Storm
The morning of my eighteenth birthday had arrived! I was sitting in the lounge room on the big three-seater lounge chair listening to Leah and Julie have a playful argument regarding a guy that Julie was convinced Leah had a thing for. These crazy arguments between the girls over random nothings had become the norm for me since I had been here with them. It was almost like they got off on annoying the crap out of each other.
To win the argument, Julie had recruited Lilly onto her side to help her gang up on Leah. Not wanting to be outdone by them, Leah was now trying to recruit me onto her side. But now that they had seen what Leah was trying to do, Lilly and Julie had decided they were not going to let that happen! So, they were trying to get me to side with them.
"Come on Leah, admit it, you do like him, Lena, she does like him, doesn't she? Come on Leah, just admit it, you like him!" Lilly teased her sister.
"No, I don't!" Leah denied, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.
"Ooh look, she is blushing," Julie taunted, pointing out Leah's now red face.
"Lena, help me out here, please," Leah begged, looking over at me.
"Girls, I have told you before, I am Switzerland in these arguments. This bickering session just like with the other session's you girls have had since I have been here, is between you girls. It is a family thing. Keep it in the family and leave me out of it, okay?" I laughed, holding up my hands in a gesture of surrender.
Just at that moment, my phone rang. I looked at the screen and I couldn't help but smile when I saw Logan's name flash on my screen. I missed my big brother, even though he was only older than me by six minutes. Sometimes with the way he bossed me around, he acted like he was six years older than me. I answered the phone and Logan started singing Happy Birthday to me. I laughed at him as he sang to me in the funny birthday voice that he had always used when singing the song to me ever since we were children.
"Happy Birthday to you too, bro," I told him, laughing when he had finished singing the song.
Lilly, Leah, and Julie had now become silent in the kitchen and when I looked over at them, I noticed they were sitting at the kitchen table openly watching me in amusement. Logan and I spoke for a few minutes and he filled me in on everything that had been going on in his new pack. He was enjoying himself there. I could tell from his tone of voice that he loved Germany as much as I loved Ireland.
"I am telling you baby girl this place is incredible. CJ's parents run their pack so much better than the pack is run back home. And their set up is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I hope you can see this place someday," he said, his voice filled with excitement.
"I am glad you are enjoying it," I told him. He sounded just like a little boy on Christmas morning.
"Oh, I am. So, what are your plans for our birthday?" he asked.
"I have made no plans," I replied.
"Why not? Bub, you need to have fun! Do something, come on, it's our birthday," he said, sounding his usual bossy self.
"You know what? I will Mr Bossy Boots," I told him.
"Good, I am glad to hear it. Now get off the phone and go do something," he told me, a grin clear in his voice.
"Alright, I love you, I will talk to you soon," I told him before hanging up. After I got off the phone, the girls were on me like a pack of dogs on a three-legged cat, bombarding me with questions.
"It's your birthday!" Lilly exclaimed.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Leah asked.
"We have to do something today to celebrate," Julie added.
I got up from my seat on the lounge and walked over to where they were sitting in the kitchen. I poured myself a glass of orange juice, and after I had gotten my drink, I took a seat at the table with the girls.
I had just taken my seat at the table when Leah's phone rang. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID before giving the girls a look that I could not decipher.
Leah answered the phone, "Hi Daddy," she said.
I looked at Julie and Lilly and noticed they were both tense as they watched Leah. 'This can't be good,' I thought to myself as I watched them. I glanced back over to where Leah was talking on the phone and it felt wrong to me that we were sitting there listening into her side of the conversation.
"Yes, yes definitely… on Thursday?... Oh, yeah, I had forgotten about that… no… I am not sure… no, I do not know, I will ask them… oh, okay… yes… okay… yep, I will tell them. Yeah, they are right here. Girl's daddy said he loves you."
"Love you, daddy," Lilly yelled happily.
"I love you too daddy," said Julie laughing at Lilly.
"Did you hear that? Okay, I will see you then… Yes, daddy, I love you too… okay… bye now," Leah said before ending the call.
When she hung up the phone, she looked at us and said, "Dad said we are to go home on Thursday after our classes and stay there for the four-day long weekend." Lilly and Julie looked at me, but I couldn't decipher the look on their faces.
"It's okay, I am sure I can survive a few days without you girls here. It will be a good opportunity for me to work on my music anyway. Think of the quiet time I will have without you girls here arguing every five minutes," I told them, trying to reassure them I was going to be fine in their absence.
"Actually, you're going to be coming with us," Leah said.
"Wait… what?" I asked her, confused by this revelation. "Why do I have to go with you? He isn't my dad!"
Julie and Lilly laughed at my brief outburst, while Leah worked hard to hide her smirk. "My dad said I was to bring you with us, he wants to meet the rogue that has been living with his daughters," Leah replied.
"Wait, who is your dad? And why did you tell him I was here in the first place? I have never been a threat to you," I cried out, worried what this meant for me as a sinking feeling crept into my stomach.
"Alpha Doyle," Lilly replied proudly with a big grin on her face.
