7 months later
I rushed into my personal bathroom and grabbed one of my hairspray cans.
For some reason, my hair always had to be spot on. It was like a pet peeve if it wasn't. I didn't like people knowing my hair was curly, just like my dads. I always straightened it and hair-sprayed it so it would stay in place.
When I fix my hair, I put the can of hairspray away and pace around my room.
I took down all of my polaroids with me and Kyle. Anything to do with him frankly, was gone and shoved away in a shoe box at the bottom of my closet.
I turned 18 a week ago, and Kyle was on schedule to come back today.
I tried my best not to care, but in reality I did.
A lot.
I felt my wolf worrying and whining in my head. I met him just a few weeks ago, before my birthday.
He didn't really have a name quite yet. I kept trying to offer a few, but he never likes my options.
'Will you stop pacing? It's making me nervous.' He tells me.
"I can't help it. Kyle comes back today." I tell him.
I hear him growl. For some reason he doesn't like Kyle. He always shuts me down whenever I tell him that we were meant to be mates.
'I thought you got over him all those months ago?'
"Yeah, me too." And I stop pacing when I hear the front door open.
'Don't go down there.' My wolf growls at me.
"Wasn't planning it." I go and lock my bedroom door.
I may not have seen him in two years, but I still knew him deep down, and he will try to come into my room.
I stop pacing and sit on the chair by my desk.
I opened my medical books, and began studying again.
I always wanted to be around Grant or Ross whenever I had the time, so they gave me a few books to study and they're mentoring me on how to help heal our wolves.
"Can we please discuss your name?" I say after a few minutes.
My wolf snorts. 'Maybe when you give me a good suggestion.'
I roll my eyes, and continue reading my book when a thought crosses my mind.
"What about vessel?" I think outloud.
My wolf purrs. 'Finally, something good.'
I get excited. "You like the name Vessel?"
I feel him bounce around in my head, all excited.
"Is that a yes?" I raise a brow.
'Yes. It's the only good suggestion you've given me.'
I begin to laugh for a moment, when a knock is heard at my bedroom door.
Vessel growls, and I smell Kyles scent.
"Liam?" I hear him through the door.
I get up from my chair and walk close to the door.
"Li,"
I push vessel back when he calls me that.
"I know you're in there. I can smell you."
His voice is so much deeper.
I slip out a growl. "Go away."
Kyle sighs, and I see my door handle shake. "Liam, unlock your door."
For a moment, I get afraid that he's going to use his Beta voice on me to make me open my door, but I hear my mom.
"Kyle, he doesn't want to see you."
I cover my face with my hands as I feel myself starting to cry.
I don't really cry, but it tends to always happen when it's about Kyle.
"Can I at least try to talk to him?" He offers, but Vessel lets out a loud growl again.
"Not even that. Just give him space right now."
I hear another, unfamiliar voice come into the conversation outside my door.
"Am I allowed to meet him?"
It's not as deep as Kyles, and it's a male voice. But I don't care to meet this person.
I drown out their voices as I go back to my chair and begin studying again.
———
A soft knock presents itself at my door. The sun has gone down and it was dark out.
"Liam? I need you to come down for dinner." I hear my dad.
"No thanks. I'm not hungry." I don't move from my bed.
"Liam, open your door and come down to dinner. I know you're hungry. And don't make me use my alpha voice on you." My dad warns.
He doesn't like using his alpha voice on me and my siblings. He'll do it occasionally but it's not often.
"Josh, let me talk to him. Don't make him do anything." I hear my moms voice, and instantly go to unlock the door.
My mom smiles at me, but my dad frowns. "It's not fair how close you two are."
My mom rolls his eyes. "You and Arina are just like me and Liam. Now go back down to the kitchen and don't start without me."
My dad turns around goes back down the stairs, as I pull my mom into my room and lock my door again.
He wraps his arms around me and I do the same.
His hands run through my hair as if to comfort me.
"I really don't want to see him, mom." I mumble into his shirt.
I'm pretty short compared to everyone. My mom is a decent height at 5'7" and I'm barely below him at 5'3".
"I know, but you can't avoid him forever. Plus you need to eat." I pull away and nervously pace around my room again.
"Is he down at the table?"
"Yes. It's his homecoming dinner, Li." He crosses his arms.
"Please tell me I don't have to sit anywhere near him."
Mom got in the way of my pacing path.
"You won't. You don't even need to talk to him or anything. I just want you to come eat with everyone."
I roll my eyes. "Why couldn't you just bring my dinner up here?"
"Because I didn't teach you those kinds of manners over the past 18 years, especially during an important event."
I snort when he says 'important event' but he gave me a look that all moms give when you back talk them.
"Fine. I'll come down. But I get to leave whenever I want."
Mom gave me a loving smile and led me out of my room, down to the place where I was dreading to be.