I knocked on the door to the classroom because I was already too late but didn't expect any »Come in«. It was just too loud for that. Even a human with a deaf-aid would hear them.
Sighing, I just opened the door and almost immediately a paper ball hit my head. Great!
The whole class instantly shut their mouths because of my silent glare. It was so silent that you could hear cricket's chirp.
For a moment, I closed my eyes before I met eyes with the young teacher. He stood behind his desk and seemed like he did try to silence the students but failed.
»Can I help you?« His pissed voice hit a nerve that I swallowed because I was already used to it. »I'm new in this class.«
Confused, he frowned after my monotonous answer and looked at his papers. »Well, you can't really call yourself new,« he mumbled with lifted eyebrows. »But so be it, you can sit down in the first row, there should be something free.«
I nodded and went to my old table – the only free one I saw in the first row. There were a few free desks in the back but I preferred the first row over sitting close to Cassian. The sitting order had just changed in a few places but mostly it was the same as two years ago.
I leaned my guitar case against the wall and sat down at the table for two.
The teacher was new to me because I only knew an old man teaching math. But surprisingly he could teach really well. He conveyed the information understandable, something that not every teacher could do. He had talent – with small faults.
I didn't smell him in class.
His scent was indeed inside this room but it had faded. Probably from yesterday or a few days ago. Lucky for me.
However, I already saw Kate and Lucien when I entered the classroom. And now I could feel their eyes on my back. They almost burned them into me. Mostly the ready to attack look from Kate.
They probably smelled my scent and figured out I was one of them but for them I was a foreign wolf.
In my time in Canada, I was a member of their pack and until my Alpha here accepted me again, I would stay being a part of the Canadian pack – or with some time I would be a wolf without a pack.
As discussed before my time abroad, the Alpha here would accept me the minute I stood in front of his home. Only one look from him would be enough to accept me again.
How it really worked was too complicated to explain. The easier explanation was that it was kind of an invisible bond that he grabbed and tied to him and connected it to the other pack members.
But even if they thought I was a wolf of another pack; I would act dumb if they tried talking to me.
Both of them were in contact with Cassian. I didn't want to risk that he immediately knew of my return. Just for today. Just so, I could return home in peace.
After three long hours the bell finally rang and started the first break. I was one of the first to leave the classroom. It was 11 o' clock because school in this town started pretty late, but I liked it like this. The morning was easier this way.
I didn't come far when a hand grabbed my shoulder.
»What are you doing in our territory, foreign wolf?!« Kate growled and squeezed my shoulder harder. So hard that I could hear it crack and a piercing pain filled my shoulder. Goddammit, her grip!
Expressionless, hiding the pain I just felt because of her, I looked down at her hand and then in her blue eyes.
Just play the pain in your shoulder cool, Kyran, I talked good to myself.
»Your Alpha knows about me,« I answered shortly and grabbed her hand to loosen her strong grasp. »Our Alpha knows about you?«
The red-haired Delta placed his hand on the shoulder of the Gamma and pulled her slowly back. »Yes.«
Lucien's eyes ran up and down my body before he opened his mouth but closed it with a frown again. »Do we kno-« he started talking but another voice interrupted him.
»Oi! Kyran!«
Pissed off, I closed my eyes and turned my head to Ethan's direction. He stood at the end of the hallway and had both hands in his pockets.
Without an expression I turned my face away and turned also away from the other two wolves. »If you would excuse me now.«
»Kyran?!« Lucien screamed aghast.
»What happened to your hair?!« Kate yelled after that and had the same aghast expression on her face. Why does everybody care about my damn hair?
»The same fucking thing Ethan does with his hair,« I hissed.
Ignoring them I wanted to walk away but Ethan screamed after me. »Dude, don't ignore me! If you want to, I will yell your name! Your full name!«
Abruptly I stopped walking and turned my head to the blue-haired man. If I could, I would strangle you again, Ethan.
