Chapter LEX: Going Home
My eyes meet Ilad's and she visibly calms down at my smile. Butterflies float around my stomach. What is this feeling. When we hugged a while ago. I felt like my body was on a warm beach. Not to mention her scent. Jasmine and Vanilla. I almost melted. Even now the way she's looking at me. I feel myself blush and look away.
"Well they're both dead, so that's one step fulfilled." Ana says with a huff, shaking her head at the puffed out Alpha's. Silas is standing beside his uncles trying to mimick their stance. Wait I look at Ana. My shock must be all over my face. "I mean we can beg the Goddess to resurrect them. So we can go again!" She huffs and I laugh. My laugh dies and I look at the ground. "How long." The room falls silent. "Since the night you went to his home. Lexi didn't you kill him?" Sinead asks, eyebrows pulled together.
My head shoots up. My confusion matching my brother's. I try to think. Did I kill him? I mean how? He was a Beta and I couldn't even shift yet. "No, I did it." Lilly answer in our mind. "What do you mean you did it. We've been hiding for almost five years from a ghost!" Lilly whines. "You knew didn't you. That we were with pup. When." Lilly sighs and whispers. "Our first harvest. I wanted to tell you but I didn't know our father was dead also. He had been blocking the link for so long I didn't feel it sever."
I absentmindedly nod my head. Although I am upset. I can't blame Lilly for protecting us and our pups. She grew with me and kept us safe. A throat clears and I look at Ilad but answer my brother. "Yes, I killed him. Well Lilly did." I lift my chin and Ilad smiles proudly. That alone makes me proud of Lilly too, even if I don't yet know why.
My brothers nod their heads and Ana laughs. "Good riddance. Good job Lil." Everyone laughs. "How though? You couldn't shift. And it was bad." Sinead shivers. My eyes go wide. "Lilly what did we do to him!" She gives a wolfish grin. "After you passed out he finished and didn't even realize it was me and not you.
He told me to clena it up. So I bit it off." I was shocked but laugh. Yup I love her. Everyone looks at me laughing manically and look taken back. I take an deep breath to clam myself. "Sorry." I wipe the tears from my eyes. "Lilly says she bit it off and force shifted. I passed out. I must've been really hurt. He didn't even notice it was her and not me." I trail off in a laugh. Ilad and Ana join me while my brothers grab their junk in mock pain.
Soon everyone was calm and silence engulfed us. "What now?" I ask first. Sinead and Ana smile at each other. Jara is the one to answer. "Now we go home."
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I close the zipper on the last duffle bag and throw it over my shoulder. As I make my way to the ground floor, a warrior comes and takes my bag. "Thank You." I smile politely. He blushes and nods before hurrying away. I walk out of the barn and stop at the SUV's my brother had come here to get us.
"It's going to be ok Lexi. I promise." Ana rubs my arm. I force a weak smile and turn to look one last time at the barn. I smile one last time at the memories and climb into the middle seat. This is the new start the twins need.
As the car pulls off. I look at Sinead in the rearview mirror. He winks at me and I smile knowing we we're ok. Ilad is driving the SUV behind us carrying what little belongs we had. As the warriors are run back to the pack. The drive takes about 3 hours because we stop to eat and I mumble to Lilly. "We really ran far huh." She laughs because in reality we went no where.
I guess to a 12 year old running that far seemed like forever. I don't remember falling alseep but Ana tapping my leg from the front seat wakes me up. "We're home." Lilly yips. I take a deep breath. I look over at the twins, whose eyes are wide with excitement.
As we pull up to the pack house. That suffocating energy doesn't take over me anymore. I take another breath and open the door. The twins hop out and run past me. "Hey you two slow down." My plea falls on deaf ears. "Relax sis, they are home." Jara gives me his boyish smile. My baby brother is no longer a baby.
I bet he has all the little she wolves pawing at him. Not even fully grown and he is stacked and already sports a light shadow of a beard. I know I was tall at his age but geesh. I go the grab my bag and Ana smacks my hand. "Nope, the boys can do that. Lets go for a run." I smile at her and shake me head. We've never had a shift together and Lilly is bouncing in my head ready to play with Klara.
We ran for a while and come to the sparring grounds. Warriors train in human and wolf form. That amazing scent hit my nose. Jasmine and vanilla. "Mate! mate! That's why we freak out Lex." I hold my breath. No, no shes going to reject us. Against Lilly's protest I take off running.
Ana was close behind me. I make it the treeline by the pack house and shift back. Quickly putting my clothes back on. Ana catches up and shifts back too. "Hey, what happened back there?" Confusion written all over her face. Do I tell her? We are best friends still...but its been so long. I've felt alone for so long. How do I trust again.
I look away from Ana and turn towards the house. "It was nothing. I just got over whelmed." I lie. Her face says doesn't buy it but she doesn't push. "Ok well maybe we can go out again tomorrow." I give her a weak smile and nod.
We walk through the pack house and I follow the scent of the twins to the pool out back. They are being tossed by Jara. Along with two other pups who seem a little older. "That's sage and clover....our pups." I swing around and look at Ana. "What? They are huge Ana! Were you pregnant before I left?" I exclaim. Ana laughs and wipes a tear from her eye. "They are 9...and adopted." She smiles. I make an "O" with my mouth and smile back. I have a niece and nephew.
Ana explains the attack and how they've been raising the twins for four years. We walk onto the patio and I wave at the kids. Who wave back before the shark Jars tosses them again. "I think I need a shower. I'm so sweaty." I say to Ana. "Right let me take you to your room."
We get up the familiar stairs and stop at a familiar door. My palms are sweaty as I reach for the knob. I expect to see all of my old stuff. All of the painful memories. Instead the walls are a beautiful sand color instead of the pale pink. A large mahogany four poster Queen size bed sits in the center. The bedding is a rich cream. In the corner sits a chair that matches the bedding. On the far wall is a four drawer mahogany dresser and next to it a beautiful mahogany vanity.
The closet of course still sits next to the bathroom. All of my old posters were replaced with framed flower art. A frame on the bedside table catches my attention. I walk over and stare at the picture. It is of Sinead when he was 6. Holding a newly born me. Our mother is hugging us both with a huge smile on her face.
A tear hits the glass of the frame. I wipe my eyes and replace the picture. "We found it in a box of her stuff. I figured you'd want it...when you came home." Ana whispers. I spin around and hug her tightly. "Thank you A." I sniffle. I pull back and Ana wipes away her own tears. "Of course. Dinner should be in a few. Go ahead and get showered and then come down." I smile and nod before she squeezes my shoulder and leaves my room