I hurried to meet up with Leo and Sebastian after fifth period. Finally, I could go home and escape Sam. But of course, there was still the gap from my photography elective class and the car park. Werewolves from Zac's pack growled at me as I walked past them. He hadn't taken long to spread the word that there was another encounter between the two of us. I rolled my eyes and ignored them. It was their Alpha's fault. I hadn't started it, he did. No doubt Zac had told them a lie, saying I'd provoked him. He was always pushing my buttons, like he was forcing me to shift. I wouldn't mind taking him down a peg or two. But what could a weak female horse shifter do to a strong male werewolf? "You don't belong with us. You are no match against all the werewolves in this school." One she-wolf growled as she walked past me.
"Attack our Alpha again and it'll be the last time." Another said. They were coming out of nowhere, all these werewolves from the pack Zac was Alpha of. I whimpered and took a detour, hurrying towards the woods, pulling my phone out of my pocket and calling Leo.
"Hello? Cj? Where are you?" He asked.
"I... I'm not coming back with the two of you. I need to clear my head. I'm walking back in my horse form. I'll be home as soon as. Bye."
"Cj wa-" I hung up before he could finish and sprinted down the stairs and pushed open the door, dropping my phone.
"Shit!" I cursed, picking it up and whimpering at the crack. I frowned and slid the phone into my back pocket and continuing to the woods.
"Cj!" Someone called and I turned around to see Sam.
"No!" I whispered harshly. I kept running. The sound of paws pounding on the ground set alarm bells off in my head and I stopped, looking around. 'Cj! Get out of here!' Dawn screamed in my head.
"Cj, look out!" Sam shouted. I paused for a second, then looked at him. He was running towards me in his wolf form. I heard a growl from behind and turned. Screaming, I fell to the floor, a grey wolf jumping over me, landing with a thud on the other side. I got up and started running into the woods, hearing the two wolves following me. My heart thumped in my chest and fear flooded my body, my brain screaming at me to run and get away, Dawn too.
I began panting - hyperventilating. Crying and running did nothing to help. I wanted vanish, so neither of them would find me - disappear into thin air and pretend I never existed. The grey wolf had caught up to me and with a snarl, it leaped in front of me, cutting me off. I halted straightaway, the momentum almost made me fall backwards, onto my butt. The snow didn't help, but I caught myself. It snarled again and the scent hit me like a brick. It was Zac.
Sam leaped into the scene and stood in between me and Zac, snarling at Zac and trying to glace at me. He put one ear back. "I'm alright." I whispered. Sam turned his full attention to Zac after hearing I was okay. Zac and Sam began fighting and I shrieked, moving away from them. On top of the sound of my heart beating fast, pumping blood around my body and my harsh breathing; growls, snarls, whimpers and other noises filled the air.
I sat against the tree, crying my eyes out. Sam and Zac disappeared and I didn't know where they went. Few patches of snow had turned a faint red, from blood. I pulled out my phone and went into my contacts, intent of calling Leo but I paused on one contact - home. It wasn't home as in where I was living now, with Sebastian and Leo. It was home home, my herd. I paused, debating with myself whether to call them or not, then I clicked on it and put the phone to my ear, holding my breath. Someone picked up on the eighth ring. "Hello?" A male voice answered. I froze, unable to move. Unable to talk. "Hello? Who is this?" I stayed silent, tears spilling out of my eyes. "Answer me god dammit!" I still stayed silent. "Stupid prank callers! Don't ca-"
"Cal?" I asked tearfully, cutting him off. There was silence on the other side but I could hear his breathing. Neither of us said anything. I couldn't tell if I was even breathing, all I could hear was my blood pumping through my veins as I listened to the silence.
"Cj?" He asked. I hung up and a new wave of tears escaped.
"Shit!" I cursed through my rain of tears. Why did I hang up? I took deep breaths, forcing the tears to stop, and rang home again.
"Cj?"
"Yes, it's me." I answered.
"Oh my god, it's good to hear your voice again." He said in a whisper. The tears came back and I bit my lip.
"It's good to hear yours too. I missed you. And Amelia." I said.
"We missed you too. Where are you?Are you okay? Are you safe? Are you with anyone? Can you come home?" He threw question after question at me.
"Cal, I won't say. I'm okay. I'm safe. I'm with my two best friends," I paused. "And no, I can't come home." Sam's wolf stumbled out of the trees to my left and I looked at him.
"Why can't you?" Cal asked.
"Look, Cal, I just can't. I've spent so long away. I'm sorry. I love you. Tell Amelia I say hi, and that I love her too," I said, tears cascading down my cheeks yet again. "I miss you, Cal."
"Cj! Wait! Don't hang up!"
"Goodbye, Cal." I hung up and dropped my phone next to me. Sam whimpered and looked at me. He was bleeding badly on his shoulder and neck and he had cuts everywhere by the looks. "Oh, Sam." I said in a shaky voice, kneeling in front of him. "You're bleeding." I stated the obvious but Sam didn't care about himself, he licked at my tears and I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him. "Shift back." I whispered. I felt his body change in my arms, before his wrapped around me and my stomach twisted into knots. I could smell his blood.
"Why are you crying? I hate seeing you cry." Sam said.
"I was on the phone to an old... friend." I said. "I haven't seen him, or heard his voice, in almost two years. Calling him after so long... overwhelmed me I guess." I said and he stayed silent.