»Way to go, Crimson.« Smirking, he put his arm around my shoulder and I growled at him. »Don't touch me.« Surprised, his eyes got wide and he let go of me. Better that way.
Snorting, I stood in front of him and looked him right in the eyes. Back then I hated it that both him and Cassian were almost a full head bigger than me.
Even though I was already 1,79 meters high. But Ethan was 1,85 meter and Cassian was 1,89 meter.
However, in contrast to that my wolf was bigger than Ethan's. I knew that pretty well because we often ran through the woods in our wolf forms. Well, I was only bigger, if he hadn't suddenly grown in the last few years.
»You still play?« He nodded to my guitar case and let me nod warily.
»The band still exists but we don't have a lead singer. If you don't mind, do you want to come back? The others would probably like it too. And now that you are back...«
That's what it came down to. He invited me while the others probably would be annoyed with me – although he said they would like me to come back.
»Not interested.«
Naturally I was interested in playing in a band again. Particularly, if it was this band. We just fit each other perfectly. But I still had enough reason to refuse. One reason, he probably lied about the others and the other reason; I couldn't sing anymore without consequences.
»Not interested?! You are Kyran Crimson, you love almost nothing more than our band!« Ethan screamed and tried to grasp my shoulder but I already took a step back.
»I'm not that Kyran anymore, Ethan. My only interest is to stay alive for now.« I placed my hand on my belly as a sign for him. Immediately, realization crossed his face but got replaced really quick with pure shock.
»Where ever you were... That could have been your death sentence.«
Smiling, I shrugged my shoulders and turned around. In Canada they didn't judge me for those scars but here it was a different story...
»Well, see you all. My flight was pretty exhausting. If you would excuse me.«
While talking to Ethan I didn't notice the other two wolves that stood behind Ethan. Now, both of them rummaged through their bags.
»Empty battery,« Kate said in a shocked tone. »Not with me. Damn it, Kate, why are you always playing those battery rubbing games!«
Once more I grabbed the strap of my guitar case and walked off to the office. »Already here again?« the man greeted and smiled friendly at me.
»I didn't think about it, but I'm pretty exhausted from the flight. I'm just here to get my suitcase.« I pointed at my suitcase and the guy nodded understandingly.
»Yes, of course. I will write your name down.«
Yawning heartily, I walked off the school grounds and made my way through my hometown. All the way back to my old home. Even in the region nothing really changed. I found my way back easier than I wanted to, I needed to admit.
»Take a deep breath and dodge Moms kisses,« I mumbled and tried to give myself confidence to ring the bell. Well, that was, if Mom would still give me kisses of happiness. The other possible reaction could be that she would hit me with a slipper and blame me for not telling her about going away.
They must have felt awful when I ran away, and they knew nothing about my whereabouts. But if we had told them they would have insisted on going with me. And with that I couldn't have gotten the space between every connection to this pack that I needed.
I collected my confidence one last time before I hit the bell button. Then I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I knew my family was really slow with coming to the door. Sometimes they took up to 10 minutes. It gave me time to check my unread messages.
It was the middle of the night in Canada, but Toby still left a message in our colorful friend group. Mainly there were boys in our group but there were still some girls. 7 boys and 4 girls.
The guys were Toby, Fynn, Sean, Zack, Chat, Enzo and Cameron. A real colorful bunch.
While Toby and Cameron were part of the pack, Fynn and Chat were humans.
Well, Chat was part of a hunter clan, but they didn't kill without a good reason. His clan only killed with the reason that the supernatural being couldn't be controlled anymore or if it was a danger for humans and other supernatural beings.
Then there was Enzo, a witcher, and Sean – the oldest – and Zack – the second oldest - were both vampires. Both of them only drank animal blood and even hated our wolf and human blood.
There were less girls in our group but they were still a colorful bunch.
Naika was a wolf, while Genevieve was a human. Then Emily, she was the younger sister of Enzo and a witch, but her powers were closer to a sorceress.
