Whispers

Chapter three

The Crescent Moon Pack is one of the biggest in Georgia. Since this is the case, the pack house is large--it has enough space to accompany everyone in the pack for meetings and it also houses the packs main families. Usually the Alpha's and the Beta's families live here, but they will take people in if they have to.

We pull up in the truck, late, and I swallowed at the sight of the crowd. I force myself to exit the truck and go into the house, which is noisy and full of people I didn't know. I could feel everyone in my personal space, and it made me extremely uncomfortable. I take in a deep breath, not wanting to repeat what happened at school today. I'm in enough trouble as it is. 

My dad and I separated the second we were inside the house. This doesn't surprise or hurt me because I know what he thinks of me. People around me are starting to stare. I shrink back into the doorway, thinking of my escape. If I leave now, no one will notice. Who would really care if I just left right now. Technically I did come to the meeting, I just left early. I feel my hand on the doorknob, ready to twist and run, but I stop myself.

What was I thinking? If I leave now, my dad will know. The Alpha will know. I will then be in more trouble, and I am already knee deep in that. I cannot handle anymore today.

I decide to open the door and walk onto the porch. I breathed in the fresh air as I took a seat on the steps. My heart rate started to calm as I listened to the soft hum of people inside the house. 

"Gill?" I turn around, feeling the stiffness in my neck from the fight earlier, and see Grace. I smile softly. My dad probably noticed I hadn't followed him like he told me to and sent Grace to follow me. "The ceremony is about to start, you need to come inside," She said softly, giving me an apologetic smile. I sigh and get up, noticing Grace's wince as she looks at my face. The swelling around my eye has gone down, but the bruise was very much there. It will start to disappear by tomorrow, but tonight I was stuck with this glaring reminder that I am a screw up. 

I walk into the pack house, again, and cast my eyes down to the floor. I quickly follow Grace to where my dad is, and earn an angry look from him. He grabs me by the upper arm tightly, "I told you to stay by me. Can't you just follow orders for once in your life?" I swallow and nod at him, now noticing that no one is looking our way. Everyone would rather ignore the fact that my dad was borderline abusing me in front of the entire pack. 

"Sit down, and don't move," I sigh and do as I am told. All I can do at this point is look around at the crowd. 

Everyone is dressed nicely. Not super nice, but the women are wearing skirts and men are in button down shirts. I feel severely underdressed and slump in my seat, hoping I will not be seen by anyone. I catch a girl looking at me, and look her way, only to realize it was the girl I had the fight with. She smirks at me and turns back to the people she is talking to. I groan and put my head on the table, doing my best to hide my face. 

A couple of minutes later my dad and Grace come back with plates of food for themselves. The smell of it made my stomach growl--I haven't eaten since lunch. I swallow hard, trying to ignore the growing pain in my stomach. I go to get up, because I cannot stand it any longer, when my dad plants his hand on my shoulder, forcing me back into the seat. 

"Do. Not. Move." He growls at me. I feel wave of anger start to overcome me, but I manage to push it down. I lay my head back on the table, fuming but in control. This isn't the first time that this has happened--I've pissed my dad off so much in the past that he wouldn't let me leave my room for a week. I was given a bucket, to go to the bathroom in, and a small plate of food once a day. Something tells me that this is going to be like that. He can't stop me from eating at school, but once I am home he can control every aspect of what I do. 

I close my eyes, the pain in my stomach subsiding for the moment. There is nothing for me to do, and I am bored. I want nothing more than to leave and go back to my room, my only safe place from everyone and everything. 

"Hello, Mr. Matthews," My head springs up at the sound of the Alpha's voice. 

"Alpha Collins," My dad and Grace stand up. Before I am able to stand, my dad drags me up by my arm, forcing me into a standing position. 

"Gillian, I am happy you made it. Are you feeling okay after our talk earlier?" I look the Alpha in the eyes. I held the gaze and smile. 

"Yes, Alpha.  Thank you for having me," I bow slightly, showing my submission. 

"Good, I'm happy to hear that. Have you eaten?" I go to open my mouth to say no, but I am interrupted.

"She ate before we got here. I told her not to, but she didn't listen. Guess she didn't eat enough at lunch today," My dad glared down at me, daring me to say something. I scowl at him and glare back. I know what he is doing; he is trying to make himself look like a decent parent who is just disciplining his child. I look down at my feet, knowing that defying my dad in this moment is pointless. The Alpha will back my father before he backs me, especially after what happened today.

"What a shame. Oh well, I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening. The ceremony will start in a couple of minutes. I am glad you are all here to witness my son naming his mate and Luna," Alpha Collins smiles at us, shakes my dad's hand and then walks away to the next table.

A hand came down, painfully, on my shoulder, "You do not speak unless you are spoken to," My dad says through a tight jaw, "Understood?" I swallow hard, unable to get rid of the large lump that has formed inside my throat.

