Don’t come back here, Lily

Lily’s POV The Birthday That Changed The Norm “You know, you don’t have to put in that much effort just to see him.” I jumped when I heard her voice from the doorway. Irina leaned into it, a glint in her eyes, her arms wrapped around her frame. “Have you seen the way he acts around you?” She continued, inching closer. “You could be dressed in a sack, and he’ll still think you are the prettiest in the world.” My best friend was right. I’d been seeing Phil for over a year now, and he still acted the same way like he did the first time he asked me to be his girlfriend. Smitten and loyal. I smiled as I turned back to the mirror, angling my head and sampling my new jewellery. “I wish Mom were here,” I whispered, my eyes drawn. “She would have known if this was a great match with the dress.” “She’s here.” Irina was inside my room now, her hand brushing a few stray curls away from my face. “You might not be able to see her, but she lives on in you. And I’m certain she is proud of the woman you are becoming.” I nodded. I couldn’t cry today. It was my birthday. The first since the demise of my mother. And I wanted to get through it without as much as a whimper. Pulling away from the mirror, I twirled around for Irina, who nodded in approval. “You look sweet, honey.” Honey. I rolled my eyes at her choice of words. Only my mother called me that when she was still here with us. It might be nothing, but I hated it when anyone else called me that. And Irina knew. “Sorry,” she laughed awkwardly. “Have you called Phil to inform him that you’ll be coming over?” I shook my head. “I want to surprise him.” The light in my eyes was easy. Free. “He has no idea that Dad has invited him over to the pack house for dinner tonight. I want to deliver the news personally.” Irina hooked an arm around mine and walked with me down the dimly lit hallway and then the stairs. Dad was nowhere close by, and that gave me the liberty to sneak past him in my dress. Let’s just say it wasn’t the ideal length, but I was certain Phil would love it. “Be back soon.” I nodded at Irina, walking over to the door before I realized something. These days, I felt bad that I’d left her all alone. She used to be my ride or die, but since I lost my mom and found Phil, I’d just been concerned about myself, leaving her all alone. I’d forgotten that my mother also played the role of hers. I’d forgotten that, unlike me, Irina grew up an orphan, all alone. Making a mental note to return earlier to spend the rest of the day with her before dinner, I walked to my bike, already parked out on the curb. Donning my leather jacket, I allowed the screaming engine to bring a smile to my face before riding towards Phil's house. I stopped a minute away from his home, deciding to walk the rest of the way. He would be able to hear my bike from a mile away, and I didn’t want that to happen. Hopping happily on my feet, I made the short walk to his house, my fist poised on his door. Deciding against it, I sauntered in, a grin on my lips. “Phil?” He wasn’t in the living room, so I took the liberty of going into his bedroom like I owned it, but he wasn’t there either. But out back, there was blood. Everywhere. And Phil was nowhere to be found. *** Irina was the first person I called. I was in tears, huddled on the floor behind Phil’s house when she raced in. “What happened, honey?” I was too disoriented to mind it a second time. “I got here… and I… I didn’t see…Oh my God! There is blood and…” She pulled me into her arms, shushing me as her familiar scent wafted over my nostrils. For a minute, I thought she smelled like my father, the Alpha of the Moon Howl Pack. But she was pulling away in another minute, too fast for me to place the scent. “Let’s get you home,” she whispered, pulling me to my feet. “We can call your father before we get there. He’ll know what to do.” “My bike…” “The Beta’s son will come get it.” We got into my father’s car, which he let no one drive, but again, it wasn’t important at the time. We were snaking through the road, heading back to the private street leading to the pack house, when I saw it. “Stop!” I yelled at Irina, jumping out of the car before she could stop me. She brought the car to a halt by the side of the road, but I was already running, veering away from our direction. “Lily!” She screamed exasperatedly. “What are you…” I jumped over the short bridge onto the other side. Irina’s screams got louder, but before I could take one more step, strong arms wrapped themselves around me, pulling me to the other side. “No!” I muttered, struggling hard against whoever it was. “I saw Phil there. They are going to hurt him. They’ll hurt him.” “Lily.” “Dad!” I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. “The Bloodfangs have him.” “It’s fine,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms. “We’ll get Phil back. They crossed the boundary to get to him, and that means they violated the rules.” But none of that mattered to me. The Bloodfangs were known for their cruelty and their hatred for us. They must have known Phil was my boyfriend. They must have been planning a means to overthrow us. “Dad…” “Shhhh,” he patted my hair delicately. But I wasn’t calling him because I needed assurance that everything was going to be fine. Not that. I called him because there was someone watching us from the woods.