I followed Skye back down the stairs into the empty meeting room. Outside there were more wolves just loitering around nobody seem in a rush or busy it was just a super relaxed atmosphere. "How many wolves live here?" I asked Skye. "Last I checked there were 127 but now your here so 128 I guess," she said. Our pack was the second biggest in the United States with a total of 204 wolves, I wasn't surprised so many wolves lived here where the connection to the Alpha was strongest. "How many are under 16?" I asked. I wondered how many wolves were being bussed into town. "Counting you there are 36 pups, and there are 6 adolescents currently. Your birthday is the closest so soon there will be 7," Skye answered. Pups were any wolves under 16 and adolescent pups were everyone from 16 to 21.
"Hey, Skye where've you been?" Called a voice. The voice belonged to a young wolf who was jogging towards us dribbling a soccer ball. "Oh, hey," he said when he saw me. He picked up his ball, his blond hair falling in his face. "Ryan, this is my cousin. Kye, Ryan." Skye said. "Kye?" He asked, "Oh yeah, Kylie! It's been forever since I've seen you, Rascal how you doing?" Ryan asked throwing his arm over my shoulder. He started pulling me along with him towards the cafeteria. "Do you remember that time when we were playing in the woods and everyone thought we lost you but you were just hiding in a tree? You had us all worried and then we got yelled at for worrying are parents." He told me. "Ahh, I've missed you, you little Rascal." Ryan said. Giving me a noogie.
I shot a panic look at Skye who thankfully pulled Ryan off me. "What's wrong?" He asked when Skye tugged him off. "Give her a break Ryan she just got in." Skye said evading his question. "No that's not it. When I touched her I could feel her tense up like she was about to hit me. Than you yanked me off her so quick, something's up," he stated plainly. "Wait, do you hate me," he asked suddenly worried, " I was just joking around that time I promise. Please tell me you not holding a grudge it was seriously just a joke," he babbled. "Ryan would you shut up for five second!" Skye yelled exasperated. Ryan's mouth automatically snapped shut and he turned to look at Skye expectantly. "Look Ryan-" Skye started. "Wait, let me tell him," I told Skye. This time Ryan turned his puppy dog eyes on me. "I can't remember you or anything really from before the accident," I told him. "WHAT! But...but you... " he said helplessly. "Wait, this means you don't remember...that thing. Oh thank god," he said dramatically. "What are you talking about?" I asked genuinely curious. "Oh nothing just a little joke that you took badly last time I saw you," he told me cryptically. "Anyway let's go get you unpacked huh than we can show you around better and maybe go see Aunt Laura before dinner," he said. His arm slipped back around my shoulders and the other around Skye's and he began ushering us toward the barracks.
***
"Is this really all you brought, Kye?" Ryan asked as he pilfered through my duffle bag. "Hey nose out," I said flicking his nose. "Owwww, what I do?" He asked. "Don't rifle through my things," I told him. As I grabbed a couple more shirts and started hanging them up. Skye was helping me unpack while Ryan just stood around being a general pain in our butts. "It's not like I'm going to steal anything I'm just curious is all," he muttered. "Than go be curious in someone else room," I told him. "Ha I'm not going to just run off on you. Even if you don't remember me you're still one of my best friends," he said. "A best friend who you haven't seen or talked to in eight years?" I asked. "Yeah well I won't take I personally if you don't," he said. "Ryan, shut up," Skye said, hitting him with one of my sneakers. "Jeez what is this hit Ryan day?" He asked. "Yes," Skye and I answered.
Ryan had informed me on the way over that he was only a year older that me, and like Skye he was also an Omega. He also told me that he was a Gemini, his favorite color was yellow, he loved blueberry pie, and absolutely adored cats despite the fact they ran from him in fear.
"Neither of you are any fun, huh I guess things haven't changed that much," he informed us. He plopped down on my unmade bed next to my duffle. Despite not being able to remember him I relaxed quickly around Ryan he was just so nice and light hearted, if slightly annoying. Skye wasn't bad either she always seem co calm, the complete opposite of Ryan. "You could be helpful," Skye told Ryan as she grabbed som more cloths. This room was much bigger than my old on with a twin bed of to the right next to a closet and a dresser at the end of the bed. In the middle of the back wall was a solid cherry wood desk and on the far left of the room was a small plain love seat and lounge chair. I shoved Ryan off my bed. "Go sit on the couch," I told him. "What why!" He said. I pulled my sheets out of the bottom of my bag. "Or you could make the bed," I offered. "Couch it is," he said quickly . I sighed and tossed the bag on the floor, Skye was hanging up the rest of the cloths and I started making my bed. The neon green sheets stood out awkwardly against the pale purple walls of my room. Same with my bright Green comforter, last I pulled out my neon blue throw and tossed it over the bed.
