Mat

Melinda and Nate wedding was next week. I was finishing helping do some last minute table decoration and I can say I truly hate hot glue. I was gluing fake flowers onto vases with lace ribbon and string of pearls. Melinda was so very excited about the wedding, she couldn't stop talking about it and I tried to pay attention as much I could. I made small responds like 'oh' 'yeah' 'cool idea' and 'this is gonna be great' but my mind was somewhere else. I'm glad her mom was just as much as excited so they had allot to talk about.

I was thinking about how all the Alphas—including me—couldn't do a damn thing about stopping the research on trying to mutate our DNA for the army. Since Talaus signed contracts they have the legal rights to do what they want. I can sue them for what they did to my pack because then we'll be expose to the whole world. This whole research is very quiet and it wasn't even known until now.

We're screwed but thankfully so are they because this mutation won't work.

"Oh the tablecloths came in! I gotta show you." Melinda said as she quickly got up. Alana chuckled, "And more lace ribbon that we ordered in." Melinda quickly nodded before she raced out of the room and Alana giggled as she set the glue gun down, "It's so good to see her so happy and excited. I haven't seen her this happy in such a long time." she said.

"Yeah, Melinda deserve it." I said as I set mine down. She nodded then lowered her eyes and she frowned. "What's wrong?"

She sighed heavily, "She wants her dad to walk her down the isle. Yes we're all fighting and I even offered to walk her but she wants him to. I don't want him there, he can rot in hell."

I bit the inside of my cheeks, "Alana. . .I'm sorry for you having to find out like how you did. Will and I were trying to make it stop without you having to find out and make your life hard."

She lifted her head and reached over, rubbing my shoulders, "It's alright, Mat. It's better I knew, it gave me the strength to finally leave. I knew Lincoln never loved me but most mating's of high families don't love each other. I thought with time he did soon fall in love with me because he was always nice and we felt just like a real married couple. After I had the twins, Marco and Melinda birth was very hard and I couldn't have more children. I think that's what made Lincoln stop spending time with me."

I frowned at her since I felt bad for her, "You deserve way more than Lincoln, Alana. You're completely gorgeous, you'll find someone who truly cares about you." Alana was beautiful with her tan skin and long dark hair. Melinda looked just like her mother and Alana was just a slightly older version of Melinda. I don't know how Lincoln didn't fall in love with her.

I looked down at the hot glue gun for a second, "Did. . .did you know my parents? Like were you friends with one of them?"

"I grew up with your father. His father was my father Beta so yes we were close." she said. "Your dad was very handsome, Mat. Had nice cheeks, strong handsome face but I always saw him like a cousin until we were paired together. I grew feelings but I did see him fall in love with your mom when she arrived. She was paired to be with Lincoln and you mom being a stunner Lincoln didn't seem to mind."

I rolled my eyes, "Apparently I didn't earn my mother good looks to much."

"Mat, you're beautiful and gorgeous. It's just how stubborn you are that you don't realize it. When you get dressed up, pull that hair out of your face you completely glow and the men do notice." she said, chuckling for a moment. "I liked Lincoln though more, I'll stupidly admit. I was excited when they offered to switch the pairs. Lincoln was a good actor making me believe he liked me."

I scoffed, "Lincoln doesn't deserve any women, he's a pig. He doesn't deserve to be Alpha." I stupidly said. I quickly closed my mouth as she looked up at me and I wanted to hit myself since I shouldn't have said that.

"I agree." she said, packing up the hot glue gun. "But I was my father only child so when I got married of course it would be my husband who will claim it. It's traditions."

"Screw traditions, you would have been amazing Alpha." I told her.

She forced a smile, "Thanks but I don't know anything about being Alpha. Usually the boys are taught how to take care of the packs while the girls are trained to be good housewives." She put some glue on the glass vase and added a fake rose to it then did some more roses, "Someone needs to take him off the honor." she whispered. "Someone who deserve a territory, someone who would do a better job. If someone was ever to come a day to do that, I would be here to let Melinda cry on my shoulder and comfort her." she said as she finished with the vase. She pulled it aside and looked up at me with a small smile.