"Alpha Doyle? You mean Alpha Doyle, as in the Alpha Doyle of the Celtic Moon pack! That Alpha Doyle?" I asked, more worried now.
At the mere mention of his name, I could sense my heart rate pick up and I was sure I was going to have a panic attack. I had been socializing and living with Alpha offspring and I had not understood what problems I was getting myself in to as I had built up friendships with them. I wasn't surprised that I hadn't known they were of Alpha blood; I mean I had never seen the girls in their wolf forms. But to know I had been living with the daughters of the worlds most renowned rogue killer had left me terrified. This wasn't going to end well!
The problem was, the girls being of Alpha blood means that now that their father has taken an interest in wanting to meet me, I was now one step closer to Mason finding me and killing me. That is if Alpha Doyle didn't kill me himself!
I couldn't go home with them back to their pack. If I set foot inside their pack house, I knew I would never leave there alive! I had to get out of this mess I was now in.
I got up from my seat at the kitchen table and bolted out of the kitchen and into my bedroom, determined to pack to get out of here as fast as possible. I had just pulled my suitcases out of my cupboard when the girls ran into the room behind me.
Leah wrapped her arms around me, holding me still, so I had no choice but to hear her out. As if trying to reassure me everything was going to be fine, Lilly said, "It will be fine Lena, he just wants to meet you, that's all."
"I can't go with you, Alphas kill rogues, and I know of your father's reputation with rogues, he will kill me as soon as I get out of the car," I replied.
"We have to take you with us, or dad will be pissed!" Julie shouted, looking worried.
"Not helping!" I snapped, looking at her.
"I'm sorry Lena, I didn't mean that the way it sounded," Julie said looking slightly ashamed of her earlier outburst.
"Lena, it will be fine," Leah whispered into my ear, still standing behind me.
"But he will kill me, don't you care about that? Alphas kill rogues. Your father is renowned for killing rogues. I mean, isn't there anything you can do? Can't we call your mother and ask her to talk him out of it?" I asked the girls, still feeling as though I was going to have a panic attack.
Leah ushered me back out to the kitchen, and we took a seat at the table once more. I could sense the anxiety building up within me. Heaven help me. I was on the verge of having a panic attack for sure. The girls looked at me for a moment, and seeing I was terrified at the thought of meeting their father, they each shared a troubled look before answering me. "Our mother passed away when we were nine," Leah said.
"I am so sorry, my mother died too," I replied, letting them know I understood their pain.
"Really?" they asked in unison. They couldn't have looked more shocked, if I had just told them aliens had just landed in our backyard.
"Yes," I said, looking at them. "Can I ask how your mother died?" Julie asked, looking at me with sadness in her eyes.
"Rogues murdered her," I replied.
"But you are a rogue…" Julie said, confused by this revelation.
"Oh Lena, that's awful, I am so sorry," Leah said placing her hand over mine and shooting Julie a glare to silence her.
"Our mother died in childbirth, along with our baby brother," Lilly said sadly.
A mutual sadness was now hanging over the four of us as we sat around the table locked in our memories and pain. Suddenly Leah stood up and said, "Okay, enough of this sadness, today is supposed to be a good day, a happy day, it is Lena's special day so let's spend today having a good time celebrating Lena's birthday and we will leave worrying about going home as a problem for tomorrow." "Girls, I have one quick question, do you mind if I ask, where is home for you guys?" I asked.
"Carraroe, it is an hour's drive from here," Leah said.
"So, Lena, how old are you today?" Lilly asked.
"Eighteen," I replied.
"Ooh you are old enough to find your mate now," Lilly squealed in excitement. Her response had me thinking about Josh. But not wanting the memory of him to ruin my new life, I pushed all thoughts of him out of my mind.
"How old are you girls?" I asked.
"Nineteen," Julie replied.
"And, have any of you found your mates yet?" I asked.
"Not yet, but anything good worth having is worth waiting for," Leah replied, smiling and sounding wise beyond her years.
Leah
The moment I had told Lena that my father wanted her to come home to our pack with us, I saw the fear in her eyes. When she had bolted into hers and Lilly's bedroom to pack, I felt as though someone had just punched me in the stomach. Here I was with this kind, thoughtful person, who had never had a problem with helping me and my siblings out with anything. A beautiful soul who listened to our constant bickering every day without complaint and who picked up after us without giving us any grief.
And on her birthday of all days, I had dropped a huge bombshell on her. But the one thing that would stay with me for the rest of my life was her fear. It had terrified her! I don't think I had ever seen someone that scared before. She honestly believed my father was going to kill her the moment we arrived at the pack house! And maybe that was what he was planning to do. I mean, how was I to know what he was thinking or planning to do with Lena? Lena had a valid point; Alphas killed rogues, they did it every day, and I knew my father was no exception.
Killing rogues was something that most Alphas had to do daily to protect their packs. If my father wasn't planning to kill Lena, why else would he request for her to be bought to the pack house with us? I knew that in the eyes of an Alpha, a rogue was a big problem. They were dangerous. This was because rogues killed, they stole, and they were always looking to create mischief any way they could, even if it were just for their own amusement.
