Summer Flings and Other Things

Chapter 2

A thousand thoughts are running through my mind but nothing is really registering other than the hollow but somewhat heavy feeling that begins to settle in my chest as my heart starts to pound so loud I feel like i can hear it. I can’t believe what I’m seeing so I close my eyes hoping what I just witnessed would disappear but the image is still burned into my mind. I can’t. Get. It out. It’s so cliché, my best friend and my boyfriend. Ari and Ben. I open my eyes and they still haven’t noticed me. Ari is straddling Ben, bent over making out with him as he is thrusting into her and she’s moaning. I don’t know how I didn’t hear their moans before I opened the door cause it definitely is not quiet. 

I can’t take it anymore, squeeze my eyes while shaking my head and whisper to myself “oh my god, I’m going to be sick”. 

As soon as I spoke, everything seemed to happen at once: they look over towards me with Ari gasping and grabbing the maroon sheets to cover herself while Ben starts pushing her off of him. I look at him one last time, tears starting to well up in my eyes. The last thing I see before I turn and run is his bright blue eyes staring into mine. So blue, like the sky on a cloudless day and so clear they almost didn’t seem real. It was always my most favourite thing about him - his blue eyes, the same blue as the walls in my room at home. I’m already running down the stairs by the time he yells after me.

“Sam wait -

I ignore him and just run, run as fast as I can. I run towards the forest behind the houses on his street and start stripping as I go so I can shift. I hope I’m able to shift. I need to shift, I need my wolf to take over cause I can’t handle this feeling. I just feel nothing. I’ve read so many books that described heartache, but this doesn’t feel anything like those descriptions. I don’t feel hollow, I don’t feel empty, I don’t feel any ache or like my heart is breaking. I just feel my heart racing, racing so fast I feel my entire body getting flushed and I can feel myself shaking. The shaking may be my wolf though, I can almost feel the shadow of her presence in the back of my mind and the anger she’s feeling. She was always against the relationship in the beginning and only recently started coming around when she realized Ben was willing to wait until we could discover the mate bond and confirm we were each other’s. I don’t think she would have approved of what I had originally planned tonight so she will be relieved and she’ll help me be strong. 

As soon as I reach the edge of the forest and its darkness envelopes me I end up shifting before I can fully strip and tear through the silky slip Bri had lent me. “Sorry Bri” I think, I’ll have to replace that. I’m still not the smoothest at shifting, but running? That came as naturally as breathing to me. I could feel my wolf take over, our senses sharpening despite the sun dropping below the horizon, aware of each fallen branch or root in our path. The mossy floor of untrodden forest or smooth paths other werewolves had worn down. I relished in myself in this state and let my wolf take over, feeling her power coursing through our muscles. “Run”, I told her, “take me anywhere so I can forget about this”. I can feel her fully take over as I fall back in my mind and just try feel everything happening through my body as we run. Most shifters start hearing their wolves and can start shifting by the time they’re 14. I didn’t get mine until I was 16 and even now, a year later, I still struggle with shifting. The only time it feels like second nature is when it’s a full moon. Today though, today it felt like second nature. Is this what the others felt like all the time? Their wolf being so present and strong? I can feel her rage at both Ben and Ari, but I also feel her love for me and her promise that we will be okay. 

“Let’s just run until you feel better” I hear in my head. Yes, running. I can lose myself in the steady rhythm of my footfalls, I always found it relaxing. Running sounds good. 

I lose track of how long we’ve been running, but my wolf has brought me to a beautiful clearing in the woods that opens up to a small pond. The trees are so tall here that despite there being a clearing no moonlight is able to find a clear path to the mossy forest floor. The sun has now completely set and the forest is almost pitch black but with my wolf senses I can see the moon peeking out from behind some clouds, it’s moonbeams filtering through branches at the edge of the clearing until it finally lands on the still water of the pond in the clearing. I pause a moment and take in my surroundings, trying to place where we’ve run to. I’ve never been this far but I know we’re still on pack grounds. I’d have to figure out where exactly this was because it was definitely worth revisiting. I walk up to the edge of the pond and take a sniff, smells clean so I let my wolf lap up some water. I look up and try find the night sky but, even with the pond being here, the trees near it were so tall and old they almost blocked out the night sky in it’s entirety. Even with my wolf vision I could only barely make out the moonlight filtering its way down to the ground. My wolf howls up to the dark branches still above us, towards the night sky since I’m unable to see the moon, but I pour my soul into it hoping that it will make me feel better. 

“Sam?” I hear coming through the pack link. Thankfully it’s only Mia. 

“I don’t want to talk right now” I respond. 

“Girl, why are you in wolf form? Why aren’t you with Ben?”

“I could ask you the same. I thought you were working on your fashion project with -“ I stop suddenly. I couldn’t bring myself to say Ari’s name and instead my wolf starts whimpering at the betrayal from Ari. My wolf always liked Ari’s wolf and can’t understand how she could do that to us. 

“Ari f*****g bailed on me. Again.” She grumbles back, “She says she’s too sick but she sounded pretty f*****g panicked when I was on the phone with her. I just shifted cause I wanted to do a quick run before settling down to get some work done. Now tell me, what the f**k is wrong. I can hear you whimpering. Did Ben do this? I’m gonna f*****g kick his ass. Tell me where you are, I’m coming to you”. I can hear hear her fierce protectiveness of me in her voice. 

