Wtf is up with me today? Thankfully, my migraine of yesterday had eased to a slight headache, so I decided that as I was up and dressed, I might as well go down to the kitchen to see if there was any food around.
As I walked down the 2 flights of stairs, I met a few pack members. I hated seeing the pitying looks on their faces, but I placed a small polite smile on my face and listened to their condolences that I didn’t have a wolf. How shocked everyone is to learn this blah, blah, blah.
I finally got to the kitchen and peeped around looking for Cookie.
His name wasn’t cookie, that's exactly what I had always called him. His real name was Cliff, apparently, when I was a small child, I started calling him a cookie and the name stuck. Well, for me anyway. Anybody else caught calling him cookie would get a slap and a pity hefty one at that. Cookie, as you may have guessed, is the pack house chef. He is 6’2 tall and almost the same width ways. He was completely bald and full of tattoos. He had hands like shovels and large feet always in combat boots. When I finally found him standing behind the counter serving up breakfast to 10 pack members, I pushed further into the kitchen and everyone went quiet. I started to blush and spin on my heels. I went to rush back out, but I was suddenly scooped up into a warm hug.
I looked up into Cookie's face and hugged him back.
"ah sweetie",
he said in my ear,
"You know you’ll always be my Lil bestie, right?"
"Thanks, Cookie",
I said back, holding onto my tears.
"Come on, come have some breakfast, AND ANYONE MAKING YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WILL BE DEALING WITH ME!!!!"
Thanking him, I went and sat down at a table on my own. I was getting a few glances, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I was halfway through my pancakes when Peter, my father's Beta, walked into the kitchen. Seeing me, he walked over and sat down
"Cliff, gimme a cup of Joe. I’m having withdrawals."
he said, smiling at me.
"How are you doing Genni",
There was genuine concern on his face, and I could see he wanted to say something.
"Come on", I said, "out with it"??
Peter smirked at me and started talking. Not about me leaving the pack house, but about me staying closer and offering me jobs around the pack lands. I laughed softly at his enthusiasm and held my hands up
"Ok okay", I said
"There's still plenty to do around her, I get it. Thanks, Peter",
I said gratefully.
"Listen, Genni, Sara is beside herself with worry, she’s been texting you for days",
I smiled as he said my best friend's name and explained to Peter that I wanted to see her, but couldn’t drum up the courage to go outside. It took me 5 days to come downstairs.
"My daughter loves you",
Peter said softly.
"We all do… come back with me later, and you and Sara can hang out for a bit. I’ve got to go into the office now and catch up on some paperwork for the Alpha, but 9 am should finish me".
His smile was so genuine and warm that I smiled back and nodded my head.
"Do you know where my parents have gone Peter?"
Peter looked a bit taken aback at the question and asked why my parents hadn't told me where they were going. He almost sounded flustered, and there was a look, a fleeting look, but definitely a look. His eyes pointing to the floor, he said
"pack business"
and quickly left saying to meet him in the lobby at 9.
Wtf is with everyone today!!!!
Peter got up the leave, gave me an encouraging smile, waved at Cookie and left for my dad's office.
When I had finished my breakfast I decided to not stick around in the kitchen as I would have normally done. Today there were just too many people in there. And pitying looks weren't exactly uplifting, however genuine they may be. I waved at Cookie and he waved back, pushing the ladle he was holding into the air, and subsequently splashing a couple of warrior wolves with hot oatmeal. 'Some warriors' I sniggered to myself as I watched them squeal like little girls due to the impromptu shower they got.
I only had to wait an hour for Peter, so I decided to spend that time in the pack library. I loved to read about wolf lore, and as most wolves hated reading, I knew I would have the room to myself.
I settled into one of the high-backed comfy chairs with my favourite book. I had only read a few lines when I looked up towards the door, there was no one there. But I could have sworn some just tried to get my attention. I must be tired, or maybe still embarrassed about the no-wolf thing. I didn't know what was going on, I just knew it was Getting on my nerves. Maybe I should stop by the doctor's office? Nodding to myself, as if to affirm my decision I stood up to leave when Peter popped his head around the door. ''There you are'' he said with a smile, ''Ready?'' He enquired.
