Astrid

Chapter 14 - The Last Supper

Andrew had take Astrid's phone away when they came back from Pierce's. She knew why he took it, and she was too numb to argue. All she had to do now was make it through tonight's dinner and then it was off to the Academy tomorrow morning.

     Astrid was going through old scrapbooks since she didn't have her phone on her. Currently she was looking at a picture of Andrew at Astrid's career day in third grade. All of her classmates were boasting about what their parents did, and Astrid couldn't help but sit there and mourn the experiences she would never have.

She had come home that day sad, and when she told that to Andrew, he knew he had to make it better. So instead of being the only girl there without a parent, Astrid had her Andy, her superhero.

He had saved her then and he was saving her now.

Although Astrid would never admit that to him.

She flipped through dozens of scrapbooks until she found an old one that used to be her parents'. Smiling, she looked through her parents' past and wondered if they would have shared these memories with her if they were alive.

She stopped at one picture. The date had revealed that this was taken on her father's sixteenth birthday. In it was Nolan (with a goofy smirk on his face), her father in the middle (with frosting on his nose), and... Andrew?

She had never seen a picture of Andrew as a teenager. Actually, she didn't recall seeing Andrew as anything but what he is now. She didn't even bother looking into his past, and now she wished that she had.

Andrew was hot. He was still attractive, in an older middle aged man way, but this picture showed Andrew as the type of guy that teenage girls fawn over. Hell Astrid was fawning over him in this picture too. Mate is hot.

Feeling embarrassed by her sudden attraction to a picture taken decades ago, Astrid hurriedly closed the book and put everything back on the shelf. That was enough digging for now. She had to get ready for dinner and see the faces of her pack "friends".

As a pack member she was pretty pathetic. At school she was popular and friends with almost everyone, except the wolves of course. There was something about her pack that she didn't click with, and that was troublesome considering she is supposed to be their Luna. Their leader.

"Astrid honey, dinner is ready." Georgina come into the room quickly trying to catch Astrid in the act of doing something stupid. Seeing Astrid just sitting on the worn leather couch in the library, she let out a breath.

"I'm coming." Astrid walked up to her and embraced the woman who had raised her. "I wouldn't miss my own party for the world."

Georgina smiled at her, the sarcasm going right over her head.

~~~{     }~~~

Dinner was very awkward. Astrid had sat at the right of Andrew, where she always sat, and Nolan sat in front of her. Next to him was his mate, Reese, and next to her Georgina. Astrid had begged Georgina to sit next to her, but the old woman refused. Instead Astrid was stuck next to Jules. Harry sat on the end, snapping his mate who was currently on vacation with her family. Astrid had never met the girl, nor did she care to.

     "Oh Astrid I'm going to miss you so much." Jules sent Astrid her warmest smile. She was truly happy that her oldest friend was getting the help she needed. She knew that Astrid would come back a better person. A more whole wolf.

     "Oh Jules. You spend all this time without me. I'm sure you can manage." Astrid sent Jules a tight smile. She had a feeling that Jules had helped Andrew uncover her business and she would confront her about it later. For now snarky comments would have to do.

     "Astrid, Jules is one of your oldest friends. I'm sure that she will really miss you." Andrew didn't want his mate causing a scene in front of his mother and the Beta family, but here she was.

     "Of course she will." Astrid picked up her cup and continued to drink the water that was given to her. Jules and Harry could have wine, but Astrid was too much of a risk.

     Nolan and Andrew had started talking about pack affairs while Reese and Georgina talked about a show that had all the pack ladies swooning. I didn't know people over 50 could swoon.

     "Oh and I can't believe they were mates. I was in shock!" Georgina started laughing her melodious laugh before continuing. "Speaking of mates, Jules when do you plan on seeking yours out?"

     Jules smiled brightly at this question, her whole face radiating with happiness. "Well Alpha said that I could join him and Dad on their next trip. It's after my birthday and I'm hoping my mate will be at that pack."

     "I told Jules not to rush anything though. He will come when the goddess says he will come." Reese sent her daughter a pointed look knowing how excited the girl got talking about her future mate. Her eighteenth birthday was a few weeks away and it was all she would talk about.

"Well I found my mate on my birthday." Harry looked up from his phone long enough to mock his sister. She stuck her tongue out at him and rolled her eyes.

"No one asked dipshit."

"Ok can we save this for later please. And Harry get off your phone. This is Astrid's last dinner with the pack and we don't want to ruin it." Reese huffed and took a large chug from her wine glass.

"Well why don't we ask Astrid about her mate." Astrid choked on her water and everyone at the table was silent. She knew what Jules was playing at.

"You are excited to meet him aren't you?" She sent Astrid a knowing smile and waited for the girls response.

"Well I'm not eighteen yet. I'm not even seventeen yet. I think I can wait a few years." Astrid sent her a death stare knowing that they would talk about this later.

"What-" Georgina cut Jules off and tried to prevent the fight that was brewing.

"Why don't we have coffee and cake?"

~~~{     }~~~

"You're such a bitch, did you know that?" Astrid had followed Jules outside while the adults were inside chatting. Harry had gone somewhere to FaceTime his mate. Whipped.

"Oh really? I thought that title went to you." Jules didn't know why Astrid was so pressed, but if she played dirty then so would Jules.

"I know you were the one to tell Andrew about my private business."

This made Jules chuckle.

"You don't know anything Astrid. You're just a sad little girl. I will admit it was me though, and I had a right to tell him. You could have died and for what? To impress that human scum you hang around."

"Those people are my friends. They care for me more than you or this shitty pack ever could."

Jules began to tsk with her mouth.

"What do you think the pack would say about their future Luna saying those words?"

"I don't care what they'd think. You betrayed me Jules. What do you think of your future Luna having so little trust in you?"

Jules turned to head inside, but not before whispering one last thing in Astrid's ear.

"Have fun at the academy... Luna."