CHAPTER 4

FAMILIAR VOICE 

My mother came home early. She saw us preparing for the barbecue on the lawn of the house.

"Are you guys preparing for a barbecue party? Is this a pre-debut party for you, Dear?..."

I greeted her and she kiss my cheeks. I take the chance to introduce Astrielle to her. 

"Mom, meet my new friend, Astrielle... She transferred from Casablanca to our school last year..." 

The two greets each other. 

"How's the neighborhood, nowadays? I heard that some rogues are suddenly attacking the borders..." 

I just listened to the two and fix the table. Carline fetch her cousins a while back.

"There's no situation that the leaders can't handle Doctor Letty..." Astrielle seems hesitant to call my mother to one of her nick names. 

My mom smile to my friend,

"Don't be shy... and my face is really straight and lifeless since birth but I can make babies smile..." She lighten the mood. 

Astrielle and I laugh. 

"I will leave the two of two because I need to change into my comfy clothes..." 

"Sure, mom. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come to the hospital this morning. I really forgot about the papers..." 

"Speaking of papers..." my mom turned to me and resume speaking,

"Please help me bring it to the living room. It's at the trunk of the car..." 

I nodded and went to the trunk. I told Astrielle to stay to the table while I'll carry my mother's paper works inside the house. 

I already carry the half of the papers when I herd a car that's approaching. It's Carline's and few minutes later, her cousins arrived too using their own big bikes. Ranjan is riding his Harley Davidson and in full uniform while Cornell is using his Ducati Panigale. 

The two helps me carried the papers.

They also carry chairs and the grilling rack from the storage room. It's been a week since the rock was used when my mom's colleagues came and had a coffee talk with her that leads into barbeque party afterwards.

"Wow!... It's nice to be back home... Isn't it Miss Astrielle Montanez?..." 

I look at Cornell and Astrielle simultaneously. 

They know each other?

I resume pitchforking the saba bananas. I already done the rest of the dishes and it's ready to be grilled. The bananas are the last ones.

Carline is putting the briquettes.

Astrielle cleared her throat,

"Yeah... I will be gonna go home on Monday... Can I go with the two of you?..." 

She asked permission and Ranjan answers,

"Sure!... No problem with me..." 

"Cool!... Help me fire this one, then... cousin..." Carline butt in.

"Ey!... a woman who can't start a fire is useless... She can't able to eat..." Cornell blubber nonsense.

"It's not always the case... brother!..." Ranjan strike Cornell's head and the latter flinch.

"Ouch!... it hurts, like a paper cut..." Cornell sticks his tongue out and walk towards the rack.

I left the crowd to check on my mom and I caught her up doing her paperworks at the living room.

She look at me for seconds and resume.

"Don't mind me and you enjoy the party with the guys outside..."

I walk to her and sit beside her. I hug her tight,

"I love you, mom..." I spilled out.

"I love you, too..." She look at me and caress my face,

"Did something happened?..." 

I sway my head signalling that she has nothing to worry about. 

"Go back to your friends, now... I need to finish this things up tonight for me to be able to concentrate for your big day, tomorrow..." She left me a wide smile on her face. 

"Alright then, please join us later for dinner..." I offered. 

"Sure, just let me know if dinner's ready. I can't leave these papers because I'll be busy for tomorrow. I want to personally taker care of the things for your special day, in the morrow, Dear..." She hug me again and kiss me on the cheek.

How come that, in my dream earlier, the person in cloak told that this beautiful and most caring she-wolf is not my mom? How slanderous and absurd! I will not listen to random voices and probably should not use my ability to see the surroundings. Even what happened to my hands... It's just a pure pure imagination that is feeding my inner feelings that I wanted not to be bullied that atleast other wolves will respect even though I am just a gamma in the pack. 

 I look at my mom for the last time before joining the rest. I heard them talking about things in Casablanca.

"Right? I told you... I am recruited to be a Delta because the beta recognized me but I declined his offer. I know that Casablanca is a big pack but Casabella is a home where I hone my abilities and let me discover and use it since I can distinguish which is right and wrong..." 

It's Cornell, he is currently the one who is at the racks and is grilling some saba bananas that I worked earlier.

