A Friend To The Elements

Chapter 5

We finally ended up at the door to my chemistry class. Adam poked his head in and waved to Noah already sitting in the seat next to mine. He pushed his stool out leaving his books. Adam looked back at me. I could feel even more nerves radiating from his body.

"Would you be interested in maybe going on a date with me? Maybe tonight at eight?" I could not imagine a universe where I might even consider saying no, but he looked like he was bracing for it anyway

"I would love to." His whole face lit up and he pulled me into a tight hug before quickly letting go. He rubbed the back of his neck as Noah peaked around the door frame.

"tsk tsk tsk what do we have here?" Adam glared at him then turned to walk away giving me a small wave. I waved back before walking right past Noah to my seat.

The day went by quickly and excruciatingly slow. Every class I had with Adam I spent most of the time begging him to tell me where we were going. All he would do is smile and shake his head.

After the final bell of the day rang, I stepped outside of class to find a waiting Josh. He grabbed me up before I could register what was happening and spun me around in a circle. I glanced back at Adam who was standing a few feet away. His brows were knitted together in confusion. I could tell he was not sure if he should be jealous, laugh, or try to protect me from the giant brute picking me up. I wiggled out of Josh's arms and laughed.

"Josh this is Adam. He is...the next in line to the new pack that just moved in." Adam seemed hurt that I did not immediately tell him we were mates, but I just was not sure where this all was going, and I just was not ready to shout it out to everyone yet. Telling Josh would be like sending an immediate text to all the pack members that I had found my mate. Josh accepted my answer and shot his hand out to shake Adam's. Adam smiled and reached out.

"Nice to meet you Josh. I'll see you tonight Lily." He turned to walk away but the boy that stopped us was so close to him that he almost ran straight into Adam.

"Henry! Hey funny running into you on this hallway. I didn't think seniors came to this one." He tilted his head to the side meeting my eyes. Josh pushed me behind his back out of view before I could react while Adam looked back at us confused.

"Why are you talking to her Adam?"

"Why is that any of your concern?" Adam's shoulders tensed and he went from normal high school boy to future alpha. Henry backed down and raised his hands.

"It's not. Just curious is all. Having a friend to the elements would be a beneficial ally." I could feel the energy from the bottle of water in Henry's bag fighting against the top that was holding it shut. I took a deep breath trying to calm my energy so maybe the bottle would not explode. Josh backed away a few steps then quickly turned around and pushed us towards the door and into his car.

"He can't hurt me Josh." I rolled my eyes but buckled my seatbelt secretly thankful to be away from his energy.

"I know but I am not about to have Alpha yell at me for letting someone cause a scene in the middle of the hallway."

The car ride home was mostly quiet. At first Josh tried to ask questions but I turned up the radio drowning him out. I was not sure where my head was at, but it made him stop asking questions. A feeling of not being able to trust Adam completely had settled in my gut after our conversation this morning, but maybe that would change after the Henry run in today as well. The kid was clearly following me. Adam had to see that. I think.

I waved goodbye to Josh and slid out of the car. There were two people I knew I could tell though. I swung open the door and saw Dad on his knees in front of Mom. His hands were on both sides of her stomach with an ear pressed firmly against it. His eyes were closed but I could see the pink splotches on his cheeks that he had been crying with a comfortable smile on his face. Mom's hands were intertwined in his hair. When I closed the door, both seemed shocked I was home already and laughed at themselves. I wondered how long they had been in that position.

"What's going on? Mom are you okay?"

"Of course!" Her voice was almost a song when it came out of her throat. She rushed across the room and grabbed both of my hands in her own. I did not realize that my hands were freezing until her warm ones wrapped around them. "We're going to have a baby Lils!"

I instantly wrapped my mom into a hug and felt my own tears prick my eyes. "Congratulations! That's so exciting Mom!"

She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet and glanced between Dad and me. "Well. The cravings should be hitting any day now, so I think I need to take a trip to the grocery store." She picked up the keys, but dad pulled them out of her hand before she could finish her sentence.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere off pack property alone. Not with the new pack here, we'll go together." Mom nodded and they started to walk out the door.

"Oh! Guys By the way I have plans tonight at eight so if you're not back, I'll see you later tonight." Dad looked over his shoulder and I thought I saw his eyes darken just a little. It was not like me to make plans at all much less on a school night.

"What kind of plans and with who?"

"Well...a date...of sorts." His shoulders tensed but his eyes returned to normal. The protective side of his wolf seemed to be okay with letting the protective dad side handle this one on his own.

"Of sorts? With whom?"

"Adam Young. The future Alpha of the new pack." He walked closer to me and I could feel his wolf fighting for control behind his eyes. They switched back and forth between light and dark.

"I told you not to speak to them yet. We have no proof! How does it look for my own daughter to defy my commands? Do you think if you don't follow them the rest of the pack still will?"

I looked down. He did not have to know that I had talked to him about the situation. I could pull this off in my favor. "Dad it's not like that. We have a lot of classes together and well the first time we met it was...he's my mate."

Mom's tears came faster, and she pushed dad out of the way to give me a giant hug. I could see him deep in thought over her shoulder. He was not comfortable with the idea, but he did not have much of a choice anymore. I wondered if part of him thought that I was making the whole thing up just to be able to handle this issue behind his back.

When mom finally let go and headed back towards the door Dad followed. "Don't do anything stupid tonight Lily. You will be followed and removed at the first sight of any possible danger."

I nodded and waved as they walked out. I knew Dad would try to be here in time to intimidate Adam, but with a pregnant Mom at the grocery store he could very well be there until eight.

I flipped the lock on the door behind them and pulled out my phone from my backpack before throwing it in a heap beside the door. I held down the number two button and waited as the phone barely got through the second ring. "Harmony speaking, your neighborhood best friend, how can I be of service to you today."

I could not help but laugh. She always found a new and somewhat clever way to answer her phone when I called. "I have a date, so I need you to come and work some Harmony magic on me." There was only a squeal and then the line went dead. I could practically see her in a full sprint makeup bag in tow running the four house lengths to us. Sure, enough there was a knock on the door in less than ten minutes.

I swung it open and realized I had been deeply mistaken. She held three makeup bags instead of just one.