Come Back To Me

Aleksi

I’d decided to come with Robin and Rajesh to this meeting for support and because Andre, my son and Rajesh’s beta, couldn’t. When Andre asked me to join in his place my first thought was to turn him down. I decided to come not for myself but for Andre. He was worried about Raj coming alone but he knew that the pack couldn’t be left alone. Raj is yet to pick a gamma after all these years, so Andre is left behind on most things to watch over the pack. Still this time of year is hard for all of us, especially me. It's the day a piece of my heart walked out on me and never came back. The what ifs of that whole ordeal baggers me day and night. I shouldn’t have hesitated and maybe she wouldn’t have disappeared. It was my fault and I haven’t told anyone of what I'd said to her that night. The sound of a cup banging against the table brings me back to reality. Rajesh is wiping bourbon off his hands and looks murderous. He’s been on edge for years now and none of us can blame him. Seems like we all still felt that loss but Raj felt it more than anyone. He was always so close to Olivia. Since the moment she was born, you would find him and Andre hovering over her crib. They protected her fiercely for years and when she left without so much as a goodbye, it seemed they felt it harder than anyone. Andre threw himself into his training and studies and since then he’s become the second strongest in the pack, after Rajesh of course. He made me proud every single day but I began to worry about Rajesh. He was in a very dark place after she left and it took a lot to get him to come out of it. When he did start to come out and become a more than a behind the scenes part of the pack, he was hardly recognizable. What was once a sweet, caring, and kind boy stood a hardened man. He became more and more ruthless against anyone who even breathed wrong in the direction of the pack. Drinking has become his crutch, mostly bourbon but he wasn’t opposed to other kinds. Raj hasn’t done anything to actively hurt the pack, almost everyone didn’t even know he drank as if his mouth was so parched from walking through the sahara desert every day. His parents and I just wish that we had that carefree and kind kid we used to know. Olivia would be disappointed to know that the boy she knew is long gone and replaced with this man.

We got up and followed Marcel outside after Rajesh stalked out leaving us all behind in the booth. The look on Rajs’ face is one we’ve seen before throughout the years. Rage was about to consume him and once that happens no one anywhere near him is safe. Robin? I mindlinked to get his attention. He’s no longer Alpha but he’s his father and he needs to get this under control before we’re exposed to the human world.

I know. I’ll handle it. He said back.

His way of shutting it down before I said the one thing he didn’t want to hear. His son is out of control. A gust of wind blew as Marcel began to explain why he dragged us almost 10 hours away from home but I didn’t hear a word he was saying. A familiar scent was carried by the wind that swirls around me. I sniffed the air- trying to figure out what it was. Another gust of wind whipped past us and the smell came back full force. It can’t be! I sniffed the air over and over again- turning in all directions to see which way it was strongest. There! I caught the scent and took off towards the front of the crowd gathered around some dancers. I know it’s here! I can smell it! Where is it! Bursting through the front of the crowd- I saw her.

“Dot?” I breathed.

Goddess! How is this possible? How is she here right now? Everything in me was telling me to go over there and grab my daughter, to go over there and touch her to prove, 100%, that this was real. That she’s real! My mind was going a mile a minute- I never noticed that Robin had caught up to me and was now standing beside me with wide eyes and his mouth wide open. He sees her too! It’s got to be real. After she disappeared I thought I saw her everywhere. So whenever someone remotely resembled her I'd brush it off quickly and move on. There's no denying this though. I couldn’t form the right words to get her attention. So I stood back and just watched her. She’s so grown up. She’s absolutely stunning. The woman before me has the features, scent, and laugh of my little girl but she’s not so little. Olivia was 16 almost 17 when she left home- I just imagined time stopped and she’d always look like that. “Aleksi?” Robin finally spoke. “That’s.. That’s Dot. She’s grown but I know that’s her,” he choked up, "I'd know those beautiful eyes anywhere." I turned to look at my best friend and Olivia's godfather. He was tearing up. If I knew anything I knew that Robin and Marie both loved Olivia and Andre like they were their own. “Yes it is,” was all I could think of to say. We stood there and watched her in silence together. She looked so happy and unburdened. Olivia, my beautiful, sweet, kind, and caring girl- I've found you. A little boy ran up to her and she picked him up and put him on her hip. What was said next had my jaw hitting the ground. “Mommy! Let’s dance again!” the little boy squealed. Mommy? Is that my…

“Daddy?” A surprised voice pulled me out of my malfunction. I shook my head and looked up. Olivia had the little boy on her hip and was standing there staring at me.