I stumbled through the woods.
'Don't be mad.' They told me. 'These things are normal.'
'She'll come back for you."
'She loves you."
Lies! All lies!
They were all lying, pretending to care.
Acting like this was what it would take to protect me.
But who were they really protecting other than themselves?
They were protecting themselves from having to tell me the truth.
Which was simply, my parents ditched me here because they didn't want me.
It wasn't exactly the easiest thing to tell a fourteen year old girl.
So they lied and made empty promises about my mother coming back for me.
Is it weird that somehow I had known?
Not that she would desert me but that she would never look at me the same?
The day I had fainted in PE and they had to call my mother. How I had to miss a whole two weeks of school a freaking animal's tail had emerged from no where.
The constant fevers and bursts of energy. The splitting headaches that my mother would later sit me down about and explain as 'the changing'. But of course, the biggest bomb shell being her telling me that werewolves existed and that we couldn't tell dad because he was human and would freak out to know that his wife and daughter were part animal.
Van Cliff wolves, she would call us. A nearly extinct species.
She would go on to explain that the man I had only met a total of three times was my Uncle Victor right before she would leave me at the border of Woodfell with him and his wife waiting there.
It's okay, baby girl." She would try to comfort me as she stroked my hair. "Mummy loves you, okay? She loves you so so much."
She would then take the crescent necklace that hang around my neck and then take out her own from under her sweater. Necklaces they had both been wearing since her third birthday. Her father would poke fun at them and say 'I want in on those friendship necklaces too.'
Mum would wiggle her finger at dad and say, 'Uh, uh," She would then walk towards Crystal and whisper. 'It's for Van Cliff girls only."
"We're always connected, my love, one way or another, we're Van Cliff wolves. I'll be back for you. I promise." Her eyes would glow blue and mine would mirror them. Our sign of affirmation.
I wouldn't know that the day I decided to stop listening to the lies.
The day I decided to run away from the Benson house.
I didn't know that was the day a confused fourteen year old would also meet the young alpha of the Silvercrest pack. He would turn out to be her mate and she would reject him.
"So you managed to keep a secret this big?" Kat spoke incredulously as she shut her locker. We were in the girls locker room.
She had just finished her intense level four P.E class which made me grateful that Instructor Peter, or I guess just Peter now, had taken it easy on us today. Clearly everyone was tired and still shaken from yesterday.
Joshua hadn't shown up for obvious reasons so we didn't do the excruciating run.
Bea was hella moody and wasn't really doing anything or talking to anyone. Courtney was her usual Courtney self though her glares at me had pretty much intensified. If she kept it up, she would definitely rival her sister.
Peter also looked tired, and I bet he was, but fortunately he didn't seem to throw any accusatory looks my way.
He just gave us some basic climbing exercise. Which - go figure - I had still sucked at. I guess becoming lady luna didn't give me a boost in athletic ability.
Andre helped me out though. I wondered if his sudden act of kindness was because of my new boost in status but I decided that wasn't it because when I had thanked him, he had just shrugged and gone to make Allison go for a run with him.
I guess Andre was honestly just the type who didn't are about the status quo. He was just here because he was genuinely extremely equipped physically. He had no ties to anyone close to the alpha or anything. He was here because of merit.
Kat tried to stuff her blue Silvercrest prep hoodie in her already too full locker.
The girl had two lockers in school yet she still didn't have enough space. Whatever she put in them was a mystery to me.
"Girl, I can't get you to lie to my parents about anything and yet you kept a whole twenty something year old man away from them."
"Twenty two." I muttered. I was seated on a bench while she stood.
"Yeah, we'll talk about your weird fetish for older guys later." She waved me off.
I placed my hand on my chest taking offence.
The locker room was empty which was the main reason we were here. We needed the privacy.
All day teachers and students had been treating me differently. They whispered and stared and actually greeted me fondly. Like they all hadn't thought I was a spy not too long ago.
I was grateful for Kat and her loud mouth for once in my life.
She had upfront told a professor who had told me my hair looked good today to stop being a fake 'b'.
