One day before the trip.
I was kind of excited, but also exhausted.
I had stayed up late talking to Max, I wish I could spend even more time with him.
Sprawled out on Cathy's couch, who wasn't even here, I was talking to Will.
"Okay so, does that mean that you can smell those cookies in the kitchen right now even though they're so far away?"
"I can smell even further away than that you know." He chuckled, showing his dimples.
"What about, oh! Does that mean you can hear what me and Cathy talk about?"
"Yeah." He shortly replied, half as embarrassed as I was.
"What, that's so cool!" I played with the necklace Max gave me.
"Did Max give it to you?" Will noticed the object of my interest, which I had been admiring this whole time.
"Yeah."
"When is this guy going to make a move.." He whispered something under his breath.
"Huh?" I looked at him as he shook his head.
"Nevermind."
Cathy came in bursting through the front door.
"What are you guys doing?"
"Talking." She doesn't mind us being friends right?
"I'm offended." Oh no..
"... That you are hanging out without me! Move, let me sit on the couch." She pushed me aside.
"What were you talking about?"
"Life." I repositioned myself so that I was more comfortable and stared at the ceiling.
"How was seing mom and dad, are they doing okay?" Will asked Cathy as she turned the TV on.
"It was good! I wish you would visit them with me. I still don't get why you don't want to go?" She looked at her brother.
"It doesn't matter."
"They were a bit weird though." She tapped a finger to her chin, deep in thought.
"What do you mean?" Will asked.
"Well, they kept asking questions like, have I run into any wolves in the woods lately. I mean, who even asks that it's so weird-" Cathy continued ranting whilst Will and I exchanged a knowing look.
"Right, what else did they ask?"
"Hmm that's it I think." She hummed in thought.
I was definitely asking Will about this later. Were they werewolves too? I mean Will was a werewolf but Cathy was human. I just realized how much I still didn't know.
"Oh by the way." Cathy bounced on the couch happily. "What clothes have you got prepared for the trip?"
"Just a bunch of warm sweaters." And my headphones since I didn't go anywhere without them.
"I can't wait. I just can't believe we're all sharing a chalet with all the guys." She said.
"Yeah.." The thought made me excited for this trip. I would get to see him. Even if I was just a friend, I wanted to be there for him. I shook my head, why did my thoughts keep returning to Max?
"Okay, I've got pizza." Will returned into the room. I hadn't even noticed that he left.
This reminded me of the first time I came to their house. I had stayed here watching a movie with them, eating pizza. If someone had told me at the time that all of this would happen, I would have laughed at them but here I was, sat next to a werewolf and hiding the truth from my best friend. I still felt guilty about it, but I knew Will had a good reason for not telling his sister and I was going to trust him with that.
I took a stringy piece of pizza and smiled, hoping to see Max tomorrow.
Later in the night, when Cathy had fallen asleep, I decided to ask Will the questions that were replaying in my mind.
I had all my belongings with me and had already said bye to Matt, Lily and mom yesterday as I was spending the night here, since then we could all go together to school where the coach was meant to be picking us up.
"Hey, Will..." He looked up when I finally spoke up.
"Yeah?" He had a questioning look on his face, as he didn't know what I was going to ask him.
"Are your parents werewolves?" I spoke, bluntly.
"No." He avoided my eyes.
"Then how are you?" I couldn't help how my curiosity always got the best of me.
"It was about a year ago... " He still wouldn't meet my eyes.
"I-" he took a deep breath. "I nearly died.."
I gasped. "Sorry. I didn't-" Oh God I'm such an idiot...
"No it's fine. I was going out to meet Ace and Isaac, since Max was busy, when I came across this rogue. I was in such a shock I stayed rooted to the spot. He decided to pounce on me and bit me." He closed his eyes, remembering.
"I was scared, I didn't exactly know what was going on and I was in pain. Fortunately Isaac found me, he chased off the rogue and brought me to the pack house. He then told me he could heal my wounds but it would mean I would become a werewolf. Then he told me everything and I agreed, since I didn't exactly want to die."
"Do your parents know about this?" I spoke gently, not wanting to hurt him.
"No, I made sure no one knew as I wanted to protect my family. I hadn't even ever heard anything about werewolves and was really surprised by what Cathy said today."
"Yeah, same. What if your parents know everything?"
"That would be weird. It just doesn't add up."
I agreed and yawned, not realizing how tired I was until my eyes closed.
~~~~~
Max's PoV
Sat on the roof, I admired the moon. The trip was in a couple of hours and all I could think about was what had happened today.
We were patrolling the area when suddenly gunshots echoed across the field. Looking in between the trees, Sam felt uneasy as he felt an ominous presence. Something was wrong.
Happily, we weren't the ones injured but I ran towards the source of the sound only to see Rose, one of our best fighters, laying lifeless on the ground.
I growled scanning around me, the ones responsible had to still be close. Maybe they were still here.
My thoughts were correct when they tried to shoot me again. Barely having the time to react, a bullet lightly grazed my back.
I ignored the pain and chased after the people but they ran into their car, speeding away.
But I knew exactly who they were:
Hunters.
And those bullets contained wolfsbane.
~~~~~
My back still hurt but happily the pack nurse stitched up the wound.
My thoughts were overpowered by thoughts of Lex. What she was doing right now, what the trip would be like, and how difficult it would be to act indifferent around her. Last night when I had pulled her so close to me I felt like I was going crazy. How much self control could a guy have?
Shaking my head I jumped down from the ledge into the house. Only to be met face to face with Isaac.
"You scared me." I looked left of him at the ground.
"You've been acting strange." He thoughtfully stared at me.
"More than usual?"
"Yeah. I've never seen you so... Well you've been acting happier, sadder, angrier. Like you care for once. I've never seen you this way."
"Huh, strange." I really should get better with my comebacks.
"And not to forget that you've been disappearing a lot.
Shit. We've been discovered. Abort mission.
"I've always liked running. So I go out for night runs."
He nodded his head. "But you did stand up in the middle of class. You looked angry, why?"
"I realised I forgot my sandwhich outside."
"You were angry because of a sandwhich?" He looked at me in utter disbelief.
"Yeah... I.. Care about my food."
"Right well, tell me if anything bothers you. I heard you got injured today. Get better soon okay." He offered me a smile.
Suddenly, I wondered how he would react if I told him about Alexa.
"Isaac?"
"Hm?" He turned back around as he had started walking down the hallway.
"What would happen.. If one of your pack members had a human mate?"
At first he looked confused. Then that look followed with a flash of fear as though remembering something and changed to pain and finally anger.
He looked straight at me, half glaring. "Its simple really, they'll be kicked out of the pack. Or their mate will have to be killed because we don't want stupid humans to be part of us." It's like a new person was talking to me. One who was cold and cruel.
"Why? Do you know anyone like that?" Any sign of my old friend was gone
"No, just wondering." I looked down, thinking there was no need to face him now, it wouldn't end well.
I was going to protect her.
I just didn't know what the best way was. But for now, I would have to stay away.
~~~~~
Short update, sorry, I was busy with exams. I still have so many ;-;
Please tell me what you think, or how I can improve because I know this book probably sucks but, constructive criticism is welcome! As long as you don't just shout at me for being terrible...
I'm sorry!
-Bella