~Nico~
Ever since the day that I was reunited with my parents, two years has passed.
The Pack had changed considerably. It was less like a boot camp and more like a home again. The efforts to rebuild had been successful and it looked even more beautiful than before. The burnt houses were rebuilt and gardens were thriving.
There was even a memorial created for all of the people that were lost. Over two dozen names were carved onto the stone monolith. It was a six foot stone obelisk that stood under the moonlight during a full moon, in hopes that their spirits could visit us on those nights.
After two years, it finally felt like I was a member of the Pack again. No one gave me suspicious looks or treated me horribly anymore. No one mentioned my former status as a traitor, or if they did, the apologized and said that I was actually a hero. A hero. A word that I don't think describes me very well. More like an unfortunate protagonist.
Thanks to the status of being Alex's mate I was also well respected. I thought it was strange to see those who were disrespectful before have a sudden attitude change, but I'm not one to talk. I just ignore the ones who wronged me before and try to help out the Pack in whatever way I can.
Alex and I built our own home on the edge of the pack grounds so that it was close to the lake and also so people would leave us alone so we could enjoy our honeymoon phase. It looked just like the home that I had saw in the other dimension. It was painted a dark-blue color with hydrangea bushes planted in front. The inside was homey with picture frames covering the walls.
There were pictures of us as kids, our families, and the many pictures that we had taken over the last two years as if making up for lost time. It was everything that I had ever wanted. Our home felt like the safest place in the world. It was something that I had longed for when I was being abused, when I was living on the streets, after I had been kicked out of the Pack. It was official, I had finally found somewhere I belonged.
Even though I knew that this was my forever home and I was safe, I still walked down the halls sometimes and would start to sob. Because, although I had everything now, I was scared. I was so scared that it would all be taken away. What if Alex died before me? How would I ever cope?
It was also in the middle of the night, I would wake up and feel a pit in my stomach. I would feel so restless and empty. I would cry and miss the aching pain of a razor or wish to lose myself in a bottle of alcohol until that feeling would disappear.
Sometimes it was even in the middle of the day on a normal Tuesday. I would hear a certain phrase and start hyperventilating or a certain smell would trigger me and I'd be an emotional wreck. Something would spark a reminder in my brain and it was like a relapse into the pain and a past that I would never be able to bury.
Throughout all of this, Alex had been a constant rock. He has stayed by my side, true to his word. When I'm feeling listless, he'll do anything to make me feel better. When I'm rocking and sobbing in a corner, he'll rock me and pat my head while telling me to breathe. He joins therapy with me and encourages me to eat better and take my medicine. He exercises with me. It's everything that I could have asked for.
All I hope that I can do in return is get better. I know that I'll never forget, but I hope that I can heal and forgive myself. I hope that I will be able to control my emotions and be as supportive of Alex as he is for me.
Speaking of Alex, he also got his GED and we started our first semester of college together. He's a business major to help lead the Pack one day. I went for architecture so that I could also assist with helping out the Pack and help expand once we begin to grow again.
We get to enjoy college life and living together as a happy couple. We even started making changes to the Pack. We petitioned on changing the way that Omegas are treated. Although they are lower on the totem pole and considered weaker, that is no reason for them to be abused.
Dom was a big helper in pushing this change along with his mate and even Blake. Now the Omegas were treated much more humane. They changed the reward system to motivate people to work toward that rather than a system that was near-impossible to move up in. They also reformed the way a wolf could move up other than physical might.
Blake and I's relationship has improved over the last two years as well, although there are times when I could see the strain on Blake's face when he remembers what he did. But I have already forgiven him. There is no point in holding onto pieces of the past that I can actually let go.
The last good news is that my cousin Kyle had been arrested for sexual assault charges. I didn't even have to lift a finger. That bastard got caught on his own while trying to feel up a minor. Luckily, it was only an attempt and the person who he tried to assault escaped unharmed physically. The victim quickly sought help and contacted the police. I feel sorry for them, but I'm so grateful that they got him locked up. He'll be in jail for at least 15 years and his life is ruined. Good.
I didn't think that it was possible to achieve a happy ending. And sometimes I don't even think that I deserve it. I've done so many terrible things and there is blood on my hands. At times I don't feel happy, although I am grateful. So I'll take everything one day at a time. I will learn to be happy and find what works for me with Alex, my sister, my friends, my parents. With the Pack. Unlike before, I'm not alone. I have a home. I belong.