Recollection, phone calls>He doesn't trust easily, not after.......

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              I remembered an argument I overheard between my father and Alpha, it was one of those moments in the pack house where I wasn't suppose to be there but as a child I was curious and just plainly didn't care.

            I remembered he was yelling something about how my dad was taking everything from him.

'You are an ungrateful cunt Donald, my father gave you a roof over your head and this is how you repay him'

'You are over your head again with your bad assumptions Luke. Tell me, what have I done so bad for you to despise me'

'You wanna know?. You really wanna know or you are just pretending like the fucking Chameleon you are'

'Yes Luke I want to know what had gotten his royal highness panties in a twist'

'You bastard!, you took my father away from me, I know you are after my title, I'm to be the next Alpha not you'

"Oh sweet moon! Luke I would never ever ever......"

"Just shut the fuck up. Enough with the lies Donald"

"I will ruin you before you even try to, mark my word Donald I will surely get what belongs to me"

***********

                It was catching up to me, moments where the truth was right in front of me and I was too blind and naive to know.

The worst thing was that they came with vengeance hurting me through out the night and many more and worse of it all...

I can feel myself loosing the battle.

>>>>><< one week later>>>>>>

"ANNA!!!!!!"

"ANNIE!!!!!!!!!"

            For the first time in weeks, I smiled in content at the sound of my brothers cheerful voice that brightens my day.

"In the kitchen ye little monsters"

I heard their footsteps changed directions from upstairs.

"Little monster heh?"

Aunt Vanessa and I were both flexing  our wonderful baking skills with a little competition in the kitchen, there were proud glitches in our eyes as we gazed proudly at the hundreds of cupcakes of different flavors just waiting to be eaten.

"Holy shit!! This is fucking heaven!!"

I think I need to start saving pennies for every curse word Harries utters

"Language Harrs"

I snapped sternly at his foul mouth but they too were entranced by the goodies to care.

"Seriously Annie, are you having an all you can eat banquet cause this sure is heaven"

Nessa laughs heartedly before handling them each a cupcake.

Blueberry muffin and Chocolate chips cupcake.

"Is it cupcake, is it muffin who care? this is delicious aunt Nessa"

"Oh, thank you Chris"

"What's the occasion aunt?"

Aunt Vanessa let out a twinkling giggle at their burstful energy.

"We are handling this over to the orphanage home, its a yearly thing that the family is known for, there also is going to be a function after"

"Cool" Harries took a huge bite that finished the rest of the cake, licking his hand off the frostings before looking up at me with a sudden serious look.

"We want to call Raphael , Anna"

I felt my body tense at the name and my heart ache at the loneliness caused by the mate bond. It was always a struggle trying not to show it.

I cleared my throat, bottle my emotions and acting nonchalant.

"Why do you want to call him?"

It was a little but pointless attempt because no matter how hard I tried I wasn't able to properly conceal the emotion in my voice.

Something flashed in Harries eyes before it turned to a glower that he locked with me, it was a way both him and his wolf were trying to find what was wrong.

"It's been long since we spoke with him because somebody here took the phone away, and we want to invite him over"

His eyes searched mine, egging for a reaction or something.

"Ugh! What Harrz is so uncomfortable saying is that he misses him and the intense training'

I froze.

Oh no

How did I not see this attachment before.

"Oh shut up Chris, no one asked for your bootlicking explanation"

This was bad, like really, really bad.

Harries doesn't like easily

He doesn't trust easily.

Not after Drake,

Not after Tyler,

Not after Alpha.

He was the second after me to be hurt the most, since he looked exactly like father and had a heart of a bear when it came to aggressiveness and fighting, Alpha had always been on his tail.

He was the fist while Chris was the brain.

The brawn and the nerd.

And never one to enjoy sharing.

What came over my brother that he suddenly became unselfish, wanting to share my attention and love for him with Raphael.

I had an hunch what, but I didn't want to believe it, it just couldn't be.

"Of course dear you can even invite Raphael over, he's family"

Aunt Nessa decided then to speak for me while I tried sorting out my thoughts.

Noooo

I snap in panic.

"There's no need to disturb him and.... And besides uncle Pedro is there for you to talk to and he's already training you"

I wanted to keep it from them about what uncle Pedro and I had bargain on but they were always too smart to keep things from plus uncle Pedro was a blabber mouth.

Part of growing up was just taking what you learn from that and moving on and not taking it to heart.

"But we want to, Annie"

I had purposely cut any connection with the Apex pack since we left, I wanted nothing more than to complete my promise without any draw back.

It was done wasn't it? The deal was done, the stamp sealed then......... Now what?

It took a while to finally notice the exceptional gazes on me and their concern, with nibbling lips I handed Harries the phone before keeping my hands busy with a napkin.

Aunt Nessa's hand rested on my shoulder while I wrung the life out of the poor napkin while anxiously biting on my lip. It rang three times before it connected.

               I knew I was hurting myself the more by listening to his voice but I couldn't help it.

"Hello?"

That rich deep Italian accent of his was so clear in his voice, it made my heart stop then beat again, made my wolf growl in agony. I could feel part of myself calming down just hearing his voice.

"Hello?  Raphael?, it's Harries and Chris"

There were some words spoken in Italian too low for us to pick up before he spoke again.

"Is everything alright?"

The way he spoke said he was a man of few words and very authoritative.

"Yeah everything is fine we just wanted to check up" Harries casually asked

"How's Levi?" Chris interrupted

"Everything is fine, the pack misses you"

There were some few beating silence before

"How is she?"