"Yes sir." I sit down, without being told, and stare at the table. At one point, I look to Grace, who is looking at me with pity. She wouldn't dare go against my dad, especially when it comes to me. I look back down at the table and shake my head. I feel totally hopeless.

A tap on a microphone catches my attention, and that of the entire pack, but I continue to stare at the table.

"Welcome everyone! I am so happy to have all of you present for this ceremony. It means a lot to me and my family, especially my son, that everyone here was able to attend. As you all know, my son is quickly becoming of age. He will soon be Alpha, replacing me as your leader.  But what is an Alpha without his Luna? I know I would not be where I am today if it were not for my loving wife and Luna. Today, my son will identify his Luna, his mate, his forever love. Luke?"

My head shoots up, and my wolf starts to whine and scratch at my insides. It's the boy from my chemistry class, the one that was in my house this afternoon before this meeting. How could I not see that he is the Alpha's son? 

I watch as he steps forward to the microphone with a huge smile. I hold my stomach, scared that the butterflies that have formed there would come up my throat against my volition. I swallow, heart pounding, and palms sweaty. My mate is the Alpha's son. 

"Hey everyone! Thanks for coming, and thanks dad for the introduction. I am sure everyone already knows who I am. I have been shadowing my dad, learning how to be a good leader, for a while now and I am excited and anxious to lead. The only thing that would make my life and heart more complete is identifying and marrying the person the Goddess has made for me," I stare at Luke, my stomach doing more flips that an gymnast. I can feel my body shaking at the sound of his voice as I waited for him to say my name. 

"I am very humbled and excited to announce that my mate, and your future Luna, is none other than Sarah Martan. Sarah, my love, come join me!" Everyone cheers as my mouth runs dry. Stunned, I lean onto the table for support, my body threatening to fall out of my seat. Sarah makes her way to the microphone, and it only takes me a moment to realize that she is the same girl I fought with today and the same one that slapped me the day before. 

Betrayal turns to complete and utter anger. I can't even hear her when she goes to the microphone to speak. All I can think about is how much I want to jump up and fight her for the right to have my mate. I don't even want to be Luna. I am not even sure how I feel about having a mate. I just know that I don't want her to be next to him. 

She finishes speaking and everyone cheers again, including Grace and my dad. I just sit there, my jaw becoming sore with how much I am clenching it. I know if I open my mouth I will scream. Everything goes back to way it was, people talking among themselves, and me staring at the table. I don't know how long I was sitting and staring. All I remember is being broke out of my gaze on the table by my dad grabbing my arm. 

"We are going home, but before we do that we need to go say goodbye to the Alpha's family. Come on," He pulls me to my feet and all but drags me over to the Alpha's family. Suddenly, I am face to face with the two people in the whole room--hell, world--that I don't want to be in front of. 

Luke looks at me and smiles, his eyes full of an emotion that I can't describe. Sarah gives me a smug look and clings onto Luke's arm. 

"Congratulations," My dad shakes Luke's hand and then Sarah's. He turns to me, waiting for me to follow suit, but I freeze in place. I feel him grab the back of my neck and push me towards the happy couple. I saw Luke's eyes widen as I wince from my dad's grip, but he stayed in place next to Sarah. His eyes look down at me, questioning what just happened. 

"Congratulations," I whisper and hold out my hand for Sarah to take. She rolls her eyes and give me a fake smile. I retract my hand, and face Luke to shake his hand. He goes to reach for me, but Sarah pushes his hand away. 

"We don't shake hands with people who are against us," She says. Luke looks down at her, confusion and anger blanketing his face. 

"I am not against you," I say before Luke could say anything, "I am sorry for what happened today." Sarah looks at me, surprised. I hold eye contact with her, establishing that I am not afraid of her or the position that she holds. I am nowhere near sorry for what I did, hell I would do it again, but if I didn't say something my dad would have a fit. She rolls her eyes and puts out her hand, which I take despite not wanting to. I then turn to Luke with an open hand, which he takes. 

The sparks and warmth are undeniable. They are there, and I know he feels them. I hold eye contact with him as I feel tears brimming on the edge of my eyes. I yank my hand out of his and smile, completely heartbroken. 

The ride home is short and quiet. Grace stayed behind to help with clean up. My dad didn't say anything the whole ride home, but the anger that was radiating off of him was noticeable. I was in for something when I got home, I just don't know what for. We pull into the driveway and I get out of the truck behind my dad. His back is to me the entire time as we walk into the house. 

"Go to your room. You are to not leave for anything during your suspension," He looks at me, his eyes hard with anger. I nod at him and make my way to my room, my stomach in a knot as I close my door. 

I can't stop the tears once I am alone. My wolf does all she can to comfort me, but she's in pain as well. I kick off my shoes and crash land on my bed, allowing silent tears to fall down my face. I stare up at my ceiling until my eyes refuse to stay open, and I fall asleep.

