39

So people know now ? I ask, noticing how she seems to know a bit more than what I told her this morning. She glances at me worriedly before letting out a long sigh, reaching out to set her hand on my shoulder to give me some silent support.
I don’t know how people know, but someone must’ve heard Joey talking to Melissa or Cody because now the whole pack is saying that you broke up with him because you’re having problems at home and it’s just a huge thing when it’s no one else’s business, except for you and him, she tells me.
I shake my head. We’re the alphas of the pack, I don’t really feel like anything is just our business anymore. I mean, I understand why, but everything that Joey and I have done has been discussed by at least one person in the house or someone in the pack.
Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ve just always believed that everyone should just leave you two alone because if it doesn’t directly relate to the pack, then it’s not our problem, she tells me with a sigh as she crosses her legs while leaning on the hood of my car.
Well, I wish everyone agreed with you, I say before looking at her with a confused look. I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen you around the pack or in the courtyard at all. Why’s that ?
She blushes a little, running her hands up-and-down her jeans. Oh, my family and I just transferred to the White Water Pack this year because my dad got in a bit of trouble with fighting at my old pack. We were told to come here, so I’m still new and haven’t really had too much time to make friends within the pack and whatnot.
Why not ?
I try to focus a lot on my schoolwork and since I got the lead role in the dance routine with you, I’ve been practicing so much because I feel like I gotta bring my all to stay up with you, she says with a small giggle.
I chuckle. Well, don’t get too nervous. If you ever need me to slow down, then go ahead and tell me to. I would be more than happy to practice with you out of dance and it would probably help us even more in the end.
Yeah, sure, that sounds good. I think that would be great, she tells me.
I look around, knowing that if I just went home now that I would just have to either deal with my father’s persistence of trying to figure out what had happened between Joey and I or I would end up just going up to my room and falling asleep. Well, if you wanna do it now, we could go to your house and practice.
Tyler looks surprised, checking her watch for the time. Uh, yeah, that would be great. My dad’s actually supposed to be getting off of work soon to come pick me up, but if you wouldn’t mind just you taking me so he doesn’t have to rush, that would be better.
I nod my head. Oh, yeah, that’s perfectly fine. Get on in.
We both get in my car and I pull out of the parking lot to make my way to the… pack house. Holy shit, how did I not even think of this ? I’ll have to pass the quarter house while on my way to Tyler’s house and I feel like if someone in the pack was to see me that Joey would hear about it instantly. I clear my throat, starting to become super nervous about what was about to happen. I run through my mind, just trying to distract myself from Joey and everything else having to do with that whole situation.
So is Emilie your sister ? I see you two walk into school at the same time most days, Tyler asks me.
Oh, yeah, she’s my sister. You know her ?
Yeah, she says in an excited voice. we’re actually in the same art class. We got assigned to create an abstract piece based off a picture of our choosing and she is such an amazing artist, like it’s unbelievable.
She’s an amazing artist. When she was little, I bought her a canvas one day and she created this very beautiful portrait of my mom for her middle school art class and was entered into a contest and won first place. My mom decided to put her in more art classes and ever since then, she’s been flourishing with it, I tell her, remembering the canvas that won her first contest that’s now hanging up in our living room for everyone to see when they walk in.
I would love to see that to see how her style has changed since then, she tells me.
I’ll find a picture of it and show it to you, I tell her as I turn onto the dirt road that lead to the gate to enter the pack and I start to realize that I’ll have to see the guards that I usually see everyday to go to the quarter house. I mentally start to freak out as I open my window to talk to them while Tyler gets her bag to pull something out.
Hello, Kade, how’re you doing ? Nicole, one of the best guards, says to me when I pull in next to her.
Hey, I tell her and Tyler touches my arm to get my attention to hand me some card that I hand to to Nicole and I see the confused look on her face as she probably assumed that I would be going to see Joey who must’ve not had football practice today since I didn’t see anyone on the field after school.
Tyler Bennett ? Nicole asks as she writes something on the clipboard before handing the card back to me as I give it back to the girl who sits in my passenger seat. The gate opens as the rest of the guard wave at me as I drive through the opening. As I get down the road, I see the huge quarter house sitting on the left side of the road while a bunch of other houses line up on both sides of the road on the right.
I ignore the house that I usually park at to go down the road I’ve never even been down before to wait for instructions from Tyler of where to go. She points to a cute, light brown house that sits on the right side of the road with a huge front yard with a tree sitting in the front yard as it looms over the house. I park in the driveway that already has a car sitting in it that seems to be a old car that must’ve been restored by someone in the house.
This is cute, I tell her as get out. I admire the house with it’s wooden door matched with the wooden floor of the porch that has two wicker chairs sitting along with a table that has some cards spread out on top of it. Tyler guides me into the house where she unlocks the door with some keys before we go in. As soon as we walk in, I’m bombarded by very sugary scents that make the entire place feel very homey.
When we walk in, we walk through a tiny hallway to come into what I assume is the living room by the two couches along with a TV sitting in front of it. There’s pictures sat on top of a bookcase that show a very nice looking couple at various locations. One of the picture frames says London on the bottom with a double-decker bus decoration on the side as the picture shows the couple in front of Big Ben.
The lady in the pictures, who I assume is Tyler’s mother, is a beautiful woman with dark hair that looks to be dyed blonde in a few of the pictures. I notice a picture that’s of her with an older looking couple at her side and on the bottom says Nana & Papa to whom I assume is Tyler’s grandparents. I’m brought back to real life when the same woman in the pictures walks into the room with a cloth in her hands as she dries them.
Oh, I didn’t know we were having company, Tyler’s mother says and I immediately notice the accent she holds in her voice and it’s beautiful.
Hi, I’m Kade, you must be Mrs. Bennett, I tell her, reaching out to shake her hand.
Oh, please, call me Imara, she tells me as she reaches out to shake my hand as Tyler sets her bag down next to the couch before coming over to us. I notice the way Imara is giving me a look like she was trying to figure out who I was.
Nice to meet you, I tell her, retracting my hand to hold it next to my side.
Same to you. The name Kade sounds familiar, have we met before ? Imara asks, taking a step back to look over me as she crosses her arms over her chest as she slings the cloth that she held in her hand over her shoulder.
Tyler clears her throat. He’s the alpha, Mama.
Imara’s face clears of all confusion as she nods her head, giving me an even softer smile. I apologize, Alpha, it’s so lovely to have you in my home. I’m sorry for the mess, I was in the process of cleaning.
I shake my head, holding my hands out in apology. No, it’s totally fine and you can call me Kade, ‘Alpha’ is way too formal for me. Your home is lovely, I love what you’ve done with the place.