I had just been released from the pack hospital and Benji and Lewis were escorting me to my room. It's amazing that I had been here for just over a week and I hadn't even had the chance to stay in a normal bedroom. I shook my head, Goddess, what is wrong with my sister?
"Your be staying in a room next to Alpha Jacobs." Lewis sighs. My shoulders hitch at the information that I will be in close proximity of my mate. I can tell my Lewis' tone he can sense my disproval at where I would be staying. Just as I was about to protest. "Me and Benji will be on the other side. So don't get your knickers in a twist." Lewis whispers.
I huff in response and follow him to my chambers. He opens the door and the room is very nice, it is white and clean, the design is simplistic and has the necessities that will make my short stay suffice. I sigh and chuck myself onto the bed, the sheets are cool, the cotton is soft and I close my eyes at the mess I am in.
"Well I see you made yourself comfortable." Lewis chuckles.
"Ahhh, my four wall prison is nothing but comfortable. May as well embrace what I am given." I reply as I close my eyes and let out a deep exhale.
"That's the spirit. As you are so receptive, there's a pack BBQ tonight. Your presence is requested." He says as I peel one of my eyes open and looked at him. I think he can see that it is the last thing I want to do after my stay at the hospital. "Come on, Benji's going and I'm introducing him as a mate. Surely you want to be there for your brother." He jests.
I groan. "Don't worry Lew' she'll be there." Benji says as he storms in my room and chucks himself on my bed next to me. Lewis simply chuckles and shakes his head slightly.
"Lew' babe, I will see you in a hour, we will be there. Need to get Miss Prissy pants here ready. Now shoo." Benji gestures with his hands for him to leave the room.
Lewis mocks an army salute. "Okay babe, see you in a bit" he replies with a wink and closes the door as he leaves.
There is an unhealthy silence that settles between us. Part of me is happy for Benji, he deserves all the happiness in the world. For him to have a mate that is so devoted to his well-being and happiness is the best thing to happen. However, there is a part of me that is jealous, he gets the happily ever after that I will never have. With me being a wolf, I feel the pain of the mate bond, whereas he gets to revel in the magic of a mate bond.
I don't want to loose Benji but I don't know what he will do after he gets marked and mated. I'm pretty sure they've already done the mating part but it is only a matter of time before he gets the mark to go along with it.
"Are you alright?" Benji asks.
"Hmmm, I suppose I am okay. Just thinking really." I respond.
"What's going on in that brain of yours?" Benji teasingly asks.
"Just how everything is still the same, but different you know?" I cryptically respond.
He gives me a look as if he is peering into my soul. I can see his worried eyes meet my on my own. Benji is the only person who I have allowed myself to be vulnerable with. He see's through my facade, he sees past my iron glare. I know he sees my pain because we are both cut from the same cloth. A small tear escapes my eye.
"What happened to my sister?" I ask.
"Well from what Lew' said she's locked up in the cells. I don't know what their plan is from here on out. It hasn't been decided." He shrugs his shoulders. "My opinion is she needs to stay there and they should loose the key. Oh and maybe throw in a straight jacket and shrink. She's got some issues." He shrugs his shoulders.
All I can do is chuckle at his response. He always knows how to lighten the mood. He truly is one of a kind. Part of me wants to be selfish and take him back to New York with me, however he's such an enigma in his own right, he would do such good in this pack. Benji has a way of bringing out the best in people, that's why I wanted him as my right hand. He is intelligent, compassionate and a fighter. He would never give up on those who he loves. Soon he will feel the pull to the pack and the people I have despised will become people he loves and want to protect. I close my eyes and all I can think about is how fate loves to fuck with me. What did I do deserve such pain? Why did I have to lose everyone that I cared about?
"Well enough about the evil witch of Redbridge. It's time to get you ready." Benji says as he bounces from my bed to my suitcase.