And the last one was Leandra. She was the younger sister of Zack and Sean and a vampire too. Her preferences in blood were the same as her brother. One time she tried my blood with my permission, however she almost immediately spit it out and threatened me to never give her my disgusting blood again.
[Toby]: If you don't have a decent opponent in your pack, our group will come over the Atlantic and fight against you! Especially, Fynni would like to kick your ass, Kyran.
Grinning over my whole face, I wrote my answer swiftly and remembered back to Fynn and my past.
[Kyran]: Can't wait.
Although Fynn was a human he wasn't weak at all. Many times, we fought against each other and he won almost every fight.
Lea and Emi even managed a list. Until now we fought 109 battles. I won 12 and Fynn the other 97.
Most of the fights were in the morning when he stayed overnight. We took them as training, but they were still quarrels. Some of them were schoolyard brawls. My favorites were 14 exact fights.
One of them wasn't intentional, from my side that is, because I was startled by him.
I was in the kitchen and I wanted to make myself a coffee to wake up, but Fynn needed to scare me from behind. Out of reflex I transformed and attacked him. Obviously, he wanted that to happen, as I heard after everything.
In between our battle we destroyed the whole kitchen and living room. Also, we almost burned the house down because we knocked over the oven which had a fire burning inside.
But I still won that fight and was proud of it, even though there were some consequences from the aftermath.
Then there was a fight, I didn't even know how we got on the roof of the Ramsay home. Fynn lost his hold and slipped off the roof because one of the tiles loosened.
Obviously, I jumped after him like some idiot. If I wouldn't have caught him in time, he would probably be dead by now. That was a win for me. Although he gave me that win for saving him.
The ones in school weren't always schoolyard brawls. Seven of them started in class and one time the teacher tried to stop us. But after he got hit in the face with my elbow - his nose broke immediately – and Fynn sent a kick into his private parts, he just let us fight it out.
Fynn won 4 of those fights and I 3.
And the last 5 brawls were in the swimming pool. Those were the ones I hated the most.
Fynn provoked me with my scars and something inside of me snapped. One time I almost drowned him, if Toby hadn't stopped me.
Kind of proud of myself, I needed to say, I won those fights. Because even after almost drowning Fynn attacked me again but still lost against me.
In the big picture I could say that the blond grumpy Fynn hated me. But it was more like a love-hate-thing between us. We got along but also hated each other.
From Fynn's side, he probably saw me as some kind of rival. However, I was already 19 years old and Toby was the same. We weren't mates, otherwise we would have known on our 18th birthdays.
Toby would probably be a good mate. He just had this personality that you could feel relaxed next to him. But for me, he was only my abroad-brother.
A loud squeak caught me off guard, I looked up from my phone and met blue eyes.
»Ky!«
Elli wrapped her arms around my neck and let me stumble backwards. Luckily, there were no stairs in front of our house.
»You are back! And that on the same day!«
Just as she said it, I remembered today's date. Today two years ago I left my hometown and my pack.
»Come on in, come on in!«
Excited, she grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the house. I couldn't believe my older sister was capable of making such sounds. She was always a happy person, but this was just triple happy.
»Mom! Dad! Look!«
She pushed me inside the living room where our parents laid on the couch. Dad with some papers in the hand that I saw from even here and Mom with a book. Thunderstruck, my parents let their things fall down and stormed across the room.
»My baby!« Please, no! Tightly my mother pressed herself against me and kissed my whole face, except for the lips.
»Darling, you will crush him.« Luckily, my father came to help me and pulled my mother back.
»Seriously. After two years you just come back.« Softly smiling he firmly wrapped his around me. »But you look better now.«
Hesitantly, I put my arms around him as well and sighed. »Took long enough,« I mumbled and let go of Dad.
»But what have you done with your hair? It's completely brown.« Frowning, he tousled my hair and made me smile softly. »Dyed it.«
»But now you don't fit in, Ky!« Ellinor protested and put her hands on her hips. »It will grow out,« I laughed.
