys without much prompting, turning on the long since darkened screen of my phone. Lock screen greets me first before I swipe up to input my password. Home screen blinks at me in subsequent second succession.


    My eyes look for contacts and lurch onto it with a sudden stop as they come upon it. The orange coloured background kind of gives it walkway I¡¯m guessing. I tap the app. I scroll a little bit down. Unsure fingers hovering above the call button, I consider cutting the call right after she picks up. I shake my head, banishing  he very thought if doubt that to my sister. If she would never do that rude act to me, why should I to her? I press down and wait as it rings for her to pick up my call.


    It rings and rings, caller ID displayed on the interface of the screen. I bite my lip and start to tap my feet to the catchy tune, the slow unconscious action of feet hitting paved sidewalk in continuous secession, pauses in between. My lips start to mouth the words to Ava Max¡¯s So Am I, a popular uprising American  female singer.


    It''s taking too long. She has to pick up sometime.  I don¡¯t know for how long I¡¯m willing to let it go on ringing like this.


    The sing ends and soon the time of the ongoing call changes as if my wish has been granted that she picks up my call. Thank goodness, I was starting to chicken out.


    ¡°Hi.¡± I answer immediately she picks up the phone. ¡°Could you come pick me up?¡± My words are empty even to my heightened sense of hearing so I¡¯m imagining that no one can hear the void that sheaths the hunkered sheet of its silhouette over the silenced cry.


    ¡°Things didn¡¯t go well, did they? I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    She cut the call soon afterwards, leaving me to the cold forked claws of the wind, conflicting thoughts feeling sorrow about the 9 years of friendship I¡¯d been forced to abandon, and happy, encaustic that I go to at least keep one of my best friends, even if it was still unsecured that I would-or could- trust her again enough to keep her by and with me for the rest of my life. Without Riley, who now refused to apologize to me fir her selfish act, I knew not if I could continue to fiction ac I normally could. I love them both dearly and I couldn¡¯t be whole without them both. It just wasn¡¯t possible, as hopeful as my heart might be.  Darkness swamped my mind, weighing down my already breaking and shattered spirit. It¡¯s as if a particular set of words set me off and now the hurt if losing Riley hurts more than ever.


    Tears prickle and trickle, streams of salt water gathering along the rims of my eyes, blinding my glossy vision. They streak down my cheeks, resembling that of an uncontrolled and uncontainable waterfall down the gauge rocky edges. I bury my head in my hands as I grieve, wails of a heart stung pain rattles off in different directions in my body, every nerve, every cell and every burns, pain ricocheting off the hollow bones of body. I slump down onto the floor and scream into my hand with a wail mixed I to it; a gourmet stylishly made dish of salt and pepper, the sound echoing in the line walls of world surrounding me.


    As the sun dipped far below into the horizon, something weird and horrifying happens. The trees all of a sudden look like something out of a horror movie, branches sticking out towards me in a dark gust of wind rattling dead bones, threatening to kill me with their long jagged spikes in threes straight to the heart and stealing my life force in one full swoop of a second. I bite my lip, whimper after whimper leaving my lips, fear roiling up inside my gut and threatening to spill out an accident torrent of vomit. I dry heave and close my eyes again, buy the image stays stuck and glues against my eyelids.


    Exhaustion clouds my mind and, I do t fight it as I know I should, I don¡¯t know this this neighbourhood as well as I should, I  give into the need to fall into a deep sleep like state of unconsciousness.


    When I come to, I find myself bundled up in a cozy and comfortable blanket seating in a moving car.

 16 || ELIZA

    Panic laces through my vision like the pinprick of a needle, sewing of a new emotion I to my nerve endings. I didn¡¯t know where I was, I didn¡¯t who¡¯s car this was, I didn¡¯t know where they were taking me. I start to breathe in heavily, upper body heaving up and down as I tried to swallow the panic and seize the flood of emotions.


    I mean, I obviously they¡¯re kidnapping me.


    But to do do what with? Kill me and use my remains as sacrifice to some traditional god? Sell my remains to people on the black market?


