CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: After class I waved to Kyle and made my way out to the courtyard in search of Ally. I couldn’t find her right away and started to text her, asking her where she was. As I waited for her reply I ran into Maxine and Marsha on their way to their favorite bench. Maxine still looked like something weighed on her, even with the small smile she wore while listening intently to Marsha. Ally hadn’t messaged back and I thought I could use this time to check in on Maxine a little. “Hey,” I said to both of them, and sat down next to them. “Hey!” Marsha said in her usual cheery tone, Max smiled at me in greeting. “So, how goes it?” I asked them. “Well, Maxie here is having a rough day, but I think she’s wiped out talking about it?” she pushed her shoulder into Maxine in question. “Yeah, I need a break,” she decided, “Someone distract me.” Marsha looked at me and I motioned for her to go first. “Well I guess my skill for endless chattering does actually come in ha
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: I decided to get to class and go to the office after school. We walked up to Mr. Hall’s class as people were walking in the door. As I walked in I immediately spotted Sean at an empty table, waving us over. “Got here early,” he said, winking at me. He seemed like he was back in good spirits. “Have a seat,” he said to both of us. I sat next to him, facing the front of the classroom, with Ally on my other side. Marsha and Maxine walked in next with Angela. I saw her face fall a bit when she realized that there wasn’t room for her this time, but she made a small smile and sat at the table next to us. Marsha and Maxine sat down. “Are we getting a special escort at every class now, or just this one?” Maxine asked, addressing Sean. “Well, any friend of my girl is a friend of mine,” he retorted comfortably. “Alright, you’ll do. For now,” Maxine responded, making Sean laugh. Class went by fairly quickly. Sean and I wrote notes to each other on a sheet of pa
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: “I’m fine! I’m outside, about to get on the bus,” I assured Sean. “Oh thank God!” he paused, “My buddy just called me saying he saw smoke at the school. Holy sh**. I’m so glad you’re okay. I started driving back here, you weren’t answering your phone. I’m at the student lot - it’s the garden shed. That’s what caught fire. I think it must’ve spread to the other sheds, stuff is still burning, it’s in the trees on the hill too.” The bus driver yelled at me, “Come on, we’ve got to go!” Ally had gotten on the bus already and I was holding everyone up. People had their phones out, probably getting the fire on video. “I - I have to go,” I said to Sean. “Yeah, yeah of course,” he exhaled loudly. “Text me?” “Will do Sean. Please, just please drive safely. Okay? Get out of there and text me when you’re home safe,” I said hurriedly. “Of course, Sunshine. Talk soon, bye,” he said and ended the call. I put my phone in my pocket and stepped on to the bus, looki
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: I got home and spent the evening texting Sean. I got permission from my mom to have Ally over Saturday, and I went ahead and asked Sean if he was still free to come to town Sunday. The Melbourne Mania fair was this Sunday, I had totally forgotten. When I brought it up to Ally she suggested we stop by there for the parade before she continues walking over the tennis court. I told Sean about the fair and he seemed interested in checking it out. Saturday morning came and Ally’s mom dropped her off right after breakfast. She put her bag in my room, and Meg made some snide comments about my acne this morning. Ally and I decided to go out for a brief walk, and we ended up pacing the complex as I caught her up on my tense encounter with Jake yesterday. I really liked Sean and was getting confused over this stuff with Jake. Ally was still convinced that Jake only was reacting to my ‘taken’ status, and like her, I didn’t know what to believe. We then spent the afterno
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: I sank to the floor, my head hurting like crazy. There were tears in my eyes. “Holy crap! Rach! Are you okay?!” I heard Ally yelling from above me. I looked up at her through my watery eyes and saw a big, green, gigantic light pole ahead of me. I had just walked straight into it. Laughter built up in my chest as I realized and I started laughing loudly like an uncontrollable lunatic, which only brought more tears to my eyes. I felt delusional and could only focus on the bout of laughter continuing to build up in my chest. My whole body was still vibrating from the impact. “Did-,” choking on laughter, “Did I walk -,” trying to breathe, “right into -?” Ally laughed lightly, she was crouched down next to me and I was surrounded by people. I hadn’t heard them approach but there was a pretty large crowd around me. My eyes had a hard time focusing. “Yes, Rach, you walked straight into that pole,” Ally confirmed with a small smile. “I assume this means you ar
