I woke up to an empty bed around midday, the warmth of the sun engulfing me in its soft hold. Taylar had spent the night with me as comfort and I was going to spend a lot of time just being next to her to make sure she didn't leave me again.
I looked around the room just observing everything around me in my new surroundings. The bed was in the middle of the longest wall with the end of it facing the white wooden door. The bed has two beautiful burnt wood side tables that matched the coffee table in the lounge room. To my right and left were two matching white panel windows which took up half the walls. They looked like they faced completely different worlds. The one to my right was overlooking the town; a place full of laughing, playing and people loving all chatting and enjoying each other’s company. The one to my left was framing the view of the forest; a place of mystery, secrets and creatures on the hunt not bothering to ask questions as it brutally consumed everything.
I sat by the window facing the town. I had spent enough days in the darkness of the trees to know they can sometimes be calming, peaceful, and even beautiful sometimes, but that seemed to be just a façade that I was all too willing but to unmask in my own self-conscious.
I turned my thoughts back to the town. So this was the place that Taylar has been staying at for all these years. It's quite nice, I guess. She seems to have had a much nicer life here than she did with mum and dad. Heck she even had a kid after all! This town was good to her. I was interrupted by a soft but strong and calm knock on the door.
''Your sister wants you to meet her downstairs. You've got to shower and get changed first though.'' Jayce said taking a towel and some clothes into the en suite of my room. Before leaving again he stared at my neck and something flashed through his eyes, something I had never seen before but it was gone the second he turned and exited the door.
I studied the door for a moment confused before shrugging it off and entering the all-white bathroom. Something about the colour white just felt lonely, like nothing in the world bothered to join it to colour its lifeless self. Letting out a soft breath I sighed before turning the shower on and letting it heat up to my satisfaction.
After my shower and getting dressed into the black jeans and oversized black shirt, I made my way downstairs. Once I entered the lounge room I was greeted by the most amazing smell I had ever had a chance to inhale in a long time.
Food.
I walked past the lounges and straight to the kitchen where Taylar and Leon were cooking together. They looked so at peace and happy about it too until I made too much noise pulling out a stool from under the black marble bench, knocking them out of whatever serenity they had created before Taylarlooked up and smiled warmly at me.
''Hey Aiden. What do you want for breakfast? Well lunch.'' She gave off a soft smile and I saw Leon smile a bit too.
''Whatever you are making is fine.'' I smiled at them both trying to smell out whatever they were cooking. It looked like scrambled eggs or the beginning of French toast… or maybe both. I don't know.
''Apple juice right? You were never an orange juice kid when you were younger.'' Tay said before taking a sip of her half full glass of orange juice.
''Yeah'' I was amazed she could remember something so simple from 10 years ago. 10 years. Geez it’s been a long time.
''Hey guys what’s for lunch?'' I heard a loud voice before the fridge door slammed shut and a guy around my age, maybe a bit older, and a lot taller was pouring orange juice for himself and someone standing behind him.
''Rhyan. You know you could say good morning at least.'' Leon said to them before going back to fiddling with the eggs, toast and newly added bacon.
''Who's the kid?'' He said before handing a glass behind him and taking a sip of his own.
''Rhyan, Evan. This is my little brother, Aiden.'' Taylar said smiling warmly at me as she handed me my juice and went back to pulling out the plates.
''You have a brother!?'' I heard Rhyan yell and choke on his half swallowed juice. He wasn't a very quiet one I could tell.
''Yes I do. Now sit down before I don't give you any food.''
Rhyan clattered next to me and his shadow quietly sat on the other side. I wonder if that person was just super shy or if I was really seeing a shadow move and drink on its own. Maybe I’ll have to see a doctor.
''I'm losing my mind.'' I whispered quietly shaking my head and sighing with relief when no one heard me.
After eating the most delicious scrambled eggs and bacon I had ever had, I was walking out of the house with Taylar. She was going to show me around the camp.
''So who were those two?'' I questioned not taking my eyes off my surroundings. It kind of turned into a bad habit being on my own for so long.
''Evan and Rhyan?''
I nodded my head. So I wasn't losing my mind. There was definitely another person. Thank God.
''They're staying with us. They're the Keaton twins.''
''Oh are they not from this pack?'' That would explain why they were staying with the Alpha and his mate.
''No, they are. When they turned 16 they discovered they were mates.'' There was a slight pause before she finished.
''You know, twins being each other’s physical birth half,it’s no surprise they wereeach other’s spiritual halves by being mates.'' She explained to me and I just nodded my head.
