Can I just say WOW – I never knew there are so many Aussies on this site! Not that I'm rounding up Aussie’s or anything NESSA, was just merely curious....
~ ~ Chapter Nineteen ~ ~
“Is your fearless leader letting his pack go to the fireworks tomorrow?” I glanced sideways at Dale as we walked down the hallway. We were on our way to my food class – Dale’s next class was on the same level and I had just finished teasing him about all the fun he is about to miss out on in food.
Even though I won’t have my two partners in crime – AKA Travis and Stevie, I knew this lesson would still be okay....I was just probably going to fail it now because I can’t cook to save my own life.
Dale quickly glanced around nervously like he expected Saxon to jump out from nowhere and pound him one. “I'm not sure; I didn’t even know there were fireworks tonight.”
“Neither did I,” I chuckled lightly, “My brothers told me on the way to school, apparentlythe first night of the holidays, there is like a mini entertainment thing set up down by the river and they have fireworks as well.”
“Oh, ok. I guess I can find out – do you think there will be girls there?” he looked unsure as he spoke, like he wanted to meet that someone special, but wasn’t sure if he did at the same time.
Boys are weird, that’s all there is to it.
Shrugging, “I'm presuming so, it’s not just for our school, it’s for everyone who lives here.” Stopping outside my door, I turned and grinned up at him, he was a good foot taller than me, “This is me, catch you later.”
“Have fun cooking,” he smiled and kept walking further down the hall to his class – biology or something, I don’t know. All I know is that I prefer food over his lesson.
“Have fun....doing whatever it is,” I frowned to myself, still trying to remember what his class is exactly.
“Chemical studies,” Dale filled in the blank and I laughed – I was way off.
“That’s the one,” I winked as I walked into my classroom backwards, waving bye as I did.
“So good of you to join us Eva.” I spun around to smile at my teacher as she rolled her eyes and motioned for me to go and take my seat.
Sighing softly, I quickly made my way to the back of the room but came to a stop at my usual desk because Chris was sitting there, smirking at me. Glaring slightly, I grudgingly sat down and turned to face him, “So, what’s life like being a traitor?”
The sarcasm in my tone was clear and Chris chuckled, “It’s brilliant actually, I’m learning so many secrets about people. Like for starters, did you know that Mr Gris has a man crush on Mr Cuss?”
My jaw fell open, “You’re kidding me?”
Chris roared into laughter and I closed my mouth, glaring at him once again as he managed to spit out, “Yeah, I am.”
“Not cool CC, not cool,” I muttered, looking away and feigning interest in what our teacher was telling the rest of the class – something about Anzac biscuits. “Do you actually know any good gossip, or not?” I asked while looking back to Chris, who had calmed down now.
Frowning, he shook his head, “Men don’t gossip.”
Rolling my eyes, “How many times do I need to tell you this? You are not a man Chris.”
“More man then you’ll ever be,” he grunted under his breath.
“I should hope so too,” I retorted, scrunching my face up a little.
I collected the clear container with all the ingredients, because I planned on making Chris do all the cooking – even though he already stated ‘men don’t cook’. Either way, we needed the container to at least pretend we planned on doing something this lesson.
Walking out of the storage closet, I dropped the container onto the desk with a loud thwacking sound and grimaced slightly – my hearing was picking back up again. I should thank Saxon for at least giving me some of my old strength back, but make it clear I'm still upset with what he did.
“Do we cook these biscuits or fridge them?” I asked as my eyes scanned the laminated piece of paper, if it didn’t involve any cooking, then I might be able to do this.
“Fridge them? Great English there Eva,” Chris muttered as he leant back on his stool, lifting two of the legs off the ground and I was tempted to give him a small kick start to falling backwards, but I managed to refrain myself.
“Darn, you have to cook them,” the words ‘turn oven on’ met my eyes and all hope of making these biscuits went flying out the window.
The classroom door opened up and I didn’t need to look away from the piece of paper to know who had just entered – with no scolding from the teacher either, which is highly unfair.
“You can pick a group to join, or work alone today,” I listened in to our teacher talking to Saxon as he completely ignored her and made his way to the back of the room.
“You can jo-,” Chris’s annoying voice got cut off with my hand as I cupped it over his mouth and glared at him.
“Finish that sentence and your bed will be filled with slimy toads and itching powder – and remember, I’m not afraid to use both,” I warned lowly and felt him smirking underneath my hand.
“Fine,’ he muffled and I let go, after giving him one last pointed look. “Join us!” he shouted like a maniac with a huge grin and I spun back around to face him, smacking his arm with the wooden spoon.
