It's been a month to the day since I left my life. It was hard to do but I had to in order to protect myself and my friends.
I changed my number but gave it to Dustin, my dad, and Dilynn. I couldn't give it to Tristan. I'm scared he might try to find me.
That would make leaving a waste of time. Dustin has been acting as my messenger, giving Tristan daily updates.
Only he knows where I live because it's his spare house I've been living in up in the mountains.
I had to find another job which was pretty easy. Especially in this remote town, it wasn't hard to become a teacher here.
"Sophia your belly!" My coworker Shelly says rubbing my slightly protruding stomach.
I smile taking a bite of my muffin. We sit down on the brown leather couch in the teacher's lounge.
"I feel like it's still little." Looking down at my stomach it doesn't look that big to me.
"Compared to when you first got here yeah there's a little baby bump. Not huge but noticeable."
She blabs on and on about what her pregnancy was like not leaving out any of the details.
I wish she'd shut up.
"So how far along are you?"
"Um 8 weeks."
Her eyes bug out in disbelief, "You're already showing? You're skinny that's why, smaller women always show sooner."
If you say so lady. I forget I'm pregnant until I smell something that makes my stomach turn. Or crave some odd combination like french fries and a milkshake.
The Bell rings ending our break. Thank God. I rush out of the lounge area heading to the safety of my classroom.
I couldn't find a preschool to work at but the high school really needed a music teacher. Lucky for them I have a degree in music and my teaching certificate.
Even though this is completely different than working with little kids, it's still fun.
The only downfall is I'm close in age to some of my students and a few of them have a crush on me. Which totally weirds me out because they could be my little brother if I had one.
"So Miss Parker if you could bring back any artist who'd it be?" My student Alex asks. He's a kid after my own heart. If I have a son I imagine he'd be like Alex.
Thinking it over writing a lesson prompt on the chalkboard I tap my chin.
"Let's see for just one genre or all of them?" I ask.
He shrugs, "I guess one artist for each genre."
"Okay well rap I'd bring back Tupac. 90's Rock I'd pick Kurt Cobain, 60's 70's, rock John Lennon. Pop Michael Jackson and R&B I'd pick Aaliyah."
My students stare at me like I've just grown five heads. "Who are they?"
Seriously? These kids gotta get out more. Broaden their musical horizon.
"I'm glad you asked Terri. Today we're time travelers. Our first destination is the 90's. Most of you weren't born yet and some of you were just born."
By the end of the day alot of my students discovered that 90's music was still relatable to the times now. Some of them even realized that artists today sampled their music.
2:30pm couldn't have come fast enough. I'm exhausted! Gathering the quizzes I have yet to grade I slink out of the building trying to avoid my colleagues.
"Sophia!" Dammit Shelly. Spinning on my heels to her she waves bounding towards me.
"So are you coming to the Christmas party?"
"When is it again?"
"December 18th that's a Friday I believe right before Christmas break."
Right.
The hopeful look on her face annoys the crap out of me. I can't freaking say no to her staring at me like that.
I sigh nodding, "What time does it start?"
"Oh yay! It starts at 6:00pm just bring food and we have everything else. Will your boyfriend be there?"
What boyfriend?
"My who?"
She chuckles, "Um the guy who got you pregnant silly your boyfriend."
Oh yeah...right I never told her or anyone for that matter.
"Um we uh don't live together. We-"
"Oh you don't have to explain Sophia. I'm sorry I asked that was rude of me, I don't want to intrude."
It's a bit too late for that.
"It's okay. I'll uh see you tomorrow."
She smiles sheepishly letting me leave. That was awkward.
Home at last I check my phone for messages of course it's Dustin.
"Hey Soph Tristan is extremely worried about you. He's trying to respect your wishes but he doesn't know how much longer he can go without you."
Maybe this wasn't a good idea.
"Sophie I get you want to protect everybody but this isn't right. He isn't handling you being away and pregnant well. Just please for me call him." Dustin pleads in the message making me feel that much more guilty.
I do miss hearing his voice. It wouldn't kill me to have one phone call with him.
Dialling his number he doesn't sound anything like I remember. He sounds sad and tired.
"Tristan." I say smiling.
He doesn't answer right away, "Queenie? Where are you? I'm coming to get just tell me where you are."
"No. I'm okay. Don't come for me."
"Sophia baby listen to me, what you're doing is brave but I need you with me."
"W-what if you get hurt? I can't let that happen because I'm carrying your child. I don't want anything to happen to you if it's just me they're after."