"Wow! that's an important thing for you and you didn't even reconsider their request, cousin?..." Carline is eating peanuts while answering her cousin.

"Nope, and it will need a lot of works for me to be tied up within Casablanca. Do you think Alpha Jared or even Hero will approve that I'll transfer my membership? The people here needs me in case a war will break. You and the young pups needs me here. We are just few epsilons here..." Cornell further explained the reason why he declined the offer of the neighborhood pack. 

Changing membership is quite a serious matter especially to those with high rank like the three cousins now.

The topic shifted to Astrielle,

"How about you Miss Montanez? How come that an epsilon like you transferred to our humble Casablanca Elite Highschool. Did your pack punished you?..." Ranjan is curious, most likely, fishing information behind his question.

Astrielle shrug her shoulders,

"Sort of..." Her answer is short that makes Ranjan scrutinizing her.

I can't read what's inside is thinking in her head unlike Cornell and Carline. Ranjan obviously blocked me from knowing what he is thinking.

"Cornell, don't eat too much bananas later, okay? I can literally hear you battling with your wolf how many bananas you can eat. We aren't in a contest of eating bananas cousin. Just a reminder..." Carline cut off the building tension between Astrielle and Ranjan.

"How dare you intruding into my mind, Carline... That's rude, baby couz. I'm just thinking if I can eat grilled bananas more or cooked bananas..."

"Weirdo. I'm just reminding you cause I can hear your mind... You take a break I'll be the one to grill." Carline said but I cut in,

"No, let me..." I suggest and go where Cornell is.

The bananas are grilled and ready. 

"Let's eat this bananas while it's hot... I'll give some to Doctor Letty..." - Carline.

"Sure... I to taste it..." - Ranjan, and get one stick.

"Thank you so much!..." - Astrielle to Cornell who handles her a stick.

Carline stands up and go inside to give two sticks of banana to my mom. She came back and get a stick. She passed me one stick so I tried to eat while looking for the first batch of chicken barbeque that I'm grilling.

"Hmmmmmmnnn... It tastes good..." Cornell, said.

"Of course... You're just the only one who is very picky, sometimes..." Ranjan word-grilled his brother.

"Easy... easy... I have to be picky sometimes because not all people are good..."

"You mean, wolves?..." Astrielle corrected.

"Yes, wolves..." Cornell agreed.

I flip the first batch of chicken and then I sit besides Carline.

"Eat, slowly...". My friend told me.

I eat the bananas ironically. I eat as fast as I can then finished. I put the second batch and then the third batch. 

Astrielle change me infront of the grilled. I tap her shoulder and she tap back my hand. 

"How about, you, Wynzlette? Are you excited for tomorrow?... Should we practice for your 18th dance?..." Ranjan offered.

"That's a good idea!..." - Carline.

My friend nodded.

Ranjan stands up and so did I. We go to the grassy part of the lawn. Ranjan extend his left hand put his right hand at the back of my waist part. 

Cornell play a waltz song.

"Let's start in, three, two, one! Step back..."

We practice for ten minutes and then the rest clap their hands. Cornell switched with his brother and we dance too. 

"Wow! you will do the dance amazingly tomorrow evening, for sure..." 

Carline hug me after Cornell and I return to our seat. 

"Thankie, besty..." I heard some humans using the slang language to thanks their friends and so I copied it. 

Ranjan is at his bike and speaking with someone over the phone. It looks like a serious conversation based on his facial expression.

Carline stopped Astrielle and she go to the latter's place and start grilling the vegetables. After she grilled the veggies she reheated the meat barbecue. 

"She should eat now! The bbq are ready." She informed.

"I'll get the rice and call mom..." I volunteered.

"Alright..." Astrielle said, shortly. 

I went inside the house and get the rice cooker. The plates and other things are already outside.

"Is dinner, ready, now?..." Mom asked as she looks at the rice cooker I am holding.

"Yes, mom. Let's eat, outside..." I invited her. 

She stop what she's doing and then walk behind me. 

We settled on our seat after we cleaned out hands. The two guys greets my mother.

"It's nice to eat with a great doctor like you, Doctor Lavender. Nice to see you again. Thank you for our meal today..." - Ranjan.

