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The rest of the evening is so nice and calm. My mates sneak half of James’s chocolate cake back to my room. Although, when I hug the parents goodnight, he tells me to enjoy the cake, so I guess they didn’treallysneak it. We stay up later than we should just talking and getting to know one another. Skylar and CJ talk a bit about putting in a request with the Council for a formal Lead switch. I didn’t even know that was something Packs could do, but apparently it is. Hutch regales me with stories of highschool with the other Alphas and Erik tells me all about his home Community. He gets really excited when I agree to go with him this winter to visit his family. When we finally settle down to sleep, I have a smile on my face. My mates are amazing and I couldn’t ask for better.
The next morning, I’m woken up by a knock at the door. I grumble and roll out of Hutch’s arms to answer it, but Erik just pats my head and gets up. He opens the door enough to speak to whoever is knocking, but makes sure they can’t see inside. I appreciate his thoughtfulness, but I’m curious about who it is. Suddenly, a picture of August pops into my mind and Erik’s essence, or wolf, or whatever it is, rubs against mine. Obviously, he is telling me what I want to know without letting August see into the room.
After speaking to the Alpha for a while, Erik closes the door and walks back to the bed. “Sorry, Red, but August says we need to get up and get ready to head to the hospital so you can complete your tests for the Council. He said it shouldn’t take long and you should dress comfortably.”
I scowl at the door, and sit up, not ready to leave the soft bed or the comfort of my mates’ arms. However grumpy I may be, I did agree to do it. So reluctantly, I climb over Hutch and make my way to the closet to get dressed. I decided on jean shorts and a loose Howl University tank top, along with a brand new pair of sneakers that feel like clouds on my feet. After brushing out my long hair, noting that it is almost to the middle of my back now and I should probably get it cut soon, I put it up in a high pony like I used to wear for cheer.
Walking out, I see that all of my mates are ready to leave. I take in what each of them is wearing and giggle. We all match. They are wearing blue jeans and different colored Howl University tank tops. Hutch and CJ have on their baseball caps backwards again and Erik’s hair is flowing down the left side of his head, loose for the first time since I’ve met him. Skylar seems to have opted to leave his glasses off for the day and his eyes are stunning, even without the thick black frames emphasizing their emerald color. They all turn to look at me when they hear my giggles, the confusion on their faces telling me they haven’t noticed our matching attire yet. I don’t clue them in, wanting to see how long it’ll take them to notice.
“Come on guys. Let's get this over with so I can con CJ’s dads into taking me shopping.” I head out the door and almost make it to the stairs before Hutch has me slung over his shoulder. These Alphas have a serious aversion to me walking down the stairs by myself, but I love being in their arms, or over their shoulders it seems, so I don’t complain.
Mandy and her mates are waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs and she smiles when she sees me over Hutch’s shoulder. Charles, August, and James all share a look and a grin between them, but I seem to be the only one who noticed it. Looking around, I don’t see any of the Council but Charles is rushing us out the door before I can ask. Mandy and her mates climb into their Infinity while CJ opens the door for Hutch to set me in the SUV they drove me home in on Friday. Skylar hops in the back seat before Erik can and smiles at him when Erik growls. Hutch and CJ laugh at their antics when Erik climbs in over Skylar and me and steals Hutch’s seat, quickly shutting the door in his face and locking it when he tries to open it again. Hutch grumbles, but walks around to get in the open front seat anyways. Erik hands me a granola bar with a smile and I take it before kissing him to express my gratitude.
This whole morning has felt so normal and amazing. I know that I’ll probably be grumpy by the time the tests are done, but for now, I’m so happy to just be with my mates. They make my day seem so much brighter and I wonder if it’s normal to feel so close and attached to your mates so soon after forming the bond. I feel like pieces of me have been missing my whole life and now, with them, I am complete. They make my soul sing and all the negative thoughts melt away. I love how caring and playful they are, love how each of them is so different but caring. I love … them. Oh Gods, I’minlove with all of them.
“I shouldn't be so aggravated that Skylar taught her how to shield her thoughts.” Hutch is staring at me, turned completely around in his chair, knees in the seat with his arms hugging the head rest. “Look at her face, she looks like she’s seen a ghost and I want to know what it is. Red!” Now he is leaning down into my face, his back brushing the ceiling of the car and his broad chest taking up most of the center console. “Drop your shields and let us hear what’s going on in there.”
“Leave her alone and sit your ass down.” Skylar thumps his forehead and shoves his shoulder until he sits back in his seat pouting.
