Chapter 10
Lucy POV
Mitchell's mum made beef stroganoff for dinner. It felt weird sitting at a table eating with a family. Usually I was in a mess hall full of others like me, the chatter was endless and you could blend in easily and remain invisible. Mitchell's father was on pack patrol, so he didn't join us. It was just Meredith and Mitchell. His mum asked a never ending amount of questions.
“Have you found your mate yet?” Meredith asks and I see Mitchell give his mother a look.
“What?” His mother asks, shocked by his glare.
“You know she hasn't got a wolf" Mitchell tells her.
“Neither did Queen Aria when she ruled, she still found her mate” Meredith tells me. Aria was my stepfather's mother, even though I wasn't technically related, or in other words was just a prick relation. She always treated me as if I was her grandchild. I loved my family dearly but they just didn’t understand what it was like being an outsider and a constant disappointment. I know what they think, I am not stupid or blind. They think of me as troubled. A mess they wish could clean itself up. We ate dinner in a comfortable silence after that, then I helped Meredith do the dishes.
Mitchell walks into the kitchen before grabbing his keys. I told him about being expelled but once again never gave him a reason. I just let him make it out how he wanted, I didn't care to explain myself. No one would believe me anyway.
“Want me to run you home?” Mitchell asks, grabbing his car keys. I also hadn't told him I was kicked out. Sometimes I wish I was human, they didn't realise how free they were without having to worry about pack issues, mates, or no mates. Didn't have to be the illegitimate child of the Alpha Queen.
“No it's not far, I want to go for a run anyhow” I tell him, grabbing my jumper and pulling it on. Mitchell gives me a hug walking me to the door.
“I can run you back?” He offers but I shake my head. I wasn't even sure where I was going myself.
“Nope I am good, it's still only early. I will see you tomorrow” I tell him.
“I have school, stop by after” He calls and I nod heading for the treeline. I darted into the trees, heading home. Hoping my mother was calm enough to let me come back, it had been a few hours. Maybe she would at least let me stay, she didn't seem keen on me going to Ace and Tyson's place so hopefully she changed her mind. On the run home, I feel the mindlink open up, Ace's voice flitting through my head.
“I told you to be home before dark, where are you Lucy?” He asks.
“Heading home now, I am nearly at the packhouse” I tell him.
“Which side, I will meet you” He says and I could hear Atticus mumbling about me being out in the woods, I shake my head at his wolf as he slipped through the link.
“No, I am heading home, home. Back to mums” I tell him and he goes quiet.
“So she let you back, that's good then, I will be home tomorrow if you want to come over while everyone is at school and work” He tells me and I nod before realising he couldn't see me. I nearly ran into a tree, only just managing to stop before I hit the low hanging branch.
“Yes, she has calmed down now” I lie ducking under the branch, I was also hopeful she had and it was just the pregnancy hormones.
“Ok well come see me and Tyson tomorrow please” He says and I agree before cutting off the mindlink. Walking through the trees in the backyard. I could see my stepfather busily helping my mother in the kitchen, she was never a good cook. The woman could burn water but she always tried. I watched as Rayan sat up at the table with his plate and my mother and stepfather joined him and they looked like the picturesque family, they looked happy.
Pulling on the mindlink, I watch my brother shiver still not used to it like I was.
“Bet you must be glad to spend time with Tyson and Ace, mum burnt dinner again at least they can cook” He says, feeling the link open. My heart sinks at his words, my mother was obviously still pissed at me.
“Ah yeah it's great, how is mum?” I asked him and I could see my stepfather watching him, realising he was mindlinking someone and he no doubt knew it was me, because besides my mum and dad he hardly used the link.
“She is still mad, you best just steer clear for a few days, mum and dad had a huge fight after you left” He tells me, I sigh great didn't leave me many options then.
“Come see me at school tomorrow, I want to see you, you only just got here and I can’t see you anymore” He tells me sadly, I suddenly felt guilty. I know he was lonely in that house by himself, always followed around by Jacob, it was hard for him to make friends. Rayan didn't trust easily, and he hates fake people and a lot were. Some would do anything to be friends with the next Hybrid King and Rayan didn't like that, didn't like the attention.
“Meet me at the park across the road from school, what time does Jacob pick you up?” I ask him.
“3 but I can get out early” he tells me.
“How?” I ask him.
“By ordering my teacher to let me out” He laughs and I roll my eyes. Of course he could, he has an Alpha aura even though he still hasn't got his wolf yet.
“Ok, meet me at the park at twenty to three and can you bring me some spare clothes” I tell him.
“Ok.. and sis.. I love you” he tells me.
“I love you too, make sure you eat your dinner so you can have your dessert” I tell him before cutting off the link. Now what? I thought to myself, I couldn't go to Tyson and Ace's. I already told them I was at home. And I didn't really feel like listening to Melana with Ace all night. Just thinking of that grinded my gears.
Walking back amongst the trees, I head for the only place I can think of, the river. For the most part it was safe there and also the the border patrol hardly manned it here because on the other side was a mountain, not much activity by the pack house whereas near Tyson and Aces territory across the river was Alpha Jamie's pack but I would be safe there.
It took me twenty minute to walk to the river, gathering wood as I went. Just like camping, I think to myself. Ace and Tyson used to take me camping as a kid, I loved it. We would stay out in the woods for days, and that was the first time I ever ate rabbit. Tyson's wolf caught it and I was repulsed at the thought of eating the furry critter but it doesn't actually taste bad, like any other meat just off a cute furry creature. But that just reminded me of another issue I will face while out here. I needed blood. I could go a day or two but it will become uncomfortable if I go too long. I couldn't ask Rayan to grab any from the freezer. It will go yuck sitting in his bag all day.
I make a fire before flopping on the ground next to it and pulling my arms inside my jumper to keep warm. I stare at the stars littering the night sky. I used to play dot to dot with stars when I was kid, trying to imagine joining them to make pictures. One thing about being out here, it was peaceful. No one to judge me or look down on me, it was quiet leaving me to my own thoughts, not that they were any less depressing.
Sometimes I actually missed the facility, at least it was routine and predictable. No one expected anything of you there; they just let you rot in the cells. But I never had to worry about anything in there because we were all the same, all equally nothing. Here people expect you to be a certain way, act a certain way and when you don’t meet those expectations you are faced with nothing but disappointment and the judgement of others.