Surprise

RORY

As Everett drives us over the Brooklyn Bridge, I drink in my surroundings in absolute awe.

Even my mate, who’s not always easily impressed, can’t seem to wipe the smile off of his face.

I grew up in a small pack situated on the outskirts of a small town. This place is the opposite of ~everything~ I’ve ever known, with its towering buildings and packed, bustling streets.

The energy is absolutely electric. I can’t believe we’re really ~here~.

“HELLO, NEW YORK CITY,” Ace howls from the back seat.

When Ace heard that we were going to visit Freya, he managed to invite himself by declaring himself our personal security for the trip.

But I know the real reason why he came…

Ever since Ace saw Freya for the first time, he felt a connection with her. And she told me that she felt it too.

But I don’t know if she’ll still be interested in him now. After all, she has a whole new sea of college guys to choose from.

As we weave our way through the streets of Manhattan, I keep my head perched out the window, the humid air whipping across my face.

I could stay like this for hours, watching the city breathe. But after a while, Everett pulls to a stop alongside a large brick building and squeezes our SUV into a too-tight parking spot.

“We’re here,” he says.

Sure enough, moments later, I hear Freya’s loud, high-pitched squeal.

“RORYYYYY!”

I jump out of the car and see my best friend running toward me with open arms. She pummels me with a massive bear hug, almost knocking me to the floor.

“I can’t believe you really came,” she says as we regain our footing. “This is the best day ever.”

“I’m so happy to see you,” I say. And I mean it. Even though it’s only been a few weeks, it feels like I haven’t seen her in ages.

Everett joins us on the sidewalk, and Freya tackles him with a hug too. “Everett in the big city,” she says. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Me neither,” Everett says. “But I’ve done crazier things for my luna.”

The back door opens and Ace finally climbs out.

I can tell that Freya is shocked to see him.

~And do I detect a hint of excitement?~

“Good to see you, Freya,” Ace says.

“You too,” she replies.

They share a side-hug that makes me cringe with second-hand embarrassment.

These two can’t seem to help but act like middle-schoolers around each other.

“Well,” Everett says after a moment, breaking the awkward silence, “We’ll leave you girls to catch up for a while. Ace and I have some pack business to discuss anyway.”

Everett gives me a kiss on the cheek and Ace gives Freya a nod. Then they turn and walk away from us.

I can’t help but laugh as I watch them go. The two of them look ~so~ out of place, walking side-by-side on the busy street.

They are both about twice the size and stature of every other person in sight.

“Hey bitch,” Freya whispers in my ear, “you didn’t tell me Ace was coming.”

“Sorry for the surprise,” I say. “Was it a good one?”

“A great one,” Freya says with a sly smile. “I just wish I had known so I could have put on a cuter outfit.”

“You look hot,” I say, “as always.”

“And ~that’s~ why I keep you around,” Freya says.

She slings her arm through mine and leads me into the brick building and up a flight of stairs to her dorm room.

It’s fully decorated in classic Freya style, with different fabrics draped over every surface and sketches of clothes pinned to the walls.

My favorite part is a framed picture of us, smiling wide at graduation in our caps and gowns.

“So,” I say, sitting down on her bed. “Tell me ~everything~.”

“Where do I even begin?” she says, her eyes glowing. “The school is right in the middle of the city so I just feel like I’m living in the center of the universe.

“My professors are absolutely brilliant. And the students are nothing like the people we went to high school with.”

“What do you mean?” I ask her.

“In high school, everyone just wanted to slack off and hang out all the time,” she says. “But the people here actually want to ~learn~.”

“Hard to believe,” I say with a laugh. “But that sounds amazing.”

“What’s going on with you?” she asks me.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t lie to Freya and tell her that everything was fine. She wouldn’t believe me.

“You’re out here starting a whole new life,” I begin. “But I’m just desperately trying to make peace with my old one.

“When I left the Red Moon Pack, I thought that I was saying goodbye forever. But now all these old faces have come back to haunt me.”

I sink my head into my hands. In an instant, Freya picks up my chin and fixes her gaze on me.

“It’s only been a few months, Rory,” she says. “You have real power. And I know that you will be able to make a real change.”

“It feels like the only thing I’m changing is ~myself~ to try to get them to like me,” I say.

“Fuck that,” Freya says. “You don’t need to change for anyone.

“One day, they’ll all see what you’re made of. And when they do, they won’t forget it. I know I never will.”

I wrap her in another tight hug as we lie back down on the bed. “Thank the Goddess for you,” I say.