However, I needed to force myself to smile. It was more stressful to be here than I had hoped.
»Sometimes it's not bad to not fit in.« Grumbling, she turned her head away and crossed her arms.
»You will stay now, right? I don't want to lose my little baby again for two years or even longer.« Tormented, my mother looked at me and let me shake my head.
»I didn't plan to go away again.«
»Then I will cook something for you! You must be hungry.« Laughing, I nodded and held my stomach which growled on command. »My last meal was in Canada and that is almost 15 hours ago now.« Happy, my mother skipped away and left me with a soft grin.
»So, you hide yourself in Canada,« my father said and walked me over to our dinner table.
I left my suitcase and guitar case next to the door.
»And Elli knew that,« I snitched. Caught, my sister flinched and glared accusingly at me.
»But because she didn't say anything, she held our promise.« Thankful, I nodded and sat down at my old place.
»Well, yes of course. I'm the most loyal sister of all times!«
Grinning brightly, she sat down next to me and placed her head on her palm.
»But I would love to hear how it was there. How was the pack and the school? I assume you didn't meet your mate because you came back alone.«
»I don't want to make it sound mean or disrespectful towards this pack. However, if I could, I would have stayed there,« I said truthfully. Apologetic, I looked at my father who had a knowing look on his face.
He was very worried about my unknown disease, just like Mom. But they didn't have any idea how to cure me. Only Elli had the idea that distance from the pack could somehow help.
Even if it took some time until I got better. And the chances it would help stood 50 against 50. Or even lower.
»Darling, I told the Luna about the marvelous news and they want to come to dinner!« my mother told us when she came out of the kitchen with eight plates in hand.
I froze. Caleb should return after school just appropriate for dinner. With us all together it was five plates. And with the Alpha-couple it was seven. That could only mean that Cassian would come with them.
»Hahaha... Nice to hear that they want to come.« I put up my friendly mask and smiled at my mother who nodded happily.
She and the Luna were childhood friends and the worst gossips I knew. Well, as far as I knew they talked about everything and I could just think that it didn't change. So, it shouldn't surprise me at all that Luna Kiana already knew of my return after just five minutes.
»Before they come, I will unpack my things,« I said and stood up, sighing heavily.
»I will help you!« Elli jumped up and walked up the stairs to my old room with me.
Silently, I gave Elli some of my clothes and she put them in the closet.
»He changed after two years. Cal did too,« Elli quietly began and had her back to me.
»What are you talking about?« Of course, I knew what she was talking about, but inside I didn't want to accept her words. Didn't want to hear them. Well, mostly that about Cassian.
»Cassian... He changed.«
»His mate must have put some good effort into him, if it's in the good and social direction,« I spat out, sneering, and put my laptop on my bed.
»He didn't find his mate.«
Surprised I lifted my head and looked at Ellinor who now leaned at my closet.
»How can that be?« An Alpha without a Luna was like a ticking time bomb.
Just in rare cases an Alpha didn't find his mate inside his pack. It was almost predetermined that his mate was inside his pack to quickly create an offspring.
Not every Alpha and Luna had offspring almost immediately. I mean they were only 18 years old and not anybody wanted to have children right away. But it was still in our blood and for an Alpha an offspring was needed.
There were rare cases where Luna wasn't part of the pack. But if that happened the Luna would be a human or another supernatural being.
Another rare type would be a female Alpha. They found their mates always outside of their pack because it needed to be another Alpha. Female Alphas had a high dominance and needed someone with a higher or the same dominance. That's why a wolf with lower rank could never 'mount' a female Alpha. Until now I didn't hear of cases where a female Alpha had a human mate. Only female Alpha and male Alpha who would connect the packs then.
But Cassian wasn't a female Alpha.
»He was really weird at his birthday party. Cal and Cassian didn't show themselves the whole evening. Just a few minutes before it was time. He walked to his father and looked tense. After the speech and the counting, he stormed off with an angry expression, just like Cal. From that on he is either way like a ticking bomb or completely depressed and at the end with himself. The worst time is at this time of the year... Winter...«
Sighing, I turned fully around and eyed my sister. Her light blond hair was put up in a bun and her eyes looked at me, searching for something I couldn't predict what it was.
