I sat in the living room with a book in my lap and a large bowl of fruit on the coffee table in front of me. Rachel had left me because she needed to run too.
"It`s a werewolf thing, it`ll get to you once you`ve shifted on your own for the first time," Rachel said as she left to go change into her robe. The Alpha, as Rachel said, would see me after the run to give me something.
So here I am.
Sitting with a book.
I sighed and closed the book in my hand. The title read Christmas Magic by Cathy Kelly. Normally, I didn`t like anything pink and the cover was pink but I really like stories inside it. I had just finished Cassandra and was satisfied with the ending. At least she got what she deserved.
Man, I want a rock star for a hubby.
I giggled but then stopped when I heard voices from the corridor. Pretending to be reading, I then opened the book to a random page and ran my mind`s eye over it. The voices came closer and soon Olive came in with a five other teenagers. Three boys and two girls. Two of the boys were brunettes and the other one had hair like sunlight. As for the girls, they were both red heads. They were all dressed in robes like Olive though the girls were wearing hot pink and green while the boys were in black.
When Olive caught sight of me, she smiled and tightened the rope of her robe before coming over to me with the two boys from earlier. When third boy, who was the blonde, tried to make a move, I noticed how one of the girls grabbed his hand and shook her head. She must have wanted him to stay away from me. No problem with me.
The girls then huffed and stormed off when he came over anyway.
"So you survived the change," one of the boys said as he stood behind Olive with a smile, pulling me from my thoughts. He had short brown hair and again, I realized that he was one of the same boys from the arcade. Small world or small town? Werewolves were everywhere.
Before I could reply, the other brunette boy greeted me, "Welcome to the pack, new girl."
I arched brow at them, "Pack?"
I closed my book and gave them my full attention. Behind them, I could see that the final boy joined the little group we had started.
"It`s like a group of wolves," Olive explained.
"No, I know what it means, "I said as I shook my head, "I just didn`t think you`d use that term."
The blonde spoke, "We turn into wolves, howl and hunt. Of course, we`d use the wolf terms."
I deadpanned and rubbed my forehead, "I need to go and watch Animal Planet, specifically the shows on wolves."
"No need, new girl."
I looked up at them with a frown as Olive chuckled, "Okay boys, enough with the new girl tag. Her name is Thalia."
I nodded at them, "I liked to be called Lia."
Olive smiled, "Lia, this is Ashton," Olive said as she pointed at the first brunette," He`s the Alpha`s son and that`s Elijah," the other brunette nodded at me before the blonde pushed him aside to hold out his hand towards me," And finally, that`s Quin."
I arched a brow at him," Quin?"
"His full name is Quinten but he prefers Quin," Elijah explained with a smirk as I finally stood and shook Quin`s hand.
"Welcome to the pack," Quin said to me.
"They are trouble makers so you best stay away from them," Olive joked.
The boys snickered as Elijah playfully shoved her away," Just because we didn`t want to get summer jobs, doesn`t mean we`re trouble makers."
Olive nodded thoughtfully and I smiled as she shot them a remorseful glance, "No, you`re right," She then deadpanned," It just makes you lazy."
"Good, you`ve met some of the pups," A voice behind us spoke up.
We all turned to the corridor as a man dressed in a black suit entered with a blue bag pack in hand. My brow furrowed as I remembered that this was the guy from earlier. The one who ran after me with Rachel.
"You`re that guy from earlier," I observed. He looked like he didn`t go running because he wasn't in a robe.
"Thalia, my name is Marcus Tyrone, Ashton`s dad," the man introduced himself to me for the first time.
"The Alpha, right?" I asked to confirm.
Marcus nodded. He then jerked his head at the boys and Olive," Alright, if you`ll leave me with our new pack member, I need to talk to her."
Olive reached out to squeeze my wrist before leaving with the boys. Marcus then gestured for me to take my seat as he took a seat across from me. He then handed over the bag pack," This is from your parents."
I smiled and grabbed it before opening it. Inside were a couple of pens, pencils, two notebooks, the diary I had won at the arcade, my Pikachu cap and my purse. In the second pocket was my favorite sweat shirt, a photo frame of my family and a turquoise pouch.
My smile started to fall when I looked up at Marcus," Why did they send me these things? I could just go home and they`ll still be there."
Marcus sighed," Thalia. The situation regarding your attack is…" He searched for the words before speaking," Tense. Your family is dealing with the aftermath as well as we are and I promised your dad I`d help you settle here."
"That still doesn`t answer my unspoken question," I pointed out.
"You can`t go home, not for a while. Until we sort out everything with the witches, you aren`t allowed to go home or to see your family."
"Says who? You?! You can`t keep me prisoner here, this is kidnapping!" I exclaimed with a growl. There was no way he was keeping me from my home.
"The Witch counsel have declared that a meeting be held to decide your fate. Whether to simple give you the Cup of Lethe or make you an Outcast," Marcus admitted to me. I flinched and I stuttered.
Outcast.
An Outcast was witch who was no longer welcomed in the mansions or the witch society. She wouldn`t be allowed to even to see her family. But she would still practice her magic. The Cup of Lethe was worse. You`d drink a potion that made you forget everything about your life and your magic. A clean slate.
I sat still as Marcus continued," Your parents are trying to delay the meeting to try and convince that council to make you an Outcast."
"How is that any good?" I croaked," I would never be able to see my family. And I don`t even have magic. I don`t understand why they want me gone."
"They have their reasons. As for seeing your family, you will be able to through me," Marcus said, "Your father and I agreed that once this whole thing is settled. We would have meetings where he come to see me and my pack but he could see you as well."
"But I`d never be able to go back home again, right?" I asked.
Marcus nodded. My shoulders fell and I struggled not to cry again. I wasn`t crying in front of a man.
I swallowed harshly in an attempt to push back the tears," Why are you doing this? What do you get out of it?"
"I`ll tell you the story another time, "Marcus simply answered. Sighing, I leaned back in my seat as Marcus watched me. I was never going to go home either way.
I sniffed and rubbed my eyes, "I never should have left the house. We never should have come here."
I heard Marcus sigh before he spoke, "Get settled and get some sleep, tomorrow we can get started on your introduction to Pack life."
He then stood up and waited for me to stand. After a second or two, I nodded listless and stood before leaving with my bag pack. I sat in my room with my photo frame until I fell asleep.
The next morning, after breakfast Olive took me outside to exercise. She made me warm up and then we jogged. I didn`t pay attention to where we were going. I just looked down and ran. I put one foot in front of the other and then again. And then again. Finally, when we stopped, I realized we were at front door. I saw that the cars were still parked and no one was out yet. Wasn't today meant to be the first day of school for the teenagers inside the pack?
Olive urged me to do some warm down stretches as she spoke," I`ll be in school today so Rachel will be teaching you until I get back."
I nodded as I bent down to loosen my shoe laces before taking off my shoes," I`ll go in and shower. See you later Olive."
Without waiting for her, I walked into the Cave and headed straight to my room. Inside, Rachel was standing by my bed with a suitcase.
"What are you doing in here?"
"Your mother sent this over from your house. She said the rest of your things can come later but for now, this should be enough," Rachel replied. She then patted the suitcase and nodded at my door," The showers are down the opposite way. It`s a separate gender showers so look for the door that has the picture of a wolf with a pink button nose."
I snorted," Really?"
"You`ll learn soon enough, being pups mean you cause trouble daily," Rachel joked. She left after patting my back.