Home sweet home. I drop my bags on the floor of my room and longingly look at my bed. I can either just fall down on it and not get up till tomorrow, or I can go take a shower first and then fall down on my bed.
Sighing, I grab fresh towels from the shelf. Shower, it is.
The next day, I wake up at 6 as I'm used to in the last couple of weeks. When I go downstairs my dad looks at me in shock. "You're up early?" he asks.
I shrug.
"Maybe you should've stayed there a few days longer," dad says. I glare at him and go pour myself some coffee he'd prepared.
"Are you going to school today?" he asks.
I nod. I was going to skip school because of all the traveling I did yesterday but since I'm up this early, better get on with the day.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me and just left!" Kara says as I approach our lockers.
"It was a last minute thing," I lie. I was not in a good place when I left and I didn't want to see or talk to Kara so I didn't tell her I was leaving.
"How was the training? Roger told me it was pretty rough," Kara says.
"For him and Dalton it was. I trained with another instructor who specialized in running, so it was good. He was very laid back."
"Did you meet any hot guy?"
"Kinda."
"What do you mean kinda?"
"There was a guy I trained with. He was nice. But it didn't work out."
"Why!??"
"I don't think I can do long distance relationship. Now enough about me. How were you holding up without us?"
"Ugh," she groans. "It was so boring. I wish dad had sent me, too, with you guys. Oh, there they are!"
I turn around and see Roger and Dalton coming. Once they reach us Kara throws her arms around Roger and gives him a kiss. He kisses her back. I leave them, taking Dalton with me.
"I wanted to talk to you about something," Dalton says on our way.
"About what?"
"Matilda."
"The woman you're having an affair with? Are you in trouble?"
"Why are you assuming the worst?"
"I don't think there's a best scenario associated with it."
"That's true. Anyway, last night she said she wanted to meet me because she missed me and couldn't wait any longer to see me. So I went to the motel. Then when I was leaving this morning she told me she'd like for us to go away for a few days."
"Go away? Like a mini vacation?"
"Yeah."
"What did you say?"
"I said I'll think about it."
"But you don't want to go."
"No. I think she's taking us seriously."
"I'm surprised you realized that now only."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you seen her mate? James has the looks, the brain, the job and the money. He's a whole package. I don't think she would risk losing it all for someone she doesn't feel anything for."
"So what do you think I should do?"
"Do you even have to ask? Break up with her!"
"It's easy for you to say. And how can you even suggest I break up with Matilda when you and Roger are getting it on pretty well."
"Roger is not mated yet. And neither of us is asking the other to run away for a honeymoon!"
"She didn't say run away," he says.
"Yeah, right. Whatever lets you sleep at night. Listen, if you want to summon the guts to break up with her, why don't you come with me to the party at my dad's research facility this week? James will be there. If you talk to him you'll know how much he cares for Matilda and loves her. She's in good hands, and she'll be fine after you leave her."
Dalton hesitates at the prospect of meeting James. "Just come with me," I say. "If you don't want to talk to him, that's fine. But just come."
"Okay."
"You look great. Dad told me you left for a two-week training program in Norman Islands. Glad you're back because we couldn't take any more of his whining of how much he missed you," James says.
I laugh. "And he told me I should've stayed there a little longer."
"I don't think he would've lasted that long."
I glance at Dalton who is staying away from us and signals him to come over but he doesn't.
After James leaves, I go to Dalton. "Feeling guilty enough yet?" I ask.
"Coming here was a bad idea," Dalton says.
"I agree," Roger says beside him. The Alpha and his family are also invited to the party.
My dad's lab is celebrating the invention of a possible cure for CTD (Chronic Transfigurative Disorder). It's a condition one in every six female and one in every twenty male werewolves have.
Kara and I have it, too. The disorder causes an intense chronic pain when we transform between our human and wolf forms. We take regular pain suppressants to prevent the onset of the pain, but it's only a temporary measure.
As you grow older, the pain suppressants stop working, and those who suffer from CTD will have no other option but to choose to stay either in their human or wolf form without transforming between those two to avoid the pain.
The new drug my dad and his team had invented can suppress the gene that triggers the pain after a transformation, once and for all.
The final trial on the drug hasn't started yet, but so far in the lab tests the drug is successful.
"Agree to what?" Kara asks as she joins our conversation. She's Roger's date to the party. She's also one of the first test subjects for the drug trial.
"That the party is boring," Dalton says.
"I agree. So why don't we just leave early and hit a club?"
The group is in.
"So, did you come to a conclusion yet?" I ask Dalton over the loud music in the club. Roger and Kara are on the dance floor.
"Stop pressuring me."
"Okay. I won't. But what will you do if she asks again to go on that short getaway with you? You're not going to take her and give her false hope just cuz you don't want to stop screwing her, do you?"
"No! Of course not! But breaking up is not that easy. You of all people should know that!" he says.
I look over at Roger and Kara. "Yeah, you're right," I say.
I arch my back while on top of Roger's lap in his car seat as he pushes into me. His strong hold across my back keeps my hips pressed against him. He buries his face between my breasts and pushes into me one last time.
Panting, he then brings my face close to his and kisses me.
I don't know why he does that. He always kisses me once we finish. It's a gentle and caressing kiss, the kind shared between lovers. And I've to stop my heart from wavering every time he does that. His action is not out of love, at least the kind of love I feel for him.
While I'm putting on my dress in the passenger seat, he says, "You know, I've been thinking about it. Maybe we should go away for a few days. Just us."
