Friday after school I went straight home and grabbed my already packed bag.
"You sure you can't come with us?" I asked Mariah once more.
"For the last time," she smiled. "I'll be fine, I'm just going to check on mom and maybe I'll go to the movies or dinner."
I hated leaving her alone, with mom and dad gone she was really going to be alone.
I told her bye and then headed out to Vance's place. When I got there I let myself in as usual. Tommy peeked his head out of the kitchen.
"Hey Ellie, Vance is in his room."
"Thanks Tommy." I said before thinking of something. "Hey do you think you can do me a favor?" I asked.
"What's up?"
"Well we're all headed out to the lake house, thing is Mariah's at my place and since mom and dad are gone for the weekend too she's gonna be by herself...do you mind checking in on her every now and again, I-I know she isn't part of the pack or anything, but she's a good friend of mine."
He nodded, "yeah I don't mind."
I thanked him again before Vance joined us, "ready?" He asked with his handsome side smirk.
I smiled at him and nodded my response, we told Tommy bye and left. We drove in a comfortable silence.
"Braxton had Ryder go out this morning to get the place ready for all of us so hopefully we get there before anyone else so we can get a decent room."
"They haven't cleaned that place up yet?" I asked. "Maybe I should see if my aunt wants me to help her."
"Well it's Braxton's Lake house now...and I think he mentioned Harper and your Aunt has been going through some stuff there, I don't know what all they've exactly done but here's hoping we get a decent room regardless."
I nodded, "well we already know Braxton and Harper will take the master suite, there are two rooms with a large single bed and one room with bunk beds..."
"Ryder will respect that we're mates and need our own room, Patrick on the other hand is one who doesn't care, to him it's first come first serve...plus he did say he'd be bringing a guest."
"He shouldn't even be allowed to...Mates or no one." I said.
"You we're inviting Mariah." He pointed out.
I hated when he was right so I stayed quiet.
He sighed, "you know he tends to kinda do what he wants."
I rolled my eyes, "he's a jackass."
Vance chuckled and drove on, we stopped at a gas station to fuel up the car and grab some snacks, granted we didn't have much of a drive left but we figured having snacks tucked away in our room wouldn't hurt.
When we finally got to the lake house Ryder greeted us kindly.
"You two need a hand with the bags?" He asked.
Vance nodded and the two made quick work with our small luggage.
"Have you picked a room yet?" I asked when the guys came back outside from dropping the bags off inside one of the rooms.
"Nah, I'm actually gonna jet as soon as Braxton gets here...I kinda had plans already."
"Ooh, whose the lucky girl?" I asked teasingly.
He fought back a smile and shook his head, "it's not like that, just a small study session for finals."
I like Ryder, he's a really down to earth sorta guy, and even though his father is an Alpha, you'd never know it because he isn't as flashy as most Alpha's sons...my cousin included.
"I should be heading out soon though, I do have to stop and pick up something for us to eat if we plan on pulling an all nighter."
"Is that smart, staying up all night studying?"
He shrugged, "gotta get at least a B even though I'm hoping for an A."
"Remind me not to go into medicine." I sighed dramatically, we all knew Ryder was in school to be a pediatrician, a job that got him more than a few longing glances from the she-wolves in the pack.
"Don't you want to be a vet...same thing but with animals." Ryder pointed out.
I laughed "don't remind me."
We talked a little more before Harper and Braxton showed up, we greeted them and just like Ryder said he left shortly after they got settled in.
"I talked to Mariah...sucks she won't be coming, I was really looking forward to seeing her again."
"Maybe next time...Dis she tell you?"
"About her mom?" Harper asked and nodded, "I just can't believe it...I mean it's Ms Joan, the same lady who tried to convince us Brussels sprouts were as good as candy."
I laughed and shook my head at the memory, but that was Mariah's mom, health but, yoga lover, and all things Zen and tranquil.
"Harper told me too, sucks that she was going through all of that alone." Braxton sounded.
I nodded, "But she's back home now, and she's staying with me so you can stop by anytime."
We went inside and Braxton told us he had invited his mom, "its been a while since she's been out here."
I love that my Aunt Priscilla was coming.
"Patrick's supposedly coming as well, we'll see if he shows up alone or not." Vance put in.
Braxton nodded but I noticed Harper grew stiff.
Once the guys started talking about pack stuff I got a moment alone with Harper.
