You Belong To Me

Chapter Three: Wren

Being the alpha in a pack was hard enough, and being mayor of a town filled with werewolves and other supernatural creatures on top of that must be incredibly stressful.

I don't envy my mother the responsibility, especially since she was cooped up in an office, preparing for today's event while I spent my time hiking up the mountains, wet from the rain and sweat.

We'd been told not to shift in the open during tourist season, but she'd closed off certain trails in preparation for the full moon in a week's time.

I had passed several signs warning of dangerous animals and slippery trails, ducked under each of them until I found my favourite spot in the forest.

There was a stone overlooking the trees, high up on the mountains where I could see for miles and miles around.

I sat down on the rock, letting my feet dangle on the edge while I sat back and enjoyed the view.

The rain beat down on me, but I barely noticed that my jeans were pasted to my things, and the grey shirt I was wearing was soaked through. My shoes were probably ruined for good, since they were squishy with water.

I let out a sigh, and rubbed my face with my hands in frustration, and anger.

I'd needed a few hours to myself to deal with this situation my mother had put me in.

Regardless of what she said, what she wanted as the alpha, I was determined not to marry that woman.

I refused to put myself in a situation like that, where I would spend the rest of my life resenting Aurora while she abused the power her position would provide.

I just wished my mother would leave this alone, and try to find another way to get closer to the Knights.

This charade was going to blow up in her face, which I had told her as much after dinner, but she had ignored me and rushed off to bed.

I had left before she woke up, not entirely excited about being ordered around again and told to play the loving boyfriend to a vindictive woman like Aurora.

It had been her idea to go to town hall together, be seen as a couple before we announce the engagement to the town.

Perhaps the look on my face when she'd suggested such nonsense is what led her to throw a tantrum and leave the table before being dismissed by my parents.

It was bad manners to leave the dining room before the alpha for any reason except for the bathroom, and to raise your voice in your alpha's presence was extremely disrespectful.

My mother had noted the action with a raised brow at her parents, who seemed more embarrassed than I had ever seen them before.

My father, ever the quiet one, had watched the display with a neutral expression and continued to eat.

My indifference had fueled Rehan's amusement, which made him choke on a piece of asparagus.

If it were up to me, I'd skip the day altogether and spend my time on this rock, where nobody would find me.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, seeking the peace I always felt when I came here.

The breeze that tousled my curls was warm against the cool rain, and I welcomed both as I sat there for the next couple of minutes.

I began to wonder if I was ready for the responsibilities that were suddenly being thrown at me.

My lack of experience in dealing with the people of this town and the issues they faced was showing. You couldn't teach someone something in the course of three years what they should have been learning their whole lives.

Leaders, as much as they are born, need to learn certain skills and communicate with their pack so they know what they need.

Except for Colt and a few friends I'd made in the past three years, nobody dared speak a word to me about anything because they had no idea what kind of person I was.

They were more comfortable with Rey, who had spent his entire life here, getting to know everyone, their situations.

It pissed me off that my mother was expecting so much of me now when she hadn't even wanted me around most of my life.

I envied Rehan for the close relationship he had with both parents, and I secretly resented them because I felt that they had chosen him over me.

For years, I had felt like I was the child they hadn't wanted. Like I’d been cast aside so they could focus on other things they felt were more important.

A large part of me wanted to go ahead with this, the part that was constantly trying to get my parents’ approval. But another, more mature part of me, realised that I would be dooming myself to a life filled with disappointment if I continued to live to please them.

There were better ways I could serve my pack, better ways to prove my loyalty to my mother, but marrying Aurora wasn't one of them.

I just had to think of something.

I felt a little better now that I had some perspective, and my body was much lighter, as if I'd shed some baggage in the process.

I opened my eyes as a lightning bolt flashed in the sky.

It brought me back to reality, a harsh reminder that I still had to make an appearance at the hall today.

Despite all the internal turmoil that plagued us as a family, there was no need to air it out to the pack. If I didn't show up, people would ask questions, and begin to wonder if there was something wrong.

We couldn’t have that.

We had to appear united at all times.

Reluctantly, I stood up from the rock.

I allowed myself at least another two minutes to enjoy the serene, lush view before jumping down from the edge.

