Safe

THREE

    Elise stood in the mirror, staring at herself regretfully. It had been a whole week since Lila had disappeared, and there were no leads as to where she could be. And while the pack had earnestly searched for Lila the first few days, the search had quickly died down. No one was interested in finding a human, even if she was the future Alpha’s roommate. Lila had disappeared just as quickly and randomly as she had shown up, silently and in the middle of the night. 

    Elise furrowed her brows pensively, trying to shake the thoughts from her head. It was her 21st birthday, and as much as she wanted Lila there to celebrate with her, she had to stay focused on what lay ahead if she wanted to help Lila as best as she could. She looked at herself again, making sure all the details were perfect. She smoothed her short black dress out, checking herself from different angles in the mirror. Tonight she would become Alpha. Tonight she had to face what she feared most.

    Elise sighed, wishing Lila was there yet again. They had grown up together and were practically sisters, so it felt wrong to be celebrating this moment without her. If it were up to Elise, the whole night would’ve been canceled. Elise didn’t feel like this was a good time to inherit the pack. Tensions were high with Fire Sun Pack, the rumors of what had happened between Beta Kyle and her brother Rylan had spread quickly, only further fueling the fires. How was she supposed to navigate that crisis on top of Lila’s disappearance?

    Elise groaned, upset that all she could do was upset herself on the biggest night of her life. She held back her tears as she tried to convince herself that it was going to be okay. But then her thoughts turned to her mother, who still had not returned from her so-called “pack business”. Elise was p*ssed, how could her mother miss her 21st birthday? Her inauguration as pack leader? Elise knew she wasn’t as close to her mother as Rylan was, but that didn’t excuse Mom from missing tonight. It’s bad enough she’s flaking on me, Elise angrily thought, but to flake on Dad? He needs her right now through this transition and she’s not here? How could she do this to us? Elise’s rage quickly climbed as she stomped back and forth in her room. Kyra quickly stepped in to sooth Elise before her rage got them both in trouble.

    Not tonight, Elise, Getting mad tonight will only cause problems, Kyra said in a forced tone. Elise knew that Kyra was upset too, that she was trying not to let the anxiety consume her. Usually an assertive wolf by nature, Kyra had been quiet all week, pensive as she tried to process the entire situation.

    Just as Elise was about to argue and escalate the whole situation, three quick knocks followed by two slow ones broke the silence, interrupting Elise and Kyra’s silent argument. Immediately recognizing Sophie’s code, she shouted at Sophie telling her that it was unlocked. Sophie walked in wearing a crimson sheath dress that ended right under knees, revealing long, cream colored calves underneath. She had paired them with nude peep toe pumps that showed that her nails were painted the same bright hue of red. Sophie’s long brown hair had been expertly curled and smoothed all to one side, completing the look and making her look classy and sexy at the same time. Sophie walked in, her heels clicking against the hardwood floors in Elise’s apartment. Taking one look at her friend, Sophie saw the tension creasing Elise’s brows and quickly hugged her. Soothingly, she rubbed Elise’s back while she held her friend, providing as much comfort as she could muster. Elise reluctantly hugged her back, worried that if she stayed too long the tears would start flowing. Seemingly reading her mind, Sophie released her and took a large step back, examining Elise’s choice of wardrobe for the night. 

    Elise joined her and looked back in the mirror, taking in her appearance. Elise was wearing a form fitting floor length black dress with a slit up to her mid-thigh and a sweetheart neckline. She had paired it with some blush colored heels and soft pink lipstick. Elise had put her waist length raven hair half up in a bun, letting the rest tumble over her shoulders and down her back. Sophie gently fixed a smudge in Elise’s makeup, a gentle brown eyeshadow look that accentuated her almond shaped hazel eyes.

“Damn, you almost look as good as I do,” Sophie teased, trying to lighten the mood. Elise hesitantly laughed, trying to force herself into a better mood. But as she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but be reminded of her mother. After one last glance, Elise took a deep breath, bracing herself for the evening. She put on her happiest, not the least bit forced smile she could, and turned to her best friend. 

    “You ready?” Sophie asked, already anticipating the answer. 

    “Ready as I’ll ever be” Elise said weakly ad Kyra chuckled in the back of her head. The two girls linked arms and walked out the door to Elise’s future.

