TBMA [Complete ✔️]

19. Returned

Rosalie's P.O.V

Just as I reached the entrance, I bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" My heart picked up at the idea of bumping into an important guest and causing trouble I didn't want to deal with tonight but relaxed when I saw it was just aunt Zaria. We both chuckled as I rubbed the side of my arm, her body as hard as a rock because of the many training hours.

We walked to the backyard together, the place already buzzing with partying wolves. Knox was standing to the side, grumbling at his Gamma. I had to bite my lip to avoid scoffing at his scowl, the one, I was starting to imagine his face was frozen in. Otherwise, there was no way someone was grumpy and angry at all times of the day.

"Do you think he's this grumpy while he sleeps too?" I asked my only remaining mother figure, who was still standing beside me. She pointed her gaze at me, scowling at me for insulting the Alpha... while he could overhear. Both of us knew how many times I had consoled in her not only as a child but recently as well.

Still, even while supposedly scolding me, she couldn't help the grin that danced on her lips. I gave her a once over, noticing her relaxed posture, and the glow in her eyes that hadn't returned since the murder of her mate.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" I asked, wanting to give her a little nudge, but knowing I should probably act a little more reserved in front of the whole pack. After all, I was no stranger to danger, and neither were my loved ones, because of my healing abilities.

She simply shrugged, averting the topic.

"Do you like your party?"

"You'd hope I do, I planned it pretty much by myself." I rolled my eyes but took a look around.

At least our pack members seemed to be enjoying themselves. Despite having a lot more funds than we used to when father lead the pack, we still didn't have traditions or parties because of my grump of a brother. The backyard looked a lot like it did at the few previous parties we had hosted, only it was more... lavish, and expensive, per aunt Zaria's request.

There were banners hung around the nearby trees, a barbecue where male Omegas were serving hot dogs, hamburgers, potatoes, and all sorts of other dishes. There were also many, probably too many, tables filled to the brim with different drinks, both alcoholic and not, and a bunch of snacks such as chips, fries, Doritos, and whatever else I could think to put on the party grocery list.

For activities, we had set up a few table-tennis tables, football gates, and some basketball hoops for the pups and teenagers, and there was a whole area dedicated to music and dancing for the rest. We could also all light a fire later to roast some marshmallows.

With our pack growing incredibly fast in numbers, I was surprised to see so many wolves in one place. There was someone everywhere, you could hardly step without bumping into a guest, but perhaps their smiles made it worth it.

"I'm serious, darling, I want you to enjoy tonight!" My gaze snapped back to aunt Zaria, a warm smile spreading on my face. The necklace situation seemed to claw less at my chest now that at least she was here. Now, that someone cared about how my night would go.

"I will," I reassured her. "I can't wait to finally meet my wolf!"

Just then, Paisley made her way over, pulling me into a tight hug, almost making me yelp as I didn't see her coming.

"I'll leave you two, see you later!" My aunt said, waving goodbye.

"Happy birthday!" Paisley cheered, handing me a box wrapped in gorgeous gold wrapping paper with a bow on top. I gave her a side hug to thank her before unwrapping my gift, a makeup kit staring back at me.

"I hope you like it, I know you're really passionate about clothes and makeup." She looked nervous, rambling slightly as she watched me open it.

"I love it, I can already visualize all the looks I can create with this!" I gushed, spending the next ten minutes pointing to all the colors and what I'd like to do with them.

My friend wasn't much into makeup, she simply wore it because she said she was one of the wolves representing the pack, yet she still listened to my every word with a smile on her face.

The two of us, soon joined by her mate, once he was done getting scolded by my brother, spent the night together, eating food, laughing, and playing games with the pups. They all seemed to like me and think of me as some sort of a hero and I'd be lying if I said their smiles weren't intoxicating.

I got beat in table tennis twice, once by Shawn, and once by Paisley, but I managed to prevent their team from scoring a goal to mine in a game of football with the younger boys. We then danced to some songs I didn't know, but I had to sit down once a slow song began to play.

