Hello Again

Truth

It's Amelia's birthday and we are at Aki's hair salon getting our hair done for the party this afternoon. She's bouncing off the wall with excitement.

I wish I could be more excited about today, but I don't know how I'm going to feel when I see Stephan with his mate today.

"So, I hear that you and Stephan know each other from a long time ago," Aki asks quizzically.

"So?" I say, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"Just asking, the way I heard it, you aren't too happy that he's here. I'm guessing there's more to the story," He says.

I have to be careful what I say around Aki. The only thing that he can keep a secret, is his own love life.

"Yes, we met at a pack dance several years ago right before he mated,"

"O, hun, did you not hear? His mate left him for a hyena. Can you believe it? O, and I also hear that he's infertile. That's why his nephew is next in line. I swear you can't make this s**t up"

His mate left him, and he can't have children. I don't know how to process this; on the one hand, I think it's what he deserves, but deep down, I can't help but feel a little sorry for him.

"And on top of all that, his little brother was killed in a pack war. He's had a hard life, but don't feel too sorry for him. Since his mate left him, I hear that he made it big time"

"How do you know all this? They haven't even been here a week."

"Most of it I heard from his girlfriend. She came in this morning to get her roots done."

Aki loves to gossip. If I ever need to know something, I just come and set in his chair for an hour. By the time he's done with me, I know everything there is to know about everyone.

I met Aki in Paris, while I was with Con. When his family disowned him for being gay, he moved here. No one in my pack ever gives him a hard time. I'm sure it helps that his boyfriend who he denies dating is a dragon.

I don't want to think about any of that right now, especially his girlfriend. I just want to focus on Amelia and her birthday.

The party is taking place outside the school at the picnic area where the pack gets together every Sunday and grills out. The school is a large three-story, white brick mansion.

Outside there's a play area for little kids and one for older kids. The one for the older kids has a sizable ground-level trampoline, where all the kids are having a jumping competition at the moment.

Jack and his cousin, Nickili, are wrestling with the older kids. While Garth, Maz, and some others are taking care of the food.

Stephan brought his sister, sister-in-law, his nephew Stevie and of course Nickili and Aden. I think it's a little odd he didn't bring his girlfriend.

A little boy about Amelia's age, that must be little Stevie. He hops off Stephan's lap and hands Amelia a small pink box. Stephan and the boy appear more like father and son than uncle and nephew.

As Amelia opens the box, her big blue eyes grow with excitement. She thanks little Stevie and Stephan with a hug; Stephan seemed a little surprised to get a hug.

Amelia runs up to me " Look! Mommy, look what Stevie and his uncle got me." She holds up a little pink moonstone necklace similar to the one I lost that night. I was so upset; I couldn't even bring myself to go back to find it.

"That's a beautiful necklace, sweetheart. Do you want help putting it on?"

"Yes! please." Her smile is contagious; I can't help but smile along with her.

Stephan's making his way toward me. I give myself a moment to really look at him for the first time since he came to town. His dark wavy hair is down to his shoulders; he has a few scars on his face that I'm sure weren't there before. He seems larger than I remember if that's even possible, and he has dark circles under his eyes. In fact, the more I look at him, he seems tired and a little sad.

"So, I, um, found this and have been waiting for a good time to return it," he pulls out a small box and hands it to me.

Without opening it, I try giving it back "I haven't lost a thing,"

He doesn't take it back, just says, "Yes, you did." and walks away.

An hour later, my curiosity gets the best of me. Opening the box, I see something I lost.

I'm just staring at the box, thinking about my mother, when Gigi comes up to me and asks, "Is everything alright?" She looks in the tiny box I'm holding.

"O my, It's your mother's Moon Stone necklace. I haven't seen you wear it in ages." she takes it out of the box and carefully puts it around my neck. The same way I did for Amelia. As I'm touching it, I feel a peaceful calm, and I know my mother is watching over me.

Stephan keeps surprising me. It makes my feelings toward him even more confusing.

As Amelia and I are saying our thanks to everyone, Stephan and little Stevie walk up to say goodbye. He glances at me before bending down to Amelia. "Thanks for inviting us to your party. We had a blast." He says kindly.

