After five long days of being escorted through the white hospital corridors Noah and I were finally healthy enough to go home. Noah and I had talked briefly through our time at the hospital and it had been frosted with mixed feelings, I wondered if he knew I felt guilty about everything.
Leo, Izzy, Dave, Dad, Charlie, Reeve, Jess, Angela, Noah and I were being brought home via the two story coach bus that Dad had rented. Angela was staying with us for a while. We were just loading all of our gear on to the bus when I decided to ask Dad about adding three new members to our pack.
"Oh forgot to get my books, Dad could you par chance go and help me get them?" I say sending him a mental message "I need to talk to you."
"Oh... uh sure." he say following me towards the hospital doors. Once we were out of ear shot of the others I asked the question that I had practiced over and over again in my head.
"Dad can Leo, Izzy and Dave join our pack, please. I mean I get the whole Izzy and Charlie issue is crazy and I haven't really gotten to know Dave or Izzy but they saved Noah and I so they cant be bad people and-" My rant could have go on stating all of my reasons but I was cut off by a chuckle and a grin from my childish Dad.
"I was wondering when you were going to ask me." He says smiling looking down at me.
"So is that a yes?" I squeak
"Yes...But you have to be the one to tell them." he says a smirk on his face, like he knows that this isn't going to go over well.
"Okay!Tanks Dad." I say and prance off toward the bus. I can see Leo sitting in the back with Izzy and Dave next to him I jump up and slap the widow and laugh when he jumps.y
He puts the window down and sticks his head out. "Yes, princess?"
"Can you, Dave and Izzy come out here for a moment?" I say giving him the death glare about the Princess thing.
"Sure thing." he say, getting up and getting off of the bus followed by Izzy and Dave. I never really looked at them, they had rarely been seen through out the hospital. Only know did I realize that they looked nothing like my sibling and I in anyway.
Izzy's short brown hair the was cut in a pixie cut and her eyes were similar to Leo's she had a strong build probably from all ways running in wolf form. Dave's black hair was cut in a crew cut and his eyes were brown. He looked like the kind of guy you just don't mess with.
"Um can we talk, somewhere where they cant hear us?" I ask slowly stepping towards the hospital doors.
"Alright." he says and I can see a guard go up in Izzy and Dave's eyes. Eventually we were standing by the doors where Dad and I had been.
"I was...um, I mean we were...wondering if you, might...maybe be interested...in joining our pack?" I say softly twisting the end of my shirt.
"You asked your Dad?" Leo says just as softly.
"Yes and he's fine with it....I know you guys have been on your own for a long time and I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do, but I want you to stay. Please?" I say meeting Izzy and Dave's gaze as I do.
"Wait.... why do you want us to join your pack?" says Dave.
"You saved Noah and I, also I wouldn't ask Leo to leave you two. That's not fair." I answer smiling slightly.
"What about Charlie?" Izzy says harshly
"Well...I'm sure it will be hard for him but...." I say not knowing the outcome of there problem.
"Why would it be hard for him? He hasn't said a word to me since he found out about us being mates" she hisses and even through I hardly know her, I know the pain she must be facing.
"He hasn't talked to you, I thought you weren't going to accept him." I say confused.
"I don't know... Its complicated." she huffs and I swallow a laugh. Its complicated was the same thing Charlie had said to me.
"He doesn't know what he's doing, I don't think he really ever came to terms with the whole mate thing. But maybe if you were to try and talk to him...it might help." I say hoping to save this unstarted relationship.
"Yeah, maybe." she says hopelessly and with a sigh.
"Maybe. I never did get the chance to thank you guys for saving me. Please think about joining the pack." I say beginning to walk back to the bus that's engine had just started. "I think we've better get back to the bus."
"We'll think about it..." says Dave, and he and Izzy walk back to the bus. I was just turning to go as well when Leo caught my hand. I turned to face him and find him smiling.
"Yes?" I say lacing my fingers through his.
"If we were to be in the same pack we would get to do that mind thing right?" he says looking excited. I laugh.
"Yes, I suppose so." I say swinging our hands as we walk toward the bus. And taking a seat in the far back with Izzy and Dave.
The minute we walked on to the bus I knew that someone had been snooping in on our conversation. And all of my siblings knew that I had asked Leo and his friends to join our pack. And I could tell they didn't like it.
"Ryan could we talk to you on the top level." Charlie 'asked' through clenched teeth. The rest of my siblings and Angela behind him.
"Ah.... no thanks." I say with a nervous smile. Dad who was driving the bus out of the packing lot laughed. I turned and caught his gaze in the review mirror. The way his eyes were positioned I could tell he was smirking.
"He wasn't asking" says a livid looking Jess.