I pause and look at him, and then we both break into a laugh. Only a few hours ago we were lecturing Dalton why he shouldn't give into Matilda's request.
"I don't think it's a good idea," I say, finishing dressing myself.
"I know," he says. He rubs his hand over my thigh. "But I want to. What about you?"
"You know I do," I tell him as I lean in and kiss him. "But I don't want you to regret it later."
"I won't," he says in between our kisses.
"Congratulations on your dad's invention," Levi says to me at the gym.
"Thanks," I tell him.
"But isn't too early for you guys to be celebrating? I hear the final trial has not even begun yet."
"The drug works. I know my dad. He wouldn't say it works unless he's 100% sure it does. The final trial is just a formality at this point."
He smiles. "I love how much you trust your dad. He's lucky to have you. And soon I'll be too," he says as he moves a strand of my hair. I slap his hand away but he grabs it and pulls me close to me.
"I told you, Jean. I like it when you're feisty. You're only turning me on when you're acting like this."
"Mr. Bosworth!" I shout. Levi lets go of my hand immediately and leaves with a smirk.
Bosworth comes to me and asks, "What?"
"C-Can I be excused? I'm not feeling well."
"Okay. Go home early."
I grab my gym bag with trembling hands and dash out, straight to my car.
"Are you okay?" Roger asks as he's driving us to our weekend getaway. He hasn't yet told me where we're going.
"Yeah," I tell him. I got a little distracted thinking about Levi. He hasn't done anything yet, so I hope he's all bark and no bite.
"The airport?" I ask him as we enter the road that leads to the airport. "Where are we going?"
He just smiles and doesn't say anything.
I only get the answer to the question when I take a look at the boarding pass. It's the Ortman Island. It's not too far from the Norman Islands where we went to train.
"I know you liked staying at Norman, so I decided we should go to an island."
He decided right. I barely got to explore Norman and I really wanted to. If Ortman is anything like Norman I know I'll enjoy staying there.
Roger gets the keys from the manager. He had booked us a huge cottage right near the shoreline.
After we get in, I look around. It's a perfect mix of both modern and traditional interior. And the best view is definitely from the dining area where you can see the ocean.
Roger hugs me from behind. "Do you like it?"
"I love it," I tell him. What I love more is his kisses on my neck. Soon, we forget our plans to explore the island and lock ourselves in the bedroom till the next day.
Since we were too busy having sex, we hardly got a couple of hours to take a trip around the island, but it was worth it. Unlike the Norman Islands, the forests here are less dense so we were able to travel through them.
Before I knew it, the weekends have gone and we pack up and leave.
Still smiling from the weekend effect I had, I enter my home with my house key. That's when I get a call from Dalton.
"Please tell me you're back!" Dalton says in an urgent voice.
"I am. What happened?"
"You need to come to the hospital. It's about your dad, and Kara."
I drive the car as fast as possible. The only thing Dalton told me was that my dad's lab conducted the first live test of the drug this morning. The first two subjects were my dad and Kara.
Soon after they were injected with the drugs they both dropped unconscious and were admitted to the hospital. Dalton said because my dad didn't have CTD his condition has slightly improved, but Kara's condition is only getting worse.
I run to the floor where my dad and Kara are at the hospital. I notice Dalton first among the people gathered in the corridor. He quickly comes to me and takes me to my dad. I start crying as soon as I see my dad in the hospital bed.
"He's fine," Dalton says. "He'll soon be transferred to a non-emergency room. He's recovering now."
I wipe my tears and kiss my dad's forehead. "And Kara?" I ask.
Dalton shakes his head. "She's getting worse."
"How worse?"
"Enough that everyone is worried for her life."
Dalton takes me to Kara next. There are more equipments and tubes around her. I can't believe this is happening. The doctor comes and tells me he's transferring my dad now, so Dalton and I go back to my dad to the new room assigned to him on the floor below.
After the doctor and the nurse leave us, Dalton and I step out to the hallway. I ask Dalton, "How did it happen?"
"I don't know. The drug didn't work," he says.
"No! The drug works. Something else happened. This is not because of the research."
"I don't know, Jean! But this is what everyone believes. That your dad," he stops.
"My dad what?" I ask him. "What is everyone saying?!"
"That your dad lied about the drug. That it never worked. And he put Kara's life in danger just to save his face."
"No! No! Are you crazy?! My dad would never do that!"
Dalton looks away. "Oh my God! You believe them, too?" I ask him. "How can you believe that? You know my dad."
"It is hard to believe. But look at Kara. She was fine before she took the drug, now she's fighting for her life!"
"No," I whisper, shaking my head.
Just as I was fighting the urge to cry again, I see Roger coming towards us. I start to feel relieved now that he's here, until I see the expression on his face. He's angry and in pain. He grabs me by my arms. "What did your dad do to her?!" he asks, shaking me.
"No. He didn't do anything. It's not his fault," I say.
"Don't lie!" he shouts. "Did you know the drug didn't work? Did you?!"
"No! The drug works. Otherwise, my dad would've never tested it on anyone."
"Then why is Kara on the hospital bed now?!" he says. His voice is full of anger.
"R-Roger, please. My da–"
He pulls me close to his face. "If anything happens to her, I won't let your dad go."
"Roger!" Dalton says as he pulls Roger away from me. "Don't take it out on her. It's not her fault."
Roger leaves us without looking back. My held back tears come out.