Chapter 6

The next morning, I got dressed and ran downstairs. When I got to the foyer, there were two guards waiting there for me. I let myself smile at them because they were the guards from the dungeons. We got in an SUV and Doug, one of those guards, drove while the other guard, Andrew, rode in the passenger seat while I rode in the back seat. As soon as Doug drove away from the pack house, I smiled widely, “I almost missed you guys! How are you?” Andrew turned to Doug and laughed, “I love how she waited until after we were away from the pack house to start acting like herself.” Doug replied, “I think it’s sad that she can’t be herself or even happy in the house that she lives in.” I sighed, “I can be happy in my room or when I’m alone.” Andrew looked at me, “But it’s sad the Alpha and Luna won’t let you be happy all the time. You’re a good kid. You deserve to be happy.” I gushed, “Aw, thank you. You know what’s really sad?” Doug asked, “What?” I laughed, “That the dungeon guards are the only friends I have.” Andrew did a double take, “You don’t have any friends in the pack house or at school?” I laughed, “I have one friend in the pack house, but she has to pretend to not like me when others are around. Once in a while, she will sneak into my room and talk with me. I have no friends in school. That’s okay. When I run away, it will be easier.” Doug nodded, “Do me a favor and let us know when you leave. We will help you with that. We don’t want you to run across any rogues. We will also start training you when you are in the dungeons.” I smiled, “You guys are great.”

When we got to my parents’ house, I got out of the SUV and gasped when I faced it. All of the memories suddenly hit me and Tasha encouraged me, “You got this girl. There are more happy memories here than sad.” I sighed, “But the only sad memories are devastating.” Tasha agreed, “I know, but give the pain to me. I can take it.” I sighed, “I guess. Thank you.” I was brought out of my conversation with Tasha by Andrew’s hand on my shoulder, “You okay, kid?” I sighed, “Yeah. I just got overwhelmed by memories flooding me. I’m okay. Let’s go.” We walked into the house and I took a deep breath. I could still smell my parents and it almost brought tears to my eyes. I went to the kitchen and started unplugging the bread machine. Andrew asked, “Are we taking that?” I nodded and he suggested, “Let us take the stuff out. You just tell us what you want to take.” I smiled, “Thanks.” I unplugged the stand mixer and Doug took lifted it, “It’s a good thing I picked up this. It’s much heavier than it looks.” I took the griddle out of the cabinet and put it on the counter. I started looking through the cabinets and found my mother’s recipes binder. I looked through it, finding her recipes for waffle sticks and remembered that I needed to grab those special pans. I looked through the cabinets and found three of them, but I thought there were a couple more. I asked Andrew, “Would you please look in the upper cabinets for two more pans like this?” I held up my stick pans and he started looking for them. He started looking through the upper cabinets and found three more waffle stick pans and two more cupcake pans for me. I smiled, “I love blackberry muffins. Do you know if there are any blackberry bushes near the house?” Doug shook his head, “Not that I know of.” I shrugged, “Maybe I will ask Luna to buy some.”

I started looking around the house for things that I would like to have with me. I left all of the pictures until Doug approached me with a framed picture, “I think you should keep this one with you.” I looked at the picture and tears started falling from my eyes. It was the last family photo we took. I wiped my tears, “That was taken about two weeks before the rogue attack.” Andrew smiled, “You were such a happy child. It kills me that Alpha and Luna turned you from that.” I sighed, “That’s okay. The Goddess has a plan for me. I will be rewarded for all of my suffering. I know I will. I haven’t been intentionally mean to anyone that mattered. I have only defended myself. The Goddess will make me happy eventually.” Doug put his arm over my shoulder, “I love your faith in the Goddess.” I responded, “I talk to her all the time.” Doug furrowed his brow, “What do you mean?” I heard Tasha, “Show them.”