My eyebrows furrowed together, "Alana, are you trying to say—"

I heard Melinda running down the staircase and into the dinning room with a big box chuckling, "Sorry, Nate must have hidden the box so I would have to find it." she said as she set the box down. She put out a white and gold color tablecloth, "I love these color together. The roses will match beautiful with this champagne color."

Oh not gold, it's champagne.

Alana smiled, "Don't forget who helped you pick them out. It's gonna be such a beautiful wedding, Melinda." She turned to smile at me and I smiled back awkwardly since I'm not sure if she just gave me her permission to kill her husband or not.

Aeriela

When I walked out of the school building—it went on for hours!—I looked around for Ulric to find him in the crowds of students but I was having a hard time finding him. At lunch when he finally came over to the table it was quiet, only a few chattering words between him and Rascal. Harley didn't show because she apparently had a different lunch period.

I was quiet for most of the day, barley talking to any students in my class, and I didn't recognize any wolf so if there was one I didn't know. I felt so alone and tiny in a room full of humans and I just wanted to hide in my locker. I didn't understand anything they were talking about and I kept walking into the wrong rooms.

And I still don't know what a fire crotch is.

I didn't see Ulric but I did see Rascal, Luna, and Harley walking away from the school together as a group. Not wanting to be alone I ran over towards them since they were the only people I really knew so hopefully I won't feel out of place anymore with my own pack.

I ran up behind them, "Hey." I said. They turned around to look at me and Harley gave me a cold look so I lowered my head a little.

Rascal scoff, "Look you two, if we're gonna be living in the same pack you two girls need to get over your differences. I don't need to spend the rest of my life watching you two fight like stupid idiots because of Ulric."

I lifted my head, "Harley, I'm so sorry how things are going—"

She scoffed, "Keep your apologies, I don't give a crap about you or Ulric anymore. Rascal right, I won't spend my whole life fighting with you just because of Ulric. Just don't talk to me." she coldly said.

It was quiet for a moment as we all stood there in silence and I sighed heavily, "Alright, we'll just avoid each other. Do any of you know what a fire crotch is though?" I asked. They all stared at me for a moment before they burst in laughter and my eyes widen since I hadn't expected it. My whole face heated up, "What!"

Luna giggled, "It's something red heads are called for the hair down there, Aeriela." she said, pointing down at my privet part. "And seeing you naked, you are."

I shrugged, "But is it a bad thing?" I asked as I pulled at the edge of my pant to look inside to see.

Luna quickly moved my hands and the pant snapped back against me, "Not here, Aeriela! Looks strange just to look at yourself down there while you're in public." she said as Harley rolled her eyes and Rascal looked amused still. "It's not big deal, it's just a stupid little name to call you redheads. No, it's not a bad thing. It's just most people have dark hair where you redheads are orange."

"Oh." I said since I actually did learn something in school now.

*

When we got to the pack—without Ulric—I quickly went over make me something to eat since the lunches at school are very terrible and I was starving! How can they survive with no snacks during school? I made myself two ham and cheese sandwiches some chips, and a candy bar. I saw Mat over by her tent with her brother wife as they talked and I went over beside them.

"Hey, where's Ulric?" she asked.

I looked down at my plate as I shrugged, "I don't know. I waited a little at the school but I didn't know where he was so I caught up to the others and walked back here."

"I'm sure he just got detention on his first day. It happened to me a few times." she said, shrugging. "Little troublemaker."

I bit into my sandwich, "What is detention?"

"When you do something bad in school, they keep you after school for about an hour in a room with a teacher and boredly stare there. Sounds simple but can be very boring. You don't wanna spend an extra hour in school while everyone goes home." she said. She reached over and poked me, "So how was it?"

I shrugged, "It was fine I guess. I was called a fire crotch."

