The Forbidden Howl

35. Going Home

Sarah's POV.

The pack doctor tells us that everything is "spectacular" with me and my baby, which I already knew but didn't keep reminding to Dane who insisted I get ALL the tests available in the hospital done.

Thankfully, the doctor convinced him otherwise.

By the time we'd visited his dad, and later Quinn, whole of Blue Streak knew I'm pregnant.

On our way back home from Quinn's, I wonder if my family knew. I wish they didn't. I want to be the one to tell them, especially my mom.

But how exactly should I tell them? Should I just call mom and be like, "hey, I'm pregnant!"? Will she want to see me? I know I want to see her. Maybe I sh—

"You, alright?" asks Dane, interrupting my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"What are you thinking?" says Dane.

I tell him, "nothing."

"Hmmm."

Dane remains silent after that, which I find odd. I thought he would press me more to share my inner monologue with him, after all, he has been nothing but attentive and overly zealous to help me with everything since yesterday, not that I'm complaining.

We miss the turn to our house.

I ask, "where are we going?"

Dane says, "Vermon Cast."

I look at my mate in surprise, then instinctively smile from ear to ear while fighting the feeling to cry. How can I be sad and happy at the same time? Must be the hormones.

"You sure?" I ask him. He better be sure. You don't tell a pregnant lady you're taking her to her parents' place and then not take her!

"Yeah, I know you want to see them," says Dane in his understanding voice.

For some reason, my mate looks hotter to me now. I look at him in his dark jeans and black shirt with sleeves rolled and couldn't help but admire his handsomeness, something I didn't notice till couple of seconds ago.

I smile even more and look outside the window, knowing that soon I'll see the place I grew up in — where my parents and brothers are.

I'm going home.

I love a lot of things about Dane, even the things that drive me crazy, but what I love the most about him is he'll put aside his Alpha ego for those he care about.

He knows he won't be receiving a decent welcome in Vermon Cast, something that'll be a huge insult to an Alpha, especially someone of Dane's caliber. Things between my brothers and him are as bad as ever, even worse than before since I left home. They've been avoiding each other like the plague. 

I've been avoiding my brothers, too. I transferred to the online classes our school offers for werewolves who can't come to classrooms regularly because of the pack duties they were assigned to.

I  couldn't keep in touch with my parents, either. As the Alpha of Vermon Cast, Jordan ordered them to not contact me. If they refused to do that, it would push my brother to hate me even more than how much he already was hating me. My parents don't want that.

But this time I don't care! I don't care if me and Dane are welcome there or not, nothing is going to stop me from seeing my family!

We cross the pack border and to my surprise, no one has stopped us. Not even when we drove past the border patrol. Their Alpha must've ordered them to let us through (via mind link.)

I sink into my seat feeling happier by the second. Everything looks good so far.

Before I could open the car door, now parked in front of my home, I see my mom rushing outside with a big smile, all excited.

"Sarah!" she shouts and hugs me tightly as soon as I'd gotten out of the car. My dad wasn't far behind. Before I could respond my mother's hug, my dad had hugged us both, leaving no space for my arms to move.

I relish the warmth of their body — my mother's scent, her kisses, my dad's callused hands, everything about them makes me feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now.

Once our bodies have separated from each other, my dad goes past us to hug Dane.

My mom is still running her hands over my face as if she's seeing it for the first time.

"How are you?" asks my mom.

"I'm great. How are you?" I ask her while leaning my face into her caressing hands.

"I'm good," says my mom in a way that makes me think she's not good, just like how I'm not great, no, not without her — how can I be? And how can she be?

Dane comes to us and my mom hugs him and kisses his forehead. "Thanks for bringing her home," says my mom to Dane.

"Of course, Milia. I'm sorry it took us this long," says Dane.

As soon as we reach the living room my heart stops at seeing my brothers sitting on the couches. They don't look at us, even though they know we're here... I'm here.

A mix of emotions surge in me but before I could organise and prioritise them Dane says,  "I'll wait outside."

He leaves us after giving me a "it's okay" look. My parents look like they want to stop him, just like me; but they don't stop him, just like me.

I'm feeling ashamed and guilty that I'm not stepping outside with my mate. Dane deserves to be here, he's as much a part of this family as I am.

But all that doesn't seem important now. At the end of the day, I'll go back to Dane, to our home, but now is all I've to see my brothers.

"I will bring you something to drink," says my mother and goes to the kitchen. My father follows her after giving me a pat on my back.

I slowly walk towards where Tim is sitting and sit beside him, giving as much distance as possible between us. Opposite us, is Jordan.

Neither of them look at me, and I can't stop looking at them.

It hasn't even been an year and they look way older than how I remembered them to be when I left. There's a stubble on Jordan's face and Tim looks thinner.

None of us says anything. I'm scared if I say something they'll get upset and ask me to leave. It's fine if we don't talk, I'm happy just being in the same room as them now.