The Fall

Chapter 11

Zoe- Present Day

I don't allow my thoughts to dwell on Aurora Falls for too long. I went to therapy. I worked through all of that pain and trauma. I am proud of the life I've built for myself since then. I faced an incredible amount of adversity and managed to come out on the other side. I put myself through school, purchased a car and a home, and achieved all of this with my own hard work and determination, starting from scratch. But my most significant accomplishment, my greatest source of joy, is Easton. He's my motivation for keeping my past from haunting my present and for pushing myself as hard as I do.

My perfect, adorable, insanely smart son doesn't need the influence of a terrible aunt. I found my people and created my own pack. Being a single mom is a lot to juggle. I completed my nursing degree and trained in radiology, accumulating nearly 1,500 clinical hours between them, all while raising my son alone. But I'm well aware that I had a lot of help along the way. Jenna and I first crossed paths while we were both pregnant, our swollen bellies making us kindred spirits in the sea of the freshman student body. We leaned on each other for everything when our boys arrived – childcare, diapers, formula, and emotional support. Her boyfriend, Brock, was in basic training when Oliver was born, just three weeks after Easton arrived. We both made use of the resources the state provided for new moms, which included assistance with childcare and food. My university also made accommodations for motherhood. Thanks to my advisor and the Title IX coordinator, family housing was provided for me, and my scholarship covered it. I'm fully aware of how many things had to fall into place for me to achieve this level of success.

I did a lot of things alone though, with only my wolf as support. We labored and delivered Easton alone. My first shift came much later than normal. I couldn’t shift on the first moon after I turned 18 because I was already pregnant. So two months after delivering Easton, we shifted alone, the pain was excruciating but we managed. I researched pup development and used my own skills to track his growth and developmental milestones. Wolves don’t require the same immunizations as humans but I did have to forge the proof to get Easton into daycare. I feared someone finding out we were different, I didn’t know how common or uncommon it was to raise a pup among human children. But I am sure I wasn’t the first. My main source of fear besides being outed as wolves was Eero Montague. Even a thousand miles away, I worried he would discover he had a son and steal him away from me. Probably an irrational fear but it drove me to keep tabs on him. I knew what it meant to be the firstborn son of an Alpha.

I legally changed my last name and all my school documentation when I turned 18. Even Alpha West who had taken me in for a few weeks when I first moved to Boston didn’t know what university I attended. I am sure with a bit of work I could be tracked down. Which is why the wedding invitation was causing me a lot more stress than I let on.

My sister's wedding was in the last week of August. Summer weddings, who does that to themselves and to their guests? Bitches. What do you think we should do? My wolf is silent, we both have been thinking a lot about Aurora Falls, about my family. I don’t get sad, I haven’t in years. When I had Easton and became a mother, my worldview shifted, and my focus and love poured into him. Motherhood didn’t afford all-consuming grief, the hole in my heart was patched. It has been years since I cried over my parents. But I am curious about my sister, about the invitation.

After tucking in Easton and drinking half a bottle of zin, I am making a fake f*******: page. Using my old name, the oldest picture I can find of myself, listing Washington, DC as my location. The picture I posted is of the National Mall. Jenna, Brock, and I had gone to Fairfax, VA my senior year to meet Brock’s parents and we did all the tourist things while we were there. I start liking pages from the DC metro area and probably go a little overboard trying to sell the validity of my fake f*******:.

My sister is easy enough to track down, and so is her fiance. I see she is friends with a lot of people from my past. Logan Sorenzo is a proud new father. Kamden appears to be single. Kari and Porter have aged but still, look happy. Most pages are private, with just a few details and a couple of photos to look at. Ava is an open book, she has a whole website dedicated to her wedding, a whole spread of engagement photos is online, and there is a long bio detailing everything about the couple. Ava was waitressing in Knoxville and Thomas was there for a business trip. It was love at first sight. There are links to their registry and links to hotels near the wedding venue. A video of their engagement. They were dating a little over a year before he proposed this past Christmas in front of the Rockefeller Christmas tree in NYC.

I can’t tell if it's genuine, I can’t tell anything from the photos. She looks old, older than me. Her hair is lightened, bleach blonde and cut to her shoulders. She still tans and wears too much makeup. I don’t see any details about what she does for work now or if she ever went to school. I can’t even tell if her smile is genuine. Is she taking advantage of this man, or is she running some sort of scam? He is okay looking, has blonde thin hair, has way too many golfing photos, and wears Chad sunglasses. Ugly. I smile at that but whatever as long as he is a good guy.

