(Caroline's P.O.V.)
I was rushing through the forest calling Penelope's name when I
heard someone's voice behind a tree. I peeked around and saw-
"OMG PENELOPE AND COLE ARE SO CUTE SHES SLEEPING ON HIM THIS IS SO CUTE," I squeal and clap my hands.
"Ahhh! Shut up!" Cole hollered at me. By this time all the commotion had bothered Penelope.
"Five more minutes." She mumbled in her sleep. Cole looks at his watch.
"She wasn't serious." I rolled my eyes.
"Well, I'm still waiting five minutes." He looked back his watch. "Four more minutes."
Suddenly Allison walked up behind me. "Did you find Pene-" She stopped mid sentence.
"You evil kidnapper!!!!" She grabbed Penelope and slipped her on her back with one swift movement, giving her a piggyback ride. She was surprisingly still asleep even after Allison picked her up.
"I didn't kidnap her. I just found her here. She was crying so I was trying to comfort her." Cole defended himself. Allison growled at him but quickly realized something.
"Wait, she was crying?" She worried.
"Yes, I was trying to be nice and comfort her. I didn't kidnap her. I just found her out here, okay."
"Why were you out here in the first place?" she asked and Cole started fidgeting.
"Uh well I like to come out here when I'm stressed or something like that."
"Fine, I'll let this one slide but next time you lay a finger on her I will kill you."
There was no way Allison could do that because Cole was way stronger than her but he nodded in agreement. We walked back to the camp while Allison still carried Penelope on her back. Once we made it back to the main building, Allison plopped Penelope on the couch. Luckily Natalie was gone. I honestly couldn't take anymore of her. I mean she just walked around acting like she rules the place. Sometimes I wish I could just slap that cocky expression off of her face. I was just sitting in a chair watching Penelope sleep. I know it's kinda weird but I honestly had nothing else to do. I examined her face. It had a couple bruises and cuts here and there. The next thing I noticed was the shininess of tears on her cheeks. I watched as she squeezed one tear after another out of her eyes. She was still crying. I wonder what's wrong. I didn't want to wake her up but my curiosity took over me.
(Penelope's P.O.V.)
"No, no, no! Pls stop! Don't take them away! They might have treated me horribly but they're all I've got!!!" I watched red flames engulf more and more buildings as Allison dragged me along with her away from them.
"Penelope, Penelope, Penelope wake up." Someone was shaking me. I quickly realized this was a nightmare. I opened my eyes seeing Caroline.
"Are you ok." She looked at me concerned.
"Oh yeah I'm all good." I looked around the room. "How did I get back here?"
"Allison carried you back on her back." I took a big sigh.
"Is she mad at me?"
"Why would she be mad at you?" She asked, looking more concerned by the second but all of a sudden a grin grew on her face. "Wait, is it because of Cole?"
"What do you me-" Suddenly I got flashbacks from what happened in the forest. "Oooohhh, no. I was asking because I kinda ran away without telling anybody."
"No, I don't think she's mad but I think she is just a touch worried."
"Ha well that's a relief."
Chapter 6: Her Scent
(Cole P.O.V)
The girls walked away leaving me alone at the tree. "AAAAAAHHHHHH Shoot! Now Caroline thinks I have a thing for Penelope! I'm never going to hear the end of this!" I banged on my forehead with the palm of my hand. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs completely then releasing all the air. I decided to walk back to the main headquarters. I had nothing else to do anyway. As I reached the fountain on my way to headquarters I ran into Dylan. He wiggles his eyebrows at me. What in the world is he doing?
"Wha-" I stopped, realizing what he knew,"Caroline told you didn't she?"
"Yep." He smirked at me.
"It wouldn't work out. We have to think about what my father would say."
"I'm tired of hearing about your dad. If he wasn't in the equation would you admit you liked Penelope?" I felt my face heating up at his question. Why am I nervous?
"I don't know what you're talking about." I denied.
"Oh come on, man. It's so obvious you like her. Your face is all red."
"What? It is?!?" I slapped my hands against my cheeks, covering them.
"Hahaha yeah dude. Crazy what a girl can do to you. Isn't it?"
"No, what are you talking about?"
He rolled his eyes at me.
"I will get you to admit it." He started to walk away.