"Are you trying to blind people with those blankets?" Ryan asked. "No,I just like the bright colors," I told him. Why'd it matter to him what color they were? I loved the bright colors of my bedding. He just started laughing again. "Are you guys done yet?" He asked. "We would have finished sooner if you would've helped," Skye told him. "So that means your done right?" He asked again. Skye looked at me and I nodded, I still had to unpack my backpack but I could do that easily by myself. "Sweet, come on let's go," he said and stood up before he bounded to the door.
He ducked out into the hallway. "Where is he going?" I asked Skye. "You never know with Ryan," she answered before following him out the door. Ryan was waiting at the end of the hall impatiently bouncing up and down. "Come on you two your wasting our time dinner starts at 6 and I wanna have some fun before than," he called down the hall at us.
I pulled out my phone to check the time it was 4:15. Ryan still had a good 2 hours before dinner came around.
I realized I had a text from my dad and opened it.
Hey Kye,
Raiza called to tell me you made it ok and that she has Skye showing you around. Tell her I say hi and when you see your Aunt Laura can you give her my cellphone number I need to talk to her. Also, I know you're probably mad at me for not mentioning them but I just couldn't bring myself to talk about them. I'm sorry Kye.
I typed out a quick response.
It's fine Dad and I'll make sure to talk to Skye and Aunt Laura for you.
"Kye, come on," Ryan said pulling at my sleeve. "Stop pulling, Geez," I told Ryan. I shoved my phone back in my pocket and followed them outside.
From what I could hear there weren't many wolves currently in the building other than us but I could her someone moving around in a room down the hall further. Where was everyone, a good majority of the wolves lived in the barrack but yet no one was really here.
"Where is everyone?" I asked. "It's a Sunday so most of them are out running in the forest before dinner. The whole pack shows up in the cafeteria for Sunday dinner." Ryan explained. "Why?" I wondered. "Because we're pack, we're family. Wolves aren't solitary beings we need to be surrounded by each other, to feel another wolves warmth," Ryan told me. He proved his point by wrapping his arm around my shoulders again and pulling me towards him. I did feel warmer but only because he was now blocking the worst of the chill. I also felt oddly comforted as well. "I know that," I told him, "but I don't get why everyone eats dinner together on Sundays. Aren't we all pretty much always around each other here?" I asked. "Well yes but it's like a big family reunion, you see people you hate and people you haven't spoken to recently. The kids get to play, the teens get to be bored and annoyed and the adults get to have 'fun,' and talk about nothing," he said.
Ryan was pulling me towards the rec room building. Outside the basketball game was still going on,or was this a new one? "Where are you dragging me?" I asked. "To the rec center, Carson and Ember are going to freak out when they see you. Which is why I grabbed this from Skye's room," Ryan held up a light blue digital camera and waved it in my face. "Hey, you said you weren't going to steal anything!" Skye yelled and made a grab for her camera. Ryan held it up in the air out of her reach, he had a good 6 inches on either of us. "I promised I wouldn't steal from Kye. I made no such promises to you she-wolf," Ryan teased.
"Um, whose Carson and Ember?" I asked distracting them from their fight. The longer I was here the more I wished for my lost memories, and the more I could feel their absence. "Right, Carson and Ember are the twins they were born the same year as you so you literally grew up with them in the nursery for the first 2 years of you cute little life, and when you were older you kinda introduced us. Ever since than me and Skye have been stuck with you pesky younger pups trailing after us," Ryan explained. I stopped moving. My stomach erupted in butterflies, I didn't want to see them. It was hard enough when Skye told me she was my cousin and when Ryan started talking about things I couldn't remember. I didn't want to me more friends who I grew up with but knew nothing about. "I... I d-don't think I can," I said. I pulled away from Ryan and started backing away from the rec center. "Kye?" Skye asked worried. She reached out for me but I shook her off. "Hey, hey!" Skye said grabbing my shoulders. "It will be okay Kye. Even if you can't remember us, you still know us and we still love you," Skye said. Her words calmed me down a little but I still didn't want to go. "You'll be fine, you don't need to remember us we will earn your friendship and love all over again, happily. We're just so happy you're back," Skye said. Her arms tightened around me and she pulled me into a hug.
"Hey, don't forget about me," Ryan said. He jumped on top of us his arms circling us as he knocked us to the ground. We crashed into the ground with Ryan on top of us laughing. "Ryan!" Skye yelled. She sat up and started slapping him. "Owww, oww, owww!" Ryan cried. "Stop it you mad woman I was just having some fun," Ryan said.