"Always Welcome, my dear." - Mother.

"And you aren't aging at all, Doc. Letty... Still mighty taking care of the pack..." - Cornell.

"How sweet of you, Cornell, Dear... Let's dig in already before the barbecue gets cold..." 

Mom get rice and she put it to Astrielle's plate and smile at her. I saw Astrielle smiling genuinely. Mom repeat what she did to everyone's plate and then she lastly put rice on her plate and clap her hand. 

"It's nice to eat with not just one or two children but five..." Mother put a spoon of rice to her mouth, after. 

We smile at her and also begin eating already. We are laughing in the middle of the dinner and wave to the neighborhood that passed by.

We offered them to join us but they decline and just get barbeque. They are going home for important matter that's why. The lady said that they left their pups at home so they need to rushed. 

After dinner. Ranjan and Cornell go home already but the girls stay with me and mom.

"Girls you can actually sleep here at home so that Wynzlette will have company tonight. I'll be waking up early to go and check the preparations at your resort, Carline."

"Sure, no problem with me..." Astrielle happily agrees.

"Me too. I will just go back home to check mom and dad tomorrow before we go together to the resort... Ranjan will fetch us tomorrow..." - Carline.

I gave my friends my new clothes that I never wore. I have quite a lot. We all go to my room after 9 PM after we help mother. She is almost finish with her paperworks. 

"Go upstairs already..." My mom convinced us suddenly.

"Alright, let's go!..." 

Carline lead the way earlier.

"I'm really curious about the red rose... Can you tell me more about it?..." Astrielle asked nonchalantly. 

"On Monday, Astrielle... I'm actually so sleepy..." Carline yawn and dive in my bed.

"You promise?..." Astrielle nags my friend.

"Pinky promise!..." Carline told the latter and they did the pinky promise together.

"Let's sleep, already, then..." Astrielle finally gave up about the red rose gifting.

I don't wanna talk about it too. I'm wondering if Bethany's will really finish my gown tomorrow.

"Don't worry about your gown. No one can ruin your birthday... not under my supervision..."

I turn to Carline. She read my mind because I am to tired that I didn't blocked her.

Astrielle is already sleeping soundly beside Carline. 

"Look at this one... she is sleeping soundly because of exhaustion for sure... Maybe she's tired because of the what happened this day too..." 

I nodded and convince her that we should also sleep to.

I woke up as I heard my mother waking up. 

"Good morning, Mom..." I greeted her. 

"Good morning... go back to sleep it's just 4 in the morning..." 

I went back to my room and Astrielle is already awake too.

"Good morning..." 

"Let's sleep more..." I goes back to my sleep and so is my friend.

Astrielle and I ends up waking up around  8 AM in the morning. 

Carline is cooking turkish breakfast and after we enjoy our breakfast.

"Let's have a run later, after an hour..." Carline offered.

"Cool... Lake Crystal." I suggested.

My two friends nodded.

"You will go for a run, without inviting me?..." 

We heard Cornell's voice infront of the house. 

Astrielle was the one to open the door. 

"Good morning!... I brought bruschetta for you, siblings from different mother! Tada!..."

Cornell smell the turkish breakfast, 

"I wanna eat too..." 

He settled on the seat and eat with us. 

After breakfast we decided to play badminton and then run going to lake crystal. 

We saw some guards patrolling and then ask them if we can cross the border.

"Can we please cross the border? Just for a 10 minute run... and we will be back already..." Carline asked permission.

"Yes sure..." the guard said without hesitations.

I saw from the side of my eyes that Astrielle nodded before the guard  let us proceed within their territory but I didn't make it obvious.

"Wow!" Finally!..." Carline inhaled,

"Astrielle! lead us..." she added.

We turned into our wolf form and we follow Astrielle. She lead us to a clearing and we turned into our human form.

Cornell didn't come with us and he said that he will just wait for us at lake crystal.

"Wow!..." I am so amazed. 

The clearing is so wide.

Astrielle look to one direction. I look at the direction but my vision is blocked. I can only hear voices.

"You bring outsiders!..." I heard an old woman's voice. 

I talk with her,

"I'm sorry... we came without any permission... We meant no harm.. We just wanted to see your place."

