Nothing happened at school today, which I was grateful for because I had been worried about it.
However, that did not stop my anxiety from acting up because I didn't know if someone or something would try something at school while she wasn't in my sight, for we had two classes that weren't together.
Thankfully, she was in those classes with my Beta and Third, so I wasn't that worried, or at least, tried not to seem like it, even though it was very difficult.
However, I was grateful that most of my classes were with her so that I could make sure that she stayed safe.
Julius and the rest of my siblings that were either at the elementary or middle school decided to wait there and not take the other options that were available to them, which was fine and what I figured would happen anyway.
My mate's sweet scent filled my nose when she made it to my locker, and I looked at her and smiled. She didn't say a word while she looked around, her whole body tense as she grabbed her backpack strap closer to her chest.
"Serenity," I greeted while I closed my locker. "Are you ok?" I furrowed my brows and cocked my head while I studied her, praying that she hadn't heard from her parents or someone that was close to them. "What happened? What is it?"
Serenity shook her head and pressed her lips into a thin line while she looked away from me. "Everything is fine," she said, lying straight through her teeth while she shook her bread again. "There's nothing to worry about."
I scowled and narrowed my eyes while I started to walk to my van with her following me, the plan to meet the rest of my siblings, who were in high school, there. "What happened?" I asked, making sure that my voice was firm but soft. "Why are you acting so nervous?"
Serenity sighed and moved a hand through her hair, and I could tell that she was debating with herself.
Finally, she sighed again before she cleared her throat and shook her head. "Well, she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "my mom contacted me during lunch wondering where I was and how I got to school." She grimaced and dipped her head closer to her chest. "I told her that I took the bus, but she figured out that I was lying..."
I pressed my lips into a thin line and looked at her, feeling slightly worried about what her mother had to say. "What did she say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "And what did you say?"
Serenity looked down, and her cheeks turned red. She cleared her throat again while she shifted her bag onto her other shoulder, trying to relieve some of the tension that she felt. "I admitted that I got a ride from you..."
I stayed silent and slowly blinked, patiently waiting for her to continue.
My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound faster in my chest, and I couldn't help but start to worry a little because I had no idea what her mother had done when she found out that I was the one that took her daughter to school.
Please don't let her take her away from me... I silently prayed while I dipped my head closer to my chest and closed my eyes a little. Please. I don't get to spend enough time with her as it is because of all of this drama.
Again, Serenity cleared her throat and shook her head while she grimaced and looked at me. "She said that it was fine for me to take rides from you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and I paused and stared at her with wide eyes, and my heart skipped a beat.
"What?!" I asked, trying but failing to dampen the hope that I felt blossom in my chest. My voice was barely above a whisper, and I knew that she could hear the small bit of excitement and relief in my voice, even though I tried to cover it up. "What did you say?"
My mate rolled her eyes and scowled, but I could tell that she was amused. "She said that you could continue to give me a ride to and from school," she said. She pursed her lips in annoyance and dipped her head closer to her chest before she cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. "However, she gave me some repercussions and rules to follow."
I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head while I studied her. "What are the rules?" I asked, trying but failing to keep the excitement out of my voice. "Can you not be in the passenger seat?"
"Oh, no, I can," she said and shook her head while her cheeks turned red. She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck, sheepishly. "She told me that I am to exit the front door instead of climbing out the window."
I bit back a small chuckle and nodded, breathing a small sigh of relief. "Did she want me to continue to park somewhere else?" I asked and glanced at her from the corner of my eye while I raised an eyebrow in question.
Serenity pressed her lips into a thin line and hesitated before she nodded. "Yes," she said before she cleared her throat and shifted her backpack from one shoulder to another. "She doesn't want Dad to know that you are taking me to school or not."
I pressed my lips into a thin line before I slowly nodded. "Isn't she worried that your dad will find out, though?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow in question, and my mate shrugged and grimaced, silently indicating that she didn't know.
I moved a hand through my hair and sighed before I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance. "We'll make sure that he doesn't know you have been with us," I promised, and Serenity glanced at me before she looked forward, her eyes filled with hope but also fear.
'Even though, she will smell like us,' my wolf reminded me, and I pressed my lips into a thin line, ignoring the pain in my chest because what he said was true; she did smell like me because we had been hanging out together.
