Chapter 28: Wolves And Beasts

I leave the bathroom of Wolves&Beasts restaurant and walk to where my family is seated.

The place is decorated with black and red balloons, confetti is lying all over the floor and there's food and drinks on each and every corner - being replenished just as fast as it disappears. We're celebrating my eldest brother's graduation.

I smiled walking up to them. "Hi, guys," I lay a kiss onto Jamie and Jason's cheek before they could see me.

"Lila!" Jamie exclaims excitedly, "Perfect. We were just discussing what we could do as a prank for Jake, but we couldn't decide between-"

"Oh, no," I cut him off, "prank days are behind me," I jokingly raised an admonishing brow.

"Oh, common, you're like the top prankster," he insists. "You don't have to do it with us, just give us an idea and we'll do it ourselves. No one has to know you helped us."

"Alright, let me hear the idea and if it's not totally crazy or dangerous, I'll see what I can -" but my sentence breaks as I see Darius escorting a woman to a chair at our table.

He lays a hand over her back, then whispers something into her ear.

Oh, hell no, my wolf's enraged.

"Give me a second," I told my brothers, then they marched toward me and Darius' table.

"Oh, thank you," the girl smiles at Darius. "You're the best," she touches his arm.

I approach them from the back just as a waiter arrives.

"Everything is fine here?" the waiter checks in on us.

"Would it be terribly wrong if I killed her?" I said as I take my seat next to Darius, not caring everyone hears me. Well, actually that was the point.

Darius curls the corners of his lips. "Pretty much, considering she's joining our pack."

"Uhm, I'll come back later," the waiter rushes to leave.

The girl turns towards me, looking scared and embarrassed. Then her face changes to surprise. "Oh, my God," she says, "Lila!"

I frown - no one calls me Lila besides...

I swallow hard. That's Dianne. She's Dione's little sister. Only, she ain't little no more.

"Dianne," I nodded, my eyes running to the floor for an instant. "I'm sorry about what happened," I barely managed to utter.

"Common, I know you were only joking," she says, but her voice tells me she isn't convinced.

"I meant about Dione," I met her eyes.

She shakes her head, her eyes welling up.

"I miss him so much," water runs to my eyes.

She nods, fighting off tears. "You never should've led him there..."

I tightened my jaw. It wasn't my idea - it was his. But I'd be damned if I betrayed him now that he's gone. "I know," I looked at her. "I wish I could take it back more than anything in the world," I stared at her with blurry vision. "But I can't," tears rolled down my cheeks.

Dianne cries, too. "I know you loved him," she whispers, then her eyes rush back to Darius as if she got startled. She looks down to the floor in apology.

"It's okay," I held her arms. "Darius knows," I said, nodding.

She looks at him again, weary, then leans in to give me a hug - one of the best hugs I've ever received. The friendly, genuine hugs filled with forgiveness and nostalgia.

She whispered into my ear. "Dione loved you, too. I think he'd want you to know that."

She pulls away and my eyes are blurry from the tears.

"Thank you," I sobbed, words heavy on my heart and my soul.

"I think someone would like to speak to you," she gets up and reaches her hand for me. I followed her eyes and noticed she was looking at her family's table.

Oh my God. "I can't..." my voice breaks. I have only seen his parents once since he died. When I went to give them the news, I couldn't bear to see their faces afterward.

"It's OK," she encourages me.

My eyes run to Darius for rescue, but he only nods instead.

Oh, damn.

I sheepishly walked to Dione's parents, those who loved me as if I was their own daughter when I was a kid. And now I've cost them their son.

"Lila," his mother stares at me in surprise. "How lovely to see you," her eyes well up immediately and something breaks in me - I sob.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Blake," I took her hands into mine, kneeling down next to her chair.

"Mrs. Blake?" she frowns. "What happened to mamma Catelyn?" she demands, pulling me into a hug. "I've always been mamma Cat to you, my sweet little Lila."

I cried in shame. "I'm so sorry, Cat," I wept, "I couldn't have looked you in the eyes after that... I wanted to come see you, but..."

"It's okay, darling," she holds my face in between her palms. "Dione would want you to be happy, you know that, right? He'd never hold a grudge against you. You were his absolute favorite person in the whole world."

I nodded, eyes glued to the floor. "I failed him."

"Lila, we had this conversation eight years ago. It wasn't your fault. You could've died just as he did. You were both foolish kids. Too daring. Something was bound to happen. And I'm glad not both of you had to pay with your lives. Alright, sweetie?"