I estimated that the distance from the rock to the ground was at least seventy feet, a height that would paralyze most people and kill others.

But fortunately, the supernatural strength and endurance allowed me to land feet first on the ground.

I grunted from the force, then walked back to the trail that led home.

***

The triple-storey town hall had been remodelled a few years ago, renovating the old design into a more modern, more sophisticated style.

The exterior was now a sleek, trendy grey with well trimmed greenery and polished windows.

The stairs and railing leading up to the entrance had been redone with marble to replace the damaged stone, and the rotting metal of the window panes had been replaced with large, floor to ceiling windows in the reception area.

The large, overwhelming furniture had been substituted with sleek, light woods and metals that allowed for a bright workspace, and the old, dusty paintings of the town founders had been moved to the museum.

My mother's portrait hung there instead, a poised, polished version of her that put people at ease.

There were a few people standing on the stairs, and near the entrance, enjoying the humid breeze that came after the rain.

I greeted as many people as I could before heading inside.

Every year, certain members of the community pulled out all the stops in celebration of Founders Day.

The fire and police departments joined forces against the medical team at Cennea Memorial Hospital and a few other teams in hopes of winning the day challenge. We had to adjust it this year because of the rain, but usually the teams had to participate in a bunch of tasks and win to rack up enough points to be declared the victor at the end of the day.

For the past few years, I had been a part of my mother’s team, along with my father and brother.

We didn’t try very hard to win, because it would be unfair to rest of the pack if we were always winning.

My mother thought it was a good idea to participate so we could interact with everyone.

I was the strongest in the pack in terms of physical strength, and last year, I’d won the log tossing challenge without breaking a sweat. Sometimes it was a little hard to remember to rein myself in, but the feat could be explained away because of my enormous size.

I’d arrived at noon, just in time for the start of the activities, and slowly made my way past the food and beverage stalls, the gaming tables and the displays, to get to my family, who were all standing by the stage.

Rehan stood with his back to the room, and my parents stood on either side of him, conversing casually with the Knights.

Aurora brightened considerably when she saw me, and pushed past a group of young people on her way to me.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me, pressing a kiss to my cheek like she and I were actually together. I looked around awkwardly at the looks being cast our way, and carefully detached from her without seeming rude.

“We missed you this morning,” she said, grabbing hold of my arm instead.

“I needed some time alone to think things through.”

I let her lead me to where our families were standing, smiling at the people we passed on our way there.

“And what did you decide on?” she asked, looking up at me with pretty, pale blue eyes.

“We’ll talk about that a little later, okay? In private.”

She must misunderstand me because she smiles widely, her eyes twinkling with some twisted, triumphant gleam.

I ignored that and turned to greet my parents first, pressing a kiss to my mother’s cheek. I nod to Rehan and my father, and come to stand next to my mother, with Aurora on my left and turn to the Knights.

I shake both their hands formally, and smile the way I’d been taught in boarding school.

Despite the casual dress of the rest of the town, the Knights were dressed as if they were headed to a formal dinner. My father, like me, was dressed in jeans and a shirt, while Rehan and my mother had opted for a more semi-formal look.

My mother had on a sleeveless, polka dot dress that reached up to her knees, a pair of heels on her feet. Rehan was dressed in a pair of black slacks, and a stylish button-down with a few buttons loose at the top.

We weren’t participating this year, and would be judging instead since the older members of the council weren’t present today.

Otherwise they would have had to dress a little more casually as well, much to their dismay.

“I think we should get started, darling. It’s almost one,” my father said, holding his hand out to his wife.

They excused themselves as she took his hand and they walked towards the stage, whispering discreetly to each other. My mother nods, and then turns to the podium and taps against the microphone with a manicured finger.

“Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you all for braving the rain to celebrate the day together.”

There’s a round of polite applause, and she smiles brightly at everyone while she waits for the noise to quiet down before she continues.

“As you know, the story of Cennea is not an entirely happy one. Before my ancestors built this town, the area was wrought with violence and blood. Enemies used our separation against us, and we learned the hard way the importance of standing together as a people.”

There was a brief silence where my brother and I glanced at the Knights, who purposefully kept their eyes on my mother.

