Arise

The week went as soon as it came, and Dylan and I had a couple hours left before we had to drive back home. Currently, I was packing my clothes into my duffel bag as Valerie was telling me why she had to move in with Caleb. After all these years, she was revealing to me the Caleb Family Secret.

For Caleb to assume the Alpha position he had to find his mate. He went state to state, pack to pack looking for his mate.

“Remember the party we went to before senior year?” She looked up from flipping through a magazine as I was folding a shirt.

“Yes, I do. The first party we had gone to in our lives and we blew it.” I remember that party very well. We spent more time laughing at drunk idiots than talking to the cute ones. It was our first party to kick-off senior year. Unfortunately, it didn’t last well when Val pushed someone into the pool. We were kicked out soon after.

“Before the party, my old pack was told that a future Alpha was coming to visit in hopes of finding his mate. My old alpha’s son was friends with him, so naturally he threw a party—the party we went to.” She scooted closer to the edge of the bed and started to help me fold my clothes.

“Caleb was at the party?” I asked.

“He was the guy I pushed into the pool.”

I gasped and laughed all at once. “That was him?” My mood instantly lifted.

“Yes, it was so embarrassing, and he still teases me about it!”

“What actually happened then?”

“Like I said: we were told about the coming Alpha and I was curious. I remember just hearing them say his name and getting chills. I guessed that in the back of my mind I had just known.” She shrugged. “You had been talking about going to an epic party to kick off senior year, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity.”

“I was at a party with werewolves,” I asked while raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry, you were safe.” she said nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes, anger simmering. “Ugh, just go on with the story.”

She took a big breath and continued. “At the party, I felt it. It was this strange feeling that kept pulling me—urging me to go to the kitchen. I was so nervous, and I didn’t even know that I would find my mate, let alone the Alpha. I took a tiny shot of liquid courage, was slightly buzzed, and headed for the kitchen. I barely made a step into the room when I bumped into Caleb.”

I paused from folding a pair of pajama pants and asked, “What did it feel like?”

She grinned as she relived the memory. “Like we were the only two people in the entire world. I felt calm and nervous at the same time. I couldn’t breathe, and I couldn’t think; all I did was stare and hope I didn’t look like a gaping fish out of water. Then he gave me his gorgeous smile and his eyes crinkled in the cutest way. And it just clicked.”

I wanted to deny that I didn’t feel that way when I first saw Logan, but it was close to what she felt. No. Not everyone falls in love the same, and I wasn’t one to believe in love at first sight. I had morals. I had principals. And I had a plan for my future, one that I was not willing to jeopardize for him.

“When we see our mates for the first time, the feeling is beyond explanation, but it’s the best feeling ever.”

I cracked my knuckles. “What made you push him into the pool?”

“He followed me outside, and I told him I was buzzed. I thought he was trying to make at a pass at me or kidnap me. I’ve heard stories of Alphas who have kidnapped their mates before. I just freaked out when he tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear and I…pushed him.” She stuck her arms out in front of her in motion.

“They kicked us out because you pushed an Alpha into the pool. Very disrespectful, Val.”

From there, she told me that he came by her house the next day and asked for her to move back with him, but she refused. She only knew him for less than an hour—she couldn’t possibly move in with a stranger even if he was her mate. At least she was thinking rationally. Then, Caleb made it his absolute mission to win her heart and convinced her to come home by moving into her old pack house and starting school with them.

That was when I met him. I cringed. “Ew, I remember he wouldn’t leave you alone. He followed you literally everywhere.”

“You do remember that you were the one who told me to give him a chance, right.”

I groaned in disgust. “Don’t remind me, please.” It was before he started dating Val and I had felt bad. The poor kid was turned down on numerous occasions. I should’ve known his true intentions before I even said anything.

“We started going out and I started to fall for him. He introduced himself to my family and we visited his family every couple weekends. By the time spring break rolled around, it was decided that I would move to his pack and take the position as Luna. His pack needed an Alpha after all, I mean who was I to keep him from being Alpha. No matter how much I didn’t like the idea of leaving, I knew I had to.”