She started laughing, "And here I thought I would have to go to school to pick you up because you got in a fight. You're already doing way much better than me."

I looked at her, "Did you know I was a fire crotch?"

"Duh, I did have to force you to get baths in the beginning." she said, putting her arm around me. "Don't worry about it, it's just some stupid nickname. The red hair on your head is beautiful." she said, running her finger through my long red hair. "Many girls wish they had this natural dark orange hair. They dye their hair just to achieve it. Whoever calls you that is just jealous." She tapped my arms roughly, "I have a surprise for you." She reached into her large tent and pulled out a emerald green short dress. She held it against her so I could see the whole dress, "Pretty isn't it? You need a dress for the wedding next week and this gives you a chance to get all dress up. Green to match your gorgeous red hair."

I gave her a smile since I didn't want to hurt her feelings, "I love her." The dress was pretty with allot of sparkles and sweetheart neckline but my mind was somewhere else right now.

*

Ulric finally showed up after an hour and I tapped my finger against the book in my hand as he walked over towards my tent. I was propped up against some pillows and relaxing myself before another day tomorrow. He slid his bag down off his shoulder and set it down on the ground before he crawl in next to me.

"Are you mad?" he asked, laying down but I avoided looking at him. He leaned up and grabbed his bag. He reached in and pulled out a chocolate chip cupcake with peanut butter icing in a small square box. I wasn't hungry surprisingly. He laid back down with a heavy sigh, "Look, some of the guys in my grade wanted to play some football. I came to look for you but I couldn't find you so I guess you just came back to the pack which you did. After we all went to a cafe with the guys girlfriends and hung out a little. I didn't do anything stupid."

I slammed my book close as my anger raised, "Oh."

He sighed heavily, "You are mad."

"You guessed?" I asked and he shrugged. No, he heard me wrong because that isn't what I meant. I didn't mean he guessed right that I was mad. "No, you just guessed I came back to the pack. What if I hadn't? What if I left again or was taken. But it is okay, you were right. I'm fine." I sarcastically said.

He scoffed as he sat up and looked down at me, "Look I'm sorry!"

I sat up glaring at him, "And you went to the cafe with them and their girlfriends? I'm your girlfriend."

He rolled his eyes, "Aeriela, it's not a big deal! I did bring you back a cupcake and I would have brought you back a coffee but it would have been cold. So just be happy." he said as he opened the small box and held the cupcake out to me. I stared down at it for a moment before I took it.

I smashed it against his face scoffing, "And all worse with humans, not your own kind. Since it's not such a big deal maybe I'm not such a big deal."

He wiped the icing off his face, "Jeez, Aeriela. Look so what if I did hang out with humans, I do that. I can be friends with wolves or humans if want. Of course you're a big deal to me, I care allot about you. It's not like you would want to come anyways since you don't like humans."

"Asking would have at least been nice." I coldly said as I crawl around him and left the tent since he was making me even more pissed!

He followed me out, "Hey now, stop making this such a big deal. I like playing football, sorry that I wanted to play." He cupped my face in his hands and I lowered my gaze, "Aeriela, I don't wanna fight with you. It's no big deal, alright? Be easy on me, I'm not use to this boyfriend thing. I'm not perfect. Look I'm going back tomorrow to play with them, come with me."

I moved my face out of his hands and stepped back, "No, I don't wanna go. Their humans, you know I don't get along with them. Why can't you just stay with the pack?"

He ran his hand through his hair as he breathed out heavily, "Why do you gotta be so difficult? Their not gonna do anything to you and I won't let them. It's not even allot of them. Be my girlfriend and just come watch me. It's something I like to do so you should be there. I listen to you read because it's something you like."

I crossed my arms across my chest, sighing heavily since I knew he was right about that but it still felt so strange since last time I hung out with humans Ulric had to punch the guy for getting to touchy but I also knew it would make him happy. I looked up at him, "Fine. But you still deserved the cupcake smash. Thanks for ruining it for me, it looked really good to."