We weren't the only ones, it seemed, since a few eyes drifted towards the woman standing beside me.

Yeah, nobody had forgotten that s**t they had pulled all those years ago.

My mother may have forgiven them for their indiscretion, but everyone else in the pack still had very vivid memories of that decade the Knights had been in power.

They’d exiled anyone loyal to my mother, and then hunted them down when they realised the mistake they had made. Plenty of those people had families who were still here, who remembered the brutal treatment of their brothers and sisters, their friends and neighbours.

Fortunately for them, nobody had ever been killed.

But I think that had more to do with incompetence than mercy.

“I am proud to be standing before you today as your leader, and I show my appreciation to your support and loyalty over the years by trying to be a better leader than I was yesterday. I remind you all that I cannot do what I do without you. Each one of you is a vital, essential part of this community, and together we can do better, we can be better. Founders Day is to celebrate how far we’ve come, how much we’ve succeeded. Unfortunately, because of the rain,” she smiles a little sheepishly, we’ve had to postpone the outdoor activities to tomorrow morning.”

My attention drifts off then, and I start looking around the room.

Everyone, even the children, are standing quietly, listening to her speak about the inconsequential activities and the prizes to be given to the winning team. She commanded the room like a professional, but it didn’t even look like she was trying.

She just spoke, but everyone seemed to hang on her every word like it was the most important thing any of them had ever heard in their lives.

“For those of you who aren't participating, please enjoy watching. There are plenty of other activities to take part in, and there’s plenty of locally made food and beverages to be enjoyed. Thank you.”

The applause that followed was a little louder, with some good natured whooping from a few younger members of the pack.

My parents walked off the stage, and my father reached for a few clipboards with papers attached to it. He handed one to my mother, then to me and Rehan, keeping one to himself.

“Wren, you can start with the food. Rehan you can judge the models of the town first,” my mother said, then shooed us away.

“I can come with you. Two mouths are better than one,” Aurora suggested, smiling at the s****l innuendo.

“I think an unbiased opinion is best,” my father said, glancing meaningfully at me.

“Uhm, I agree,” I said, pulling my arm out of Aurora’s tight grip. “We can meet up a bit later, when I’m done.”

I shrug out of her grasp and smile to ease the tension.

“Right. I’ll be back,” I said, then turned around abruptly and disappeared into the crowd.

The first food stall belongs to Cole’s mother, Mary, who also happens to own the diner down the road.

She’s an exceptional cook and her venison stew has always been a favourite of mine. My stomach growls the second she lifts the lid, the aroma of spices and meat wafting temptingly in the air.

She laughs heartily when my stomach grumbles, tilting her head slightly to accept the kiss on her cheek.

“Someone’s hungry,” she says, scooping a generous spoonful into a bowl that she hands to me.

I hold the clipboard under my arm and accept the bowl with both hands, then inhale deeply.

“I don’t think I’ll be giving an unbiased opinion here,” I admit.

I take the spoon she offers and begin to eat, groaning as the flavour of the broth explodes all over my tongue. The meat is well-cooked, the taste glorious, and it’s the right amount of spicy.

I take a seat at her stall, eating slowly so I’m not too full for the rest of the tasting.

“How’ve you been holding up, kiddo?” she asked, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel.

I shrugged.

“Pretty well, Mrs. Jones. How about you?” I replied.

“No complaints. Things have been going rather well at the diner,” she says.

"I bet Mr. Jones can't be pushing you to retire now."

She smiles cheekily, propping a hand on her rounded hip.

"He better not, if he knows what's good for him," he replied snarky.

She laughs when my eyes roll back into my skull in pleasure, eating as slowly as I could.

"Cole tells me things are going well at work."

I watch as she quickly tucks the lose, grey strands behind her ears, then starts to fan her face with her hand.

"Very. We're this close," leaving a small amount of space between my index finger and thumb, "To finishing up the Walker place."

"I'm sure old Florence will be thrilled to hear that," she says, smiling as Eva approaches with her daughter, Noelle. The child squeals, and practically dives into her grandmother’s arms. Mary laughs again, her eyes warming up with affection.

I turn to Eva, who bends down to give me a hug before walking around the table to help her mother-in-law.