Our whole family had this light blond hair, just dad had a little bit darker blond which almost seemed golden, but it didn't really make a difference. While my parents and siblings all had blue eyes, I had the brown eyes of a deer and I got them from our grandma.
»What do you want to tell me by saying that?« Should I take the blame for his change? It wasn't my problem that he didn't find his mate until now and got mad because of it. How was that my fault?
»You don't understand, Ky. Cassian regrets everything he ever said and did to you. He doesn't remember marking you with the traitor mark and we didn't tell him or any other person either. Ethan and I kept quiet about it. Cassian even begged our parents on his knees for forgiveness. Both of them went completely upset to the Alpha-couple and asked where you were. I know there is still shit between you two and with Cal too, but please try to forgive them!«
Silently, I looked at my sister who pushed herself off the closet and stopped right before me.
»Are you finished?« I spat out.
»I already forgave Caleb. He is my little brother, although I'm not the older brother he wished for. But I won't forget what he did. And Cassian, I can't and won't forgive him and I won't ever forget what he together with Caleb did to me for all those years. Those scars are my death sentence, Elli! The moment our Alpha sees what I have on my body, he will kill me without hesitation! Elli, I'm already as good as dead. Just one mistake, one distracted moment and they will see my scars.«
Desperately, she wanted to grasp my hand, however the bell rang through our home and stopped her in her movements.
»They are here,« I whispered and wanted to leave my room, but Elli stopped me one last time.
»Try to forgive Cassian. You need to, to be happy. He regrets, now you need to forgive.«
»If I need to forgive him to be happy, I will be better off unhappy!«
Furious, I pulled my hand back and stormed out of my room.
»What is the good news now, Clary?« That was the voice of Luna Kiana, but her words left me frowning in confusion.
Did Mom not tell them yet that I was back? But the Mom I knew probably only talked about some big news and made everybody excited. Well, so much to, I told everybody of your return.
»First, come inside.«
And just in the way the voice of my mother sounded my theory was right. She made everyone nervous by telling them about some big news but didn't reveal them and now couldn't wait to let the bomb go off.
»Caleb, dear, put your bag away. We have something to celebrate!« Mom shouted, giggling. My younger brother growled, pissed off and threw his bag with a loud crashing sound to the ground.
»Just today we have nothing to celebrate, Mom!«
Suddenly, I smelled a fine note of a beautiful scent. Bewitched I followed that scent, just to find the person who was the owner of that mesmerizing smell.
»Caleb is right. Just today, on the day where Kyran disappeared, we have nothing we could celebra-«
I stopped abruptly at the top of the stairs and stared into the moss green eyes of Cassian. The look in his eyes changed, turned to shock until it turned to an uncontrollable thirst. Just like the thirst I had inside me that pushed out a growl that he agreed on.
Hectically, he mounted the stairs and pressed me against his muscular chest while I buried my nose in his neck. »Mine!« With pleasure I sank against him and rubbed my head against his chest.
And then, thunderstruck, I realized who I was hugging and who I recognised as my mate - my soulmate. Staggering backwards, I let go of him and he didn't look less shocked. That just couldn't be true.
»Who are you?!« Growling he stormed to me and grabbed my collar, just to lift me up in the air so my feet couldn't touch the ground. »What did you fucking bastard do that I recognised you as my mate?! Just one person is destined for me!«
Pah!
»Tsk, let me down,« I growled and glared darkly at him.
»Cas, dear, let him down,« Luna Kiana calmly said. He let go of me but only very unwillingly.
Snorting, I turned away from him even though every cell of my body fought against my movement. I actually wanted to hug him so long until his scent was all over me but that was Cassian. The Cassian!
»Those eyes...« Caleb breathed and looked wide-eyed at me as I walked down the stairs.