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: Mitchell’s mom cleared me. No concussion. But she did give me some Tylenol and ordered me to give her a call tomorrow if I didn’t feel any better, giving me her card. Some adult had called my mom and she came over insisting I go home for the evening. She dropped me off with Ally (Ally was given the option to stay there but she didn’t feel right doing that), then leaving me in Ally’s care, she headed back out to check on Meg who was under the charge of Macy and Elaine’s mom. I felt guilty ending the evening early for Ally but she continued to insist that it was not my fault, and said that she agreed with my mom about staying in for the evening. We spent the night watching old Disney classics and singing along to the songs. Ally made popcorn and we analyzed Jake’s actions from tonight over and over, until I geared back to Sean. But there was nothing to analyze there. The guy was very clear with his intentions and feelings, and I decided I really liked that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: “We’ll see what you have to say after you eat my bubble’s dust!” I yelled back, making him laugh. It was deeper than I had ever heard before, like there was a very pleased beast in his chest. The girl signaled and we were off. I ran straight and first then tried slamming right into Jake who had had the same idea and ran right at me too. We bounced off each other like strong bumper cars and I heard the guys yelling in the background. We were both off course and I saw him correcting his angle. Screw this I thought, and instead of doing the same thing, I ran straight towards him, hopefully sending him flying back perpendicular to the pins. But as soon as I made contact I realized my mistake. He is still so much bigger than me and instead of sending him flying, I bounced against his bubble and went flying back, back, back. I screamed in surprise and the next thing I knew I was upside down by the hay bales. “Rach!” Jake was yelling above me still in his own bubble,
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: We caught up to Ally and Joey who were watching Nick finish his turn on the jumper. I noticed Nick stiffen at our approach. “Hey! You made it!” Ally exclaimed in our direction. “Yeah, I had a family thing, but it’s good to finally be here. What have you all been up to? Sean talked to Ally. As we got up closer I saw this look on Evan’s face I couldn’t quite place. He was definitely not happy at us, or maybe it was at Sean? “We’ve been having a blast dude, Ally and I raced each other in those bubble things over there. These are Rachel and Ally’s friends Evan and Nick,” Joey gestured at the guys as Nick walked over, his turn now over. I didn’t realize Joey and Sean knew each other. “You should’ve been here when Rach was racing that guy Jake, it was d**m hilarious,” he added smiling. Evan and Nick stood by me, looking down their noses at Sean and I didn’t know why. I felt an urge to introduce them. “Evan, Nick, this is my boyfriend Sean. He goes to Pacifi
CHAPTER 147 - Rachel~ I dreamed about the moon. Like I have a hundred times now. But this time it was full, and lit up everything around the forest. I recognized the area, it was our packlands. But parts were slightly different. We didn’t have a lake. I ran over in wolf form to see a lovely lady by the lake. I recognized her right away. Selene. “Rachel! Angeline!” She greeted us. “It’s been a while!” We padded over and sat next to her. “We’re all so proud of you and the pack. And I’m especially excited for your little one, she’s going to be a strong, strong wolf,” she said gleefully. I let out a surprised sound. “Yes! Sorry to spoil the surprise, I know it’s very early. But yes, it’s a girl. And you both are going to raise her to be tough and caring like her mom,” she said with pride. I rested my head on her arm. She got quiet for a while and I looked up at her after a few minutes, seeing an odd look on her face. “I’m sorry - I wish I was just meeting you with som
CHAPTER 146: Rachel~ My skin was itching to get back to Jake. Knowing they were likely out of their cells and making adjustments to our plan gave me some hope, but every touch from this disgusting being made me want to scream. Alright, on my mark, I heard Jake say. Wait. What? I looked around and confirmed Jake wasn’t around. And his voice sounded like it was coming from… in my head? Paul drags me along further and starts unlocking a door. We’ve got to be getting closer to wherever they’re keeping Meg and my mom. Could I- could I be getting some connection to him? Like how the others link? Jake?, I ask the ethos. There’s nothing for a minute. Rachel?, Jake asks back. Woah. How are you doing that?, he asks. I don’t know, I just heard you, I explained. Paul hauled the heavy door open and I gasped. My mom and sister were on the ground in a heap like forgotten laundry. I fell forward and reached into the cell they were in, trying to grab my mom’s hand. “Dove, g
CHAPTER 145: Jake~ As much as I think this could work, Aamon is absolutely livid that Rachel is about to be out of sight. Things have been working as she planned so far. Simon screaming down here brought Rosalind down as thought. I have to give it to the guy - he played ‘seizure guy’ very well. Then in the middle of things there was some shouting up top. Likely from the fire Elise set. Which meant that Kyle was pretending to surrender himself and if Rachel was right, Paul wouldn’t be able to fight the urge to have groveling at his feet. Which left Sophie. She was right outside my cell, watching Rosalind move Paul around in this cell, trying spells to stop him from freaking out, not realizing Ally had thrown him something he now had in his cheek like a squirrel that would ward off unwanted magic. “They’re kind of a mess, aren’t they?” I say beside her. “I would have expected more from a Luna in training…” She turned to face me with a look of defiance. “Desperate times…” I t