“How are you, gramps?” she asked, tying an apron around her waist.

"Hey, watch it," I joked, tossing a plastic fork at her, which she dodges easily and giggles before turning to the pot on the stove.

Fortunately, Cole’s mother didn’t have the same reservations that Eva’s father had. She had been there throughout Eva’s pregnancy and had been the one to hold her hand, after her own mother had basically disowned her.

It was Mary who had taken her in and helped her raise Noelle until Cole returned from the army.

Cole’s mother was the warmest woman I knew, and I had on occasion run off to her house even when I knew my best friend wasn’t home.

I had been able to talk to her in ways that I just couldn’t with my own mother, and she’d feed me cookies and hand me a glass of lemonade to help calm me down.

She was the only person at the time who could ease my temper enough to get me to see sense, and I was grateful for the relationship she and I still had.

I watch her play with Noelle a bit, and wonder to myself if my mother would ever be this warm with my kids.

If I ever had them.

She turns to me suddenly, regarding me like a concerned mother, narrowing her eyes at me like I was keeping something from her.

“I assume you haven’t found your lucky lady yet?” she asked, as if reading my thoughts.

I shook my head, chewed at the meat in my mouth.

“Not yet,” I replied. “Not that there aren’t… options.”

She chuckles with genuine amusement at the look on my face and tuts gently at me.

I polish off the last of the stew and hand her the bowl gratefully, which she takes and puts below the table with the other dirty dishes.

“Thanks, Mrs Jones. Your venison stew is still the best thing in the world. Unparalleled.”

She pulls me in for a warm hug with one arm, the other holding her grandchild.

Noelle, who finally notices me, squeals with delight and jumps on me.

“Whoa, there, Ellie.”

She smacks me in the face with a sticky hand, and I gasp at how much that actually hurts.

“Wunkle, Wen!” she screams, smacking me again, then giggling when I wince in pain.

"I've missed you. Where've you been all day?" I asked her.

"With daddy. He bought me candy floss and hot dogs and a lolly! Look," she said, holding up a red, lollipop.

"Can you take her for a bit? Cole's out back helping with something and we need to get the rest of this food ready," Eva said.

"Of course. It's been ages since I've spent time with my goddaughter. I’ll bring her back in a bit.”

They both smiled at me before I turned away, leaving them to their preparations.

I turned to Noelle, whose blonde hair was unkempt, sticking up at odd ends around her tiny face. Her blue eyes glowed with innocence and purity, and I smiled down at her adorableness.

“Where to next, my little elf?”

She scowls fiercely. “I'm not an elf, uncle Wren!”

I boop her nose and she scrunches up her nose before putting her lollipop back in her mouth.

I take her with me to another table, and gingerly hold out a small spoon of the chicken casserole while bouncing her on my lap.

I wait for her to chew, then frown at the face she makes before she pushes the spoon away from her face with disgust.

“I don’t like it!”

I bite down on my bottom lip to keep from chuckling at the look on the cook’s face, who seems plenty annoyed with Noelle’s outburst.

“Kids,” I say, apologetically.

I finish up the food and hand her the bowl, then pick up the clipboard and make a mark under unsatisfactory.

The kid was right.

I hadn’t liked that food either.

We’re almost at Mrs O’Neill’s table when Noelle suddenly struggles in my arms, trying to get down. She whimpers when I don’t immediately set her down, and starts to cry a bit.

“Alright, alright. What is it?” I asked, putting her down gently.

I try to reach for her hand, but she takes off, running into the thickest part of the crowd while I try to follow after her.

She’s small, and dodges between people’s legs. I’m only able to keep up with her because everyone parts to let me through.

I mutter a bunch of apologies as I chase after the seven-year old in her pink tights and t-shirt, and she squeals and laughs when she realises I’m catching up to her.

She screams with glee when she’s picked up suddenly, and I watch as the person holding her spins her around before pulling her in for a tight hug.

“Hello, princess! How are you?” the woman gushes.

Noelle takes the woman’s face into her hands and leans down to give her a kiss on the mouth, no doubt leaving sticky handprints on her cheeks, but she just giggles in delight.