"I know but whatever it is we can talk about it at home and not on the drive home from the hospital where I almost died." I say trying to guilt them into taking it easy one me.
"Fine then at home." says Charlie and he, Jess and Angela retreated to the upper level.
"So I'm assuming you all know?" I ask, when Reeve and Noah sit down in the chairs next to me.
"Oh yes, Jess was going to get you guys when she heard some of the conversation." says Noah.
"Personally I think they are being over dramatic." says Reeve.
"Jess, Angela and Charlie are the only one's with any problem regarding the possibility of some new members?" I say hoping that there comfortable expressions mean that they are somewhat happy with the idea.
"Yup. I cant believe Angela would be though, I mean you guys are the reason Ryan and I are still breathing. Thank you for that by the way." Noah says directing the last part towards Izzy, Leo and Dave. I flinch when he mentions us dieing, Leo twirls his thumb in soothing circles on the back on my hand.
"Anytime." says Izzy.
"But for your safety I would suggest not getting in to near death experiences too often." says Dave. We all laugh. After an hour of laughing and goofing around I felt as through we would have some new members joining our pack very soon.
The minute we step off the bus I bolted toward the barn. I grabbed Luna's lead rope and went out to the field to catch her. I saw her grazing with Holy, Ross, Winston and Frost. And I feel a pang of guilt. I killed Dime. If only I had never went to that rodeo none of this would have happened. I whisled and when she saw me she cantered over along with the rest of them.
"Hey, Sweety" I whispered as I stepped into the pen and clipped on her lead. She had been rolling in the mud. Great. She looked back at her friends almost to say "I'm sure she'll groom you too!" and then happily followed me into the barn.
I had been carefully picking Luna's hoofs when I heard the barn door creak. I looked up to see a uncomfortable Leo with a black eye. I placed her hoof down and rushed over to him.
"Oh my god! Who did this to you?" I growl. No one is allowed to hurt him.
"Its no big deal." he says turning his head slightly so that I cant see his eye. I place my hands on ether side of his face and have him face me.
"It was Charlie, wasn't it?" My anger growing when he looks down at his feet trying to brush off the subject.
"I cant believe him!" I grumble and march off toward the extra freezer that we keep in the barn, we eat a lot and ran out of room in the house.
"Where are you going?" he asks, following me
"To get something to help keep the swelling down." i say crankily.
"I'm a werewolf, I should be good" he jokes but he still takes the steak I pull out.
"I was in a coma for days and I'm a werewolf. We're not invincible" I say "And that was at one point or another, was one of my favorite cows."
"Yum." he says dryly.
"I cant believe him!" I say clenching my fists. I'm sure he wold hate it if I was to go and break Izzy's jaw and he wont even accept her! Leo is my mate what was he thinking?
"He's mad, Im sure everything will be fine in a little while. He'll cool down probably by tomorrow." he says smiling.
"Why tomorrow?" I ask
"You guys are going to talk right? And after what I saw at the hospital you could calm down an angry wall of werewolves." He says, and I can see that he's not scared of Charlie, most people are. Possibly because of his temper.
"Yeah and maybe he will realize its not right to give his siblings mates black eyes." I mumble. Going back to Luna. Who was waiting for me at the cross ties where I had left her. She's such a good horse. I picked up her hoof and made sure it was spotless.
"So who's this?" Leo ask stroking Luna's neck.
"This is Luna, she's mine. Wanna help me groom the rest of them?" I ask once I was happy with the grooming job.
"I dont know how." he replies looking at the grooming buckets.
"I'll show you." I clip on the lead rope to her halter and taking the cross ties off. And hand the rope over to Leo.
"Stand on the left side and walk her out." I instruct and walk off toward the door, leaving him standing there looking at me like a fish out water. Luna starts walking toward me having done this before, she know what to do.
"What?" he says slowly, walking with her. Making sure to keep her at an arms lengt, likely afriad of her monster huge hoofs.
"Just follow me to the paddock and dont worry she doesnt bite, much." I say grabbing an extra lead and skipped off to the paddock.
I taught Leo how to groom and properly lead a horse. Everyone was groomed and happy when we put them back in the field. I had started showing him how to muck out a stall when Izzy and Dave walked over.
Hey...What are you doing?" ask Izzy covering her nose as the smell of old horse dung hit her.
"Being abused by my mate." Leo says looking at me with mock sadness.
"You are going to have to learn sometime or another." I say playfully smacking is arm.
"Um...we made up our minds" Dave says with a small smile, which for him is the most I have ever seen.
"Oh...so whats it gonna be?" I say bracing my self for the worst.
"Well you know I'm staying." says Leo smiling at me.