»Alive and returned in full size after two full years.« Proudly, my Alpha smirked at me and tousled my hair. »But with brown hair. Who would have thought that you would ever dye your hair?«
From above sounded a crash and as I looked up, I saw Cassian who fell on his butt and stared at me with shock written over his face.
»Kyran, how was it abroad?« the Luna asked me happily.
Why didn't anybody talk about the mate situation? Why did I think so less of the fact that Cassian was my mate right now?!
I was the Beta and not the Luna! I should be his Beta, not his mate! Not me, not him. Not like this.
»I think we shouldn't talk in the doorframe. How about we sit down and eat something? My last meal was in Canada and after 15 hours, I'm starved.«
Happily, Luna Kiana nodded and dragged me into the dining room. I didn't like her touching me. Not in this situation. Not with every sense of my body concentrated on Cassian.
She pushed me down on my chair and sat down across from me.
»Now, how was it?«
The others sat down at the table while Mom and Elli took care of the food.
»What should I possibly tell? Canada was...«
»Now, I don't want to hear that you wanted to stay there,« the Alpha laughed jokingly.
»That is the exact thing Kyran just told us,« Elli yelled out of the kitchen. The others looked shocked.
Thanks for that, sis.
I slightly shrugged my shoulders and placed my head on my palm.
»Canada was wonderful. The pack was full of tolerance and the school was challenging. The host family was a little bit chaotic, but I loved it. It may sound cringe, but we sometimes had a moose in our yard. We gave him a name - Mr. Moose. I know, really creative. Well, Toby and I shared a room but when his crush Fynn slept at our house I slept in Naika's room. But there wouldn't have happened much even if I would be hetero because she would be more interested in Elli. We had some unique creatures in our school. Wolves, witches, vampires, and humans. Okay, well, to be exact three vampires and two witches or sorcerers. The other part was split between humans and wolves. With certainty, I also found my future dream job. In the big picture Canada did me really good.«
I sensed how Cassian next to me lowered his head just like Cal right next to him.
»You also look fine now. You didn't get sick again, right?« the Alpha asked. Immediately I shook my head.
»No, well probably more of a yes and no. In the first few months I was still pretty sick and almost died one time because of my high temperature. But the witch siblings who are in my friend group helped me out to cool down the fever. And with time we slowly got everything so far under control.«
Shocked, my father tensed up and my mother who just got into the dining room let her favorite glass bowl fall to the ground and break apart.
»You almost died?« she breathed and stormed around the table to wrap my face in her hands. »My poor baby!«
Immediately I felt awkward and pulled Moms hands from my face. »Mom, I'm fine and I'm alive. If not, I wouldn't be here. Also... Anyway I'm fine now.«
Twisted she eyed me and nodded.
»Will you grow out the brown color?« Curious Luna Kiana tilted her head. Automatically, I grasped my hair and pulled on a strand. »I don't know,« I answered and squinted upwards as if I could see my hair.
»I think your blond hair looks better,« Cassian whispered. Slowly, I turned my head to him and saw that he kind of fought with himself.
»Ouch!«
I jumped up and pulled my eyes from Cassian and ran to Elli to help her pick up the shards. After checking that the cut wasn't too deep, we cleaned up.
Thankful for the help, Elli and I both stood up and I yawned while stretching my tense body. The tiredness slowly got me.
Sadly, I didn't think of my pullover that moved up with my stretching. And this was the distracted moment that came too fast and that I so much feared.
The Alpha jumped up right away. The chair crashed to the ground and made such a loud sound that I flinched in fear. Fuck.
Whimpering, I walked backwards but stopped as he grabbed my wrists and pulled up my pullover.
»What in the name of Luna is the meaning of this?!« he growled dangerously and pointed at the scars that now everybody could see.
Whimpering, I ducked my head and wanted to hide my scars, but he held my arms too tightly.
»Talk, Kyran Crimson!«
»I got marked as a traitor by my Alpha!«