Freya is right. I can’t back down from the challenge now.

After all, my situation can’t get worse than it already is.

~Right?~

~***~

EVERETT

I’ll admit it.

I was lying when I said that Ace and I needed to handle some pack business. And while I generally don’t like to lie to my luna, I make an exception for surprises.

I want this trip to feel special and memorable for Aurora. She’s sacrificed so much for me, and I need her to know that I appreciate her for it.

So that’s why I’m walking to Tiffany’s with my beta by my side.

The journey there is nothing short of treacherous.

Everyone is packed in the streets like sardines.

Chaos is crying out. He feels incredibly claustrophobic, desperate to take over and make a run for the nearest woods. But we’re on an island. There’s nowhere to go.

Besides, I’m a man on a mission. Chaos will have to be patient for the time being.

When we finally arrive at the store, I’m grateful to see a set of wide double doors that I will easily fit through.

Two men dressed in suits open them for me, and Ace and I step into the bright, air-conditioned room.

I walk over to the nearest glass case and start to inspect the jewelry.

After a few moments, an ultra-perky clerk appears in front of me.

“Hello, sir,” she says. “Welcome to Tiffany’s.”

“Thank you very much, ma’am,” I say, trying and failing to act natural, as I’ve never set foot in a place like this before.

“Who are you shopping for today?” she asks me.

“My mate—I mean—my wife,” I say.

~Nice one, Everett…~

~Very smooth.~

She raises a confused eyebrow at me for a moment, but then smiles again. She takes a key out of her blazer pocket, unlocks the case, and reaches for a silver necklace.

The pendant has two interlocking hearts, encrusted with small diamonds.

“This just came in today,” she says to me. “Any woman would be lucky to receive it.”

She places it in my hands, and I inspect the delicate thing. The diamonds glisten like the light in Aurora’s eyes.

“It’s perfect,” I say to her. “Absolutely perfect. I’ll take it.”

Handing it back to the clerk, she wraps it in the signature sky-blue box. I pay the sum, which is so hefty that I have to look away as I sign the receipt.

And then, as I’m turning to leave, I see that Ace is also paying his own bill.

I walk out onto the street and wait for him there, my mind spinning.

“Soooo…,” I say when he appears beside me again. “Who’s that for?”

His face instantly reddens. “None of your business,” he says.

“I’m your alpha,” I say. “It’s always my business. I guess you really like her, huh?”

“I guess so,” Ace says with a nod.

“And what will happen if you find your mate?” I ask him.

“I waited this long and haven’t found her yet,” he says. “And Freya makes me happy. I don’t care if I’m destined for someone else. I want to be with her. If she’ll have me…”

I’ve never heard Ace talk about someone this way. And, to be honest, I don’t know what to think.

The pack is already divided enough as it is…

~What would happen if my beta started dating a human instead of waiting for the Goddess to decide?~

I’m not sure I’m ready to find out…

But looking at him now, not as my beta but as my friend, I know that I have no choice but to support him.

He’s done everything he can to protect Aurora from the backlash from the packs joining. If the time comes, I’ll do the same for Freya.

I place a sturdy hand on his shoulder. “Good luck,” I say to him. “But just know. If you hurt her, my luna will kill you.”

“And who’s gonna kill Freya if she hurts ~me~?” Ace asks with a soft smile.

“Nobody,” I say with a laugh as we start the long walk back through the city streets. “Get used to it.”

***

RORY

Freya gives me the full tour of the campus, from the art studios to the classrooms to the dining hall.

As we wander around together, arm in arm, I really feel like I’m getting a taste of the college experience, even if it’s just for a few short hours. And I’m already overwhelmed and exhausted.

“Wait,” Freya says as I beg to return to the dorm. “One more stop. I saved the best for last.”

She leads me to the end of the street and pulls open a large set of ornate wooden doors. She drags me inside, and as I look around, my jaw nearly drops to the floor.

I thought the library at the pack house was big…

But this place…

It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

The walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves, filled with books on every topic under the sun.

There are long tables in the center of the room where students eagerly pore through the pages, cups of coffee in hand.

~My Goddess.~

~I could spend all day here.~

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Freya says.

I’m speechless, so I just nod excitedly.

As I wander through the aisles, I can’t help but imagine that I’m a student, doing research for one of my classes. And at the thought, I feel a knot of sadness forming in my stomach.

~This~ is the life that I wanted for myself, but destiny had other plans.

I’m just not sure that I’m ready to let this dream go for good.