“Honestly, I don’t even really know where I am. At some clearing of some sort. I’ll get my wolf to run to your place since she got me here. Is it okay if I stay the night?” 

“Sure thing babe, I expect an explanation though. I need to know who’s ass to kick. I was already on my way home so I’m close to both our places”.

“Oh, I also ripped your slip you lent me. I shifted too quickly. I also left my bag outside somewhere.” 

“Ummm, as in you shifted without any issue?? You’ve never done that before. So f*****g proud of you girl, my dad would be too with you being his second female student of the pack. Anyways, neither here nor there. You find your way home. I’ll find your s**t and I’ll have a hot tea ready for you when you get to my house. Actually, I just found your bag, it was a house down from Ben’s. What the f**k happened? I just left your street but could hear Ben yelling from outside the house you left your bag by. God this sucks not being 18 and having a full-time pack link. I mean, I get we grow into our werewolf talents slowly so we can get used to them and then when we’re 18 we can become full pack members, but right now, in this instance, it sucks. I’m gonna end up leaving you for a bit to make tea. I’m in my backyard already, I’ll leave some clothes out for you to change into, k?”

I’m so lost in thought I don’t even realize Mia had asked me a question until she yells down the link - “helloooooo, Sam?”

“Um, yeah sure.”

“K, babe, whatever happened with Ben, I love you like a sister and I’m here for you okay? The back door of my house will be open, just walk in. My dad’s training and then on patrol so it’ll just be us til morning.”

“Ok, thanks so much M. Love you too. I always considered you as the sister I never had too.”

She doesn’t respond so I know she’s shifted. She does have a point though about having a full-time pack link being nice to have. I don’t know if she heard me or not. Would be nice if we were both 18 and she would have been able to respond whether she’s in wolf or human form. I start running home and let my wolf lead me since I have no idea where she took me. Shoot, I need to let my parents know i won’t be home either, they know I was planning on studying with Ben tonight so won’t be happy if I stay out all night. This is going to be interesting trying to convince them I’m not lying about staying at Mia’s. Hopefully one of them is free and they’re both not with a patient. 

“Hey Mom? Dad? Is one of you free?”

“Hey sweetie, what’s going on?” my dad answers right away. “Your mom is busy delivering a pup so you’re stuck with me”. 

“Is it okay if I stay the night at Mia’s? I had a really rough day and just need some girl time”. I say, hoping he believes me.

There’s a long pause and I don’t hear anything. I slow down my running wondering if I’m so bad at being a wolf I can’t even mindlink properly. Just as I’m about to slow to a walk my dad responds in his serious doctor voice that he uses with patients, 

“Sorry about that hun, a patient came in. I thought you were studying with Ben for your biology final tonight. You have to study if you want to have the option of going to med school like your mom and I did.”

Of course, that’s the only thing my dad is concerned about. “Oh, well don’t worry. I’ll still try get some studying done at Mia’s. I promise. I just really need to talk to my best friend tonight.”

“Ok good, as long as you try your best. I’ll help you review tomorrow night too” I can hear the smile in my dad’s voice. I wouldn’t mind spending some time with my dad. Other than his overbearing conviction that me going to college is the best thing for me, he honestly is a pretty cool dad.

“Really? That’s it? No questioning me til the cows come home about staying out on a school night?” I say skeptically, bringing my pace back up to a brisk run. I finally start recognizing my surroundings and know I’m only about 2 minutes from Mia’s if I sprint. I hear my dad chuckle, 

“ I trust you honey. It also helps that I know you’re not with Ben right now - he came in not even a minute ago with a sliced forearm. I’m hoping that wasn’t you that cut him? He refused to tell me how he injured himself but if you are the one that hurt him you know I do have to report it to the alpha. Is everything ok between you two?”

“Ummm, this is why I need to talk to Mia. Ben and I are ov— …we aren’t— “ I just pause, my voice breaking as I try to continue. I can’t finish it. I don’t know how to say it.

My dads voice comes back softer this time around, “ it’s okay honey. You don’t need to say it. Stay at Mia’s tonight, don’t even worry about studying. We’ll have a cram session tomorrow for you ok? Father - daughter review session. I’ll let your mom know you won’t be coming home.”

“Thanks dad. I just got to Mia’s. I’m gonna shift now. If you need me you can reach me on my cellphone.” 

“Love you honey bear. You’re the best thing your mother and I ever did ok? We couldn’t be more proud of the woman you’re growing up to be. Don’t let a boy ever make you question yourself and your worth.”

I can feel myself choking up and quickly say thanks to my dad before cutting the link and shifting. He’s not one to usually speak so much so I was somewhat shocked that he had said so much tonight. I find neatly folded clothes on the back porch and quickly pull them on. I can hear Mia putting stuff on the kitchen table and take a deep breath. Four counts one breath in, four counts one breath out. I’m okay. Mia will know what to say. She always does. Thank the goddess I still have her as a friend. Just as I’m about to open her door I hear a wolf howl and instantly the hairs on the back of my neck raise. I turn back to the forest and look in the direction where the howl came from. I can still see the moon behind the clouds and that’s when I realize how dark it really is. I take a step back towards the edge of the forest and hesitate, my entire body is telling me to brace myself and get ready for attack, but I literally have no idea what’s happening and I can feel my anxiety slowly starting to creep up. I hear the screen door behind me creak open and slam closed behind me and Mia’s voice whisper to me, 

“What was that? Do you know?”