I yelled, “Hey Selene! Can I show you to my friends?” The Moon Goddess appeared in front of all of us. She smiled at the guys, “Hello Doug and Andrew.” Both men just stood there opening and shutting their mouths like a fish out of water. I giggled at their faces while the Moon Goddess smiled, “I want to thank you for watching out for our little girl and protecting her. I want you to know that I have made her immune to silver and I have given her a wolf. She shifted for the first-time last night.” Andrew responded, “We are honored to be on the same side as you. But, then again, Isabel makes it easy.” Selene smiled, “Yes, she does. I need to let you know that you will not say anything to anyone about any of this. I am trusting you as her protectors.” Both men nodded their heads and Doug agreed, “I will always obey you above anyone else.” She smiled, “I know you will. That’s why I’m telling you about her wolf. Nobody else knows about it and they can’t know. I want to ask the two of you to be her protectors until she leaves the pack. She is very important to the future of your species.” Andrew smacked Doug, “I told you there was something special about her.” Doug rolled his eyes at him and bowed his head to the Moon Goddess, “We will happily do what you ask. How do we keep Luna and Alpha from hurting her?” She smiled, “She knows that she will still have trials. I know you will do your best for her.” They both bowed, “We will do everything we can to protect her.”

With all that said, the Moon Goddess disappeared and the guys went back to helping me. I took one more look around the kitchen and opened one cabinet next to the stove. I found my mom’s flour bin and opened the lid. I found another can inside it. When I opened it, there was cash, jewelry and some papers. I took the can with me and decided that I would look at all the jewelry when I get back to my room. I showed the can to the guys, “I found it in my mom’s flour can. The jewelry in the can must be valuable or it was important to my mother.” I opened the can in front of them and there was a necklace that I really liked. I tried to remember if my mom had ever shown it to me. I could remember that she did, but I couldn’t remember what she had said about it. I just knew that I would never give it up. Andrew asked, “Would you like us to keep the can safe? Just in case someone in the pack house gets in your room.” I answered, “I would like that, Andrew. I trust both of you.” I gave the can to Andrew and sighed, “We should get back so I can fix breakfast and go to school.” We all got in the SUV and went back to the packhouse. I handed the can to Andrew and smiled, “Please keep it safe for me. I will need all of that when I leave here.” Andrew nodded, “I will. We will protect you as much as we can.”

When we got to the pack house, Alpha Ben met me at the door, “Breakfast is ready. You can have four pieces of bacon and two pieces of toast. Can I ask what you will make for dinner tonight?” I replied, “Does fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and hot-hot sound good?” He asked, “What is hot-hot?” I answered, “It’s a spicy salad. It has tomatoes, onion, peppers, green onions, salt and pepper.” He nodded, “That does sound good. Have supper ready by seven p.m.”  I nodded, “I will, Alpha.” Tasha looked at him suspiciously, “Someone is planning something.” I gave him the side-eye as he walked away from me, “I agree, Tasha. Something is about to happen.”

I walked into the pack house as the guys were bringing my things in. I set up the bread machine and Luna Kate asked, “Do you remember how to use that?” I nodded my head, “I do. My mom used to let me set it up and turn it on. If I can get a couple things from the store today, I will have fresh made dinner rolls for supper tonight for you.” She asked, “What do you need for it?” I replied, “Bread flour, bread machine yeast, dried milk. I think we have everything else. Would you please help me take chicken out to thaw for supper tonight? I’m going to make fried chicken.” She replied, “You can get that yourself. Make a list of what you need from the store. I will get it today.” I shook my head, “I knew she was being too nice.” Tasha replied, “At least she’s going to the store today.”

I went to the deep freezer and realized that there was now a step stool in front of it. Although it’s new, I don’t trust it. I just don’t trust anyone to do anything nice for me without expecting something. I opened the freezer and reached in. I stepped onto the stool, putting more weight on the freezer than the stool. I grabbed enough chicken for supper tonight and a big bag of green beans and sat them on a table that was next to the freezer. I climbed out, grabbed everything I needed and put it all on a tray. I took it all into the kitchen and put it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. I took out two sticks of butter to soften and shut the door. As soon as the door was shut, I jumped as I saw Ayame’s face, “You think you’re so good at cooking?” I shook my head, “I don’t know if I am that good. Luna told me that I have to start cooking supper during the week and all three meals on weekends. I’m just doing what Luna is telling me to do. I can’t reach everything in the cabinets, but she still wants me to do it. I didn’t ask for this.” Ayame looked at me in confusion, “Are you sure?” I asked, “Do you think I want to have to make everything by myself and then not even be allowed to eat it?” She nodded, “Makes sense. I’m stuck cleaning house now, thanks to Luna’s decision. I hate cleaning.” I shrugged, “Sorry. I had nothing to do with that.”

She walked away and Tasha growled, “She’s up to something.” I replied, “I know, but I have to go to school.”