The boys spend the rest of the day joking around and distracting me from the uncomfortable tests the Council has August run. When we first got to the hospital, he took my blood before any of the Council showed up. Once they got there, I was getting my blood pressure taken, running on treadmills, and lifting weights I never dreamed I’d be able to. They even had August do a pelvic exam on me, though my mates forced the council to stay outside of the room for that test. By the time all the tests are done, I feel like I’d run a triathlon. I was so tired I didn’t even want to go shopping anymore, so August promised me we’ll go tomorrow. My mates take me home and we spend the rest of the night cuddled up watching movies.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Emotions
Allnightlong,Itoss and turn, my body feeling achy and uncomfortable. Everytime I turn, one of my mates sits up to check on me. After the fourth time Hutch asks if I want to go somewhere else, I get aggravated. I already answered that damn question! Why does he keep asking? Feeling fed up and irritable, I jump off the couch and storm to my room without answering Hutch. I feel the rest of my mates spring awake as I leave, but I don’t want to talk to any of them while I feel so damn grouchy. When I get to my room, I lock the door behind me and crawl under the covers to try to get some sleep without all my mates breathing down my neck. My wolf is so restless that by the time I finally get to sleep, the dark night sky is fading into a predawn pink.
A pounding at my door has me grumbling. I kick a foot out, hoping that one of my mates will get up to get the door, but all I feel around me is empty space. My heart starts racing and my palms start to sweat. I’m alone, all alone without my mates and that breaks my fucking heart. Tears well in my eyes, but I try to hold them back as I wrap myself in a fuzzy blanket that smells like my missing mates and go to answer the door. August is standing there smiling at me and for some reason, seeing him and not one of my mates has my heart sinking lower in my chest. I can’t hold back the tears anymore. Huge racking sobs heave from my chest and my whole body is shaking.
Why would they leave me? What did I do to make them leave?
August panics, his arms wrap around my shoulders and he holds me as I cry. A distressed sound slips from between his lips as he pets my hair and tries to sooth me. He looks so lost and the fact that I don’t understand what is wrong with me, paired with the look on his face, just makes me cry more.
“Mandy! Guys! Someone, anyone! I need help.” August calls out into the hallway as my knees give out and he gently sits on the floor with me in his lap.
His comforting wintergreen and rose scent does very little to soothe me. He smells like family, but it’s not the scent I need right now. If anything, scenting his and Mandy’s essence wrapped so closely together just makes it all worse. I’ve been abandoned while he still has his mate. Jumbled words try to squeak out of my chest between the sobs, but I don’t even recognize what I’m saying, so I know he doesn’t.
“Shh, it’s okay, Little Wolf. Whatever it is that has you so upset, we’ll fix it.”
Heavy foot falls pound up the stairs and Mandy, Charles, and James are there. Seeing them calms me a bit, but I still can’t stop crying. They aren’t here, my mates didn’t come.
“Auggie, what is going on?” Mandy falls to her knees next to us and one of her hands cups my cheeks while the other one takes over petting my hair while August’s moves to rubbing circles on my back.
“I don’t know. I came to get her so we can go shopping, like we planned to yesterday and when she opened the door, this happened.”
“Okay, Becca. It’s okay. Just take some deep breaths with me.” Mandy forces me to look into her eyes as she takes deep exaggerated breaths. Watching her calm soft eyes does wonders to calm my turbulent emotions and before long, I don’t even really know why I was so upset to begin with. “Good job, Becca. That’s it. One breath at a time. Feel better now?”
When I nod my head, all the alphas let out a deep breath and Mandy smiles so sweetly. She doesn’t let me go, neither does August. In fact, Charles and James even sit on the floor in the doorway and rub my calves. All of them are trying to soothe me and keep me calm and I can’t even begin to tell them how grateful I am to them for it.
“I’m glad you’re better, Becca. Do you think you can tell us what happened?”
“I woke up alone. I thought the guys would be here, but they weren’t and I felt so sad and alone. I’m not sure what happened, but I feel much better now.” That is the best explanation I have for them.
My emotions are all over the place, and my wolf is no help. She is growling, upset that my mates still haven’t shown up. Where could they possibly be but right here by us? She has locked down the connection between us completely in a fit of rage. Her sassy display of emotion has me giggling and the sound of my quiet laughter makes the wolves around me smile and share a look.
“I’m sorry, Little Wolf.” Charles’s gentle squeeze on my calf brings my attention to him. “The guys had to go to football practice today. A couple of their teammates got into some trouble last night so the whole team has to run drills all day.”
I guess that does make sense, and knowing that my mateshadto leave has my emotions leveling out a bit. I still feel very strange though. I want to ask Mandy about it, but James speaks up and his words send the thought out of my head.