    I start to tremendous at the last possibility and scoot myself into the faintest corner of the fast moving vehicle that I didn¡¯t recognize. I didn¡¯t want to die, I had a family and friends to get back to, I had a new friend to protect from their toxic friend, I have a decision to make and I have high-school to graduate from. I¡¯m too young to die, I wanna live.


    ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯re shivering.¡± A voice broke through the fright. Startled, I inch away more but furrow my eyebrows,  knowing I¡¯ve heard this voice before but can¡¯t seem to place where or how I know it. It sounds so familiar.


    Not to mention more worried about my well being than they should be. Merely out of curiosity, I push my head out from behind the head if the car seat and peak over it.


    Altina¡¯s worried eyes meet mine in the mirror. ¡°You were unconscious on the ground so I picked you up and put you in the car. Of course with you like sack of potatoes, it wasn¡¯t easy.¡± Panic and fear of losing me to either hypothermia or something more sinister shine in her genuine sand brown eyes, slight teasing making the weight of her words and concerned expression a little bit less than any normal person would grab from her supposed lack of seriousness in the situation.


    But as her younger sister, only sibling really, I knew better.


    I let out a soft laugh, not minding the light joke made at my expense, knowing that  there in her tease lays worry and love there underneath fir my well-being in every single broken down word, that actually makes the once thought frightening circumstances to be lighter and less of a soulful scare that might stay with you for a long while.


    ¡°If anyone¡¯s the sack of potatoes here it¡¯s you. You look like the bulk of a potato sack.¡± I tease her back. It¡¯s true. She has thick thighs with her long legs and a full semi circle soft breasts.


    I envy her for them but I¡¯m just not that willing to anything about changing the shape of my 22 ones, that seems to be to much of a work with stress and frustration. I¡¯ll eventually learn to love them right? That is, if mine don''t grow in. I still have hope.


    A line of long tall trees swish past us in a blur as she drives, sailing past building that blend in with the wide spread of nature.


    ¡°Thank you. But, as much I would like to continue receiving complements, I would like to know what happened so I know who¡¯s knees to break.¡± She spoke lightly but her eyes raged for battle against those who had dared to upset and mistreating her younger sister.


    A nostalgic sense of warmth came from feeling loved and protected from the cruel knife of the world.


    I shrug. ¡°Its not the best situation to be in but I¡¯m dealing. Even with Riley refusing to apologize still. At leady, Eberlyn apologized to me.¡± I say ,leaning my head against the glass window. We zoom past, tresses blurring oast and blending into one. I try to focus on the issue with Eberlyn.


    She did sound sincere.  And she did apologize. But I don''t know if I want to forgive her or not.


    ¡°And do you?¡±  She asks,  pushing the conversation that I¡¯d just ended on. She must have not gotten the memo.


    ¡°Do I what?¡±


    ¡°Forgive her or don¡¯t forgive her. Which is it?¡±


    I bite my lip, trying to make out what she¡¯s telling me, contemplating her words and what they could possibly have to do with my current friendship problem. I try to really pry out information from my  brain, I really do, so I it can make sense I what she just said but my brain woefully cooperates with me. Which is to say, not at all. Stupid brain.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ''Did you read my previous thoughts?'' I ask, feeling violated.


    She hesitates to answer but then remorse that is not my own nor does it belong to me and I welcome it with open arms.  ''Yes, I''m sorry."


    I shrug. ''It''s okay, it''s fine.'' I say, hoping to end whatever feeling of betrayal I''m feeling.


    The car rumbles onto an entrance, past the open space and past the clump of tress on each side, shadowing our every tumble, move and bounce.


    ''Is it? Are you just saying that because you actually forgive me or are you just saying that because I''m family to you?'' She asks, a loud firm and probing tone in her voice.


    I open my mouth to reply to that, ever the one to a newer in quick anger, but nothing comes out and I instead think about she means.


    Altin and I are sisters and family by blood. We get along fine, jokes here and there, teasing till one of us decides to call on war, and get advice from one another on life decisions. But no matter how close we are, we still fight like normal siblings-sometimes a little too much- but that¡¯s okay.