I wake up to a silent house, at 8am the next morning. My heart starts pounding, realizing I am late for school. It takes me a second to realize that I am suspended, so I don't have school for the next three days. I closed my eyes, kind of thankful that I don't have to navigate the halls or see Luke for the next three days. 

My heart still hurt from last night. My wolf whines slightly, but I quiet her and tell her that it is for the better. I am making a plan to leave as soon as I am given the chance to. I don't need to complicate my life even more by having a mate. 

I stretch out and let out a soft groan. I still have on the clothes I wore last night, and I am desperate for a shower. I sit up, gingerly, and look at myself in my bedroom mirror. 

My hair was a total mess, but my eye looks a lot better. The bruise has began to yellow and heal, which means I will go back to school on monday without a black eye. I sigh, knowing that it didn't matter if I go back with or without a black eye--everyone still knows who I am. I look to my bedroom door, straining my ears to see if I can hear anyone in the house. As far as I can currently tell, no one is home. I walk to my bedroom door and try the knob. 

My dad turned it around a couple of years ago so it would lock from the outside. Upon turning the knob, I notice that the door is unlocked, much to my surprise. I smile to myself; If no one is home, I can sneak some food and a quick shower. Carefully, I poke my head out of my room and listen. Nothing. Complete silence. 

I decide to go into the living room. If there is no one in there, there is a good chance everyone is out of the house. I tiptoe down the hall, and find that the house really is empty. I sigh with relief and run into the kitchen. I carefully look over my choices in food, and decide on two apples and two oranges. Grace is the only one that eats them, and although Grace doesn't defend me in front of my dad, she has snuck me food before. I just hope she doesn't mind. 

I run back to my room and quickly take out some clean clothes and a towel. I take another look before dashing to the bathroom. I turn on the shower, wash myself in less than five minutes, and get out. I wrap myself in my towel and run to my room, satisfied. I dress quickly in a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt. I dry and brush my hair while eating my first apple, my stomach thanking me for the food. I throw the core of the apple out my bedroom window, and keep it open so I can have some fresh air. 

I lay back on my bed after eating one of the oranges, my stomach happy. I decide to save the other apple and orange for later, storing them under my pillow. I then slip on my shoes, my heart pounding. I have done this before, plenty of times actually. I pulled a hoodie over my head and pushed myself out of my window. 

We lived pretty far into the woods, far enough that people in the community that weren't werewolf descent wouldn't see me if I decided to strip down and shift into my wolf. She has been begging me for days for a run, and the only time I am going to get that in is if I do it behind my dad's back. 

I strip quickly, looking around me to make sure no one can see me, and shift. My body screamed at me to stop as I allow my wolf to take over. I am still a little bit sore from the fight, but when the shift was over, I felt more than normal. I am able to just exist, my wolf is able to run, and I do not have to think about anything. We run for a while, stop by the river for a drink, and then return back to my clothes about two hours later. 

I shift back and dress myself, the humid air burning my lungs. Yet I feel liberated and free from it; Like everything that has happened since yesterday was going to be okay. I don't even feel heartbroken anymore. Actually, I borderline don't care that Luke didn't choose me. I walk back to my house and slip back into the window, closing it tight behind me. 

I fall onto my bed and run my fingers through my hair. I kick off my shoes, and pull my comforter up to my chin, ready to take a nap. The lumps under my pillow from the spare apple and orange comforted me in a way, reassuring me that I was going to eat, even if it was just an apple and an orange. Something is better than nothing.

I am about to fall asleep when I hear my dad's truck door slam shut. I rub my face and groan, a feeling of helplessness washing over me. 

He came into the house, slamming doors and cabinets behind him. I jump up from my bed and carefully open my door to lock it. Something tells me that Grace unlocked it this morning so I could get out. I'm not sure, but it just hit me that she has done this before. I lock it quickly and shut the door behind me before my dad could notice. I then run back into my bed and pull the covers up to my chin. 

He came stomping down the hallway, matching the hammering in my chest. I swallow my panic and close my eyes. The door is locked. He won't suspect a thing. The closer he got to my room, the harder my heart pounds. 

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he is at my door. He is breathing so loud that I can feel it through the bottom of the door. He tries the knob, and finds it locked. I squeeze my eyes shut as I hear him unlock the door and open it. 

I stay with my back to the door, trying to look like I am asleep. I am confident he can hear my heart slam against my rib cage, that he is going to say something. My body is stiff under the covers and a thin layer of sweat has formed on my forehead. I gulp as quietly as possible. 

He doesn't say a word and just closes the door behind him. I hear the door lock and listen as he walks away from my room. I feel my body relax as my lungs take in a let out a deep breath. 

Finally, as I feel the final drops of panic drop out of me, I close my eyes and manage to fall asleep.