After putting everything from the party away and having dinner with her family, Chloe marched over to the Alpha and Luna's house.
The sun had already set but there was still a purplish glow on the western horizon when she set out. The waning crescent moon hung in the sky as the stars began to emerge in the encroaching darkness. She tromped through the crusty old snow at a quick pace with her hands shoved in the pockets of her jacket and the hood pulled over her head. The temperature had dropped and she could see her breath puffing out before her in little mists in the dim light.
Stepping up to the front door, she pounded her fist on it three times and waited for someone to answer. Luna Aki did after a minute and smiled at her. When had Chloe gotten taller than her?
"Hi, Chloe. Looking for Ann?"
Chloe bowed her head respectfully. "Yes, Luna."
"Come on in. She's up in her room studying for a test she has on Monday. She's been at it for maybe half an hour, so a little break to hang out might be nice."
Chloe nodded and stepped inside, taking her boots and winter clothes off. "I'll try not to be too long—unless she wants a study-buddy or someone to quiz her."
"Don't worry about it, dear."
Chloe couldn't help wrinkling her nose at the new scent she had come to understand as Animkii's. As much as it was pleasing to her senses, it still raised her hackles. He'd been here recently but didn't seem to be present inside at the moment. She didn't see or smell Alpha Noodin either, so he must have been out as well.
She went up the stairs to Anwaatin's bedroom and knocked on the closed door.
"Come in," came Anwaatin's response from inside.
Chloe pushed the door open and stepped inside. Anwaatin greeted her as she closed the door behind her. Crossing her arms over her chest, Chloe narrowed her eyes at her younger friend. "What the heck, Ann?"
Anwaatin looked up at her from her textbook in confusion. "Huh?"
"Did you tell Anim about my vision at the Winter Moon Festival?"
The confusion etched deeper grooves across Anwaatin's face. "No. I don't even remember what your vision was."
"Crocuses and a key."
The blank look Anwaatin gave her made Chloe uncross her arms and heave a sigh. The anger within her dissipated as she realized she was wrong in her assumptions. "Sorry. I thought you told Anim about it and it was some kind of joke."
"Chloe, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."
Chloe tilted her head, her thoughts muddled. "Don't you know what Anim gave me today?"
Anwaatin shook her head. "I didn't even know he gave you a gift. I don't remember you opening one and announcing his name during your party."
"Because he didn't put it with the other gifts. He wanted to give it to me privately."
Her eyes widened. "Oh? And what was it? Crocuses and a key?"
Chloe heaved a sigh as she sat down on the bed next to Anwaatin. "No crocuses, but he gave me one of those old keys that are more ornate than useful on a leather necklace. It was the same key as the one in the vision. I thought you told him and he was screwing around with me."
Furrowed brows tugged down on Anwaatin's face. "Why would he do that? He's too serious."
Chloe perked an eyebrow in accusatory disbelief.
Anwaatin relented. "Okay, maybe he's not totally serious all the time, but he wouldn't do something out of cruelty. He's usually really thoughtful about his gifts."
Chloe heaved another sigh, knowing that was true. She remembered the year he made her favorite peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies for her birthday. That was after Madison's death. "I know. I'm just... confused."
"Why? Because it's the key from your vision? It must mean something then."
"But what?" A nibbling of anxiety gnawed away at Chloe's stomach as she remembered the way his presence felt when he leaned down to whisper in her ear and put the necklace around her neck.
He wasn't her mate, but why was her body reacting that way to him?
Anwaatin shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't think it's something to get anxious about. You'll figure it out."
Chloe grimaced, realizing that Anwaatin could pick up on the shifting of her emotions in her scent. "I know. It's just..."
She sighed, wondering if she should tell Anwaatin about the way Animkii made her feel. He was her brother. Wouldn't that be gross to her? She was always expressing disgust whenever Kayla mentioned her attraction to Animkii. And because of Kayla's crush on him, she couldn't talk to her about it either. She didn't feel comfortable enough talking to any of her cousins or other friends about it because they might jump to the wrong conclusions and she didn't want to think that way about Animkii. He wasn't her mate. Madison was his mate. And while Madison was dead, Chloe still had a mate out there somewhere, and it wasn't Animkii.
"What's bothering you?" Anwaatin asked as Chloe sat there for a few minutes, silently debating in her head.
"You can keep a secret, right?"
Anwaatin nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Of course! What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't?"
Chloe shrugged, looking down at her lap. "I know, it's just... weird. I don't know what to do or what to think about it right now. It's throwing everything off and..." She sighed. "I can't think straight. It's too confusing."
Anwaatin heaved an exasperated sigh. "Just tell me already! We can work through it together."
She had a point. "It's not that simple."
Anwaatin gave her a look that told her she was being ridiculous.
Twisting a lock of her hair, Chloe looked down at the tip of it and took a deep breath. "I don't know what it means, but I'm going to start by saying don't jump to conclusions."
"Okay, okay, stop dragging it on!"
Chloe swallowed and dropped the lock of hair and held her hands together in her lap. "Remember me asking you and Kayla about that nice smell I couldn't place that neither of you could smell at the party?"
Anwaatin nodded. "Nice smell but not a mate."
Chloe nodded. "I thought I was alone after you guys left but your brother stuck around, sweeping the floor, and the scent belonged to him."
"And?" There was a note of excitement in Anwaatin's voice and she bounced a little on her bed.
Chloe looked up to meet her gaze, startled by her gleeful reaction. "What do you mean, 'and'? It belonged to him but he's not my mate. Madison was his mate. I don't understand what's going on."
Anwaatin mashed her lips together and looked away.
Chloe regarded her closely. "Wait, what do you know about this?"
Humming, Anwaatin shrugged but the look on her face was one of feigned innocence. Her scent shifted from excitement to one of anxiety.
The hairs on the back of Chloe's neck rose and she squared her shoulders as she stiffened in her seat. "Oh no, don't give me that. You know something about this. Did he purposely change his scent to trick me or something?"
Anwaatin winced. "Geez, why do you think he's screwing around with your feelings?"
Anger bubbled up and Chloe tried to reign it in. "Because he threw our friendship out the window over the phone five years ago!"
Grimacing, Anwaatin hung her head, avoiding her glare. "I know and that was a jerk move, but you really should talk to him."
Chloe scoffed. "Why? Even after Madison's death and your father's challenge, I reached out to him to try and be there for him as a friend and he pushed me away those times too. I'm done. I don't want anything to do with him ever again."
"Please." Anwaatin reached out and grasped Chloe's hand. "You have to talk to him. He will explain everything."
Chloe's eyes began to widen. "Hold on... You're on his side?"
Hurt flashed in those dark brown eyes as Anwaatin's brows knotted and she mashed her lips again.
When she didn't immediately respond, Chloe stood up to leave.
"Chloe, wait!"
"I thought we were friends, Ann," Chloe fired back.
"We are!"
"You know what he did to me and yet you're still taking his side."
Anwaatin swallowed but didn't respond.
Bile rose up Chloe's throat as she pulled open the door and stormed out. She hurried down the stairs and tugged her winter clothes on as quickly as she could before catching the Luna's attention.
Running out the door, her throat burned as tears threatened to fall. The cold air stung the corners of her eyes as she pulled her hood over her head and hurried across the valley.
Now Anwaatin wasn't even on her side.
Who could she turn to now?
She felt so alone. So betrayed.
Maybe if she did find her mate now, it would be better to leave this all behind.
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Copyright Jo Lee Hunt ( Joflower ) 2020