I haven't got the energy to argue with him, a part of me wants to stay hidden away in this room but it was an important event for Benji and I couldn't be selfish. He was flinging items of clothing over his shoulder, he quickly pulled out an emerald green body-con dress that I had worn before. Although it hugged my curves tightly, it was conservative in its design, covering most of my skin with it's high neckline. The only bit of skin it showed was my back.
Benji pulled it up in the air, giving me a mischievous grin. I shook my head knowing that he was thinking of nothing but lewd thoughts. The dress fell just below my knee and he knew the last time I wore that dress I had to go commando because of the knicker line. He chucked the dress at the bed and then gave me a pointed look with a raised eyebrow.
"Put it on." He commands. "Get that sexy ass in that dress and show them all what they have been missing the last eight years." I go to interrupt him but he holds his hand up to stop me. "It's my night, so you can't argue with me. Need my sister looking her best." He says with a wink.
"Oh and don't forget you can't wear underwear with that dress. I want you ready in 10. Your face is flawless so you don't need to do much. Remember no excuses, you showered before you left the hospital. So I'm gonna go change into my sexy suit. See you down there." He laughs as he waltzes out the room.
I shake my head in dismay, what has gotten in to him. Never has he been this forward with me and never has he never tried to boss me around. I let out a small chuckle, knowing that his mate was giving him a healthy dose of confidence. I quickly got up from the bed, stripped from my old clothes and donned the dress. I picked up some wedges and quickly pushed my hair back in a messy bun.
I quickly glanced the mirror and put some basic chapstick on and exhaled deeply. Even though I looked good, I still couldn't help but feel like the dorky unliked and ugly teenager I once was. This place brought up nothing but bad memories and increased my insecurities. Being back in my pack made me realise how much I was hiding away from my past.
I quickly made my way out of my room and through the pack house to the back garden before I could change my mind about attending. It was then that I made it to the back garden doors. Everyone was scattered in groups. The sun was setting, there were lights dotted around the garden, hidden in the trees. It made the neglected garden look like something out of a fairytale, the soft hum of the lights complimented the orange glow from the sunset.
As I made my way down the patio steps, the chatter turned to whispers, I could feel peoples eyes stare into the back of my head as I made my way to Lewis and Benji who were stood smirking at the scene in front of them. I knew Jacob was around because the smell of strawberries was making my wolf surface and whimper. All I could do was push her to the back of my mind, not wanting to deal with her this evening.
"Well that was quick, Benji thought he was going to have to drag you out the room." Lewis chuckled.
"Yeah well, you were right. It's Benji's special night and I couldn't leave him to the wolves now, could i?" I teased.
"Har-Har very funny." Benji said as he embraced me in a hug. "I see you went commando, you look delicious. Males are lusting, woman are sneering. Nothing has changed for you has it." Benji whispered.
"You really have no idea how different things are." I replied as I shook my head.
"Lewis" A boisterous voice beckoned. All our head's snapped in the direction of the blonde Adonis I saw when I first arrived. Except this time he had his arm wrapped around a small petit girl with brown mousy hair. She was a pretty little thing who eyes were captivated by the man holding her. She looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky.
"Tyler!" Lewis replied. Benji and me both looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. "How you doing mate?"
"Well I'm doing well, this one is keeping me busy." He lustfully said as he nipped her ear. She let out a small giggle and playfully pushed him away.
"I can see that." Lewis hummed. "You've met Benji and this Loretta." He gestured to me. I held out a hand to shake which he took politely.
"Ahh the famous Louise turned Loretta." He said with a smirk. "Been a long time ain't it?"
"Not long enough Tyler." I replied with a shrug of my shoulders.
He let a boisterous laugh out. "Jeez you've changed. No longer the quiet mouse are you."
"TYLER! Don't be so rude!" The brunette who was wrapped around him said. "Sorry about him." She gives him a disappointed look.
"Nothing to be sorry about, he's right. I'm not the quiet one anymore. I don't mince my words. I'm Loretta, it's nice to meet you." I say with a smile.
"My name's Jean and unfortunately that dipshit is my mate." She said with furrowed brow.