I was ready, I longed to see Sara and Molly, so we set off together.
As Peter and myself walked to his home, we chatted politely. Their house was not far from the pack house, as Peter was beta, he had to be close to my father, but as Peter had 3 kids, he and his mate had their own home. Not that all of their kids lived with them, only Sara was left at home now. Her older brothers had found their mates a few years ago, so moved out of the family home, so they could make their own. We walked on the path for a few minutes in silence, and as the path was right next to the forest that surrounded our little village, I heard the soft voice again. I stopped, looked around and saw only the trees with their emerald leaves and the tall majestic trunks. I had always loved the forest surrounding us. I could spend hours there. But it had always been with the dream of running through the trees in wolf form and feeling the ground on my 4 legs, not the 2 with which I'm stuck now.
"You okay Genni, what’s wrong?"
Peter said, looking worried.
"Did you hear that Peter? Did you hear that voice?"
"No, no I don’t think I did, it must be some of the kids playing in the forest."
he said comfortingly.
"Yeah",
I said.
"Maybe".
I shook my head slightly and carried on walking. About 2 minutes later, we were at Peter's house. The door flew open, and Sara came running into me, hugging me tightly.
"Are you okay? Of course you're not okay. What a stupid thing to say to you. Oh, I've been so worried about you. But Luna wouldn’t let anyone in to see you. And you didn’t answer my text".
All of this came out in one long sentence, and Sara was breathlessly looking at me when she had finished. I smiled warmly at her and told her I was okay, or I will be okay.
"Of course, you will, my lovely," said Molly, I peeped behind Sara to see her mum, my mum's second smiling warmly with her arms out. I went into the embrace gladly. I loved Sara’s mom, she was the quintessential Mom, she cooked, baked, cleaned and loved her family dearly. Oh, she was a pretty good warrior Too. As I said, perfect
"Come in lovely"
she said, looking at me with warm friendly eyes
"Have you had breakfast"?
I nodded and told her I had gone down to the pack's kitchen today.
"I’m so proud of you, that took a lot of guts on your part. Screw anyone who thinks you no longer belong here."
she said with a knowing look. Did she know what my mom had said to me? Before I could ask her, I heard the soft voice again,
"OK I said",
spinning around,
"Who's dicking around"?
All the urban family looked at me in shock.
"Why did you just say that?"
Asked Sara, I explained that I had heard a soft voice calling my name 3 times now, and it was starting to get old, real fast.
"Honey, there was no voice",
said Molly. Looking concerned.
"Trust us, Genni, if there had been a voice Molly and I would have heard it",
Of course, they would. They have wolf hearing and can hear a pin drop in another house.
"I’m sorry, "
I say quickly, embarrassment showing on my face.
"Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea",
I said, looking at Sara,
"I’ve not been feeling too well the last couple of days, and I’m feeling a little worse now. I'll go home and lay down".
Sara gave me a hug, which turned into a group hug, and told me to text her later.
"Do you want me to walk you home Genni"?
Asked Peter, I told them all that I would walk back on my own, but that I would go through the trees and try to chill out for a bit. As Sara knew my love of the forest, she nodded her head in understanding, they said goodbye and watched me leave.
I wasn’t lying, I honestly felt funky, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. I didn’t have a headache anymore, and I felt chills and then hot. Not a lot, I'll admit, but it seemed to get worse.
As I approached the pack house, thinking longingly of my shower and my bed, I saw an unfamiliar car parked next to my dad's, obviously, my parents were back. Good, I thought. I can finally speak to my dad.
As I entered the pack house, I bumped into a wall, wait! What! There was no wall here. My eyes drifted up until I was looking into the clearest blue eyes I had ever seen. The blue eyes looked back into mine, and the soft voice I had heard all morning said,
"MATE!!!!!!"