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He finally reaches us, and just barely under his breath, I hear him say my name. Eli, completely oblivious to what is happening, comes up and smacks him on the back.
"Liam! Glad you could make it. I want to introduce you to some people."
As if shaken from a trance, he looks away, and so do I. Thorn has quietly come up beside me, and Quinn is watching Liam and me, knowing something is up.
"This is Paige Vata, Quinn's best friend, and her brother Thorn Vata, the council representative for our meetings."
I don't know what comes over me, but snarky Paige has decided to come out and doesn't want to be quiet anymore.
"No need for introductions, Eli. We know each other. What the hell are you doing here, Liam?"
Thorn is officially on edge now, and the positive outlook of before has disappeared.
Chapter 5 - Liam
The light dusting of snow that covers the ground makes for a wetter run, but I don't mind. I could have gone for a run as a wolf, but I didn't want to lose track of time, which I often do when I'm out running as my wolf. The cold air feels good as I jog back to the community living quarters near the pack house. I know the meeting will be starting soon, but something in me had felt tense, so I figured a good run would help work it all out. Once back in my room, I run to the shower and get ready for the meeting.
I skipped breakfast today because of these knots in my stomach; it’s not like I’m nervous about being asked to attend the meetings. It’s just that something seems off. My wolf has been restless for the past day, and I can’t figure out why. Maybe it is about joining the meetings. I'm content to just serve my pack from behind the scenes; I have no desire to be in a leadership role. My old pack put a sour taste in my mouth about being a person with power. Being in power meant you lorded it over everyone else, and I don't want to do that, I just want to serve and live in relative anonymity. I want to be a good pack member. Yeah, maybe this is why I have been feeling a little tense, after all.
I know I should have eaten this morning, but I think I have enough time to head down to the kitchen and grab a bit of food before meeting up with Eli; the last thing I want is to have my stomach grumble while we are talking to the council and the elders. That would make a great impression on everyone, now wouldn’t it? There’s probably something left over in the fridge somewhere.
I grab the leftover lasagna and crack open the lid. Fork in hand, I start to shovel the food in. Not so attractive, but no one is around to see it. Maybe I’m in knots because I won’t get to see my match. I was bummed when she said she had to help her friend but also impressed that she’d be willing to pick up and help when a friend needed it. Shows how loyal and trustworthy she is.
There is something special about this woman; I can’t help but think that maybe it will work out with her. It’s not something I ever thought would happen, though. Before the Alpha told us all to give it a go, I was content with the random hook-ups and living my life on my own. Well, content isn’t the right word. For years, I have tried to forget the past; I have tried to move on in a way, but not in a way of being happy, but rather in a way of being numb to all feelings. It’s not the healthiest of ways to deal with poor decisions. I made terrible choices as a teenager, and those choices haunt me to this day. I didn’t think I deserved a good relationship with anyone. Hell, I didn’t think I deserved love, but I did desire physical companionship; I figured so long as I was upfront with the women I slept with, it was okay.
It has been a hollow life, though, which was made even more clear to me when I matched with someone on that app. I still can’t believe how well we connected. I’m not sure how the algorithm works on that app, but thank Seluna, it does.
I down a glass of water before heading out to the main conference room where most of the meetings are held. One of my favorite voices floats through the air, and I see the little body attached to it running toward me. I catch Maddie as she jumps into my arms, and I fly her around like an airplane, making some ridiculous airplane noises because it makes her laugh. Her giggles echo through the halls, and it brings joy to my life just to hear it. Maddie is out of breath from laughing, but smiling wide; I place her on my hip and start to head toward the crowd that has congregated in the hallway.
I'm not prepared for those eyes again, those deep chocolate brown eyes that I see in my dreams every now and then. Paige Vata. She’s grown into a woman. Her long black hair is in a high ponytail on top of her head, flowing over her shoulders. It looks soft—I wonder if it is. She is so curvy, exactly how I remembered her, but better, because she is in front of me. I have always loved the way she looked; no one I have been with has ever compared to her delicious body. Her juicy thighs and hips that I desperately want to squeeze…
Woah, slow down, Liam. She’s here in my pack. Why is she here?
I was in love with her for years; it took me a long time to get over her, although some days I'm not sure I fully have. Some of my greatest memories included Paige, but after that awful night with my dad, our relationship changed forever. After that, some of my worst memories included me saying terrible things to the girl I was in love with. I was young and scared, and I hated myself so much for what I did. I can’t help but whisper her name, because it feels like a dream, seeing her here. She seems surprised to see me, though I guess that makes sense. What is she doing here?
Before I can figure out what to say, Eli comes over to introduce us, but we don’t need an introduction. I know Paige—or, well, maybe I knew Paige.
In the blink of an eye, Paige's face flashes through a series of emotions, from shocked to scared to pissed off. I can’t believe someone can go through that many feelings in a few seconds. She is shaking, from fear or anger, I don’t know; likely the latter. Thorn is getting closer to Paige, no doubt feeling the tension that is rolling off of her. Thorn is a scary SOB; he was a legend in my old pack. Not a legend like the Loch Ness monster, but a horror legend—you would never return if you ever faced him in the dark. Any time he came to visit Quinn, people ran and hid. There were rumors that he was an assassin, but no one wanted to go up and ask him if he was or not.
After Eli introduces us, Paige speaks with such venom toward me that I am taken aback.
“No need for introductions, Eli. We know each other. What the hell are you doing here, Liam?”
I set Maddie down, and the room is dead quiet; even Maddie is silent.
“This is my pack, Paige. What are you doing here?” I don't mean to sound annoyed, but that's how it comes out.
“Your pack! I can’t believe you would leave your precious position in Portsmill to come here. Weren't you on the fast track to getting one of the best positions in the pack? How many people did you have to dominate to get that? Or was I the only lucky one to get your attention? As for why I'm here, I’m here because I am best friends with Quinn, your Luna.”
What the fuck. I can't believe she thinks I targeted her for some unknown reason, but why would she know what really happened? It's not like anyone would have told her. And best friends with Quinn? That means she was here last year when Quinn was being held by Jake. I was visiting another pack at the time to do training with some new wolves, so I wasn’t around when everything went down. But I heard that her best friend was the reason the council got involved, and likely why everything worked out so well.
“You know nothing about what my position in Portsmill was or what I had to go through there. Not that I need to explain myself to you, but I've been a part of the Twilight Meadows pack for over eight years; this is my pack.”
“Do they know what kind of person you really are, Liam? Or should I enlighten them about your amazing character, beating down weak wolves and bullying them until they feel like they are useless trash!”
My blood is pumping; she is speaking the truth but that was a different time and a different Liam. My wolf whines at my anger and a pulling tugs at my chest. I have spent the past eight years working through my shit, and she walks in here to make me feel like I am that old person I have worked hard to heal.
“Don’t act all self-righteous. We all did things we weren't proud of, and you sure as hell have no idea what really happened or what I had to go through.”