Suddenly I felt an arm wrapped around my shoulders. I looked up to see my father.
"What is he going to get you to admit?"
"Oh he thinks I like this girl that we found in rogue territory while out on patrol. She's from the same pack as Natalie."
"A girl?" He raised his eyebrows.
Yeah, he's going to change his mind as soon as he lays his eyes on Penelope. I'm not saying she's ugly. I actually think she's really pretty. I think she has a different kind of beauty that I really like. Wait, what am I saying?
"Haha yeah but I don't actually like her."
"Pff let me see this girl. Surely if Dylan sees it she must be something special for my son." Wow, this is not going too well.
"Well, I guess you could say special."
I know he's not gonna like her but that doesn't matter, I don't like her anyway. I finished my walk to headquarters with my dad, assuming that's where the girls were. We walked in the front door and they were all playing cards with Granite and his girlfriend Paige.
My dad nudged me and whispered in my ear. "Woah that blondie. Dylan really does have quite the eye for girls."
"No dad. The other girl." A smile grew on my face as I stared at with joy filling her eyes.
(Cole's dad's P.O.V)
As he told me my eyes shifted towards the girl that he was talking about. One brown eye and one white eye. Could it be? The wolf that was abandoned by her parents. They said they didn't want her because she looked defected. Every day after it had happenned, I regretted it. I should have taken her in when her parents came up to me and said they didn't want her. My thought's questioning came out of my mouth. "Penelope?"
She looked straight at me with everybody else.
"Wait, dad. You know her?" Cole looked at me shocked.
"Yes, she was the child that the Sampson family didn't want. Remember when I told you about that. I can't believe she survived."
Suddenly the blonde girl outbursts. "You were the pack that left her on the side of the road!!!!!! How could you be so heartless and cruel?!?!?"
Caroline butted in. "Wait, when did you do that? I didn't know the Sampson's abandoned a child."
"It was a few weeks after she had been born. Mrs. and Mr. Sampson came up to me and said that she was defected. I looked at her and did the first thing that came to my mind."
"Th- they said I was defected." Penelope stuttered while her eyes began to gloss over with tears.
"Babygirl, I'm so sorry. I couldn't change their minds."
She started crying aloud while the blonde girl hugged her, trying to comfort her.
"I'm really sorry. I can leave if that makes you feel better." The blonde girl nodded while giving me a fierce gaze. I walked out of the front door and closed it behind me.
(Cole's P.O.V.)
Seeing her cry made me hurt for some reason like I was being torn apart with every tear that dropped down her face. I found myself walking slowly towards her. It felt like I didn't even have control of my body anymore. I was doing it without even thinking. I sat beside her and wrapped my arms around her and Allison.
"Hey you're with us now and you're going to stay, right?" I said trying my best to be sincere.
"N-no my parents didn't want me to be here for a reason. I don't want to be in the same pack as them. That's like sharing a home with them."
"Yeah But I want you to stay."
I felt Allison release and Penelope was left in my arms. I heard my sister behind me.
"Awwww so cute!!!! I love them!!!" I rolled my eyes and pulled Penelope closer to me. Her tears dripped from her eyes straight onto my shirt. I heard her sniffle her nose lightly.
"Why?" I heard her voice muffled in my chest. I wasn't prepared for that question but no worries Caroline got my back.
"Cause he likes you." She giggled after. She is so evil. Penelope lifted her head off of me and looked straight into my eyes. Her gaze was inescapable. I could stare into her beautiful eyes forever. I saw a tear that was midway down her cheek and wiped it away softly with my thumb. I kept holding her face in my hand.
"Is that true?" She asked in a weak voice.
"Maybe." I smiled at her softly.
She squinted at me. "Did you hit your head or something?"
I chuckled at her confusion. She was so cute with her panda-like facial features.
"No, I did not hit my head."
Caroline once again butted in, being a brat. "Actually I think he did when he fell for you."
Allison and her started bursting out in laughter. I looked at them with a serious face, being annoyed. I looked back at Penelope, whose face was flushed a bright red. She pushed away from me, being embarrassed and sat at the other end of the couch. All of a sudden I hear the front door open dramatically, revealing Natalie. Oh god. Really? I did not want to deal with her right now.