"Who are you?! Why can you hear me? You are not a seer. You aren't of this pack either. What are you doing here?" 

I smell the location where the voice came from and flinch as I heard a familiar voice of a man. I heard it during my 8th birthday...

"Finally, I can smell you again... hahahaha!" A sudden pain strikes in my head that I almost kneeled.

"What's happening?..." Carline attention shifted to me and even Astrielle's.

"My head... Somebody's calling me... It's so painful..." 

"Leticia can't block me from you again... Happy 18th birthday, my dearest..." 

"Turn into your original self, now! Don't listen to the voice!" Astrielle demanded and I did I growled so loud and  I don't know what happened next and I just woke up feeling dizzy inside my room. 

I heard voices downstairs. I can hear my mother's voice asking what happened and my bestfriend told my mom that we crossed the border and that I got a sudden headache. I can hear her worries through her actions. 

"Don't worry, I also gave her an energy booster she will wake up later."

I get up and went downstairs. All eyes are on me. 

"Hi?... I'm sorry, did I made you worried?..."

"Honestly, A little bit..." Carline instructed using her forefinger and thumbnail. 

I laugh to lighten the mood. I didn't saw Astrielle.

"Where is Astrielle?..."

"Ah she already fetch your gown in town. Bethany's called that it's ready for pick-up so she volunteered... You should probably take a rest a little bit and later after the afternoon snack the make-up artists and hairstylist will come over already. Maybe by 4 PM..." 

Ranjan wave his hand from the maindoor holding my gown,

"Tada!..." he said.

"Oh, speaking of. They are here already..." 

Astrielle sit besides Carline. I walk down the stairs and went to my mom. 

I hug her tightly. She brush my hair like I'm her favorite barbie doll. 

"What happened earlier, Wynzlette? How often do have a headache..." 

I pout weighing either to tell her or not but I chose to told anyways,

"I heard someone who is calling me..." 

I didn't tell all what voice said. Not infront of others atleast.

"That voice isn't from the pack... I also heard him. He sounds like a man maybe around your age Doctor Letty..."

My mom is swaying her head,

"That can't be... I didn't leave any trace... What the heck are you doing with our niece!..." I heard what's inside her head.

I freed myself from her hug.

"Mom!..." I called her. 

I wanted to confront her but I stop myself doing so. She knows that voice?... It's not from the person in cloak! I am sure about it! 

"I need to go back to the resort... guys you take care of Wynzlette, okay?..."

She swiftly get her gown and car key but before going out she kiss my head and whisper,

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you, my dear... I won't let anything happen to you as long as I'm living..." 

"Take care Doctor Lavender... Don't worry I will take care of them!..." Cornell shouted.

Short after mom's car vanished. I asked my friends what really happened,

"I couldn't clearly remember what happened after I turn into my original self..." 

"I called the guards for assistance and Cornell carry you at his back..." 

I look at Astrielle who explains and nods,

"I see..."

"Stop sulking, already... Let's prepare what song do you want for your birthday and the other songs. Remember... no heavy metal sounds..." Carline interfere.

"I like ballad music..."

"I like that too..." 

All our attention went to the guy who is standing at the door. My mom didn't close it out of hastiness. 

"Who are you?" - Carline.

"Yo!..." - Ranjan.

"You are?..." - Me. 

"Ey, ey, ey! come in..." - Cornell.

The guy step inside the house. 

"Get out!..." 

We look at Astrielle. She is mad. We look at the guy, he bow his head and the step back. 

What's with these two? 

I scratch the back of my head. 

Seems like a battle is fueling in any seconds.

Cornell whistled and even Carline. 

Ranjan is intently looking Astrielle.

I am looking at the guy. He smile to me and wave his hand. 

"Please come in..." I invited him but he declined.

"I'll just attend the party later... bye guys!..." Then he did appeared quick that I didn't smell which direction he went to.

"What is that dimwit doing in here?..." Astrielle half-whispered.

"Ah, Oh... Mouse and cat! yo! すごいい! Amazing!" Ranjan stated. 

Cornell laugh out loud and give a thumbs up and fingerhand gesture to Astrielle. 

Carline and I left oblivious.