Fortunately she hadn't gotten in trouble.
"Okay, so you're telling me you could have been lady freaking luna four years ago but instead you rejected the freaking smoking hot alpha because why? And don't say Roman because you two weren't even a thing then."
"I don't know." I sighed. "I was feeling lost at that time. I was angry and I definitely didn't need to want to become the luna of a pack that despised me."
"Why didn't you tell Tristan that?" Kat asked, looking at me sympathetically. "He would have totally kicked the asses of whoever messed with you."
"I didn't want him to have to make anyone like me." I spoke.
Kat rolled her eyes. She came to sit beside me. "Not everyone has to like you, Cryss. They should because you're freaking awesome but if they don't, that's on them and their bitter, hate filled hearts. A lot of people didn't like Tristan as our alpha in the beginning because he was too young and had some serious alcohol problems."
I looked at Kat.
"I didn't know that."
Tristan had alcohol problems?
"Oh yeah, he was a mess." She spoke as if it was nothing. "But he got sober and went to college and came back all smart and started making all these reforms that made everyone richer and now everyone loves him."
"Okay but that's Tristan, he was born here and has lived here all his life. I haven't. And quite frankly I just didn't want to burden him with myself."
Kat put her arm around me. "You're not a burden."
Yeah, exactly why my parents hadn't wanted me, huh?
But I didn't say that. I just accepted Kat's comfort and placed my head on her shoulder.
"Well now I'm the luna whether I like it or not. Even if it is temporary." I sighed. I didn't know what 'responsibilities' Bridget had been talking about but I was already nervous about them.
"Hey, chin up!" Kat spoke encouragingly. "Do you know how many perks come with being a luna? We can literally have whatever we want for free, we can do whatever we want and everyone has to listen to us!"
I took my head off her shoulder and rose my brows at her. "Us? We?"
Sis was really out here acting like we were carrying this burden together.
Kat rolled her eyes. "Babe, I know I have been a raging monster to you these past few days and I'm sorry but I am quite literally your only choice for beta."
"Lunas don't get betas." I pointed out.
"Which is incredibly sexist!" Kat exclaimed.
"The last alpha of this pack was a woman." I reminded her. "Besides, technically Tristan's betas are my betas."
I was pretty much frightened at the thought of having to give Bridget an order that I almost shuddered.
"Whatever, alpha's change the rules all the time. We'll just talk to my new cousin in law later."
"Wait, alpha's can change the rules but what about lunas? Do you think I could get a say in what would happen to... lets say an enemy of the pack?"
Kat shook her head slowly. "I don't want Roman to die either, Crissy but trust me when I say you can't go around petitioning to save him. We just barely managed to prove that you weren't his accomplice. If they catch him and you fight for him, they'll burn you at the stake along with him and neither Tristan nor Dad or mum will be able to do anything about it."
I groaned in frustration. "He lied and deceived me! I should want him to get what he deserves but I just can't stop praying that Tristan and his army don't find him." I admitted guiltily. I looked up at Kat. "Is that wrong?"
She rubbed my shoulder. "You loved him. He turned out to be a tool but you still care. I don't think that's wrong. You just have a good heart."
I didn't want to care anymore though. I wanted to be disgusted whenever I heard his name like everyone else was but I just couldn't.
Kat was right. I had loved him.
"Speaking of loving Roman." I begun in a small voice. "Chris told me um... that you - I just -" I took in a deep breath.
Just spit it out Crystal.
"Did you have a thing with Roman? Before I moved here?"
Kat rolled her eyes. "I'm going to murder that little -"
"Don't be mad at Chris. I made him tell me." I quickly covered up for my friend who I definitely did not want to see die.
Kat looked away from me. "I have never had a thing with Roman. Not before you were with him and definitely not during or after."
She clenched her fist and this time spoke in a small voice. "But I did have a thing for him."
I was quiet. I could tell she was having a hard time talking about this.
"I liked him, okay? He just didn't like me back. And then you come along and he's totally smitten."
I remember rushing to Kat in our room after my first encounter with Roman to tell her about our encounter.