"Sophia trust me when I say it's more painful not being around you than some enemy of mine trying to kill you."
"Tristan I can't." I cry quietly in the phone.
"Queenie, I'd die for you in a heart beat. Everyday away from you kills me more than anything. Please baby let me see you."
"No." I hiccup. "I can't. Just know I'm safe. Our baby is safe, I'm working at a high school so we have money. I do miss you though."
"Not as bad as I miss you Queenie. I miss you so fucking bad."
"I know, bye Tristan." Hesitantly I hang up the phone balling my eyes out. I hear the panic in his voice as he yells incoherently but I force myself to end the call. This sucks that was harder than I thought it'd be.
The next day seemed to drag by so intensely slow for a few minutes I thought time stopped.
By 5th period I was sick of talking so I just wrote my whole lecture on the board and played music to kill time.
I mean it worked, I got deemed the 'cool teacher'. Twirling in my desk chair we all sing along to Michael Jackson, the only 90's artist they recognized.
Even though technically the man is timeless. His career started way before then.
Over the intercom a man clears his throat tapping the microphone making it ring.
We all cover our ears at the shrieking sound. "Hello is this thing on?"
Oh no.
"Sir I really don't think-"
"Can it cupcake my daughter and I need to have a talk."
Dad no!
"Sophia Lynne Parker! Bring your ass to this office immediately."
All my students' eyes snap to me some grinning and others shaking their head in disbelief.
"Don't ever for a moment believe that because you're grown your parents won't embarrass you." I joke leaving the room casually.
Racing down the hallway to the office a million thoughts go through my head.
Dustin told him where I was. What else did he tell him? Does he know I'm pregnant? Does he know by whom? Does he know what my mate is?
The commotion in the office looks like something out of a comedy. My dad is running around the secretary's desk trying not to get caught by security.
The principal is yelling about language and conduct in a school environment.
I'm standing at the door waving my arms trying to get my dad's attention.
"Sophia." He grits out pushing past the security. My dad is by no means a small man. He's fit and looks like he couldn't be a day over 20 but he's actually 45.
"Hey, dad." I say nervously as he pulls me in for a hug.
"I'm taking her for the rest of the day." He tells the principal who just nods and shoos us away.
"Sophia I'm going to kill you." The tone in his voice already has my heart skipping a few beats.
I climb in the passengers seat of his truck as he climbs in the drivers side, "Sophia Lynn Tristan called me damn near in tears trying to figure out where you were."
How'd he get my dad's number?
"I've only mentioned you once though."
"Yeah well Alpha's are talented in the art of search and discover." He grumbles turning on to a highway.
"Where are we going and you know about him?"
"Please." He scoffs. "I'm your dad I know your every move. Let me give you a briefing of the current situation."
"Do tell because I'm so confused."
"Your mate -Tristan- has a pack that's been under our family's protection for centuries. We keep the hunters at bay who want the heads of a Pure Alpha, they go for a good price."
What the hell is going on right now.
"Tristan Masson is the current Alpha of the Masson Pack, before him it was his dad; an old friend of mine. We grew up together, I was also his guardian."
"That's great dad but I don't follow?"
"Well get your head out of your ass Soph, our two families promised to protect one another. We protect them from hunters and they protect us from enemy packs who want get rid of us for aligning ourselves with Pure Weres. You are however the first human in our family to become mates with one of the Massons.
That's comforting to know.
"So how'd you find me and seriously where are we going?"
"Your damn Dustin can't hold water the moment I showed up at his door with my rifle he started singing like a bird. He's a whistle blower for sure, don't tell that kid shit."
"You're the one who set him as my guardian." I challenge.
"Yeah well he was adopted by the Masson Pack I figured I'd give him a chance to prove his self to the them."
"What the hell else have you been up to dad? Please tell me you didn't go back and tell Tristan where I was."
"No of course not."
I sigh in relief, "I told his father. I'm taking you to stay with him and his wife."
"You did what!? Dad no please I'm fine where I am." I beg him not to take me but he isn't listening to me anymore.
"Sophia, they'll take good care of you. I trust them, the pack wants to protect you. I can't protect you from these people who are after you but they can."
"What about Tristan?"
"They didn't tell him. Only you can do that. Just know that he is having an extremely rough time living without you. That boy loves you more than life itself. Reminds me of your mother and I. God rest her soul."
We're silent the rest of the way there which is fine because I am trying to wrap my brain around all this new found information.
This is too much crap to deal with and I feel like it's only going to become more overwhelming.