Amelia looks back at me with a very serious face and asks, "Mommy, I like Mr. Stephan. Can he be my daddy? It's my birthday, and I think he would make a good daddy." That was the last thing I ever expected her to ask. Stephan stands up, clearly uncomfortable.

"Amelia, that's not how things work, we have talked about this."

"But, if he was my daddy, he would be your mate, and you wouldn't be lonely anymore."

"Mr. Stephan and I aren't meant to be. Do you remember what I told you about true mates?"

"yes," she answers while looking up at me with her big blue eyes making a sad face. She knows what I'm about to say and she's trying to use her sad face that works on her uncles every time.

"Well, Mr. Stephan and I are not true mates," I said the last part while looking at Stephan.

He stiffens and his jaw tightens. I must have hit a nerve. That makes this awkward moment a little better.

"Ok, mommy." She says with disappointment.

"Thanks again," he mumbles before he hurries off.

I give Amelia my full attention "sweety, I am not lonely; I have you and your uncles. True-mates are not something you should be worrying about. You do not need a true-mate to be happy and as for a dad, I think your uncles fill that spot well, and don't forget Con, he's your godfather," I say with a smile. She seems satisfied with my answer as she takes my hand, and we walk home.

I have a meeting with Snow at the rig today, and I'm not looking forward to it. I was up all night haunted by my past and what Amelia said. I can't stop thinking about the what-ifs; what if I would have left Anna that night and chosen Snow as the Moon Goddess wanted. Would Steve still be alive, would I have a child-like Amelia? Would we be happy? I also can't help but think about second chances. When realized yesterday at the party that Snow did not have a mate and Amelia was her adopted daughter I felt relieved; maybe this is my second chance to make everything right.

I'm walking across the worksite looking for Snow when I see her talking to Finn. I know he isn't part of Snow's inner group, and I also know he has no say. If he did, he would have been at the meeting.

They haven't noticed me yet, so I listen in, wondering what kind of relationship they have.

"Finn, How many times do I have to tell you. It was a one-time thing, that I now regret. I don't like you that way. You're a good foreman, and I would like to keep you on, but if you keep this up I'll have to fire you and kick you out of the pack. This is your last warning you keep your hands and inappropriate thoughts to yourself, or you're done!" I hear her threaten him.

I can feel her alpha power from here. She's mad. The thought of her and Finn together has my wolf growling. It's taking all I have to not tear his head off. "mine." my wolf says, and for once, I agree with him. She is mine.

She is mine! As I come to terms with it. It's like the clouds have parted for the first time, and I can see the sun. At that moment I know, I will do anything to win her back. Snow and I are meant to be together. I've been foolish all these years.

"O, come on, don't be like that; you know you liked it. Plus, you need a mate in your life to take over for you. You shouldn't have to work so hard." Finn says as he reaches for her.

I snap; closing the distance I grab the fucker around the neck and lift him off the ground. I can feel his heartbeat racing under my hand and smell the fear coming off him in waves.

"Leave! You're fired! If I ever see you again. I'll kill you without hesitation," I growled through clenched teeth. It wouldn't look good if I killed someone on the first day. Throwing him to the side as if he was nothing, I turn to see an angry Snow.

Her eyes are glowing, and her claws are out.

"What's wrong with you! You should know I can take care of myself. You've stepped over the line Stephan. The men need to know. I can take care of things, and on top of all that, I don't have a foreman now. I don't have time for this; I have a pack and town to run!" She snarls.

I follow her into the office that's nearby and close the door for privacy. Snow has her arms crossed, just looking at me furiously.

"Look, I'm sorry. I heard what he said to you, and I just snapped. I'll take care of the oil rig you have nothing to worry about." I say, trying to smooth things over with her. This is not a good start to winning her over.

"I don't trust you. You don't necessarily have the best history for making good decisions," she said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" I'm angry now for a whole other reason. I know what she means, but I want to hear her say it.

(ring, ring)

She answers her phone. "Ya. Now? Yes, I'll be there in 15. No, I want him. I've got some steam to let off." I hear her say. She leaves the office while still on the phone ignoring me like I'm not even there.