Skye pushed Ryan off her and stood up. "Next time, don't try and kill us," she told him. She turned to me and held out a hand helping me up. "I wasn't and that would hardly kill you. Hell it wouldn't even kill a human," he defended.
They kept arguing back and forth and I stood their watching them. Ryan was like a hyperactive 5 year old and Skye was scolding him like his mother. I couldn't help it I burst out laughing. "Wh- what are you laughing at," Skye said turning on me. I couldn't answer I was almost doubled over laughing. Finally my laughter started to subside. "I'm - laughing at the- two of you," I told her between laughs. Skye grabbed my right ear and twisted it. "Oww! I'm sorry ok? I'm sorry," I yelled. She released my ear and I started massaging it, she suddenly smiled at me and looking at Ryan he was smiling to. "What?" I asked. I was suddenly suspicious of the two. "Nothing," they said in union. "Come on, I really want to get this reunion on tape. We need to get there before Carson beats Sean at pool again," Ryan says. This time he grabbed my arm and started hauling me towards the door and I let him. My nerves had evaporated but now they came back, just not as strong as before.
Inside the rec room was stuffed with wolves. Some where in the back watching some movie on a 42 inch flat screen, others were playing darts, one of the tables there were a group of wolves playing poker. At another table there was a game of chess going on, and off to the far left of the room were two pool tables. Only one was being currently used by a tall auburn haired boy and a black haired boy who looked annoyed. Standing along the wall was a group of spectators one of which was a girl with the same auburn colored hair that fell in waves halfway down her back. From here I could see her emerald green eyes that seemed like they could pierce your soul. "Move it Kye, the games almost over," Ryan whispered and gave my arm another yank.
We were right next to the pool table when Ryan finally let my arm go. "Oi, Carson look who's here!" Ryan yelled as Carson took his shot. Carson's head whipped up to yelled at Ryan presumably but whatever he was going to say died on his lips when he saw me. His ended up accidentally sinking the cue ball. "Kylie?" Carson asked. "Kylie!" Carson yelled. He dropped his cue stick on the table. He actually jumped over the tabled instead of walking around. "Kylie," he said wrapping me up in a bear hug and swinging me around in a circle. His scent flooded my nose he smelt like the forest after a storm, I breathed it in deeply but I couldn't remember it. He set me down gently and I glanced around the room sure enough everyone was staring at us now. "How have you been? We have been worried sick about you ya'know?" Carson asked. Skye jumped in form me and I gladly stayed quiet. "Carson, we should probably go somewhere else and catch up," Skye told him. "Oh? Alright let me just finish the game real quick ok?" He turned back to the table only to see he screwed up on his last shot. The other boy Sean? had a large smile on his face. He grabbed the cue ball and took his shot sinking the last striped ball on the table. "So sorry Carson but it looks like I win," Sean said. "Thanks, Ryan," Sean said as he grabbed the stack of money on the corner of the table. "Here you go," he said handing Ryan a couple twenties before walking away from the table.
"Ryan I am so going to kill you for that later," Carson grumbled. The crowd around the table started dispersing leaving only the auburn haired wolf leaning against the table. She was staring at me and her eyes held pure rage. "Come on, let's go somewhere else," Skye said. She started towards the door with Ryan, Carson and me trailing after her. We where halfway towards the door when Carson turned around and stopped suddenly causing me to run into him. "Ember, you can pout and walk at the same time come on," he called out. The auburn haired girl didn't move from her spot against the wall she just threw Carson a dirty look that shifted to me. Carson bent down and whispered in my ear, "She's not going to move until you apologize. Just go over there say sorry and then we can go talk somewhere more private, ok?" Carson gave me a little push that sent me stumbling back towards Ember. I was really getting sick of being pushed, pulled, shoved, squeezed and prodded and I hadn't even been back a full 3 hours.
I stopped a couple feet in front of her and the full force of her glare ripped through me. I really wanted to hide from those piercing eyes of hers. "I-I..." Her scent hit me she smelled like Grapefruit and mint. The smell surrounded me and something in the back of my head clicked. "I know you!" I said excited. A look of confusion crossed her face. "What! Of cour-" she started. Her words died when I grabbed her and shoved her back against the wall. I buried my nose and breathed in more of her scent. "Kye!" I heard someone scream but I wasn't sure who the more of Ember's scent I breathed in the clearer the memory became.