"Cole, come eat with me." She pleaded, ignoring everyone else in the room. I didn't respond. "Cole, pls. You never hangout with me." She pouted as she grabbed my hand.
"Why do you always act like I'm your boyfriend? I'm not so leave me alone."
"Well you haven't found your mate yet, so why don't you just give me a chance?" I sat there trying to think of a reason to shake this girl.
Allison's voice sounded as she shoved Penelope by me. "Because he's with Penelope now."
I unintentionally put my arm around Penelope as she was shoved against me.
Caroline also entered the chat. "Oh yeah we forgot to tell you. Look how cute they are!" Natalie scrunched her face and stomped out the door, slamming it shut. Penelope moved my arm off her and scooted away again. I sighed and stood up.
"I'm going upstairs to my room now." I announced awkwardly.
"Why?" I heard Penelope's quiet voice. I made up a lame excuse.
"Uh, I have some work to do."
Caroline butted in. "You should go with him, Penelope. He's always in his room all alone."
I turned my head to her and received a smirk. I turned back to see Penelope clenching onto Allison's arm and shaking her head.
Then Allison spoke, taking Penelope off of her. "Yeah I wanted to go to the pond and I know how much you hate swimming so you should probably stay here with Cole."
She stood up and Caroline did the same. They walked out the door, leaving me and Penelope alone. There was silence between us for quite a while until she broke it.
"So you like reading?" She spoke.
Wait, she was paying attention when I told her that? I thought that she had just ignored it and fallen asleep.
"What book have you been reading recently?" She asked.
"Well I have been reading through the Harry Potter books for the second time."
"Oh cool. I like the Indian in the Cupboard series. Although I haven't gotten to read the last book."
"Why not?"
"I was actually in the library getting ready to check it out when my pack got attacked. Allison grabbed me out of there and I dropped the book," She laughed under her breath.
"We can see if we have it in our library. If you want."
"Really? That would be great but I thought you said you had work to do." I gave myself a mental facepalm.
"I was just making that up."
"Oh you're bad at making excuses like me." She smiled at me.
"Hahaha yeah." Did I just laugh? It's been so long. It feels good but awkward.
We walked to the library and were now looking for this book.
"I found it!" I heard her voice echo through the library. I quickly ran up to her and shushed her. She responded,
whispering, "Oh yeah. We���re in a library."
"Looks interesting. Can you read it to me when we get back."
"Woah, woah, woah. If I'm gonna read you this one. I'm gonna have to read you all the other ones that go before it."
"Oh gosh."
She started picking books off the shelf. We ended up checking out the whole series and now we're walking back to headquarters. But then Penelope saw the ice cream shop.
"AAAAhhhh can we get some ice cream!?!" She squealed.
Well I guess people really do scream for ice cream.
"Sure," I said camly. I never really had a sweet tooth so it's not that exciting for me. She ordered a chocolate ice cream and I paid for her.
"You're not gonna get any? How can you resist ice cream?" She looked at me confused with those sweet little panda eyes.
"Eh I don't really like it that much," I admitted. She scrunched her face at me.
"Weird," she squinted her eyes at me. Finally, with no more interruptions......NOT.
"Oh my gosh!!! It's Cole!!!' A girl pointed at me and screeched. More girls noticed and started screaming too.
"Wow, you're pretty popular. Aren't you?" Penelope commented.
"Yeah, I'm the alphas son."
"Really? Oh wait, that makes sense. You live in the main headquarters."
"Anyway, let's just go."
She nodded and we continued our journey. Once we arrived we went up to my room. She sat in my big comfy chair and patted the spot next to her. The chair was big enough for two people to fit comfortably so I didn't decline her offer. After about an hour of her reading, her speech became slower and slower until she just fell asleep. I folded the corner of the page we were on and closed the book. As I watched her eyes close, I remembered what my father had told me when I was younger. He told me that you only have one mate and when you meet them and smell their scent you'll know it's them. I took a deep breath in through my nose, her scent filling my mind and soul. It felt like heaven as air pulled through my nose. It pulled in a sweet flowery smell with a slight earthy undertone. I also caught the faint scents of other half-wolves on her. It made me a little angry. My dad said that I would know but honestly I'm not sure.