“Toads for you!” I shouted.
“I'm not scared of toads,” he smirked again and it was too late to take back what he had said as the stool on the other side of him suddenly became occupied.
“Fine,” I grumbled and snatched the instructions back up off the work bench and started reading, “Pass the dry oats, please.”
Chris handed me the small container of dry oats and tipped them all into the bowl and started giving him instructions of what he can pass over from inside the larger container.
“Just in case you didn’t know, she’s ignoring you,” I heard him whisper loudly to Saxon and I ground my teeth together.
“I know,” Saxon muttered back dryly, as I pushed the bowl to in front of Chris with the spoon.
“You can stir.”
Instead of doing as I asked, he stared at it like it was contagious or something and just as my willpower to force him to do some work started to wear down, Saxon grabbed the bowl and started stirring it all together.
Staring to the front of the class out of boredom, with my elbows on the desk and my chin propped in my hands, I started thinking about the upcoming holidays – maybe this year Dad will join my brothers and I on our various trips?
Then again, we’re older now and we should organise something really fun and entertaining to do, but then Travis might not let Emily join us because of her knocked up state.
I was yanked from my thoughts by something cold and slimy slatting on the side of my face, jerking back in shock as it dripped down my shirt. I wiped at it with one hand and stared at the mixture of oats on my fingers.
Chris cracked up into loud laughter as I spun around to yell at him, thinking it was him, but when I turned to look, my mouth fell open as I saw the spoon in Saxon’s hand still, “Oops,” he muttered and was fighting back a smirk.
“No throwing food!” the teacher screamed instantly, jumping on top of it before it turned into a full out food war, but I wasn’t letting Saxon go down so easily.
“That wasn’t very nice,” I growled as I jumped up to my feet and started storming out of the room, only to stop by some boy who was still in the process of mixing his ingredients together, “Do you mind?” I asked, trying to keep the anger out of my tone as he looked up at me and quickly shook his head.
“Thanks,” I muttered as I took the bowl and faced Saxon again, grabbing a huge handful and throwing it in his general direction.
Chris shouted in anger, “Not me you idiot!” but I ignored him, he sat there and didn’t warn me Saxon was about to throw food at my face, so he can take whatever of the cross fire hits him without crying like a baby.
A spray of it hit Saxons face and I smirked at him before grabbing another handful and scooping it up, but as I looked up from my bowl, I was hit straight in the face and almost dropped what I was holding as it all blinded me for a moment.
Shouting loudly; “Stop throwing food at me!” I wiped it off my face the best I could and glared furiously at him. Is he serious right now? He hurt me, only to come back and think I should forgive him right away and because I don’t, he throws food at me – what kind of world does he live in?
“Talk to me then!” he shouted back, but with slight humour.
Growling lowly as I held the bowl up in two hands, I threw the entire thing at him – luckily for Saxon, it was made from plastic though and not glass, like I would have preferred right now.
His eyes widened slightly as he ducked it just in time and I cursed his fast reflexes to the ends of the world and back before our teacher had the top of my arm in her hand and was pointing a finger in Saxons’ direction, “Principal’s office, right now, the pair of you,’ she half shouted with anger and annoyance.
“Get off me,’ I muttered as I yanked my arm free and walked back to the bench to grab my bag and sling it over my now gooey shoulder, glaring at Saxon as he turned around and walked back out.
“What about me? Do I go too?” Chris asked loudly while I walked out the door, shaking my head at him, but silently hoping she says yes. Just so I wouldn’t be alone with Saxon right now.
I was almost at the end of the hall when he caught up with, chuckling quietly to himself as we turned to start walking down the stairs with me ignoring him. I wasn’t going to give him any satisfaction right now, but it was eating at me on the inside, ready to burst out and demand why he thought throwing food at me was cool.
“I had a theory last night,” he spoke up, breaking the silence that had settled between us and which I kept by not asking what his stupid theory was. “I realised I can get your attention with ‘Eva style’, you know. Do things your way and you will respond, like throwing food.”
Spinning around on my feet to glare up at him, shock written clearly across my face, “And when the heck have I ever thrown food at you to get your attention?” my voice carried clearly through the empty hallway and Saxon just simply smirked down at me.
He shrugged, “I just thought it fit with your personality.”
Huffing loudly and turning back around to keep walking towards the dreaded office that was home to the beast otherwise known as Grug Nelson. “Can you not let Grug kick me out?” I asked quietly, hating that I had to ask him this favour, but Grug did seem pretty clear on never wanting to see my face in his office again.