***
"Kylie! You promised your mom you were going to stop climbing after you broke your wrist last time!" Ember yelled up at me. She was on the ground a good ten feet below me as I scaled the side of the cliff at the top was the only place in the whole forest where the wild indigo grew and I wanted to get a couple to give my mom for her birthday. "Oh, Ember don't worry I'll be fine I only fell last time because of that crazy bird!" I called down to her. I had almost reached the plant it was only a couple more feet. Underneath me some loose rocks fell away. "Kylie!" Ember shouted up at me. "I'm fine Em stop worrying," I told her. Ha I reached it. I grabbed one of the plants by the base and pulled it out by the roots. The plant slipped out easier than I expected and I tipped backwards. "Uh oh," I muttered and gripped the side of the cliff tighter with my left hand but it was to late i started sliding down the cliff side instead though instead of falling straight back like last time.
I could feel the sharp rocks cut into my skin as I slide down. I desperately grabbed at the cliff trying to find a better purchase and finally I got one and me descent stopped. I had slipped a good five feet down the cliff but there was still a good ten feet left. I carefully made my way down the rest of the cliff until I was close enough and dropped down the last foot. "Told you I could reach it," I told Ember holding the plant up proudly. "You idiot," Ember said grabbing my right ear and twisting it. "Owwww! I'm sorry ok? I'm sorry," I told her. "Are you trying to get yourself killed before you're even eight?" Ember asked as she released my poor ear. "No, but you just might kill me. Attacking an injured person is so rude," I told her. "Whatever, come on let's get you cleaned up before you mom sees and starts yelling at us again," she said. She marched off into the forest not bothering to wait for me. "Ember! Wait up!" I called and ran after her with a smile on my face. She was never really mad at me.
***
"Kye?" A voice called out my name. I blinked my eyes open. I was laying on my back staring at the ceiling of the rec room, Raiza was above me a worried look of her face. "Kye," she said relieved. I started to sit up and she moved so I could. I was still in the rec room next to the pool table around me was a large group of wolves all of whom seemed worried. "Kye, what happened?" Raiza asked. She drew my attention away from the other wolves and I focused solely on her. "I recognized Ember's scent and the more of it I breathed in the clearer a memory became," I told her. "What was the memory?" She asked. "I was out in the forest with Ember and I was climbing Devil's peak," I told her.
A smile broke out across her face at my words. "I remember when you did that it quickly became your most famous stunt but with your parents it was the most infamous. I believe your mother grounded you for a full month after that," she told me. "Do you remember anything else?" I just shook me head. "Alright, well if your feeling better come on it is time for dinner," Raiza said. She stood and pulled me up with her. "Everyone move it. It's time for dinner not gawking," she said shooing the wolves. The crowd slowly thinned out until it was just Skye, Ryan, Carson, Ember, me and the Alpha and two of her Betas. "Kye, I wanted your permission to inform the pack of your amnesia tonight at dinner. It is not something that cannot be hidden and I doubt you want to have to explain it to every wolf here," she said. "I'm fine with that it's kind of awkward for me to explain anyway," I told her. She nodded and started for the door. "Dinners in 15 minutes don't be late," she said as she left.
"Amnesia?" Carson asked. I nodded. "I can't remember much from before the accident," I explained. Carson and Ember shared terrified looks. "Wait you said you remembered Ember's scent and that triggered the memory what about mine? Or Ryan's, Skye's? The Alpha's? Anyone?" Carson asked. I shook my head. "I don't recognize any of them just Em's," I said. A smile broke out over Ember's face when I called her Em but it quickly died. "So what else do you remember?" She asked quickly. "Just bits and pieces this was the first full memory that I have recovered," I answered. "Oh," she said. "So, you weren't ignoring us for all those years? You just can't remember us?" She asked sadly. Guilt shot threw me when I saw the look that crossed her face. I never even bothered to ask my dad about the friends I left behind because I didn't want to hear about people I just couldn't remember but I never once thought about how they would feel.
I moved towards Ember and hugged her lightly. "I'm sorry Em I didn't mean to worry you, I shouldn't have been so stupid. I'm sorry," I whispered. Her arms finally wrapped around my shoulders and she hugged me back tightly. "I've missed you Kylie," she told me.
"Well don't I feel loved?" Ryan remarked.
I let go of Em but I kept one arm wrapped around her waist for some reason I just didn't want to let her go. "Ryan leave Kye alone," Skye said, "If you're lucky she won't remember you or that 'joke' of yours," The color in Ryan's face quickly drained. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that," he said. "What 'joke'?" I ask. "Come on we don't want to be late for dinner and piss off the Alpha. Let's go," Ryan said. He set a fast pace and all but ran out of the room. We followed him but I didn't move from Ember's side the whole way. She didn't seem to mind though which made me feel better.