I was having fun but that didn't mean the absence of my brother didn't hurt every time I let it. He was there, and at the same time, he wasn't. He observed, and looked bored half the night when he wasn't busy avoiding my gaze. I mostly didn't let it affect me, telling myself that it had been like this for years, that it was nothing new, and yet, in some rare moments when my facade cracked, a longing for a family would haunt me until I managed to bandage it back up.

Midnight was only a few moments away, so the wolves who hadn't gone home to rest, mostly the elderly and couples with young pups, all gathered around me, preparing to see the wolf of the healer. I was buzzing with excitement and nerves, my heart pounding against my chest. I took deep breaths, in and out, inhale after exhale, in an attempt to calm myself down, but neither the excitement nor the fear subsided.

I looked around the crowd for some familiar faces, spotting Shawn and Paisley, who had encouraging smiles on their face, and Knox, who was scrolling through his phone, but no sight of aunt Zaria. I looked and searched, skimming through the crowd more than once before I finally felt my bones begin to break.

I could only hope she was alright and everything was okay because I was certain I couldn't go looking for her now. I forced my mind to concentrate, going over what Paisley had taught me about shifting before the pain became too intense.

"Focus on your breathing!"

"Embrace the change, don't try to stop it!"

"Think about reaching your wolf and finally becoming one!"

I did as I was instructed, but a few minutes in, the pain was so bad I could hardly remember my name, let alone try to imagine, or focus, on anything. I was screaming my lungs off no matter how much I tried to be quiet, my lip bloodied from being bitten and sucked on.

I looked at the crowd, at the wolves who were watching me with a mix of pride, excitement, and worry, looked at my friend, who gave me thumbs up, while her mate held her, searched for the mother figure, whose face I could still remember, but she was still nowhere to be found.

The pain was becoming so unbearable I couldn't even scream anymore. I was a whimpering mess, the sounds of my breaking bones filling the otherwise now quiet night. Finally, when I was sure I was going to die, that I couldn't do it, it stopped, and I was standing on all fours.

Everything was heightened to the point my head hurt. I could smell every wolf's cologne, every sauce on a dirty plate, I could hear every whisper, every time wind slashed through the trees and rustled the banners, I could see every rock, every ant, every tiny bug making their way home after a long day.

And it felt amazing!

Nothing had ever felt more right than being here, surrounded by my pack, finally, after all these years, standing on all fours instead of two legs. The freeness, the bliss I remember envying, wondering how it felt when my brother shifted, it was every bit what I had imagined.

My wolf scanned the crowd for her Alpha, baring her neck to prove she meant no harm, something symbolic wolves that respected their leaders along with their leadership did. Knox acknowledged her with a quick nod, but otherwise did, and said nothing. At least he was no longer on his phone.

"Hi!" A voice sang inside my mind. "I'm Rain!"

"Hi!" I greeted her, the moment being too much to be expressed by words stuck in a vocabulary. "I've wanted to hear your voice for so long!" She let out a small, happy bark in agreement before something else caught her attention.

A certain scent lingered in the air. One that was too strong, too hard to avoid for my liking.

"Mate!" Rain yipped happily, bolting towards Zane before I could stop her. She knocked him to the ground and climbed on top of him, careful not to crush his body, and began l*****g his cheek. He smiled, petting her, very quickly finding her favorite spot - behind the ears.

Zane.

Zane was here, my wolf was on top of him, l*****g his cheek. She had bolted towards him too fast to be only because we were friends. They knew. They all knew. My brother, the pack.

Everyone knew I was mated to the future Beta and my heart had never raced so fast, my anxiety had never been this high. It felt too much to be contained by my body, it wanted out, it wanted to destroy me and everything it came by.

I was terrified. Of the future, of him, of hurting him, of being hurt by him, of losing his mom, of what my brother would say.

Of how I would run away from a bond that lived within me.

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! Zane has returned, but to what lengths will he go to get his mate?