I felt like my heart could give up on me.

"Well she is fine but you could ask her yourself"

Harries was the one to respond with a glare sent my way but I had heard enough even the distance word 'not ready' was enough for me.

              I left the room to cry my heart out and bear in the agonizing pain of the mate pull yet no matter how the pain is still there, the tears still run down my face, and my heart is still breaking.

Sometimes I'm tired of always being strong, I'm just sick of crying, tired of trying, yes i'm smiling, tired of lying, I know I've been smiling but inside I'm dying.

I'm tired of getting hurt, I'm tired of pretending like it's all okay, I just want to sleep for a couple days.

I'm so tired.

I'm just tired of all this bullshit.

***

              By the time I returned they were through talking on the phone and were helping aunt Vanessa pack. I passed by their concerned look to the counter to continue icing the cupcakes.

Nobody said anything but continued with their work.

Before long we finally sat down to eat a healthy breakfast when a distinct scent caught the attention of both my brothers and I. It was a scent human specimen such as myself was familiar with.

"Python!"

Chris whispers in a daze that made the click in my mind in recollection, it was a familiar name that we all knew so well.

I sniff the air to be sure, then my eyes locked on a mug with little liquid inside right beside aunt Nessa, it was obvious she had drank it till it was almost empty.

"Aunt Nessa, is that Orchid tea?"

I prayed inwardly it wasn't what I thought it was but aunt Nessa destroyed that hope by confirming it.

"Oh no it's a special herbal tea missed with Orchid and lavender for the scent"

Our eyes widen a bit before we concealed it, we tried concentration the anger we felt towards whoever gave her the tea elsewhere. A dangerous conspiracy had been brewing in this pack for however long, we each knew if we solve this case it would change the pack drastically.

It's such hypocrisy, how we all assumes a place called a safe haven, yet it has evil strings attached to it that it makes one wonder if the word was just an illusion to bring people into a world of messy webs.

"Sounds tasty can I have some?"

Chris asks in an innocent way hiding the urge to grab the mug to sample, we needed evidence to solve this.

"Oh no Chris this special tea is for grown - up like your dear aunt to help both you uncle and aunt"

She finished off with a slight blush which damn confused me the more cause if it was what I think it was then it should be doing the opposite of what my aunt thinks.

'I could bet on anything that stuff had green in it'

While aunt Nessa's back was turned to re-heat the tea, the boys and I were finishing up icing the cupcakes while conversing through the mind link we shared for privacy.

Apparently since they were now shifted wolves they had the ability to mind link the only odd thing about it was that it only connect through me and not the rest of the Immaculate pack.

'Harries I need you and Chris to break into the hospital record room and get me aunt Nessa's report'

'Oh!!!! yeah!! You just won the best sister award Anna'
Harrz

Heaven help me with my adventure seeking brother. No one was more than happy to solve this case than Harries, sometimes I wonder if he had any dreams to become a detective.

'What about you Anna? What're you gonna do?'
Harrz

'Am going to try getting a sample'

'Oh, and blood sample don't forget the blood sample'
Chris

I pause in thought knowing that's going to be more harder than I thought.

'Leave it to me Annie'
Chris

I raised a brow his way and he returned it with a wide mischievous grin.

Since when did Chris develop a mischievous side?.

'Incoming, 12 o clock'
Harrz

Our heads raised just in time to watch Jaden walk in dressed casually and heading straight towards aunt Nessa like a baby cub.

"Good morning Mama Vanessa, good morning Annabelle, morning Champs"

He greeted while giving her a peck on the cheek that brought a satisfied smile to her face.

"Good morning my son, where are you off to this morning?"

"Oh, just heading to the orphanage, I volunteer to take the kids for their medical check up, the caretaker complained about some of them having cold"

Her forehead creased in worry for the kids.

"Oh my! I hope its nothing too serious"

"Am sure it's nothing they probably must have been overly excited for today so they forgot to take care of themselves. Oh!! and I see you already have your delicious handwork ready"

She chuckled before handling him a cupcake that he devoured in a go.

"As always Jason"

Her face glowed with pride watching Jaden eat more, she had already served his breakfast for him, making sure he ate enough for the day.

Jaden also noticed the tea because of the steam that came from it after being re heated making the scent more stronger in the air.

"Ugh!! I can't believe you are still drinking that yuck Mama, its too flowery for a drink"

She chuckled in response before adding.

"I know.... I know, but I have too"

He must have seen what we all saw in her expression cause he went over to give her a hug that she returned greatly.

The gesture left us in a complicated delima not sure how we were going to solve this crime and how severe the result would bring.

There was obviously more behind just drinking that a story that would come with the result.

'Am going in'
Harrz

Harries voiced before stopping Jason on his way out. He knew even though I gave the go ahead to do something illegal I wasn't really okay with it.

"Hey Jase, can Chris and I tag along?"

He gave him a once-over probably surprised Harries came to him on his own accord.

"Emm sure but why?"

"Chris just has to check up on his wrist that he got twisted two days ago and I need to go for a run"

Jaden's expression relaxed in understanding.

"Sure, sure come along then"

Just before they left Harries sent me a wink before dragging his brother out, I shook my head at that slightly worried.

After a while aunt Nessa approach me taking in my sunken look after the departure of my brothers.

"Brave one, lets go for a run"

Her suggestion made me restless as I recall the pain that was sure to come.

"I'm fine aunt Nessa"

"Come on I insist"

Who was I to refuse and beside it was a great opportunity.