    Outside, Rylan had pulled up and was waiting for them, leaning against his car outside Elise’s building. Grinning his usual goofy grin, he whistled at the girls as they walked toward them. 

    “You two are going to turn every single head tonight” He said as he looked them both up and down. 

    “Good, maybe I’ll find my mate while I’m at it” Sophie giggled, sliding into the backseat as Rylan held the door open for them. Elise grimaced at Sophie mentioning her mate, remembering that amidst all the commotion, Rylan had also been forced come out to the entire pack, and had been rejected by his mate, Beta Kyle. She quickly shot Sophie a stern look and then glanced at her brother, who pretended not to notice. Closing the door behind her, Rylan ran around to the driver’s side of the car and hopped in. He turned around and, squeezing Elise’s hand, he gave her a wink. 

    “Ready to become the most ultra powerful badass female alpha in the history of Old Moon Pack?” He asked, reassuring her that he had confidence in her leadership.

    “Duh, of course she is. She’s the ONLY ultra powerful badass female alpha in the history of our pack” Sophie answered for her. Elise knew that Sophie was only trying to juice her ego, but the fact that Elise was going to be the first female alpha in their pack made her stomach quiver. She hadn’t thought about that fact, she had actually done everything she could to push it out of her mind. There was already so much pressure, so much to keep track of, she couldn’t allow herself to set expectations she could fulfill. Elise forced herself to smile again, stopping herself mid thought before she let the panic settle in again. She silently stared out the window for the rest of the ride, hoping that the party would take forever to get to. Her mother had planned the party months before she had left, leaving everything in place for Elise and her father. Elise was the only person who had no idea where the party was being held, a complete surprise for her, which she resented. Elise liked to have all the information, all the time, so the secrecy of the party had only added to her stress rather than alleviating some of it like her mother had intended it too. 

    Rylan quickly drove out of town and deep into the forest, grinning even wider when Elise started pestering him with questions about where they were going. She turned to Sophie and began to bother her when Rylan refused to give any answers, but Sophie just quietly swiped her fingers over her lip and pretended to lock them, indicating that her lips were sealed too. Just as Elise was about to give into her frustration and lash out at everyone, she saw some lights in the distance. Sitting on her hands, Elise resisted the urge urge to fidget as they got closer and closer to the lights. As they finally pulled up, Elise hopped out of the car before it had even stopped moving, ignoring Rylan’s protests. Stumbling, she felt a strong arm catch her as she fought for balance, and smiled as she sensed who it was. Looking up, she found herself face to face with her beaming father. He looked younger than he should, dressed in a charcoal grey suit and black shirt, with his collar unbuttoned. 

    “Happy birthday, Hawk” he said excitedly as he placed her back on her feet. 

    “Thanks, Eagle” She responded, smiling at their nicknames. Years ago, when Elise was 10, she had started training to become Alpha. During their training, she had suggested that they have code names for each other in case something happened and they were both needed. They decided that they would be Hawk and Eagle, like secret agents who spoke into hidden headsets during missions. Now, ten years later, the nicknames seemed more appropriate than ever as Elise’s father watched her leave the nest. 

    Silently, Elise’s dad handed her a small, rectangular present, wrapped in light yellow paper with no bow and no card. 

    “It’s from your mom” He said quickly as she looked at him with confused eyes. “I’m sorry she couldn’t be here today, I know you need her. I wish I could explain why she’s not, but I can’t. Not yet, at least’ He continued softly. For a brief second, Elise thought she saw sadness cloud his eyes, but he masked it before she could confirm what it was. Elise quickly opened the present, revealing a beautiful black leather notebook, embossed with silver patterns that mimicked smoke. She smiled, hugging her notebook to her chest. Ever since she had started her Alpha training, Elise had kept countless notebooks full of strategy analysis, training schedules, and even her meal plans. They had become so ingrained into her routine that Elise went everywhere with a notebook and pen, taking note of everything that seemed relevant to being an Alpha. But Elise knew that she couldn’t just write anything in this notebook, that it was special and needed a purpose that was equally as special. 

    Smiling again, her dad offered his arm to her as he gestured for her to follow. Rylan and Sophie had finally caught up to them and, after taking one last deep breath, Elise started walking to the party.