"What is it?" I ask while following her out to the parking lot.

"I have a challenger at the Pack gate." She says without stopping or even looking at me.

Putting the argument to the side. "I'll call my pack to meet us there. Jump in my car. I'll drive us." She hops on a white crotch rocket, and speeds off without a word.

I'm so angry. How dare he butt in like that? Who does he think he is? This challenge couldn't have come at a better time. I feel like killing someone. I go through the hidden side entrance to the pack property with Stephan in his black BMW not far behind.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take this one, Snow? He's a big one." Garth asks as I walk up.

"No thanks, I've got a new move I want to try out,"

The boys and I usually take turns with the challengers. It's not something most packs do but were not most packs.

The Phoenix pack and my pack are both here within minutes.

Stephan walks up beside me, where he does not belong. He is supposed to stand on the sideline unless a full-pack brawl breaks out.

I'm getting some odd looks from the older members of the pack. They know it's not customary for him to stand by me like this. But it's not something I can address at the moment.

I need to do this to show Stephan and his pack why I'm alpha.

"Lookie, lookie, who do we have here. Is it the female mutt?" the alpha asks.

I can hear Stephan growing at my side. He must have trouble controlling his wolf.

Their alpha is a wolf with a large frame, a long beard, and a shiny bald head. His pack is more of a biker gang. They drift all over, taking over weak packs and moving on when they get bored or the money runs out.

This pack made a grave mistake coming here and challenging me.

"Let's not waste time talking and get on with it," I've always hated the s**t talk; it's just a waste of time.

"When I kill your ass. I'm going to set fire to your whole mutant pack and watch them burn" That got snarls from everyone. I roll my eyes, knowing that would never happen. If I were to lose the rest of the pack, would stop him. After all, we outnumber him three to one.

Both packs form a semi-circle around us. I had a dream about this move months ago and have been working with Max to get it right. It's an easy move but everything has to line up just right.

"Fight!" Jack yells.

We run at each other full-speed in our human forms. He's just a little faster, and that's what I need for this move to work. He changes into his wolf as he is leaping through the air. I do a half transformation while sliding under him like I'm sliding into home plate. When he is in just the right spot above me, I thrust my clawed hand into his chest and pull out his heart.

I'm on my feet, facing the opposing pack with their alphas heart still beating in my hand. I can't help but smile when I hear the dead body hit the ground behind me. I'm a little surprised it worked. The whole thing took less than a minute. That has to be some record.

Everyone is quiet. As I look into the eyes of the other pack, I take a big bite out of his heart. I can feel the warm blood running down my face. Eating the heart of the enemy is said to give you their power, but that's just a myth. It may give you some extra energy, but that's about it. Either way, it's a big insult to their pack.

Their beta, who is now alpha, takes a step toward me "you b***h! How dare you disrespect our fallen that way!" He takes another step toward me with a calculating look. When he notices the two packs coming to stand by my side, he retreats.

"This isn't over, mutt I'll be back, and you'll pay!"

As everyone is going back to their daily task, I hear Gigi, "Stephan, you and your family should come over for dinner tonight." She wasn't really asking.

I can see he's thinking about it.

"Don't worry; the heart isn't on the menu." she smiles "We'll, be having a pot roast. I'll see you at 7:00", leaving no room for argument. She turns and walks back toward the house before he can say anything.

I relax when I see Stephan leaving. Being around him always puts me on edge. Aden and the rest of the guys come up to me.

"Wow, Epic move! I have never seen anything like that. I didn't think I would get to see something crazier, than Stephan tearing someone's head off. Or you biting your finger off," Aden says.

"you shouldn't take such risky moves," Garth says with a deep rusty voice. I know he's not really mad when I see the crinkle around his one icy blue eye.

Iv been practicing that move with Max ever since I had a dream about it a few months ago.

"We should double our security for a while. I don't trust them not to ambush us in the middle of the night," Max says.

"You're right; you and Garth take care of that. Jack, I want you to stay at the school for a few nights just in case. I'll go talk to Leo to make sure the town is secure."

I notice Snow has doubled security as I pull through the large iron gate at the entrance of their territory. I brought Aden, my sister Lily and her husband Nickili to dinner.

