They Fell Into Bed [Editing]

XX. A

3 Years Ago

The sun beat down on the pack grounds like it did every summer day so far, and yet this day felt different. It was almost as if the sun was overbearing in its light today, like it was trying to outshine any darkness that might touch the grass below. Sounds of laughter could be heard for miles in any direction as the children played, watched by a few parents that sat on the patio nearby, sipping lemonade and water.

 The children played all sorts of games, chasing and hunting each other like wolves, but most of the older children and teenagers relaxed in the shade and talked, bonding with their young pack mates. It was as one conversation between three girls was transitioning to the upcoming maturity they would soon reach that Harper sat down with them. Their heads turned to her expectantly, and she wove her hands together in a nervous fidget, gathering the courage to speak.

"Hey guys, can I join in?" she asked quietly, reeling from hearing her actual voice, proud of herself for speaking up. She looked at each of them in turn, waiting for an answer patiently as they stared back at her, their eyes all showing the same emotion. Harper could tell from those looks that this was not going to go well.

"And why do you think you can join in on our conversation?" spat one girl with sandy blond hair, her eyes narrowed at Harper. Harper flinched at her tone, expecting it, but not wanting it all the same.

"Uh, I just thought that-"

"No, you didn't think," another girl interrupted, "or you would have realized that we don't want you here." She scooted away from Harper subtly, but she still noticed. 

Am I really that disgusting? Harper thought to herself. I didn't know everyone would hate me so much...

"You should probably just go," the first girl spoke up again, her voice sharp. "Honestly, Harper, why would you ever think we would want you here?"

Harper didn't respond, instead directing her eyes toward the third girl, Lydia, who had yet to speak up. Lydia's eyes were downcast, watching the grass sway in the wind like it was the most interesting thing on the planet. Harper's heart cracked more with every second that the girl she had called her best friend for years refused to speak up for her. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes, and she did her best to blink them away. Harper knew that, at this point, Lydia was never going to look up, and their friendship was probably over.

"I-I guess I wasn't thinking," Harper whispered, and she stood up and hurried away, towards the pack house. As she rushed away, she heard the girls start talking about her. They knew that she was still in hearing range, especially with her wolf hearing, so she tried to ignore the pointed barbs that were clearly meant for her ears.

"God, I don't know why she thinks we would welcome a fertile into our friend group, my mom told me that fertiles are basically the whores of the pack."

"Yeah, come on, in class we learned that most of us aren't born with mates, so why should she get to bring our chances even lower by sleeping with any potential boyfriends we might find? It isn't fair."

"Of course it isn't fair, but I mean at least we'll stay disease free," the girl laughed, and the others joined in.

Harper reached the pack house and stopped just outside the doors to catch her breath, thinking back to a few weeks prior, when her life had dropped out from under her.

********

It was a pack meeting that had been called recently after Harper had turned fourteen, and she, along with everyone else, were not aware of what the news was about. The alpha hadn't made it seem like urgent news, but he had talked as if the meeting was going to be a great thing, like he had some special news to share. When he called Harper to his office shortly after announcing the upcoming meeting, she felt herself shaking, wondering what her alpha could want with her. He had never been anything but kind to her and her older brother, Adam, since their parents had died in that fire, and she was grateful that he had helped take care of them for the amount of time that he did.