She had simply rolled her eyes and continued flipping through a magazine. 'Don't waste your time. No one is good enough for him.'
I hadn't realised at the time that she had shot her shot.
I couldn't imagine anyone ever rejecting Kat.
I know she hangs out with the outcasts of the school but I always saw Kat as someone any guy would want.
She let out a humourless laugh. "That's why I was so mad at you. Because everything I want goes to you without you even having to ask. Roman, the AAP candidacy, my parents love and affection... even my little siblings seem to like you more than they do me. And now, you're pretty much the leader of our pack. I just have to blink and something else is handed to you."
She didn't sound angry or resentful. Just wistful really.
I took her hand in mine. "Your parents are here and they adore you. Hazel would never tell you this because she's your little sister but she looks up to you and so do her friends. They all idolise you. And lets face it, Parker's allegiance is to anyone who gives him sugar."
Kat laughed. I smiled at her. "But he adores you either way. My AAP candidacy is probably a scam or a practical joke because I humiliate myself literally everyday. And as for Roman, I think you should be relieved that he didn't drag you into his chaos."
"Your life is perfect Kitty Kat." I bopped her nose. "And as Chris once said, you will go on to do great things with or without the AAP."
Kat smiled. "I guess I won't be killing the jerk after all"
"Great. I wouldn't want to lose my only other friend at school."
"Oh, trust me. Everyone will want to be your friend now.".
I groaned. "Arg, I don't want that."
Kat grinned at me. "Don't worry. That's what I'm here for."
"Don't fret, dear cousin, this is your Kingdom and you are the Queen. Whatever these commoners have to say about it is none of our concerns."
I looked at Kat and immediately regretted introducing her to Game of Thrones.
I took her hand in mine and patted it.
"Katherine. Relax. Nothing has changed, I don't want any unnecessary attention."
Kat looked at me with wide eyes. "Everything has changed, you're lady - freaking - luna!"
Literally the whole student body present in the cafeteria turned to stare in our direction. Even the lunch ladies!
I was frozen in my spot, clutching Kat's arm.
"That's right." She grinned in satisfaction not seeming as mortified by the attention as I was.
Just then, I noticed Joshua Melrose walking towards us, a crutch in his left hand. He winced with every step and he honestly didn't look too stable.
Micheal walked besides him, flinching with every step as if he felt his brother's pain too.
They stopped in front of us.
"Could you be any louder, Katherine?" Joshua asked with a roll of his eyes and a scowl on his face which I had honestly gotten way too used to seeing. Seeing Joshua Melrose with a different facial expression would probably confuse me more.
Katherine folded her arms and looked at Joshua from head to toe.
"And could you be anymore gloomy, squid ward? We get it, you took a beating."
I cringed. Oh Katherine...
Michael snorted out a laugh.
Joshua gave him a death glare.
Michael shrugged. "Hey, it was a good one."
"Then what does that make you? Spongebob?" Joshua shot back.
Michael beamed at him.
"Happy and adorable?"
"Loud and annoying." Joshua deadpanned.
Michael's face dropped."You're lucky someone already had a go at you."
"Why are you here anyway?" I spoke up.
When Joshua hadn't shown up for training, I had just assumed he had stayed home and for good reason too.
"Josh is an idiot. A stubborn idiot." Michael glared at his brother.
Joshua rolled his eyes and turned to look at me.
"We're just here to get you." He spoke.
"Get me?" I asked in confusion.
"So that you can sit with us - at our table." Michael jumped in. He then turned into the nervous wreck he usually became when he spoke to me. "That's if you want to." He added, wringing his hands.
"We could easily sit at your table." He offered.
I opened my mouth to say something but Kat beat me to it. "Hold up." She raised a hand. "What makes you think you're worthy to sit - or even hang out with lady luna."
I fought the urge to face palm myself.
"The fact that I get fried if I don't." Joshua held up his hand that had the bracelet.
Kat looked confused.
"They're proximity bracelets." I explained to Kat. "We got them in AAP training, I can't be more than ten feet away from Joshua. If I am, this thing gives me an electric shock." I pointed helplessly at the band.