“No problems,” Saxon replied instantly and I think he was secretly glad I was talking to him.
“This doesn’t mean your stupid theory worked,” I muttered as I saw the smug look on his face.
He just shrugged casually, “I know.” We both could tell that is not what he was thinking at all.
I followed Saxon into the office as he just opened Grug’s personal door and strolled in like he owned the place, well he kind of did realistically. Grug didn’t seem to think this as he glared up at Saxon from behind his desk, trying to show he wasn’t afraid of his Alpha – when he was.
“We were sent here for a food fight,” Saxon muttered with complete boredom, I guess he is tired of playing the ‘normal student’ act.
Grug nodded slowly, “I received the memo,” and his eyes narrowed on me, while I smirked, “We had an agreement Eva.”
“Agreement is overridden by me, I'm sick of your little games Grug. It’s about time you learn that you can’t do squat to her and if you insist on keeping this crap up – I’ll banish you from the pack,” he shrugged on the end like he couldn’t care less if Grug was in his pack or not.
Grug’s eyes shot wide open and I have to admit, mine did a little as well. I thought Saxon was being a tad drastic, but since I’m not a part of pack, I kept my opinions to myself. He can run it however he wants to.
“Listen here...Alpha, I am the principal at this school,” Grug snapped and I smiled a little at the anger he was trying to keep in check. “You can’t keep storming in here and telling me how to do my job. Eva is treated the same way every other troublemaker is here and I can’t keep giving her special treatment, with all due respect,” he quickly added on the end.
“All due respect my butt!” Saxon roared, slamming his hands flat down onto the desk as his glare pierced into Grug, “Don’t you even think for one second that I'm not onto you. You allowed those three wolves into my school, onto my land and you kept it a secret from me – the second I get any evidence you were working with them, you’re dead,” his tone low and dangerous, not a hint of mucking around and I took a slow step backwards.
Maybe I could slyly sneak out of here and avoid whatever was about to go down?
“I-I didn’t know! I don’t even know who they are!” Grug tried to plead his case, which stopped me dead in my tracks and look over at him.
“Yes you do,” I scoffed and both heads snapped in my direction. Grug’s with anger and a warning to shut my mouth and Saxon’s with slight amusement, like he had predicted this.
And I realised in this moment that he had just turned this all into one big game instead of apologising to me. He honestly thinks I play games like this? I'm the most upfront spoken person there is around here. Though, if he wants it this way, fine.
Game on.
“Care to enlighten me?” He asked calmly, knowing he has won this round.
“Care to explain why you yelled at me?” I smirked back, folding my arms over my chest and not caring about the old man in the room who was about to hear some real juicy gossip regarding his soon to be ex-Alpha.
Saxon realised this and unlike me, he did care, “You first.” But I wasn’t having that; he did throw food at me after all as a way to ‘get my attention’.
Walking forward slowly, closing the distance between us as a small smile played on my lips. I heard him take a quick sharp breath as I looked up at him from under my lashes; I so have this seduction thing down packed. Emily would be so proud of me right now too, I could just imagine her giggling in the corner with a massive grin on her face and giving me the thumbs up.
“Saxon,” I spoke his name slowly as I reached up and gently touched the collar of his shirt with the tip of my finger, running it slowly down his chest and closing my eyes briefly as I enjoyed the feel of him under my touch, but I wasn’t going there just yet.
“I believe,” I leant in slowly and brought my lips towards his jaw, “That you,” I blew on his ear softly, “Explain first,” and with that said, I straightened up, looked him right in the eye and almost caved at the desire I saw he had for me, but instead I smirked a little and walked out the room, not looking back once.
One point for Eva, zero for Saxon.
“So, what did you get up to today?” Harper smirked as he walked up alongside me and we made our way towards our car together.
Shrugging, “Not much, you?”
“I got a date for tomorrow night,” he grinned like a maniac and my jaw dropped open a bit as I turned to face him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him to a stop.
“You what? Who, when, how, where? Tell me - you can’t not tell me, I’m your favourite sister,” I rushed out, excited for him and eager to know more.
It’s not every day one of my brothers have a date, now is it?
“Whoa, slow down,” he held his hands up and I shut my mouth and stared at him with impatient eyes. “Firstly, you’re my only sister, so naturally you’re my favourite,” he grinned cheekily.
Rolling my eyes, “Figure of speech dude; figure of speech.”
“Whatever,” he muttered and then grinned again, “Her name is Kate. She is new here, a wolf and no, she’s not the ‘one’,” he rolled his eyes.
I scoffed loudly, “Mates are a pain in the butt anyway.”