I zipped up my duffle bag and shifted my gaze towards her. “All this time, I thought he was forcing you to go with him. I didn’t know it was because of all of this.” She made a huge decision by herself. Who was I to still be mad about everything that happened before she moved?

The memory of Valerie leaving flashed through my mind. It was miserable for both of us. I thought she didn’t have a choice. I thought she was blinded by love, but really, she was just doing her duty as a Luna. She had to be a part of her new family, even if it meant leaving her old one behind. I missed Valerie in that time. We had lost contact so quickly when college came around.

“This is the giant Caleb Family Secret? You guys are all werewolves and you found out he was your mate, which made you move here.”

She nodded in confirmation. “The construction company is just a front, and now you know everything.”

I felt horrible. She left by choice not force. “I am such a horrible friend; I thought he was controlling your life.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know.”

“Wait—how does Jordan fit into all of this? If you only were supposed to go, why did he go with you?”

“I think I’ll answer those questions on the way back home,” Dylan interjected as she entered the room, shopping bags in her hand.

Home. I sighed. We were leaving a just a few short hours and I still hadn’t come to terms with everything. From the looks of it, I might very well be his mate, but I didn’t want to think about that right now. All I wanted to do was go home and then return to college to finish my last semester. I couldn’t do that with Logan clouding my thoughts.

The look of hurt on his face will forever be etched in my brain. It was like I had hurt him in the worst possible way. I tried to let him down gently but we both knew that was impossible. We wanted two different things in life: he wanted me to stay with him and I wanted to finish college and start my future. It wasn’t a tough decision for me, but I broke his heart in the process.

I told myself I wouldn’t let this happen—I wasn’t supposed to find a guy I would like. I might not have been in a relationship before meeting Logan, but my last relationship had changed me. Being with Logan was never going to happen. I promised myself a long time ago to stay away from men, but deep down I knew I was going to miss him.

He had been avoiding me for two days, and it was worrying me. I was knew it would end in heartache, but I didn’t know I would be the one hurting too. Now, I was leaving with a broken heart and it was all my fault.

I needed some fresh air and a release. I excused myself from the room, but before I could do that, Valerie grabbed my wrist. “It might help if you play your guitar.”

I furrowed my eyebrows as she looked at me with a smug on her face. My guitar was destroyed. I cautiously approached my guitar case and cracked it open. It revealed my guitar to be in pristine shape; good as new. Had she done this?

The guitar was repaired, and the strings were brand new and polished. Tears threated to spill as I turned around, placing my hand over my mouth. I ran to hug her and thanked her a million times. “You are the best friend I could ever ask for in the entire world!”

She laughed. “It was no biggie. I know how much it means to you. Of course, I would get it fixed.” She nodded to the guitar still in the case. “Now, go strum those strings to your heart’s content!”

I grabbed my guitar and made my way down the elevator to the backyard where little kids were playing. The rest of the pack had heard about me finding out and had kept their distance, but I felt some stares as if they were testing me—checking if I was still scared of them, but I wasn’t, at least not anymore.

I sat down on the patio near a group of toddlers playing in a sandbox and positioned my guitar on my lap. Closing my eyes, I subconsciously strummed the strings, letting my fingers wander to their desired placements. The music danced in my ears as I hummed to the songs I mashed together.

Music was my getaway and it took me everywhere. I wasn’t very good at writing music, but I was good at playing by ear. I thought of a song and began strumming it, letting my mind roam free and my fingers take control.

Claps sounded in front of me, causing me to open my eyes. The toddlers from the sandbox and a couple other people were standing in front of me listening.

A little boy with ginger-colored hair and freckles smiled at me, revealing a missing tooth. “Woah, lady. Can you sing too?”

I leaned forward. “What would you like me to sing?”

His eyes widened in delight and he grinned. “I like Tarzan!”