It's not that I didn't want to hang out with Joshua...
Okay, that's not true.
The fact of the matter was that Joshua and I weren't friends.
And I might have forgiven him for what he had said in the woods but I still had a long way to go until I forgot.
"Fine, we'll grace you with our presence for today. It will be like the good old days, huh?" Kat grinned at the twins.
I forgot that this was actually once Kat's friend group.
"The girls definitely won't like this." Michael muttered.
Kat's smile got bigger than I have ever seen it.
"Perfect." She walked ahead of us. "Well come along, guys."
I sighed.
Joshua rolled his eyes.
Michael just muttered, "same old Kat."
I followed behind the twins, Michael kept giving his brother nervous looks as if scared he would fall over.
I saw Bea and Courtney look up and give Kat a look of distaste as she approached their table. I could just imagine the rest of the student body looking on with bated breath waiting for the inevitable drama to brew.
"What are you doing?" Bea demanded as Kat pulled back a chair.
"Sitting." Kat gave a sweet smile as she lowered herself onto the chair. "Good to be back."
"Josh." Bea snapped.
Joshua lowered himself into the chair next to her. "We talked about this, babe."
"Yeah, you said Crystal. Not her."
I don't think I had ever heard Bea actually say my name.
"This-" she pointed at Kat who was still beaming, "is not right."
"You're right." Kat spoke. She stood up.
I looked on in shock, Kat definitely wasn't one to back down this easily. Especially when it came to Bea and Courtney.
"Someone's missing."
She looked around the cafeteria until she spotted what she was looking for.
"Chris, darling! Over here!" She yelled.
As if we didn't already have the whole cafeteria's attention.
Chris, who was standing in the cafeteria line all the way across the room, about to bite into an apple, froze.
He looked around nervously, clutching his lunch tray.
A lot of students had turned their attention to him.
His eyes widened and he shook his head.
Kat's expression hardened.
"Come here." She spoke through gritted teeth.
Chris let out a sigh, and I bet, muttered a prayer before making his way towards the table. I noticed him pointedly trying to avoid eye contact with anyone else.
He stood beside me and smiled nervously.
"Hey, everyone." He gave an awkward wave.
He leaned closer to me and whispered, "what the actual hell?"
I just gave him a shrug in response.
This was all Kat being passive aggressive, not me.
"Guys, sit." Kat demanded.
"Well, maybe we should all just -" Kat cut my words short by shooting me a glare.
"I guess we're sitting." I spoke as I grabbed Chris' arm and dragged him to the table. I sat beside Kat and he took the chair next to mine.
"Well, isn't this nice?" Michael muttered as he, himself took the chair in between Chris and Courtney.
"I'm leaving." Bea announced as she pushed back her chair.
Joshua held on to her arm. "Come on, stop being dramatic."
"Dramatic?" Bea seethed.
"Bad choice of words, brother." Michael muttered.
Bea slammed her palm on the table and Joshua sighed in exhaustion.
"You know what? I'm not even going to start with you. It's bad enough what you did yesterday!"
"What? Almost dying?" Joshua asked sarcastically.
Bea looked at him, outraged. "You're unbelievable."
Joshua sighed. "Could you please just sit down so that we can eat, babe?" He spoke in a surprisingly level voice considering how much Bea was freaking out.
"Not with them." Bea spat, before turning and storming away.
Courtney got up as well. She glared at me, then Kat and finally, Joshua.
"Nice going." She spoke in accusation.
"This is my fault?" He asked in disbelief.
"It's all your faults but you're more accountable." She told him.
With one last 'goodbye' glare, Courtney left as well.
Joshua let out a huff and rubbed his temple.
"Well, that escalated quickly." Kat spoke seeming completely unbothered by the events that had just occurred.
"And whose fault is that?" Joshua mumbled.
Kat simply shrugged.
"Hey, Chris, be a doll and pass me that muffin from Courtney's tray. Poor thing got left behind."
Chris and I stared at Kat in disbelief.
How was she okay in the midst of so much chaos?
I'm definitely cutting her off from Game of Thrones.