"Can we go for a walk?" I asked, she nodded and followed me out the back, the weather was perfect for a stroll along the lakes shoreline. "Can't help but notice that you always seem to clam up when Patrick's around, or even mentioned for that matter...mind filling me in?"
She shrugged, "it's nothing really."
"You've always been a horrible liar...and since when have we kept stuff from each other?"
"I'm sure there are things you've never told me." She replied.
The fact was she was absolutely right, and to be perfectly honest I probably would never tell her.
"You're right and it isn't my place to pry, but as your friend I am concerned...but if you want to keep it to yourself then so be it."
"Fine, I should've told someone sooner anyways...but when I moved and fit in decently at our school I didn't want to bring up the past." She babbled.
I was confused.
"Back at my old school, before I met you...I went to school with Patrick, from the day he arrived until the day that I left he bullied me in almost every way possible; from name calling to having girls steal my belongings, it was a godsend when my father was promoted and we moved...I started school with you and mariah and everything was different, I had friends, no one made fun of me..."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Made fun of you how?" I wondered. I mean Harper is a beautiful girl, and she's beyond smart so I couldn't understand what they'd pick on.
"I was chubbier then...my mom called it baby fat, but I was healthy for my age, just short so it didn't distribute as well...anyways they call me heifer, hippo, wide load...some one would knock me down to the ground and they'd pretend the ground would shake from my body's weight hitting."
I was absolutely floored.
"Patrick did this?
She shrugged, "he started it...one day I was passing him in the hall and he bumped into me because neither of us were watching where we were going...the hall was pretty packed so everyone saw us collide, we both fell back but he was the one who spoke first, 'watch where you're going Harper the Hippo.' Everyone around us laughed and from then on I was free game for everyone to torment."
I honestly wanted to just hug her but I let her finish.
"Like I said it got better when I moved, I started fitting in a little more, lost weight, got friends and then obviously I met Braxton...then I saw Patrick at the packhouse and he tried to strong arm me again, before he found out I am Braxton's mate...but when he found out he pleaded with me to never tell Brax." She said as she shook her head.
"It's been really strange, every since that night he found out, he's done everything to try and be nice but seeing him still sets me on edge every now and again...almost like I'm waiting for him to snap back into the old jerk from middle school...I mean he's apologized countless times and honestly I think I forgave him a long time ago...I mean why would I want to hold onto something f like that?"
I couldn't believe it.
I mean I guess I could see how the kids might have taken advantage of her meekness, but to know her own mates cousin was the cause of all her middle school torment was unfathomable. He was the reason she had such horrible self confidence, or why hugging her was always an issue because she'd flinch before hand.
"Don't tell Braxton please...he'd kill Patrick."
I didn't doubt it.
"I won't." I said, trust me I wanted nothing more than to tell Braxton...but she had just given me a direct order. "Thanks for telling me...and if it's any consolation he's never been my number one fan either, not that I mind, because trust me when I say that the feeling is completely mutual."
"Why do you both hate each other?"
"To be honest I don't know...for as far back as I can remember he's always hated me and I just acted in defense...I think it may be because I found his dad hooking up with some lady in their families she's one time...but I was a kid and I thought he was hurting her so I ran screaming and my uncle cane to check on me...needless to say being the Alpha he made him leave...obviously that's Aunt Priscilla's sister he was cheating on...May be he blames me for that, really he should blame his dad."
She nodded.
With a deep sigh we both returned to the house where we found that Patrick had arrived with a sandy haired girl who is a grade under us and newly shifted in the pack.
"Ladies, do you know Claire?" He asked.
I rolled my eyes and walked away to find Vance, sweet Harper on the other hand stopped to make conversation with the girl.
I felt when Patrick gripped my shoulder.
"Hey."
"What do you want?" I tried to growl in annoyance.
"Just wanted to see if-"
"Mariah isn't coming you filthy man-whore, and fuck you by the way, what if she was coming and you came with some new pack slut." I said angrily.
"Slut shaming Elise, that's low even for you."
I placed my hands on my hips, "well what kind of she-wolf shifts and knowingly goes out with a guy who isn't her mate...besides you didn't answer my question."
"Which was?"
I was growing frustrated, "what were you hoping to achieve by bringing a girl to the lake house and running the risk of Mariah seeing you?"
He shrugged.
"You just want her to see you and think that she had messed up by turning you down, like you don't need her...but newsflash she's got far more important shit to worry about than your childish jealousy game."
I turned knowing my hair would slap him in the face, I let myself into mine and Vance's room for the weekend.
It is going to be a long weekend.