'But she smells like the whole school,' I reminded him, 'our scent isn't that strong, or it shouldn't be.'
My wolf stirred slightly, and I could tell that I irritated him with my statement. He bit back a small growl of annoyance, and I bit back a small snort and internally rolled my eyes at him.
"Do you think that he will ever get over the fact that we want to hang out with each other?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper while her cheeks turned red. She cleared her throat and looked away from me, her cheeks turning a darker shade of red.
I shook my head, my cheeks also turning red while my heart grew warm. "I don't think so," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted my bag on my shoulders. "I am glad that your mother seemed to stop worrying about it, though."
Mom would be pleased... I added silently while I pressed my lips into a thin line. She wants you to keep being my mate and for us to make the bond stronger.
I grabbed my keys out of my pocket and cleared my throat. "So, we are going to drop you off, and then I am going to go back and pick up the rest of my siblings that are in middle and elementary school," I said, changing the subject while I fiddled with my keys. "The rest should be at the van waiting for us."
'Hey, where are you all at?' Mel asked, linking me. Worry filled her voice, and I could tell that she was nervous. 'We're all at the van, but you aren't here. Did you all get kidnapped?'
Serenity shook her head, and her eyes grew wide while she blushed. "Oh, no, no, no," she said. "You don't have to do that. I don't want you to get into trouble with y-"
"It's already been decided," I said, interrupting her, and she scowled playfully while I smiled innocently at her. "Mom already knows and doesn't care. She knows the options that the other kids have and knows that they have chosen to wait on me to take them home."
"But doesn't that cost a lot of gas?" Serenity asked with furrowed brows. She pressed her lips into a thin line while she dipped her head closer to her chest and glanced at me.
"It doesn't matter," I said with a shake of my head. "I make enough money for multiple trips to and from school, so it doesn't matter to me."
"Doing..?" She furrowed her brows and cocked her head while she studied me.
'Hellooooooo?' Mel asked because I hadn't answered her. 'Where are you two? Do we have to alert the authorities that you two are missing?'
I held back an eye roll but pressed my lips into a thin line. 'We are on our way,' I said. 'We're close.' "Working in the family business," I replied and shrugged while I grimaced. "I also babysit sometimes, and I am not talking about my siblings, even though my parents do pay me for that."
My sister breathed a mock sigh of relief, and I made sure that my face kept neutral, even though all I wanted to do was scowl and narrow my eyes. 'Good. I thought you died while you were trying to get your mate.'
She slowly nodded before she furrowed her brows and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Do you think that I can help?" she asked, her cheeks turning slightly red. "I-I mean, I don't know what you do in the family business, but I want to see if I can help if that is possible."
My heart skipped a beat, and my cheeks turned slightly red. "I can talk to my dad," I said while I glanced at her, "but we have to make sure that you stay safe and your father doesn't know what is happening." 'Shut up,' I said to my sister through our link, and she snickered. 'Why did you think we were dead?'
'No reason,' she said, and I held back an eye roll and a scowl.
Serenity pressed her lips into a further thin line before she slowly nodded. "I know," she said before she cleared her throat and shifted her bag on her back. "What do you do?"
"Paperwork," I said while I grimaced and wrinkled my nose in disgust, and she chuckled. "Mostly paperwork, but I also help the younger generation train and make sure that they know how to protect themselves." 'Very funny.'
My sister giggled and didn't say another word, which I was grateful for.
Again, my mate nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line. She grabbed her bag tighter while she looked around before she looked at me. "I can help with some paperwork," she said. "I am not sure about the kids, but..." She trailed off and grimaced while she shrugged.
"Let me talk to my dad," I promised, feeling slightly nervous because some of the paperwork was pack related, and I didn't know how we would be able to keep it from her. "We can work something out."
She breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded. "Ok," she said. She cleared her throat and looked at me from the corner of her eye. "Thank you."
"Of course." I nodded and offered her a small smile, which she returned before I cleared my throat and grew serious. "If I am not able to, then we can find something else for you to do near my house. Ok?"
Serenity nodded, and a look of relief flashed across her face. "Ok," she said before she cleared her throat. "Thank you, TJ."
I smiled and dipped my head closer to my chest. "As always, anything for you, Seren," I said softly. "Anything for you."