    We go off for a while without each other to cool off and to think over our choice of words and our next plan of action, to apologize if you were the offender, to accept the apology or not if you were the offendee.  No one would force you to accept the apology of course.


    I turn my eyes back to hers and meet her sure gaze in the mirror. ''I''ll think about it. Thank you.'' I say after a quiet little while.  She nods and doesn''t say anything a she cuts the engine. The door pushes open and a stream of warm air gusts in through the open space and touches my face with a gentle smile of  welcoming solitude.


    She drives on for a while longer and sails on into the silver metal that on stumbles onto sandy Road, which really isn''t a Road at all, filled with unexpected potholes that could pass for little with how deep they are. Many car accidents happen in this particular side of the forest because of this holes of danger. I sigh and make my way out the door once I''ve opened it.


    We walk to the packhouse in silence, each lost in her own thoughts, world and decisions would soon, unbeknownst to ourselves, would have too make that may or may not take each sister on different parts of a separate life. I link her hands with mine, holding hers in a silent attachment of sisterhood. She flickers her eyes down to our conjoined hands and turns up a me with her usual brief smile.


    There is the usual mysterious sea of emotion I cannot quite put my hands on, and some spark of darkness the gloss over her eyes for a short  few seconds  that I ought to think I''ve imagined it. But no it has only gone as swiftly as it came.


    I turn my head to other mundane things that ask for my attention,  paying no heed to what has just happened before me for surely she will tell me of what it is that shades her spirit, and look around my surrounding as we draw nearer to the house at the end of our trail. Would she tell me though?


    Only time will tell. I¡¯ve not to pester her for her through while she¡¯s still trying to feel her way through  no matter how dark, stupid, or awfully funny they may be. More so the hard way rather than the easy way.


    I do have to see what has become of the Adena issue with the Alpha  and the Luna. The bullying has to stop or I will be forced to make a rash decision that won¡¯t be made with a calm mind. I march in, having a purpose to fulfill in the packhouse other than roam around and avoid the sibling for the next two hours in misery. After all, a plan¡¯s a plan.


    I stroll on, feet striding forwards with a confident my heart of  hearts seeks nor takes no filled pleasure in, and plunge my way through the thick brisket of the thorny woods.


    Soon, the long  sleek house of the pack where most of all the pack members reside in private of their rooms, chambers spread out across the span of the castle like architecture. Lights of all the different colours and shades in between streak across the yard like a distant spinning disco ball.


    The fleet of cars line up on the sidewalk beside the far and wide space.  I dig my feet into the sand a bit, dust particles of dirt red billowing out into the wind, hoping against hope that some gets onto the red car that belongs to Adena.


    If the night doesn''t turn out how I want, I can at least go back home happy knowing that her car is sanded. And if that''s anything I know about cars, is that its not easy getting small dirt that you can''t see out of tiny spaces.


    Especially the one between the bonnet and the front window. Having an engineer as a father really teaches you a lot of things as it comes in handy. Has its perks too.


    There is not a day that has gone by that I''ve sustained an injury when riding an automotive vehicle.


    Of course, since I''m not 18 yet, I don''t gave my own car yet. But soon. Probably when I have a job and can pay for it myself. My parents did offer to buy me one but I refused a few months ago. I''d like this to be the first adult decision I made when I go to buy the car.


    I walk across onto the yard and onto the two stepped porch only to pause. Get in and do what I have to do. Easy. I breathe in a calming breathe and with a heartbeat of  hesitation reach for the door handle. With caused eyes, I bend the handle and push forward, not knowing what I''m going to lay my eyes upon.


    White lights blinds me first, making me stumble into the wall next to the door. Pop music deafens me next. Using my arm to cover my eyes from the bright light, I survey the room.


    Teens I have passed the hallways with and listless eyes roamed over like an unimportant art artefact, people who have been with me throughout primary school up till the stage of high school for years, fill my vision occupying empty corners of the room and chairs in the living room. How does he know this many people personally?


