[CHARLIE'S POV]
"Charlie honey, are you ready yet?" My mom knocks lightly on my door as she walks in.
"Maybe?" I keep looking at myself, trying to figure out what exactly is wrong with my reflection.
The pack is throwing a party. Actually, two parties. The adults are holding one for my parents (the kind with wine and soft music) at a local pack-owned restaurant, and the younger pack members are holding a party because the adults are going to be gone. It's going to be the kind with loud music, and it's going to be held in the pack house itself, so I can't escape it.
"Are you asking me or are you telling me?" She laughs at the face I give her and walks over to where I'm standing in front of my mirror. "Are you okay honey?"
"I don't know. I need to look good and feel good here. I need to show those stupid people downstairs-" I falter slightly at the raised eyebrow she gives me. "I mean, the wonderful members of my pack, that I'm different. That I'm new. That I'm not broken."
"Okay, then let's show them." I didn't tell her everything that happened, thankfully she didn't ask for all the details. Two years ago, right before I hopped on my plane, I left her and my father a vague message as to why I was coming. When I got there I gave them some some more vague explanations about how I needed a new environment. Eventually I told my mom I was being 'picked on a little bit' and wanted to get away from it.
"I don't know how to." I silently groan at how whiny I sound. I'm eighteen, no need to sound like I'm ten.
"Okay sweetie, let me see if I can help you. First, are you comfortable with tie outfit?"
I look down at my clothes. Black shorts, black and white striped tank top. I nod at her.
"Okay. Your makeup?" Again I nod. I worked like hell to get my eyeliner wings even. "Your hair?" I sigh and nod. "Oh, I know what it is. Your locket." Immediately my hand goes to my throat. The locket Kylie gave me, which has always say comfortable against my ribcage, is missing."
"I took it off to do my hair! I forgot. Thank you so much." I give her a hug and reach for the necklace, clasping it around my neck.
"Your welcome." She smiles at me and kisses me on the forehead. "I'll see you later, okay? I think the kids have already started their 'study group', and we're already late, so your father and I are going out the back." She winks at me and leaves my room.
I take a few deep breaths. I'm going to be fine. I'm going to go find Tyler, he and I are going to go downstairs, and we are going to find Kylie and all of my friends. It's going to be fine. I will pretend he doesn't exist and simply enjoy the night as I'm meant to.
I skitter down the hall to Ty's room, really hoping the party downstairs means no one else will see me. I need my moral support.
I knock three times, then twice, then five times. It's how we used to knock on each other's dorm room doors back in Paris.
He opens the door, smiling, and suddenly a wave of his cologne hits me.
"Jeez, Ty, you do know you aren't supposed to use the whole bottle at once, right?"
"Oh shut up it isn't that bad." But he self consciously begins to sniff his shoulder. "I have to make an impression on the gentlemen."
"You mean as the guy who made them lose their sense of smell? I'm sure that'll leave an impression." I sneeze into my arm, my eyes burning from the force of the smell. "Go out on another shirt or something."
He sighs at me, rolling his eyes, but turn around to change anyway. I turn around so that my back is facing him. Privacy, folks, very important.
He pokes me in the back, letting me know that he's done. I turn around. "Better?" He features at himself.
"Much." At least I can breathe. "You look lovely too. Shall we be going?"
"We shall." We hook arms and make our way to the stairs. Already there's loud music trickling from the main living room. "You going to be okay?" Ty gives me a quick once over, as if to search for wounds.
"I'm going to be fine. Thanks. Let's go." Removing our arms from each other, we both start our way down the stairs.
The pack house is absolutely huge, huge enough to fit the whole pack at least, but whenever there are parties here, it gets smaller. There are tables up against every wall, food and alcohol and sodas pushed into every available space. One of the tables has a stereo blasting some pop song.
The party itself is already kicking, at least thirty five people dancing and chatting, and I know there are more on the way.
I do a quick scan of the area, my eyes locking on Kylie's face. I take off, dragging Tyler with me.
I come to an abrupt halt in from of all of my friends, my chest welling at the sight of them. At first they look confused, like they don't know who I am, then Kylie sees my locket and a spark of recognition flashed through her eyes. At the same time, she suddenly flings her arms around my neck, and her legs around my waist, squealing so loudly that it sounds like a tortured animal.
"Charlie! You're here. I knew you were supposed to be but I didn't see you and Connor told me to give you some space, well he told everyone to give you some space or else, I would have been in your room before you'd even gotten here. You look different...." I'm still holding her, and as she tries to pull her head back to look at me, I get set off balance and suddenly we're both on the floor laughing.
"Yeah, two years does that to a person." We both laugh again, looking at each other. And I can't help it, I fling myself at her, the way she flung herself at me, and squeeze her.
We both stay like that for a bit, and then I stand up, dust myself off, and greet everyone else.
In the middle of all that, my eyes lock onto someone across the room. But he's already looking at me. He looks pained. Hopefully he is pained.
An alpha wolf's need to be with his mate is stronger than any other's, so I take a great amping pride in knowing that he's in more pain than me at the moment. That's not true. I doubt there's anyone in worse pain than me at the moment.