Harper gave me a flat look, “You’re a pain in the butt too.”
“But I’m a lovable one,” I grinned back, “Anyway, on with Kate.”
“I asked her after lunch, we had a class together and she sat next to me. She’s pretty cool and tough, and smart, funny....got a beautiful smile, but has been in a bit of trouble lately,” he started listing off a few things about her and I was grinning as broadly as he was.
“So she’s like me – an awesome person,” I teased as we started walking again.
Harper gagged loudly, “Gross, are you saying I’m dating you? Besides, did you not hear me say she was smart?”
I gave him a flat look, “Are you calling me stupid?”
“No, just not smart.”
“That means stupid.”
“Maybe you are smart,” he teased as he shoved me in the shoulder gently.
“Loser,” I mumbled and climbed into the car after him.
I was the first one to walk through the front door, with Harper right behind me and still grinning while we left Chris and Brody arguing with their mind link – how did we know they were using mind link? Easy, they were glaring flat out at each other and you could tell when the other said something one didn’t like because that boy would get an even angrier look on his face.
It was slightly amusing, just as amusing as Harper grinning the whole way home. He looked so adorable.
“I have a surprise for you,” Grant sang loudly in my ear as soon as I stepped one foot through the front door and he flung his arm over my shoulder. “What’s up with you?” he looked at Harper as he walked past and I laughed at how easily he was sidetracked from what he was just saying.
“Nothing,” Harper grinned and you could tell he just wanted to shout his news out, so I did it for him.
“He has a date tomorrow night!”
Grant snapped his head to look at me in shock while Harper just grinned even more and I’m going to be surprised if his cheeks don’t split open.
“Who has a date?” Emily asked with excitement as she came walking out of the kitchen carrying a plate overflowing with food. We all stared at her small frame, despite the bump, in shock. “Don’t judge me until you have a baby growing in your belly – you all eat like pigs on daily basis,” she snapped, narrowing her eyes and challenging us to comment.
It’s safe to say we all quickly looked away as Harper replied to her original question, “I do.”
“Who? Does she go to your school? What does she look like? Is she nice or rude like Eva?”
“Hey!” I protested, but she ignored me and continued carrying on.
“ Oh wow, what are you going to wear? We need to go shopping, right now,” she gushed and shoved her plate of food into my arms, squishing some chocolate cake into my shirt as I scrunched my face up slightly.
“Thanks Em,” I muttered, but it was too late – she was already dragging Harper back out the front door and towards the car. Not even a moment later Grant and I heard her yelling at Chris and Brody to get their butts out or she will force them to try on clothes.
Chuckling I looked up at Grant, “Hungry?”
Shaking his head, “Nope, I just ate, but....do we really eat like pigs?”
“Beats me, I'm too busy eating to pay attention,” I smirked and took the plate to the kitchen to put all of Emily’s food back in the fridge so it will still be good for her by the time she comes home again. “That was pretty funny how she left without Travis, thought I would never see the day that happened.”
“Who left without me?” Travis asked as he came walking into the kitchen.
“Emily.”
“What?” he looked confused and worried, “How could she ditch me like that? We were watching a movie – I’m going to go find her,” and he walked back out without waiting for us to tell him anymore.
“Um, okay?” I muttered.
“Now that the rush is over, do you want to know your surprise now?” Grant asked excitedly and I grinned while nodding.
He led me up the stairs and down the hall towards his bedroom, frowning as he opened his door and motioned for me to enter, I burst into laughter as I saw the tent pitched up in the middle of his room, “A sleep over, damn we haven’t had one for ages now.”
“I know right, I was bored and figured I would set it up,” he grinned and I turned around to give him a big hug, appreciating this gesture. “It’s only a tent Eva,” he muttered, not getting how much I liked this surprise of his.
“I know.”
Picking the marshmallow off the end of the long stick, something sticky hit my forehead and I immediately glared over at Grant, “Why does everyone feel the need to throw food at me today?”
He frowned, tilting his head slightly to one side, “Who else threw food at you?” he asked in confusion, but I just shook my head and muttered ‘never mind’ before throwing my own marshmallow back at him.
Stevie grudgingly brought us a plate of burgers earlier for our ‘camp fire cooked dinner’, but he ended up dropping the plate by ‘accident’ when we told him he couldn’t join us. So instead of yummy burgers, we are filling up on junk food.
The bedroom door opened back up and both of our heads snapped up and I growled lowly, “What are you doing here?” I demanded rudely, but Saxon just smirked back.
“Re-fuelling.”