    How¡¯d he have the time and energy to get to know them each? And these people actually let him talk to them and talk  to him back without fear or shift the farthest way possible?


    My eyes rove around, trying to take in everything in its sights before my brain gives it the go ahead to step into unknown territory,  before they stop on an unfamiliar female figure.

 17 || ELIZA

    Who is she?


    I stare at her, long and hard, trying to decipher the stranger¡¯s presence. But no matter how hard I stare at her, no matter how long the question roams in my mind, it refuses point blank to give me answers that I need. I look over her figure but she¡¯s too turned away from me for me to see her clearly.


    Is she new? Cause I don¡¯t even think I''ve ever seen her before. Maybe an exchange student? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her around school though, I would have noticed. I think. Look, it''s kind of hard to notice other things or people around you when you''re overwhelmed with life and have no time to adjust, okay?


    I take a hesitant step in her direction, very curious of this stranger¡¯s sudden appearance in the packhouse. What were they doing here? We¡¯re they part of the council and were here to see the fuss I¡¯d made about Adena? Were they going to disapprove of it?


    A sharp jolt of intimidation mixed with fear slithers down my back. Was she going to shut it down because she found me an inadequate addition to the council if elders? Was it because of my age that she saw me as less? What did this mean for the future of my position in the pack and in the council? Was I going to be stripped of it in front of my family when the verdict was passed?


    I felt the sudden pinch form in my eyes, signing that I was going to start crying any time soon if I didn¡¯t stop these depressing thoughts.


    With a deep intake of air into my constricting lungs that felt like dry sandpaper against my insides, I rub a softened hand across my closed eyes. Shaky though my hand is, it does the task in effortless ease. I stuff my claims hands in my pockets as I stroll towards her, hoping against hope that she doesn¡¯t kill me with just one look.


    Slipping and sliding past people that I give half awkward and half unsure polite smiles, I try to still my trembling hand.


    Thinking of the worst things that could happen in whatever scenario that¡¯s going to okay out isn¡¯t going to help the pumping and bumping of my loud heart against my chest, but blocking it out might just help. I try to think of other things to distract the intrusive thoughts throwing a wild party in my head, one negative feeling firing out one after another.


    Not willing give so easily, I think of all the good things that have happened to me so far since Monday. Making a new friend, which I hadn¡¯t expected in doing nor had the thought crossed my already occupied mind, had made my week a seamless work of delight.


    Getting closer to my birthday as the days melted and blended into the next without much hassle, a day I wasn¡¯t so sure-still not sure- I was excited about or just wanted to avoid by all means, made funny positive feelings blurt inside like a warm swamp.


    Both things being the only good thing that happened these past week, outshone all the bad that happened this week.


    The memory of it lifts up and out the not so nice thoughts and replaces it with a light emotion of all the vile thoughts. I straighten my back and held my self with an air of confidence as I strut towards her, feeling the more determined to get to bottom of this witch each large step I take.


    Chin up. Head held up.


    What¡¯s the worst that could happen? Its like I¡¯ve said earlier, you can¡¯t exactly take away a werewolves position in the pack. It¡¯s impossible and it¡¯s just not part of our laws.


    with an air of confidence, determined to find out who the unknown guest is. I stop right beside her, steady breath coming out in low pressure, and tap her shoulder. Up close I can see the rest of her features clearly. Her light brown shade of skin which sports one or two freckles along the bridge of her upturned nose. Her light brown eyes looking at me in unconcealed curiosity holding a hint of surprise that¡¯s quickly shielded by a slow polite smile lifting her Russet coloured lipstick lips. ¡°Hi, can I help you?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    I stick my hand out. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Elizabeth. I¡¯m a friend of the Alpha¡¯s son.¡±


    She looks at me then accepts my invitation fir a handshake. ¡°Adela. I¡¯m a daughter of the Alpha¡¯s. The Violet pack.¡± Her dainty hand feels cool in mine. Sturdy but there¡¯s no warmth in it. I try not to rein my hand back to myself, unease seeping into my pores.