“Me too!” I held the neck of the guitar with my left hand and started strumming my right hand while humming a tune to get the chords.

The little boy and his friends sat down in front of me and looked at me in anticipation. I closed my eyes and let my voice go:

“Come stop your crying, it will be alright. Just take my hand and hold it tight.” My voiced lowered. “I will protect you from all around you. I will be here don’t you cry.” My voiced returned to a normal pitch. “For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm.”

I hadn’t known Logan for long, but he was sweet and kind. Handsome and alluring. “This bond between us can’t be broken. I will be here don’t you cry” I sang the chorus louder. “’Cause you’ll be in my heart. Yes, you’ll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forever more.” I didn’t want to let him go. I didn’t want this to be the end, regardless of what he was.

The little kids clapped and cheered before coming closer and asking questions. I tried to answer all of them, but my eyes wandered up when I felt someone’s gaze on me. I made eye contact with Logan. My breathing hitched, and I dropped my smile. His arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned against a tree a couple yards away from me. He stared at me with a frown and then turned around to leave. He was still angry at me. I hopped off the patio, clutching my guitar. I had to act quick before I was out of his range.

“I’m sorry kids, but it’s time for me to go home.” I looked at the back of his head willing him to stop. “Hopefully, I will see you guys soon, okay?” He froze and turned his head slightly in my direction as if to hear more.

“Really?” The freckled boy asked in hope.

“Of course! This coming summer I will be here, and we can play all the Disney songs in the entire world.” I didn’t look to see if he was still there and walked back into the pack house.

The car looked as if there was no damage to begin with. How Shaw managed to clean it up within a week, I didn’t know.

I turned to Shaw in surprise. “I can’t believe you did it. How did you manage to pull this off?”

He cleared his throat and scratched his neck. “Ah, well it’s no biggie.

“Shaw is just trying to be modest.” At the sound of CeCe’s voice, he froze. I suddenly remembered that CeCe told me where their relationship stood and mentally frowned. Where they mates? If so, why was he denying it? CeCe’s eyes glistened and her smile dropped.

I gave him a grateful smile and said, “Thank you again for fixing the car.”

He nodded his head but his eyes were trained on the ground as if he wished to be anywhere far away from CeCe.

I hugged CeCe and whispered, “I wish you two the best.” She let go of me and gave me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes before turning around and walking away.

Shaw sighed and rubbed his face. I nudged his shoulder and said, “Go on, you know you want to.”

Dylan shut the trunk of the car and wiped the dust off her hands before asking, “Ready to go?”

Val, Caleb, and Jordan were beside the car to see us off. Val was in tears and Caleb remained uninterested in the whole situation, while Jordan looked heartbroken. Logan was nowhere to be found. Dylan was saying her goodbyes to Jordan very affectionately. To my disbelief, she had patched things up with him.

Val let out a painful cry and hugged me tightly. I sighed and squeezed her back closing my eyes, willing the tears not to fall. This week had gone by so fast and I wished I had more time. It was a nice being able to reunite again this time around.

“Don’t cry, Val. If you cry, I’ll cry, and you know I hate crying,” I said as the tears fell down my cheeks.

She sniffed. “I can’t help it. You’re leaving.”

“You promised to see me graduate in April.” Caleb was about to object but I glared at him. He wasn’t comfortable with the idea of Val leaving the pack to see me, but she wasn’t putting up with his problems anymore. She was coming whether he liked it or not.

“Will you be back for the summer? After the wedding?” She looked at me with a hopeful gaze. That was a question I had been asking myself since this morning. Though my stay was short, I wanted to come back and I knew that after I talked to Logan, but I just didn’t want to admit it. I was going back home to reality.

My silence was enough of a response for her to sigh and say, “I hope you change your mind.”

“We will be here for your wedding.” I turned my head towards Caleb and said, “Make sure she’s happy.”

“Always.”

Dylan quietly opened the door and sat behind the wheel and I walked around the car and sat in the passenger seat. We waved them goodbye and we were on are way.