9. Unexpected Tablemates
“So, let me see if I got this right. Nora is Shane’s girlfriend, but she’s weirdly overprotective of Slater, who is Shane’s future Beta and Derek is Shane’s best friend?”
“Yeah, at least you seem to remember the weird part of Nora and Slater, but do you remember why she is the way she is with him?”
We were sitting in the park; under some shade of a giant tree, we were leaning against. Benji had a packed lunch that I discovered that he makes for both him and Hazel every day for school. Thankfully, I didn’t have to ask about that as the memory sort of just came for a few seconds of their time during the lunch hour.
Biting into the apple he provided, I think for a few moments. I had an idea why, but I didn’t know their background enough to just assume. When I don’t answer his eyes widened.
“I seriously can’t believe you’ve lost such important memories. But it’s a good thing you have me to fill in the blanks for you, my dear friend.” He pats my knee in false pity, making me smile a bit.
“Neither of them knows it, but we actually caught them once. In the gym’s equipment room.” He dramatically shudders in distaste. “I had to bleach my eyes out that day and even that couldn’t erase the awful scenery. So, I actually envy you right now that you don’t remember.”
Ah, so my assumption was correct. Nora was fooling around with Slater behind Shane’s back.
“Which is why, under our breaths of course, that we like to call her Whora.” He states with such a serious tone that I choke on some of the apple.
“We call her what?” I couldn’t help but laugh.
He gives me a heart stopping smile with such glee I could seriously hug him right now. “Creative right? Courtesy of your one and only best friend.” He does a tiny bow, making me chuckle even more.
“Very creative indeed.” I laugh.
I frown as a thought comes to me. “But wait…I thought the Beta of a pack is supposed to be someone you trust wholeheartedly, so why is Slater becoming Shane’s Beta if Derek is his best friend?”
Benji becomes somber at my question. “Slater is Shane’s cousin, so he doesn’t have a choice in the matter since Alpha Spencer refuses to have Derek be the Beta.”
My body freezes at the mention that the two were cousins. The haunting words comes back to me full force.
“Your dear conniving, selfish uncle here was too eager to uphold his part of the deal. My sister, who just so happens to be his awaited mate, for the death of your father, who is my worst enemy.”
“Personally, I think Alpha Spencer despises Derek. Something tells me that he knows his secret about his sexuality-Hey are you okay?”
I suddenly stand up, my body shaking at the revelation that my dream boy’s father, the Alpha of this pack, was none other than that horrible man from that awful night. His sister was married to my traitorous uncle. I don’t know why it didn’t click earlier that it was this pack that destroyed everything I held dear. It was like the Moon Goddess threw everything right into my lap.
“Hazel?”
I jerk at Benji’s worried tone. Looking down at him, he held the end of my sleeve while staring up at me.
“Ah…uh, sorry. I think I’m just a little…tired.” I needed to get my bearings.
I needed to do some research. I couldn’t go around blind about this place any longer.
“Oh, alright. Do you want me to walk you home?” He stands up while gathering everything.
No, that was the last place I wanted to be. Especially knowing that asshole was there, probably passed out drunk again.
“Actually, is there a public library nearby?” I ask instead.
His eyes widened at me. “You want to go to the library? But you hate that place.”
I gnaw on my lower lip, wondering why Hazel would hate to go there. But I already proved that I “lost” more memories than I stated to him. I can’t have him suspicious of me right now. Not when I’m barely starting to get everything in order.
“I know, but I need to do some research for a project.”
His eyebrow shoots up in question. “A project? You avoid those like the plague. Maybe you hit your head harder than you thought.” He reaches up, rubbing the nonexistent bump that should be my head trauma.
Pulling slightly away, I start to walk backwards. “Yeah well, I thought maybe it would be…a good distraction from everything that has happened.”
Giving a small sad smile, he dusts himself off, readjusted his backpack and starts to follow me. “That’s not a bad idea. I’ll tag along. What’s the project?”
I didn’t want him to follow me, but I soon realize I had no idea where the library even was. “It’s a…” I quickly think of something that would sound very believable. “History project!” I smile at my quick thinking.
“History project?” He frowns. “What kind of history?”
“About…the pack…you know, it’s origins and…stuff.” Man, I really sounded like a horrible liar. I was so bad; I wouldn’t even believe me.
He just gives me a side glance, then after long moments as we walked, he finally just shrugs. “Alright then, I have to look up medicinal herbs anyways for science.”
A huge relief flow through me. Even if he didn’t believe me, he was letting the topic go. I was just glad he wasn’t questioning me further.