I shook my head. "Dione and I swore to each other," I sobbed. "We swore we'd never serve an alpha."

Her eyes ran to Darius, seated at our table.

Her eyes are then back to me. "An undeserving alpha," she corrects me. "I know, darling. Dione told me many times," she took my hands into hers, "but something tells me if you've decided to do so, that you've found one worth following."

I nodded, wiping my tears. "D- do you think he'd resent me? If he were alive?"

"Dione would never resent you for anything, Lila. Especially not for staying alive. Now go live your life."

#

"Dianne's joining our pack," he announces as we walk back to our car.

My head shot up. That means she's marrying someone from our pack.

"Who is it?" I narrowed my eyes at Darius as a corner of his lips curled.

"Terry," he smiles.

I shook my head in happy disbelief.

"I hope you won't mind seeing her often," he stopped, turning toward me. "I saw how much it upset you."

I looked at his eyes and shook my head. "Honestly, I couldn't think of anyone better I'd like to become family with."

He smiled a little, enjoying the sound of the word.

We continue our walk to the parking lot, when my head shoots left in the woods and I slow down a little.

"What?" he noticed my tiny smile.

I shake my head. "This used to be our meeting spot," I say softly. "Of our little crew," I almost laughed. "I haven't been there in over eight years."

He squints, tilting his head towards it. "Wanna go in now?"

I swallow hard.

Do I?

Finally, I stepped toward the end of the woods, leading him with me as we held hands, then I saw a small clearing with two benches and a wooden table in the middle.

I stop and stare in awe.

"Does it still look the same?" he asks softly.

"Hasn't changed one bit," I whispered, running my fingers over our names engraved on the table, feeling both sad and happy in my heart.

Then I turned to Darius. "You don't fear the woods anymore?" I raised an amused eyebrow.

"Now I know you're not a target," he sits on one of the benches.

I pressed my lips, then sat next to him. "No, I have some good connections now," I teased. "So you're safe with me, don't worry."

He doesn't laugh. "I was wrong not to tell you what your father told me. That the vampires were after you."

I nodded. "You did go over your words in the end," I nodded. He told me.

He tightens his jaw. "If I knew the whole story, I would've let you know. I want you to know that."

I stared into the distance.

"I won't apologize for going to the woods," I said at last, gazing in front of me. "You would've done the same. I know it and you know it."

He tightens his jaw, nodding.

"But I am sorry for not accepting you sooner."

He looks at me in hurt. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

I now stare at him in silence.

"Besides," he continued, "I need to apologize as well."

"For what?" I insisted.

"Treating you like a protegé instead of my partner."

He looks in front of him. "I wasn't ready for you," he says. "I didn't realize why the Moon Goddess sent me this rebellious mate who wasn't even part of a pack, but wanted to rule beside me. And her Dad told me that she was in danger from vampires, that she needed protection. Which, to me, was completely normal - I've always protected everyone. But you felt irritated by it. And it amused me to play this game of cat and mouse, honestly. To prove to you that I was your Alpha."

I tightened my jaw. "I didn't know what I wanted. One day I was getting married to my five-year-old partner and the next I was drooling all over you. There were only 15 hours between meeting you and breaking off my engagement..."

"I left my pack a long time ago, Darius. It was a decision I'd made in high school. And I thought it was the right one," I nodded. "Then my whole life turned upside down. And I tried to accept it. I broke off with Ian. I moved here immediately the next day..." I shook my head. "But when I arrived, the past came crashing down on me. I felt like a traitor."

He looked away into the trees. "I was happy I had got a mate. At times," he smirks. "But your behavior insulted me, it- It hurt me. Thinking my mate suffered for another man brought out the worst in me."

I stared into his dark eyes, then laid a hand over his. "We didn't make it easy on each other."

"Easy is not in our vocabulary," he narrows his eyes, then turns his hand to caress mine.

"What if we started fresh?" I suddenly said.

"A clean slate?" he purses his lips.

I nodded. "We put the past behind us and give our relationship a real shot. Accepting us for who we are and respecting each other. Compromising," I said. "No secrets. No bossing around. And I promise I'll be both feet inside the door, invested fully."

He brought himself closer. "No more threats of leaving?"

"No more," I shook my head. "And no more treating me like a prisoner."

He smirks now. "You want a dating period and all?"

I smirk. "A dating period with Darius Carter? God help us."

"You're forgetting," he runs his hand.

over my chin, "she already did."

"We will do things together from now on. You and I," I whispered.