"What about you two?" I ask knowing that Leo would want his friends that are really more like family to be with him.
"We're staying too...if thats okay with you?" says Izzy.
"Thats great.... What room do you all want?" I ask, bunching my limbs up excitedly
"Something small." say Dave.
"It doesnt mater...But I would like it if it could be near you." says Izzy. I smile and nod then look at Leo.
"I was thinking of sharing with you." he says with a smile and my heart races.
"You've lost your mind if you think you'll be sleeping any where near her." Charlie walks up to us with a bruised nose.
"You might have forgotten that she is my mate and she has a voice, you dont own her." growls Leo who had stepped beside me. He was getting pretty bitter, I wrapped my arm around his back and rested my head on his shoulder to clam him down.
"No but neither do you." says Jess who had joined our little squabble along side her was Angela.
"So I'm assuming that you all want to talk." I say as a statement not a question.
"Yes. Can we talk some where more private." scoffs Angela, glaring at the newest members and the man I would would day marry.
"Yeah sure, if I have to." I unwrapped my myself from Leo with a small peck on the lips and followed them out of the barn with one last look at our new pack members before I got chewed. When I did I mouthed 'I'll be fine' they just nodded.
Time to face the music. I think to my self. But think of the bright side Leo is going to be with you.
"What were you thinking?" hisses Jess once we had reached the old tree house.
"I was thinking that I wanted my mate to be with me, and I wanted him to be happy so I thought his friends staying might help." I say keeping my chin held high.
"Did you forget that my mate who rejected me is in that group?" asks a very tried looking Charlie.
"She hasn't rejected you! Its just a very confusing situation." I say
"How would you know?" he says angrily.
"Its called talking, if you were to listen to her you could work this whole thing out." I say getting ticked off with the fact that he's to stubborn to give in and talk to his own mate.
"But why didnt you ask us if we wanted some new members?" asks Jess.
"Lets put in in to perspective, if Angela was to join but no one know but Dad and Noah would we be having this fight? No, we wouldn't. Wats wrong with my mate?" I say desperately wanting to hear why that cant stand to be with in a five meter radius of Leo and his friends.
"Because Noah didnt hurt me like Leo hurt you, dont you get it? He could run off again at any given moment. How can you trust him?" says Angela. That one was a low blow, I could trust Leo...Couldn't I?
"I trust him." I say smiling softly. "I trust him a lot. And I'm sorry that I didn't ask you but I thought you all would want me to be happy....I should of asked I guess." I say looking down. They must really not like Leo, it hurts knowing that my family doesnt like my mate.
"We dont want you to be burned again." Jess covers up
"I wont be burned. Please trust me with this one, I'm happy and Leo and his friends staying would make me happy." I say smiling and I can tell I finally broke them.
"Yeah...I guess you can have my blessing then." says Jess, I offer her a smile.
"I doesn't really affect me... yet, but I dont want you to get hurt again Ry." Angela looks into my eyes, making sure that I can see the emotion behind her words.
"Thanks guys. I swear I know what I'm doing." I say and they focred a smile and I could tell they weren't overly happy ith this, but were going to go through it anyway. And I loved them for it.
"I have to go and get some chores done." sighs Jess.
"I'll help you." says Angela and they walk off toward the house. Just leaving Charlie and I standing there.
"Charlie....I know that Izzy staying with us will be hard. It's shelfish of me to do this. And I don't want to hurt you, but please dont make this hard on him." I say looking Charlie directly in the eye.
"Its hard for me... not just because of Izzy. Since Mom left you have been, I dont know different. Not who you use to be." he says
"We all changed, but that happened a long time ago. What does that have to do with Leo?" I ask
"Trust is earned and I know how hard it was for you to open up to people after that, Leo....well I dont know if I trust him or Izzy or Dave." Charlie says in a very hurt voice.
"Thats part of life, but I want to give them a chance." I look at my worn saddle behind him, my barn is my home.
"I still dont like it." he says and gives me a hug and ruffles my hair.
"Hey..." I whine and try to fix my messy hair.
"Run along, little sister." He says and walks off towards the house.
"When are you officially going to welcome them into the pack" I mental ask Dad.
"Whenever you're ready." He responds
"I'll go get them." I send and race off to the barn.
"Leo! Izzy! Dave!" I yell as I'm running. they all come racing out of the barn.
"Are you okay?" ask Leo, looking me up and down for lumps or bruises
"I'm fine! Dads going to officially welcome you to our pack!" I say tossing my arms around his neck and he twirled me in the air.
"Are you ready?" I ask once he had set my down.
"Most definitely" he says with a smile the spread across his whole face.
A/N- what do you think????/