I don’t know what to do. Message my sister, maybe reach out to her fiancé, perhaps Kari could be helpful? RSVP and sleep with the groom. I chuckle at that, although my wolf and I tease about revenge. I really don’t blame my sister for how she was. We both dealt with s**t in our own way. I put up walls, didn’t trust anyone, and never let anyone get close. She did whatever she did.

Maybe we should RSVP, and be there to support her? My wolf huffs in response. My wolf surfaced just after everything went down, she knows how shitty things were for me in the beginning, she isn’t interested in being supportive of my sister. Eat her. We don’t eat people, do we?

After debating for another thirty minutes on what to type to my sister or her groom or Kari, I chicken out and switch over to a dating app. I’ve tried to date a few times but since becoming a mother, it’s hard to commit to anyone. I don’t want a handful of faceless dudes in Easton's life and I’ve learned that human partners don’t measure up sexually. But still I like flirting, I’m on my 16th left swipe when a notification pings across the top of my phone.

‘f*******: Message Request: Kamden Smith’

My forearms pebble in chills and my whole body shivers. I swap over to the messenger app and my finger hovers over the accept button.

Kamden: Holy s**t Zoe. It would be embarrassing to admit how many times I have searched for you on social media. Every few months I look for you and nothing. I was sitting here prepping for the Summer Solstice, sending out invites and I thought of you. Hence tonight’s search. But there you are, for the first time ever. I mean, I hope it's you. f**k, I’ve missed you. I hope life has been good to you.

Wow. I was expecting that. I debate responding but what can it hurt?

Zoe: Oddly enough. I searched you on social media tonight too. I got my sister’s wedding invitation and was going to reach out. But instead of that, I looked up all the people of Aurora Falls. Logan has a baby! Your parents look great. Hope life has been good to you too.

Kamden: I had heard Ava was getting married. Haven’t talked to her in years. Glad she is doing okay. What have you been up to? You ghosted the whole town.

Zoe: Steering clear of the Falls, specifically avoiding you. My entire life’s purpose was ghosting you. It’s been a full-time job. I’m on vacation this month, I get one a decade.

Kamden: Always the smart ass.

I’m glad he picks up on my sarcasm, I use it a lot, and not everyone can pick it up through text.

Zoe: What have you been up to?

Kamden: Work really. I do more for the pack and oversee all our facilities. I never feel like I have a day off but I live for pack parties. Really looking forward to Solstice.

Zoe: I am sure you are. So, you really haven’t talked to Ava in years? I don’t know how she tracked down my address. I was trying to get feelers on if this marriage was real or some sort of scam.

Kamden: I can ask Mom if she has talked to her. I know over the years my parents have helped her a bit. But we broke up shortly after you left town and I had to cut her clean out of my life.

Zoe: So, I guess you guys weren’t fated mates then?

Kamden: We were indeed NOT fated mates.

Zoe: Dodged a bullet, honestly.

Kamden: I shouldn’t laugh but yeah... I agree with that.

Zoe: Hindsight is 20/20.

Kamden: So, outside of the ghosting. What have you been up to?

Zoe: I went to school and became a radiology nurse. I work in a hospital. I bought a house last year.

Kamden: Are you seeing anyone special in your life?

Zoe: Well I do own mirrors.

And vibrators. My wolf snorts at her own jokes.

Zoe: I am not dating anyone if that's what you are hinting at.

Kamden: Then you are coming to Solstice then?

Zoe: You are funnier than I remember.

Kamden: I am serious, it would be awesome to reconnect. Plus I have some things to apologize for that really feel like they should be said face to face.

Zoe: Whoa whoa, I don’t do emotions. The past stays in the past. Anyway, I gotta get to bed. It was nice chatting.

Kamden: Holy s**t, I scared you off quickly. *gif attached*

It's a video of a girl running screaming away from the camera. My wolf and I both chuckle.

Zoe: lol

Kamden: It was really nice to talk to you. I’ve missed you. I hope you rest well and we can talk again soon. Night Zoe.

Well, that was unexpected.

Solstice is two weeks away, it does land on the weekend you took off for your birthday.

You just want to breed more, I accuse my wolf.

And?

And you know how I feel about fated mates, mates in general.

Clearly, you don’t need a mate to procreate. You did so well the first time without me.

I don’t want a wolf mate, I don’t want to stumble across a fated mate and be tied to some deadbeat.

But you do need that wolf D. You and I both know it.

I chuckle, it would be nice to let loose but I am not sure Aurora Falls is the place to do that. I took time off from work for a staycation.