"Do you know how good it is to have you in my arms?" Sam said, almost in a whisper and I choked out a laugh.
"We only found out today that we're mates." I said. He held me tighter and I couldn't help but love it. I felt safe. Why wouldn't I? He just fought Zac, to save me. He ignored his injuries, to fuss about me. Dawn was right, I was falling for him, but surely, after what happened moments ago, she'd change her mind and forgive him.
"No, I've known for months. I knew you wouldn't believe me until you turned eighteen, when you knew for sure that I was your mate." He said sadly, like he regretted not telling me.
"It's okay." I said, moving back, breaking the hug, a small whimper coming from him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. They'll heal by tomorrow." He said, touching one of the worst cuts and wincing. I looked at him with sad eyes. "How are you getting home?" he asked.
"Well, before Zac decided to come after me-" Sam growled, cutting me off. "As I was saying, I was planning to walk home in my horse form. What about you?"
"I was going with Zac to his pack. Not anymore." He said. I looked down at my lap, twiddling my thumbs.
"Oh," I said in a whisper. If I had just gone home with Sebastian and Leo, this never would have happened. I wouldn't be so upset. Zac wouldn't have had the opportunity to attack me. Sam and Zac wouldn't have fought. And Sam wouldn't be hurt.
Sam was talking, "...call my Beta-"
"Beta?" I asked, looking up at him, cutting him off. "You're an Alpha?"
He nodded. "I will be. My uncle is the Alpha at the moment. I still have about seven months, unless my uncle decides to move it up." I nodded. Standing up, I picked up my phone and put it in my backpack, picking that up and walking over to Sam. I helped him stand up and put his arm over my shoulder. "I can walk, Cj." He said.
"Tough." I said. He chuckled then winced, his body protesting. We only made it about twenty metres before my body couldn't support Sam, even though he tried his best to keep most of his weight off me. We stopped and he sat down, holding his hand over his ribs. I bit my lip and tried to force my brain to come up with ideas. Like a light bulb going off in my head, I had an idea. I threw my bag at him and he looked at me with shock. I couldn't stop the little laugh that escaped me. "When I shift, I'll lie down. Grab our stuff and get on." I instructed. Sam raised an eyebrow but I just rolled my eyes and helped him stand up. "You'll have to tell me where to go." I shifted and carefully laid down, with my front legs out in front of me, ready to stand up. Sam climbed on and slowly, and carefully, I stood up, shaking out my mane, then beginning to walk forward.
"Cj, just take me to your place. Then my Beta can pick me up. He's heading out tonight and is dragging me along," He said, annoyance in his voice. I nickered. "So, straight to your place?" I snorted and nodded my head. "Is that a yes?" He asked and I nodded my head again. I kept at a slow walk all the way to where I lived. It was a small house near the woods; one story with three bedrooms, two bathrooms – my room had an Ensuite bathroom - a kitchen, a living room, dining room and a laundry. It wasn't very flash, but it was home.
Leo and Sebastian met us outside, relieved to see me. "Cj?" Leo asked with concern, noticing I had Sam and that he was injured. "What happened?"
Sam hopped off – well, more like slipped off – my back. I shifted back, grabbing my bag off Sam. "Zac tried attacking me. Sam saved me." I said. Sebastian and Leo's faces fell at the same time.
"He attacked you?!" Sebastian asked.
"He tried." I corrected, grabbing Sam's hand and walking to the house. "Welcome to my domicile. Where I live with these two bone heads." The three chuckled as I let go of Sam's hand and practically skipped the rest of the way to the house. Sam called his Beta while I disappeared to my room to change my clothes. I swapped my school uniform for my black jeans and black AC-DC T-shirt, tied my hair up in a high ponytail, and walked back out to the guys and put my phone on charge, resting it on the microwave. I volunteered to clean Sam's wounds while we waited for his Beta to turn up.
We mostly sat in silence, except when Leo, Sebastian and I squabbled or teased each other, and when Sam's Beta arrived, I walked out with Sam, while Leo and Sebastian stayed inside, arguing over who was cooking and who was cleaning. Sam turned around to look at me, cupping my cheek with his left hand and stroking my hair with his right. I mentally laughed, so this was how dogs felt when people petted them like this? "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart." Sam said, starting to turn to get into the car.
"Wait," I said. Sam turned to face me again and I stood on my tippy toes, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for saving me." I said. Sam smiled and I let him kiss my forehead.
"I'll always save you." I smiled and watched Sam get in the car and leave. I waved and looked at the house, walking back inside. Leo and Sebastian were still at it and I shook my head, laughing. They were morons. But they were my morons. It was hard not to love them.
~Cal~
"How the fuck do you redial?!" I shouted. After a minute, Amelia rushed into the office, her black hair straightened on one side, and the other wavy. She must have been straightening her hair.
"What?" She asked, walking over to me. Her light blue eyes looked into mine, before she looked at the computer screen.
"Cj rang." I said and she looked up at me, staying silent. We stared at each other for a minute before I asked again, "How do you redial?"
"Cj?" Tears welled in her eyes when I nodded. She looked at the phone then snorted. "Dad's old-time phone doesn't do redial."
I groaned and fell back on the desk chair. "Now what? We can't call her back."
She pulled me up out of the chair and gave me a hug. "She'll call back. I know she will."
Edited 01/12/2017