Twins were rare but not unheard of so it didn't really shock me. But what did this have to do with them staying with Taylar and Leon? She seemed to catch on and continued.
''Their parents didn't understand it that easily. They abused the twins, told them they were sick and twisted, and did unimaginable things to them physically and emotionally.'' She cringed and I didn't even want to know what happened if she reacted like that.
''When Leon and myself found out, we took the twins in and Leon banished their parents. They were never really horrible people, but people change.'' She had pain in her voice and disgust all at once.
It wasn't hard for me to understand that people changed for the worst sometimes. The people you love to suddenly turn on you, to leave you behind and not look back, to not even glance back even when you needed them most, even when you were most helpless. Sometimes they were the ones that left you helpless and even then, they do nothing to ease the pain, they just prolong it.
''Word of advice, hun?''
I looked at her confused but nodded.
''Don't do anything to Evan. Rhyan is like a big ol' mumma bear protecting her cub.''
We both giggled at that. It was good to be laughing with Tay again but I did lock away that information. I wouldn't want to be murdered in the middle of the night by a crazed wolf.
We spent the rest of the day walking around the camp saying hi to everyone and seeing all the different areas. Everyone was so nice but had just as shocked reaction as Rhyan did to Tay having a little brother. No one seemed to call her Taylar either. All called her Luna. I wonder why. I'll ask later, it seems like a subject not to be brought up in front of everyone.
''And this is the pack healers house. It's good to know where it is.'' She finished her tour and knocked on the healer’s door. It was just like any normal house. It just had weird ornaments and wind chimes everywhere. I guess not really like a normal house then, huh.
''You've already met her.'' She chirped happily as the door clicked open revealing the elderly lady that had greeted us yesterday.
''Oh hello there'' She smiled and stepped to the side letting us in.
''Hi'' I gave her a smile and followed Tay into the lounge room which sat across from the kitchen.
''Coffee?'' The woman called from the door before walking into the kitchen.
''Oh no! I'll get it. You go meet Aiden.'' Taylar cut her off by beating her to the kettle.
The woman smiled warmly before walking over to me and sitting across from me.
''So your Taylars brother.'' She stated rather than questioned.
''Uh...yeah. Wait! You called her Taylar! Why does no one else?'' I furrowed my brows in confusion.
She looked behind herself to see Tay still happily gathering coffee cups.
''When she came here she needed a new start. Darling, you have to understand, Leon and myself are the only two that know anything about her old self.''
''Needed a new start? That's why she left?'' Before I could even feel any emotions to the new found reason of my sisters disappearance she cut me off.
''Left?'' It was her turn to furrow her brows before Tay came in trying to balance three cups of burning hot coffee.
''So Marry Ann, how's Brian?'' Taylar spat rather than asked.
''Brian?'' I questioned.
''He's the one who gave you these.'' Marry Ann pointed to my neck.
I tried to look down but couldn't see anything. Stupid, like I could see my own neck. I gave her a questioning look and she pointed to a mirror hanging on the wall surrounded by other little ornaments on shelves and hanging on the walls.
''What the--'' I touched my neck and my fingers traced across the ugly purple and green bruises that looked like fingers.
''This is why everyone was looking at my neck? Geez. Who was that guy anyway!?'' I asked amazed it had actually slipped my mind. So much has happened these last few days. I just can't keep up anymore.
''He lost his son to a rogue yesterday so when he found out a rogue was in the camp he--'' Marry Ann was cut off by Tay slamming her cup down which made me turn from the mirror and face her angry red face.
''It doesn't matter if his son died yesterday! He had no right! Not in my home and not to my little brother! There are hundreds of rogues out there!'' She was fuming until Marry Ann laid a hand on her shoulder.
''It’s okay.''
''Look at his neck'' she looked at me choking back sobs.
''And look at Brian. If Leon hadn't have stopped Jaycen we don't know if Brian would have survived. Jaycen would have been put on trial.''
''Jaycen? He's the guy who stayed with me yesterday and brought me clothes this morning isn't he?''
''Yeah, hun can you go wash up these cups for us? I need to talk to Marry Ann.'' She smiled at me before I got up with the half full cups and started towards the kitchen before I heard Marry Ann whisper to Tay.
''He's almost 16. He'll find out soon.''
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A/N;;
Hey guys sorry about this chapter I just couldn't seem to get where I was going. I knew what I wanted from this chapter I just didn't know how to get from the beginning to end. A lovely case of writers block -.-''
So many secrets ;o
Also I couldn't think of a chapter name for this so if you have any ideas please comment and I'll pick the best one and dedicate this chapter to whoever commented it ^^
C O M M E N T V O T E F O L L O W