Laughter. Drinking.
It was all so normal.
And there were so many of them.
She didnât know what she had imagined a pack to look like. But it wasnât this.
There she was, sitting on a log, isolated from the groupâa choice she had made, not one that was forced upon herâand she was observing them.
They were gathered in a loose circle, a bright, warm fire crackling in the center. Most of them held a drink in their hands and were discussing things she knew nothing about.
They didnât engage her in conversation.
They did glance at her occasionally. Awkward sideways glances. Sometimes it seemed like they wanted to include her in the conversation, but they never did. Was it because of Alexander?
It was hard to say; he was sitting with his back to her.
She couldnât read him, so it was impossible to tell. But it didnât make sense. She was certain he wanted her to enjoy herself.
How would that work?
Excluding her would certainly disrupt his plan. Besides, she was the one who chose to sit away from the group. The idea of being surrounded by all of them was intimidating.
The sound of rustling grass snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked up. One of the women had stood up. She was tall and much broader than Olivia.
Her long blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head, a few loose strands tucked into the collar of her blue hoodie. She was walking towards Olivia, causing her to lean back on her log. Was this good or bad?
But before the girl could step out of the circle, Alexander extended his arm, blocking her path. The girl raised an eyebrow before looking down at him.
âIf sheâs thirsty or hungry, she can join us. On her own terms,â he said loud enough for Olivia to hear.
Was she thirsty? Yes, she was.
Was she going to join them? No, she wasnât.
This was a pack moment, and she wasnât part of the pack.
She had a hunch about what he was trying to demonstrate with this scene; they were a family. She could see it.
She didnât know if she believed it, but no one seemed tense. No one seemed afraid.
She had scrutinized their faces for signs of anger, resentmentâshe found none. Even now, the girl he had stopped? She nodded and walked back.
She glanced at Olivia once more, but it didnât seem like she had retreated out of fear.
He wanted to make a point. And he had.
She didnât see the monster she had been expecting. But she couldnât see it.
The sight of them stirred a longing in her for...a family. It was absurd. She had a family. Will and Jess were her family, weren't they? They were her packâher unique version of it.
After her transformation, she had taken some time to come to terms with the fact that her life was going to change. But she had come to terms with it.
She had accepted that her social circle would shrink, that there would be fewer people she could trust. It was okay. She had moved on. She was content.
So why did seeing them together, as a family, as friends, as a couple⦠Why did it shatter her heart? Why did it feel like someone had torn her heart out of her chest? Why did it hurt to breathe?
She couldnât recall the last time sheâd been surrounded by so many people, yet sheâd never felt more isolated in her life.
âE-excuse me,â she managed to say, her lips trembling.
She didnât know who she was addressing, but she knew she needed to leave. She needed to walk away.
She barely managed to get to her feet before the tears stung her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
She heard footsteps behind her getting louder and closer, but she didnât stop.
She quickened her pace, her heartbeat drowning out all other sounds as more tears fell.
Her throat was tightening, her hands were trembling, and her breaths were ragged as she closed her eyes, letting instinct guide her.
Then she felt it. A warm hand on her wrist.
She tried to pull away; she tried to resist, but it was futile. Long fingers wrapped themselves around her wrist and before she knew it, he pulled her into his firm chest.
As her face hit his chest, she heard a sound escape from her throat, but it felt like someone else was letting out such a heart-wrenching scream. Why was she falling apart?
Why was she falling apart in his arms?
âIâll take you home.â
The words were whispered, barely audible, but he had said them so close to her ear that she couldnât not hear him.
Home.
Home seemed like such a desolate, lonely place now.
Still, she managed to pull away from him and nodded. She didnât look at him once.
She didnât want to look at him.
Olivia had been happy, satisfied.
She had been okay with her old life.
Not anymore.
He shattered her reality by showing her a dream that couldnât be hers. She wanted to be angry, but she was too heartbroken to be angry. Alone. She wanted to be alone.
Because being alone was...okay.