A/N: Things will be slow from this end, but I figured I should give you something. Like I posted on my profile, school is crazy and I won't be updating as often, I'm so sorry! But thank you so much for being patient, lots of love🥰
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"That's a win for me!" Lance said, laughing and dancing around the foosball table with triumph.
I rolled my eyes at him, letting go of the handles, accepting defeat gracefully and watching him dance.
"Lance, you look ridiculous. Just stop." Sapphire said from her chair.
"No one asked you," Lance shot back, and she made a face at him, which he mirrored.
"You're both children." Ryker said, passing by.
"Where are you going?" Lance asked curiously.
"I'm going for a run." Ryker replied, heading down the stairs.
"I'm going to the bar," Lance stated.
"Are you even old enough?" I teased, and Lance rolled his eyes at me.
"Piss off."
I went to go sit next to Sapphire, who sat down the book she was reading.
"What's that?" I asked, pointing at the book.
"Harry Potter." She replied.
"Which one?" I peered at the cover, but I couldn't read the print underneath the blanket she was curled up in.
"The fifth book." I nodded.
"Hey guys." Chris came out into the common room. "Where'd Ryker go?"
"He went on his run," Sapphire said, opening her book and turning the page.
"Ah, okay." Chris nodded.
"Taylor!" Summer came jogging up the stairs. "Will you come and shift with me? It's been forever since I shifted."
I nodded, eager to be in my fur.
"Wait for us," Chris chimed in, and Sapphire looked up at him quickly.
"But Chris-"
"But nothing. Come on, you've read that book a thousand times already." Chris beckoned for her to get up and she did reluctantly, groaning and mumbling the entire way up.
We walked downstairs, and Lance appeared at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at us with questioning eyes.
"What's going on?" He asked.
Jess poked her head out of the office, a phone pressed to her ear.
"We're going on a run." Summer explained.
"Sounds great." Lance walked with us.
"Hey wait up!" Jess hung up the phone and tossed it back inside the office, hurrying to catch up with us.
Once inside the woods we all sought some form of privacy and stripped down, shifting into our wolves.
Summer's pure white form slid out of the shadows first, her brown eyes wide with excitement.
Jess and Sapphire's tan coats appeared next, and they looked at each other and their eyes were laughing.
Lance's chesnut brown coat shone in the light as he paced out, Chris' muddy brown figure behind him.
I heard panting behind us and turned to see a familiar black and white figure trotting through the trees to meet up.
Phoebe was black with white paws, white ears, and a white tipped tail. She was soft and fluffy- her wolf's hazel green eyes shining. She really was beautiful.
Summer had a bounce in her step and she took off in a streak of white. Lance was quick to follow, a wolfish grin on his muzzle.
I ran after them, my paws skidding through the dirt, mentally laughing as Summer and Lance tackled each other, chasing each other in a game of tag.
Hey. Evan's voice echoed in my head and I paused.
Hi. What's up? I asked.
I thought I'd check in on you today. How's Ariel?
Still out cold.
Really? It's been three days. Evan remarked.
Yeah, I know. I replied. How are you? Any closer to finding Charlie?
We're so close, I can feel it. I just wanted to talk to you. Evan's voice was filled with longing, and my wolf whined for him.
I miss you too. I said.
Phoebe came trotted over and rubbed her body alongside mine, nudging me with her head.
What are you doing right now? Evan asked me.
We're out for a run. We were bored and feeling a bit of cabin fever. I replied.
Okay. Well, I'll let you go. I'll call you tonight, okay?
Okay. I said quietly. Come home soon.
I will. Bye baby.
I stopped, surprised. Evan never used pet names. He must really miss me.
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I walked out of the room, shrugging on the red plaid flannel over the white t-shirt I had on. I had slipped on some light blue jeans, a belt and black combat boots.
My phone rang again and I checked the I.D. It was Anna.
"Hey, what's up?" I asked.
"It's Emmy. She's really upset. She wants you."
"I'm on my way." I replied immediately.
I hurried downstairs, finding the key holder and digging through it.
"Looking for these?"
I turned to see Hudson casually leaned up against the doorframe, holding up a set of keys. "Come on, I'll take you." He gestured with his head for me to follow him.
"Thanks." I said with relief.
I wasn't going to shift and run without an escort, but now that Hudson was coming with me, we were free to shift and get to my pack so much faster.