So, to prevent minor problems such as, say one rogue from becoming a big problem, for example, if that rogue made friends with other rogues. Alphas just like my father killed them. No rogue, no problem. As the daughter of an Alpha this fact had been something I accepted in my life as one of those things that an Alpha had to do to protect his pack. I had never really thought too much about it before.
But now, seeing Lena's fear, it was making me rethink it. What could someone like Lena have done to make anyone think killing her was a justified act? As my father had requested, I would take her home with us. But I would do everything I could to make sure my father didn't hurt her.
Storm
We made our way into our bedrooms and got ready to go out for my birthday celebration. I was wearing a pair of jeans and a hoodie with my favorite pair of combat boots. I had dressed for warmth and comfort because I had no idea what the girls were planning to do to celebrate my birthday.
I slipped five hundred dollars into the cover of my phone case and pulled my hair back into a high ponytail. I made my way out to the lounge room and waited for the girls to finish getting ready. When everyone was ready, we left the dorm room and got into Julie's car, which was a dark grey Porsche Cayenne.
Driving into Galway we went to Taylor's Hill Pitch & Putt Club. The girls had decided to play a round of mini-golf, and I must admit, I never knew mini-golf could be so much fun. I had always thought mini golf was for nerds, but the girls and I were laughing and having more fun than I had honestly thought could be possible, considering Leah's earlier bombshell.
After we had played our game of mini golf, we went to the IMC Cinema and watched the movie Unhinged starring Russel Crowe. After the movie, Leah decided we were going to go home and have a few drinks, eat pizza, and watch movies. We pulled up in town and Leah went and brought the drinks while the rest of us waited for her in the car.
When Leah got back into the car, Julie drove to a store, pulling up in an empty car park out the front, and she and Lilly got out of the car and made their way inside to buy snacks and goodies. While they were in the store Leah rang Domino's Pizza and put in an order for two pizzas telling me we could pick them up on our way home. She than told me to wait in the car and I watched as she got out and went into a small arcade.
The moment Leah was out of sight, I pulled my phone out and rang Logan. He picked up on the second ring. "Hey baby sis, what's up?" he asked.
"Houston, we have a problem," I replied.
"Wait, what problem? What's wrong?" he asked, sounding concerned now.
"The girls I have been living with at the university, their father is an Alpha, and now their dad knows about me and he wants to meet me," I replied.
"Baby girl, that is not necessarily a terrible thing," he replied.
"Alphas kill rogues, bro. You know this. Please tell me you have a backup plan to get me out of here," I whispered.
"No, I don't," he admitted.
"Wait, what? How could you not have a backup plan? What kind of crazy person sends their twin sibling off to a foreign country with no backup plan to get their sibling out of said foreign country if things go wrong? Oh, I know mine!" I snapped, freaking out by now, and concerned that he had not planned for this possibility. Logan was meticulous with planning, so how had he overlooked this?
"Baby girl stop freaking out. I am sure you are going to be fine. The guy just needs to see for himself that you don't mean any harm to his family. Besides the girls like you, they won't let him hurt you," Logan assured me.
"Okay, well I will be meeting him on Thursday. If you don't hear from me after Thursday, please assume that the Alpha in question has slaughtered me and buried me in a shallow grave somewhere. And ah… just know that I love you, even though you are a total doofus. I just wanted to tell you that in case I don't have another chance to say it," I told him, letting my sarcasm come through loud and clear.
"I love you too baby girl; you are going to be fine; I just know you are," he said, trying to reassure me. "I have to go, bro. Hopefully I can talk to you soon," I told him before disconnecting the call. Not long after I had hung up from talking to Logan, Leah walked out of the arcade entry way. She was carrying a white box. She got back into the car and sat the box on her lap. Not long after Leah had gotten back in the car, Julie and Lilly got back into the car as well, loaded up with shopping bags.
Julie started the car and drove to Domino's picking up Leah's order before we headed home. When we got home, Lilly put the movie 'She's All That' on and we drank our drinks and munched on pizza and nibbled on an assortment of snacks while talking about a bit of everything and anything.
I welcomed the distraction, as I could get my mind off the dreaded meeting with the Alpha on Thursday. Throughout the movie, Lilly gushed over the hotness of various male actors, making the rest of us laugh at her random silly comments. After the movie had finished, Julie put another movie on. This movie was called, 'The Ugly Truth.' While Julie was putting the second movie on, Leah got up and went into the kitchen and when she returned, she was carrying the box she had carried out of the arcade earlier. She set the box on the coffee table and I saw a chocolate cake in it with two candles on it, a one and an eight.
Smiling at me, Leah produced a box of matches and lit the candles as the girls started singing happy birthday. "Go ahead, make a wish," Lilly said, smiling at me. I closed my eyes and wished that from this point on, my life would be better than it had ever been. Then I took a breath and blew out the candles. I looked at the girls and smiled. This had been the best birthday I had had in a long time. "Thank you for today girls, honestly, it has meant so much," I told them, as Leah began cutting the cake.