"Babe, you weren't saying that earlier." Tyler teases.
"I won't be saying that for a long time if you don't shut up and mind your mouth." Jean snaps.
I let out a genuine laugh as Tyler's face pales. "Ah it's so nice to see you have finally met your match. I like her. Don't fuck it up."
"Ah Louise, it has been a long time. Come on give me a hug." He opens his arms expecting me to return the sentiment.
All I can do is look him up and down in disgust. "Would rather not." I respond as I shake my head. Jean laughs as Tyler starts to pout. "As I said before, its Loretta now."
"Ah Loretta Romano. You really have turned your life around. You've done wonders for yourself. You should be proud." He says with a genuine smile. He pushes forward and wraps me in a hug, one that I don't return. "Leaving here was the best thing you could have done, you deserve better." He whispers.
I see Jean give him an approving smile, I sensed she heard his words and there was a sense of pride in them as gleamed as she looked at her mate. Tyler was a bit like Lewis, he didn't get involved in the bullying and tormenting but again he did nothing to stop it. Tyler and me had been assigned partners on a couple of school projects and I think it was then that he realised I wasn't the person people made me out to be. He was a good choice for a Gamma and his mate seemed equally fiery and seemed able to tame him.
As I looked at the two pairs of mates in front of me, it was then that I felt like the fifth wheel. My smile became fake as the loneliness started to settle around me. My heart ached at never having this. I would never experience what it would be like to be with my mate, I would never be able to tell my children a story of love at first sight. The more time I spent with the pairs, the more nauseating it became.
I know I was wearing green but I really didn't want to be the envious spinster who was going to die alone. However, I just couldn't trust people. Everyone around me, minus Benji had let me down. I was lost in a world of my own when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see my father and mother standing together, both held tears in their eyes. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath hoping to curb some of the anger I was feeling.
"Hello." I said with a small nod.
"Lou-Loretta, we tried to visit you while you were in the hospital and we wanted to know how you were doing but they would only say you were resting." My father spoke.
I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I wonder if they knew what happened or whether this too was swept under the rug and hidden away. "Well I'm alive. Your daughter didn't succeed in killing me." I said with a shrug.
"Loretta, please you know your sister didn't-" My mother began to speak. I held my hand up to stop her from speaking.
"The next words out of your mouth better not be defending your daughter. You saw her, she tried to kill me. I was in the hospital for the last week because of her. You need to learn to be a better parent, learn when not to coddle and learn to discipline. It would also help if you learned to discipline the right child." I replied.
"Loretta, she's your sister!" My mother exclaimed. I closed my eyes, I knew she was drawing attention to the situation. I hated unwarranted attention and I hated airy my private matters in public.
"Well done, you've worked out family ties." I sarcastically replied rolling my eyes. "The sister that made you look like fools. The sister that made you loose your position. The sister that hung around with rouges. The sister that stole her twin's mate. The sister that got pregnant by her twin's mate. The sister that got her son killed. The sister that tried to murder her own twin. Me." I spat.
"If you were good parent's and learned to discipline your daughter properly and teach her to act like a proper wolf and human being maybe we wouldn't be in this situation. But unfortunately mother, you spoiled her and let her do as she pleased and now she is rotten from the inside out. Years of her being an omega still taught her nothing of being humble or hard work."
I shake my head and my fist clenches. I feel Benji's hand grasp my shoulder and normally that would help calm me down but I can't stop the words rolling out of my mouth. "Your daughter, the only one you ever paid attention to tried to kill me. But still you defend that bitch. Mother you are absolutely a disgrace to motherhood and father, I can't say I'm anything but disappointed as you stand there silently."
I shrug Benji's hand of my shoulder. I see the sympathetic looks across the pack. I shake my head and walk off into the forest refusing to meet anyone's gaze. I wouldn't let them see my tears, I was stronger than this. I knew that whatever small slither of hope lingered for me to rebuild a relationship with my parents was demolished as they defended a psychopath.