A few hours later I discovered more than I wanted to know about Blue Silver pack. While I was looking over old newspaper clippings, ld written books and things on the internet, Benji had grabbed a bunch of books on plants, set them next to him and started reading. He hasn’t moved since.
I haven’t even seen him get up to use the bathroom. But then again, I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I hadn’t noticed multiple things. Such things like the fact that the library was starting to get packed with students from the school.
Now I think I understand why Hazel hated coming here. Because while there were a few looking at me with surprise, I hadn’t counted on a certain group of people to make an appearance. Was it too much to ask that they avoided the public library like most normal teenagers would?
Nora walks in like she owned the place. Not even bothering to keep quiet for those who came here for the peaceful silence, she yells out happily to some girls that just sat down at a large table in the sitting area.
“Hey bitches!”
A mass of noise then starts up as they all greeted each other.
“You would think that they didn’t see each other every single day.” Benji mumbles, moving all his books closer to me, almost like we were huddling together.
I don’t blame him. After all the exhausting memories of seeing him and Hazel being bullied the way they were, I would be cautious to be seen by them as well.
“Do they all have to be so obnoxiously loud like that?” I whisper to him as Slater and a few of his morons follows right in after Nora, being just as arrogant.
“Sadly, that’s just how they are.”
I jerk at the sound of someone else’s deep voice, swinging my body around to find Shane and Derek just right behind us. I stare up at his handsome figure. He stands there with one hand on his bag strap as the other was hidden in his jean pocket. Derek was slightly standing just behind him, not really looking at anyone.
“Where the hell did you come from?” I blurt out without thinking.
The guy caught me completely off guard right now. All three of them stare at me in total shock. I’m going to guess Hazel was never so brazen like I was just now. But I’m not Hazel, so I can’t always be like her.
Clearing my throat, I swing back around as if I didn’t say anything. Well, this was awkward. I was beginning to get nervous as no one continued to say anything. Then Shane loudly slams his bag on the table right next to me, making me nearly jump out of my seat.
I could feel his hand on the back of my chair as he leans forward, his chest practically hitting my shoulders and the back of my head.
“What’s got you so interested in our pack’s history, Hazel?”
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end as his gentle breath hits my ear. I could feel the sudden heat rise from my shoulders to my cheeks at his nearness.
“J-Just doing a project for class.” My voice was betraying me. What the heck was wrong with me right now? Why was he making me feel so anxious? Was it because of that dream? Because I knew who he was?
“Project? Hmmm.” He sounded thoughtful about that.
Oh, dear lord, the sound of his voice was doing things to me. I almost sighed like a lovestruck schoolgirl staring at her celebrity crush’s picture. Trying to get my bearings, I hear a new voice speak.
“You’re working on the herbal techniques for science class, right?”
I turn to see Derek standing next to Benji, who continued to stare down at the book in front of him. His body stiffened as the guy spoke to him, but he didn’t ignore him like I thought he would.
“Um, yeah. It’s due next week.” His voice was small and low as he spoke.
I watch as Derek nervously licks his lips as he clutches the straps of his backpack in a death grip.
“M-Mind if I work on it with you?”
Benji snaps his head up, looking at him with wide eyes. Shifting his feet in more nervousness, Derek says,
“I came to do it anyway, since we have the same class, and it looks like you grabbed all the good books so…”
“Perfect! I was just about to ask Hazel here if she wouldn’t mind us intruding in on this table since all the others are taken.” Shane walks around the four-seater table, pulls out the chair across from me and sits down as if he belonged here in our little circle. Intruding my ass, he just helped himself to our table and he didn’t even bother to ask, more like stated.
He gives me a bright smile as he begins to take out his schoolbooks and notes. Derek quickly took that advantage and sat facing Benji, who was still staring at him with astonishment. I didn’t know what to say or do. Were we really sitting here with the future Alpha of Blue Silver? Why was he being so nice? I get Derek, he’s Benji’s mate, who still hasn’t rejected him for reasons I was actually beginning to understand, but Shane?
What was he after? It wasn’t like he was friends with Hazel. I could tell that much from the lack of memories of him and the way Benji spoke about him. Of course, there was never any implication that he was an asshole like Slater, but still.
Scraping chairs could be heard loudly all the sudden. A loud annoyed sigh came from Shane as he tries to concentrate on the paper in front of him. I sense both Benji and Derek stiffening in their seats, but otherwise kept silent.
Looking up, I watch as a very angry Nora and a confused, suspicious Slater walks over our way. Along with all their idiotic bimbos.
This was just freaking peachy.