CHAPTER 144: Rachel~ “Sophie,” I say the name with charged disgust I can’t hide. “You couldn’t just leave and go find something else to do, huh? You had to stick around and try to take what’s mine.” “Yours?!” She screeches. “You mean what you stole from me! I’m supposed to be Luna. Me! I lost my mom and then my dad, and what? You just waltz along and get what’s mine? NEVER.” “So what? Trying to hurt me before by hiring Max wasn’t enough? Now you have to get some more help to do what you can’t handle? Typical Sophie. Can’t do a da*n thing by yourself. You have to wave daddy’s money around to get anything done. Pathetic,” I sneer. She sputters unintelligible words. I’m getting under her skin. “Enough,” Vance’s mom says, her voice cutting through everything. “You can play around when we’re done with our deal.” Sophie bares her teeth at me then turns. At the same time the door down to the dungeon opens again. Who could possibly be joining in on this nonsense? There’s two sets of s
CHAPTER 143: Jake~ It’s the Luna ceremony today. Rachel started getting into the spirit yesterday. She glows around here. And the pack members love her. Even those who were vocally against cross-species interactions. They know what she did out there that day and what she gave up without expecting anything in return. While a few left, including Tiffany’s family - which was expected anyway since Evan’s rejection - things were very different than I had thought they’d ever be. After she came back we all had made plans to leave and start our own little pack, but everyone surprised me. Now here we were. A pack pioneering acceptance of all kinds of love. We even had two newly mated couples join us from up north. A witch and a wolf, and a wolf and a vampire. The last one was nuts to me, but Jeanette had a totally clean background and a highly trusted wolf for a mate. If we ever grow to the point of needing a Delta, I have my eye on her mate, Juniper. A knock comes to the door and
CHAPTER 142: Rachel~ One Month Later It’s moving day. The thought hits me right when I open my eyes. It makes me smile right away in the early morning light. I guess I was too excited to wait for my alarm to go off. I look over and see Meg asleep in her bed, her head to the side, mouth open, and a soft snore coming out when she exhales. It’s all going to be different now. My phone lights up to my side and I don’t even need to read it before I know it’s from Jake. He likely feels that I’m awake. We’ve been getting more in tune lately. I think the bond is on hyperdrive for us. I’m not even a werewolf but I seem to know things too. I know when something’s upsetting him even if I am outside with the pack pups and he’s in his office, and I know when he’s anxiously pacing in his room even if I’m in the kitchen entertaining a visiting pack. We’re still learning about our bond. And he hasn’t even marked me yet, so who knows how much could change. When I came back to life after Th
CHAPTER 141: Rachel~ It felt like nothing. No. Warmth. Dark but warm. Cozy like being wrapped up in my favorite fuzzy blanket at home. Like I’m huddled in warmth on a stormy cold day. “Rachel,” I hear a lovely voice saying my name slowly, like the lyrics of a song I know. I stir. It’s just so cozy here. Can’t I rest just a little longer? “Rachel,” the voice says again. This time there’s a hand on my arm. The feeling has me trying to wake before I can make the decision to do it. “Rachel,” it says once more. It’s dark but warm. But I have to go. I start to stir, to look for the source of the voice. Who is it? Light surrounds me and it feels just as cozy and warm as before but its so bright. My eyes try to open but it’s just too bright. Then a shadow appears, making it darker. I open my eyes and they adjust to see- Oh, it’s not a shadow. It’s a person. I know this person. My mind is groggy like I’ve woken up from a deep stage of sleep. I’m slow. My synapses
CHAPTER 140: Evan~ I kept expecting her to wake up in Jake’s arms. That somehow, his tears would bring her back. But she just lay there, like a ragdoll, in his arms. If it weren’t for how strikingly pale she looked, I would have told anyone she was sleeping. But she didn’t wake up. It’s hours later and Nick was barely able to get Jake inside. We cleared the field as best we could, bringing in the injured and putting the dead together. Amber had removed all traces of The Collective while we had sat there with Jake. I don’t like how shell shocked she was. She didn’t seem to be actually experiencing all of this and I worry for when those feelings will surface. I know she didn’t like those people. But they still raised her. She told me about jokes and kindnesses that she received in little bursts along the years. She’s basically just lost her family. But she doesn’t want to talk about it. She hasn’t even cried about it. And I can’t say I don’t understand that. I can’t even im
CHAPTER 139: Kyle~ I woke up next to the red wolf. Everyone was screaming or howling. It was chaotic and loud, which made everything that much more disorienting. What I saw next killed me. Rachel out on the field alone, with all the shadow Dementor things charging at her. “Rachel!” I’m screaming but no one can hear me. I look to see Jake crawling towards her from too far away. He won’t get there in time. How did it get this bad? How long was I out for? I flail about, my arms and legs pushing to move but I’m not coordinated or strong enough to get anywhere. “Why is no one helping her?!” I scream again, my voice cracking, my throat raw. The red wolf just tugs on my shirt again, trying to bring me inside the packhouse. I have barely any magic left but I send it to the wolf trying to drag me away. “Let go!” I scream. “We have to help her!” I look around frantically for anyone I recognize. Where is Ally? Evan? Nick? There’s so many wolves and people rushing back, I can’t