Groaning loudly before answering him, “I don’t need re-fuelling, I'm fine now,” I muttered, “Thanks anyway,” I added on the end without looking him in the eye, or in his actual general direction at all.
He purposely didn’t make a fuss about my apology, which I appreciated as he walked in like he owned the room and Grant raised one eyebrow as he stared at him, but said nothing.
“Why is Emily styling Harper’s hair?” Saxon asked as he made himself comfy on the two seater lounge Grant happens to have in his room.
Shrugging, “Family business.”
“She is my family.”
“Fine, pack business,” I smirked while staring intently at my marshmallow and finding it very interesting.
“What’s she doing to it?” Grant questioned with genuine curiosity. I mean, there is only so much you can do with a Mohawk, even if it has grown out a bit.
Saxon chuckled slightly, “She had it parted down the middle when I walked past.”
I snickered loudly as I held back loud laughter, but that didn’t stop my brother from letting loose as his tone echoed all around us, “Oh, wow, he’s going to look hot for his date!”
Shaking my head I had to admit, I felt sorry for Harper right now – maybe I will undo whatever Emily has done just before he leaves?
“He has a date, hey?” Saxon cocked one eyebrow as he looked over at Grant.
My brother nodded with a chuckle, “Yeah, he hasn’t really had a proper one before.”
“Good for him,” Saxon mumbled and I looked between the two of them, chatting away like lifelong buddies or something.
“When are you two going on a date?” Grant nudged me with a wink and I glared at him – what the heck is wrong with him?
‘Are you serious?’ I demanded.
He smiled broadly with a nod, ‘Deadly serious – you need to talk it out with him.’
‘I don’t think so,’ I muttered back, looking back to my interesting marshmallow.
He laughed loudly and Saxon gave him a quizzical look, but said nothing.
“I preferred camping without a guard dog,” I whispered quietly to Grant as I tried to fall asleep snuggled up in my sleeping bag inside the tent.
“I can hear you,” Saxon grunted from outside and I grinned slightly.
“Least he will keep the bears away,” Grant laughed quietly. Stevie walked past an hour ago and basically threw a giant sixed tantrum because we had ‘allowed’ Saxon to join our camping trip, but not him. It didn’t matter that I pointed out Saxon wasn’t invited at all and was just too heavy to remove.
“There are no bears inside,” Saxon muttered dryly and I grinned.
“He has no sense of humour, ignore him,” I whispered to Grant again.
“I do so, I'm with you aren’t I?” Saxon snapped back and my mouth fell open.
“For someone who wants forgiveness, you’re sure as heck not going about it the right way,” I growled angrily, “Good night!”
“Couples suck,” Grant moaned and I opened my eyes to see him roll over and hold his pillow tightly over his head. Closing my eyes again and rolling over to face away from him, I tried my best to go to sleep.
“Eva,” I heard my name faintly being called, “Eva,” and again, but I didn’t recognise the voice. It was soft, mesmerizing even, like a lullaby and I felt myself being drawn to it.
Opening my eyes, I gasped in shock as I looked all around at my faded surroundings, where was I? Squinting my eyes against the harsh rays of sunlight streaming in brightly through the tops of the trees, I heard my name being called again and I don’t know why, but I felt compelled to follow it. - To find the source.
Taking a small and tentative step forward, I kept my eyes on trees all around, having the sense of déjà vu. I swear I have been here before, but I can’t remember when.
Pushing the large leaves of bushy fern to the side while I walked past it, I finally noticed I was barefoot and still in the singlet and shorts I went to sleep in. I remember going to sleep, in the tent alongside Grant with Saxon sitting outside of it, but I don’t remember anything else that happened between then and now.
How did I get here?
“Eva,” my name was called softly again, encouraging me to keep on moving, until finally, I burst free from the trees and shrubbery and stepped out into a small clearing with a wooden bench and a small playground.
Frowning at the odd sight, who would build a playground out here, in the middle of nowhere?
“There you are sweetie.” I turned to follow the direction the voice had just come from and I took a quick step back at the sight of a woman standing there.
She smiled lovingly as I eyed her up and down, her simple white summer dress blowing gently with the breeze. The long tendrils of her softly curled light brown hair swayed around her pale shoulders. Laughter off to the side caught my attention and I turned back to the small playground, frowning once more.
A moment ago it was empty, but now it had children in it, very young children. Two little boys sat side by side in the sandpit, hitting their chubby little hands into the soft sand while four babies were spread out on a picnic blanket under a big tree which was protecting them from the sun.
“What the heck,” I mumbled as I stared in a daze at the group of young kids, babies really.