Even though Aden's sister left and we are no longer together, he's still like a little brother to me. He seems happier since we moved to Spring River. I'm gonna miss him when he goes back to college in the fall. He has grown up so fast.

Before I can knock, Aden walks in and yells, "Mrs. Gigi, we're here!"

Gigi comes around the corner, wiping her hand on her apron. "Come on in. Everyone is in the den. Dinner will be done soon." She says as she walks back into the kitchen.

I follow Aden, who seems to know the way. Before we even enter the room, I know Snow isn't here. I can't help but wonder where she is.

Jimmy smiles as we walk in hes setting in an overstuffed recliner by the fire, "come on in, make yourselves at home."

I take a seat across from Garth, who is sitting next to Maz and her sister. Garth always looks angry, and it's hard to tell what he's thinking. The fact he only has one eye doesn't help any.

Lucky it's just us, and with Aden and Nickili, I don't have to conversate much.

"Where's Snow and Jack?" Aden asked.

"Jack is at the school tonight and Snow will be along shortly," Jimmy says without further explanation of where she is.

"Dinner time!" Gigi yells. The food is already on the table when we walk in.

I'm next to the head of the table, whose seat is saved for Snow. Garth, Maz, and Aden are seated across from me, and Lilly and Maz's sister are placed next to me, with Gigi and Jimmy at the other end of the table.

"No need to wait for Snow; she'll be here shortly. Let's eat," Gigi said as she dug in.

Just as I was about to take my first bite, Snow walks in. Without a word, and takes her seat next to me. With windblown hair and red cheeks, it looks like she went for a run. She smells like berries and the wind; all I want right now is to bury my nose in her neck.

While everyone is occupied with Gigi and Lilly's conversation about the school. I try to talk to Snow.

"Where is Amelia this evening,"

"She's having a sleepover with Max and his family," She said while looking at her food. I'm getting annoyed. How am I supposed to get her to trust me if she won't even look at me?

After a long dinner; I corner her in the hallway away from the group to confront her about avoiding me.

"Snow, why do you keep avoiding me? I know I f****d up, but that was a long time ago. I think we should give us a try. If nothing else, we can be friends. You know if we can't get along, our packs won't get along either." I know it's a little of a low blow using the packs to get close to her, but I don't know what else to do. I need her in my life.

"You are a selfish asshole! Do you have any idea how hard it is to be in the same room with the one person who was made just for you? The one person who is supposed to love, protect, and accept you no matter what! The one meant to be your other half, who you're supposed to be able to trust! Reject you in the first five minutes of meeting you for the first time. Do you know what it's like seeing all your friends finding their mate and knowing mine is with someone else? Do you, Stephan! You haven't even cared enough to say SORRY!?"

She runs up the stairs without giving me a chance to say anything. It's just as well. What am I supposed to say to that? I know I hurt her, but I didn't know how deep. Maybe I am a selfish asshole. I wish for once life would be easy.

I hear someone clear their throat behind me. This isn't good.

Everyone is standing there with a mixture of anger and sad faces. Well, most of them are angry.

"I think it's time for you and your family to leave, Stephan" Gigi says with no room for argument. She looks ready to tear my head off.

"Gigi, I can explain." Garth doesn't give me any time to explain.

"She said it's time for you to go." He looks like he could snap at any time. The last thing I want right now is to fight an angry polar bear.

Nickili already has the car started with the girls in the back ready to go. The always joyful polar bear behind the steering wheel doesn't look happy and Aden is just looking at the ground making no move to get in the car.

"What are you doing, Aden? Get in the car."

"umm I think I'm going to stay"

"What? You can't stay we were told to leave" I'm getting frustrated. I'm ready to get home so I can let my wolf out.

"Aden is always welcome here. You are not." Garth growls as he puts a hand on Aden's shoulder.

With little choice, I leave Aden behind. I know they think of him like family and he will be safe. I'll give Snow some space, even though Id like to throw her over my shoulder and take her with me. A decade ago that would have been acceptably behaver but times have changed now if I did something like that it would mean war. I not giving up though I'm just gonna need to be more patient and work on her trusting me.