    The urge to look away from her dark stare is overpowering and for that I almost give in and admit defeat. But then I remind myself that I¡¯m the Delta and I have as much right to be here as she does if not more.


    Dread is the first emotion I feel before she finishes her sentence and starts onto the next one that tells me which pack she¡¯s from. I was just about to whirl the other way rind and demand answers from the cheater of an Alpha on my friends mother. And they¡¯re so in love too! Don¡¯t think I dint muss the way they light up when they look at each other or are in the same room and happen to meet eyes. How could he do this to her? To them?


    Shock is the second. She¡¯s the daughter of an Alpha? She doesn¡¯t look like one. I would have thought it would be someone who wouldn¡¯t be caught in this party. I look down at her attire. Or khakis. But hey, if she says she is, I guess she is.


    Relief is the third and the last. Thank heavens it¡¯s not anyone that¡¯s come to remove me from the council because if my seemingly brash decision about Adena. I live my job. I love being the only one that can request a personal meeting with the Alpha and Luna if I want to. I love bringing important issues to the forefront. I can¡¯t-won¡¯t-let someone else who thinks they know how to do my job better take that away from me. Besides, it¡¯s not like they could, every pack has to have a delta representative in the council.


    "So, uh, what brings you here? Pack business?" I ask, feigning want to continue conversation and not get more information about why she was here at this specific party. Shouldn''t she be at like some other important pack function?


    She shrugs. "My dad and the Alpha are friends so I guess they''re hoping James and I are mates." Disinterest fans her tone, the first spike of any emotion from this strange cool person. Perhaps she doesn''t want to be here anymore than I want to.


    "And I take it you don''t want to? Why''s that?"


    She circles the rim of her red solo cup, staring straight into my eyes with an intensity that almost majestic me shy away.


    "Don''t get me wrong, I like James well enough. I just¡­.He gives me a bad sinking feeling in my stomach. I don''t want to date or mate with any kind of person that spells bad news." She explains, self explanatory tone giving no more information than is necessary of her.


    The refusal to give out more than what¡¯s asked takes me off guard before the instant liking hits me for her upfront honesty, not minding the lack of willingness to divulge any personal information, to her.


    The honest part of her-the part that she may or may have voluntarily given me- is a personal quality in a person that I like. It''s traits like these that are, I''m now finding out, that are rare but when you find someone who''s painfully honest and open with you, you hold into them like a treasure.


    I try not to grasp her in a hug. Oh, I''m just considering making her a friend but we¡¯ve gotten off on the wrong foot! How do I fix that? Maybe I could bond with her in her discomfort around James? That might just work.....


    ¡°I feel the same way. He just gives me the creepy crawly feeling of bugs in my skin" I add a shudder for dramatics, though knowing my words are true, believing my words as I believe that the night sky begets the morning sky blue so that she too may believe me. A perfectly sculpted eyebrow arches up in response but her posture and facial expression give no more information than that. That makes my work more difficult than it needs to be.


    Can¡¯t she just make this easier? Cants she see how much work I¡¯m putting in just trying to be friends her?


    She says nothing for a while, just stares at me as if she¡¯s looking right at my soul and seeing all my flaws, analyzing everything that makes me who I am like a scientist using a microscope to look at bacteria, making me feel like a thing as tiny as such living thing that can¡¯t be seen with the normal human eyes.


    The dehumanizing scrutiny leaves me feeling bare under all my skin, a hollow skeleton of bone marrow and empty ligaments. This time, I shy my once confident eyes away.


    ¡°Not many people would stop staring into my eyes, with the way it makes them feel, they¡¯d just continue thinking it¡¯s some kind of contest or something, the sick fucks. But, you did. You¡¯re a good person.¡±


    My head snaps up.


    What kind of¡­¡­...?


    Was-Was that some kind of personality and heart assessment? With a stare like that? Nobody does that! Is she insane!?


    Her eyes remind me of a cat, feline adaptive photoreceptors closing in on anything and everything around her like a camera. I hesitate to nod under her thin non-shuttering gaze. I breathe out a sigh of relief when she turns her focus to something behind me.