I slipped my shirt back on and walked out of the trees, spotting Hudson as he shrugged his t-shirt back on, talking to one of the guards at the gate.
The guard noticed me and bowed his head, his eyes on the ground. "Luna," he greeted me.
"Hey Ivan." I smiled gently at him, and he seemed surprised I remembered his name.
"Come on." Hudson gestured for me to follow him.
We hurried into the pack house and I found Anna in the flat, she looked exhausted.
"Where is she?" I asked. Anna gestured to the room, putting her hand on her head.
I pushed open Emmy's daisy yellow door, finding her hiding underneath her Frozen comforter, her face a picture of sadness.
"Taylor!" She cried softly, and I hurried over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed, stroking her short blonde hair away from her face.
"Emmy, honey, what's wrong?" I asked her, concerned
"Where's Evan? Why isn't he here? Why did you leave? Why didn't you come back?" Emmy asked, tears streaming down her face.
Oh Goddess.
"Oh, Emmy. I'm here, I'm here." I said, taking her in my arms and holding her against my chest.
"Why didn't you come back?" Emmy sobbed.
Evan. Evan I need you. I desperately tried to link my mate.
Tears welled in my eyes as I watched the young, innocent girl cry out of fear and abandonment.
What's wrong?! Evan linked me automatically.
Call me.
My phone began ringing in my pocket and I pulled it out, answering it.
"Taylor what's happening?" Evan asked, his voice full of fear.
Emmy kept crying, making me more emotional.
"It's Emmy. She thought you- she thought we-" I couldn't finish my sentence, and I could hear Evan's pained intake of breath.
"Put her on."
"Emmy, baby, it's Evan." I said softly, stroking her cheek. "He's okay, Emmy. He wants to talk to you."
Emmy sat up, sniffling and wiping away tears.
"Hello?" She asked, pressing the phone to her ear.
"Emmy, what's wrong?" Evan asked her.
"Where are you?" Emmy began crying again, and I rubbed her shoulders. "Why haven't you come back?"
"Thomas! Where are you?"
I ran through the woods, my fear mounting as I shouted into the darkness.
"Taylor!" I turned and saw my brother, and I ran to him.
"Where were you? Why didn't you come back?" I demanded, tears streaming down my face.
"I always come back, Taylor. I promised, didn't I?" He took my face in his hands and stared into my eyes intensely.
"I want you to come home." Emmy's voice pulled me back to my thoughts.
"I'm coming home soon, Emmy. I promise. I gotta help somebody. You want me to help people, don't you?"
"Yeah," Emmy said slowly.
"Well you gotta let me do that. That way I can come home faster."
"Okay," Emmy said quietly.
"Now can you give the phone to Taylor so I can talk to her?" Evan asked.
Emmy wordlessly handed me the phone and then curled up in my lap, hugging my leg.
"Hi." I said softly.
"What's wrong?" Evan asked. "I felt you get sad. I felt it."
"My brother made those same promises, and look where it got him." I said, feeling sadness overwhelm me.
"I'm coming home, Taylor. I'm coming home."
"You've been saying that for weeks, Evan. Please stop saying it." I said, closing my eyes and biting my lip, trying to hold back tears.
I longed for him. I needed him. I needed him to come home. I wanted to tell him- to beg him- to just drop everything and come running back to me.
But I wasn't selfish enough to even consider actually asking him.
"Taylor I-" Evan sighed deeply. "I have to do this."
"I know that. But that doesn't make it any easier."
"I'm sorry."
"Just find your brother and come home." I hung up the phone and got out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Emmy asked, panicked.
"To Evan's house, to get some clothes to sleep in, and then I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning." I told her. I approached Hudson, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"You can take the the guest room." He nodded, turning and walking down the hall.
"Hudson?" I called after him, and he stopped and turned back to me. "Thank you."
"Of course," he replied, turning the corner.
I hurried to Evan's house and went straight to our room, going into his closet.
On the floor, discarded on the white carpet was one of his t-shirts. It still smelled like him.
Without thinking, I grabed it and stripped, putting that on and pulling it up to my nose, inhaling deeply.
I walked over to our bed and curled up on his side, burying my face in his pillow, feeling tears stream down my face.
I rolled over, my eyes opening, the blurriness clearing.
Evan stared down at me, smiling with brightness in his blue eyes.