“Why are you running around this place by yourself, hmm?” she asks, then finally turns around to look at me.

I had seen plenty of beautiful woman in my life. Athletes, models, a few actresses, doctors, lawyers...

I've been in awe of most of them, but this woman in front of me made them all pale in comparison.

She was absolutely sensational.

I’m struck with a powerful sense of deja vu and when our eyes lock, the world shrinks in on itself, until we’re the only people in it.

She and I.

My eyes slowly take in her raven dark hair, the vivid, captivating purple eyes that seem to twinkle with mischief and warmth, full lips that stretch into the most amazing smile I've ever seen.

I stop breathing, and my heart skips over itself several times at the sight of her.

My reaction to her is the strangest thing. It seems as if we've met and shared something unique, powerful and beautiful together.

I take a few steps towards her, inhaling deeply and catching her scent, both familiar and strange at the same time.

So disconcerting how she smelled and felt like home even though this was probably the first time I've been this close to her.

It had to be.

I probably would've noticed this longing for her, the primal, possessive manner I was reacting to her proximity.

This gorgeous woman with hypnotic, bright eyes and a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts.

I can feel the way she was reacting to me as well, the rise in pheromones pulling me towards her until I'm standing just a foot from her, looking down at her curiously.

She props Noelle on her hip and tilts her head at me in question. The gesture seems so strange, especially with the outfit she's wearing.

But for some reason, Noelle calms down, even resting her head on the woman's shoulder like she usually does with Eva and Cole.

"I'm guessing she ran away from you," she asked, amusement in her husky voice.

I almost groan at the smooth, breathy sound, and I have to swallow to keep my voice from coming out raspy and gravelly.

I nodded.

"She just took off. Should I assume she came looking for you?" I asked.

She shrugged.

"Probably. But I haven't seen her in a while," she replied, placing her head on top of Noelle's.

"Why's that?"

"Travel, mostly. But I guess she recognises my scent," she said, her eyes roaming over me curiously.

Well, at least it wasn't just me.

She starts to pull away from the child, but Noelle wraps her arms around her neck and whimpers. She widens her eyes at the woman holding her, who groans dramatically.

"And who are you to her exactly?" I asked suspiciously.

If she was so close to Noelle's parents, how come if never met her before?

"I'm a friend of Cole and Eva's from high school, but I've been away for a bit. Don't worry," she adds when I frown at her. "She wouldn't have run to me that way if she didn't know me. But if it would make you feel more at ease, I can introduce myself."

I tilt my head at that, waiting quietly.

"Genevieve D'Almeida, but everyone calls me Gene."

Hearing her name calms me just a bit, and her eyes soften in reaction, and she actually smiles at me.

"Wren Cormier."

"I know," she says. "The hair makes you stand out. Not to mention the height, the arms, the face…"

Her gaze darkens a bit, and she looks away from me for the first time, which pulls me back to earth with a resounding smack.

I look around the room and realise that we've been exuding a very high amount of pheromones, drawing some attention from the people around us.

Shit, it was quite overwhelming actually.

"Maybe we should uhm, you should take her and get back to your judging thing," she says, shifting around to remove Noelle.

The child lets out a threatening growl, her grip tightening painfully around Genevieve's neck.

"Wanna stay with aunty Gigi," Noelle whines.

"Should I leave her here with you? Just until I find Cole?" I asked.

She nodded, but Noelle whimpered again when I turned to leave.

"No, uncle Wren! Stay!"

I sigh with exasperation and turn back around. If she were anyone else, I wouldn't really care, but Noelle was impossible to say no to.

So the only choice was to stick close to her and this woman with the mysterious aura.

"You wanna tag along for a bit? Then we can find her dad together," I suggested.

"What do you say, Noa? You want to spend a bit of time with your aunt Gigi and uncle Wren?" she asks, kissing her tiny forehead.

The gesture warm my heart, which makes my breath catch momentarily at the sight of them together.

Some dormant memory stirred, but it was gone before I could examine it too closely.

"Lollipops!" Noelle screamed.

"I'll take that as a yes," I said.

Her features show amusement but her eyes darken with interest and mischief when she turns to me.

She shrugs, and takes a step towards me.

"Lead the way."