"Hey." He said, turning over and running a hand along my face.
"Hi." I giggled as his hand ran down my body. "You're happy today."
"I woke up this morning, and- and I saw you. Lying there, next to me. To me, of all people. You looked so peaceful. I- I just feel so... so lucky." He was having a hard time expressing himself, and I smiled widely, my heart bursting with happiness.
"I'm lucky too. You may not know how to tell me how you feel, but I know. I can feel it." I reached up and placed my hand over his heart.
Evan smiled softly at me. "I'm glad." He reached down and planted a kiss on my lips, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
The door burst open and I startled in bed, sitting up halfway, ready to defend myself.
Evan stood in the doorway, completely naked, his bright blue eyes wild and desperate.
"E-?"
He was on top of me in a flash, pinning me to the bed and crushing me, smashing his lips onto mine.
I was frozen for a moment, stunned beyond belief.
After a moment I got over my shock, kissing him back and wrapping my arms around his neck, my back arching off of the bed to rub my body against his.
"I thought you were in Ohio," I said breathlessly.
"I ran here," Evan's eyes were shining a vibrant orange. "I had to- I couldn't- I just-"
"Just shut up and kiss me." I grabbed him by the neck an pulled him down on me, my lips fitting against his.
"I can't stay long." He whispered against my mouth. "We're so close."
"Don't ruin the moment." I breathed.
"Is that my shirt?" He asked, looking down at it.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him into me, kissing him again.
"Please just hold me." I whispered.
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"I have to go." Evan murmured into my neck, spooning me from behind. He kissed the mark and I shuddered.
We watched the sun rise through the curtains, and we'd laid in silence for hours together until it was time for him to leave.
I didn't want him to leave.
I grabbed his hands and brought them around my body, holding them up against my chest.
He nuzzled his face into my neck and inhaled deeply, exhaling with a soft, content sigh.
I could stay here forever. It's what that sigh meant.
Me too.
I pulled his hand up to my face and I kissed his palm, stroking his fingers with my own.
"It's okay," I whispered. "You can go now."
He propped himself up and planted a soft kiss on my lips. "Stay safe for me."
"I will." I said quietly. "You too." He nodded and got out of bed, heading towards the door.
His eyes. Those vibrant, blue eyes. They spoken a thousand words, and yet the first ones that came to mind were only three.
I loved him.
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"You sure Emmy will be okay?" Hudson asked as we walked down the long driveway out of the pack grounds.
"She'll be fine. She has Anna." I replied
"You're going to be a great Mom, Taylor." Hudson said suddenly, stopping and turning to me.
"You think so?" I asked.
"I know so. I can see the way you are with Emmy. You're good with her. Good to her. You're going to be great. Your kids will be lucky."
"Are you being nice, Hudson Rivers?" I asked with fake shock. He laughed and nudged me.
"Don't act so surprised."
"Surprised? I'm astounded," I teased.
"Careful. You might hurt yourself using all those big words." Hudson shot back, and I punched him in the shoulder.
Obviously it did nothing to faze the Alpha, but it made me feel better.
"You ready?" Hudson asked, and I nodded.
"Yeah, I am."
We disappeared behind the trees, stripping down and shifting into our wolves.
We ran along a roaring river through the Georgia fields, crossing the state lines in half an hour.
We came up to Haven in the early afternoon. I was winded from all of that running. Even with my long legs and supernatural speed, running across that much terrain was tiring.
"About time you got back!" Summer exclaimed, looking bored out of her mind as she threw open the front door.
Phoebe appeared behind her, and she smiled shyly at me.
Ever since her outburst, she leaned on me but was also afraid to meet my eyes. She was ashamed.
"I'm back." I said, smiling tiredly.
Hudson wasn't nearly as tired as I was. He brought attention to that fact with smug satisfaction.
"Winded, Taylor?"
"Oh, shut the hell up," I grumbled.
"Come on. Sarah says that Ariel should wake up today." Summer told me.
"So where are we going?" I asked as she dragging me past the stairs.
"Down to the training room."
"Oh, Summer, I-"
"Phoebe and I need tips. We've been training while you were gone." Summer explained.
I sighed and nodded. How could I say no?
I watched Summer and Phoebe spar each other, and occasionally gave tips, but my mind drifted to Evan a lot.
I loved him. I love Evan.
Now I just needed to say it.
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