Chapter Four: The Party

“Wow!” I gasp as we approach the event hall.

Mom and Dad went all out, covering it inside and out with fairy lights, rose arrangements, and other decorations. I can hear music and laughter floating in the air. People are already dancing and the pups are chasing each other in and around the hall. There’s easily three hundred family and pack members piled in. The scene almost has me in a trance, and I actually find myself getting excited. I can feel Leah move forward to take everything in.

“Took you long enough,” Alyssa teases. I look to the side to see her waiting on a bench nearby. She’s in a strapless red dress, knee high, with matching stilettos and her hair in a side ponytail. The outfit definitely makes her fiery hair pop even more. “I’m supposed to let your Dad know when you got here.”

I groan, “Please tell me he’s not going to do some big announcement and speech after I walk in.”

“You know he is,” Leah snickers in my head.

She chuckles as she walks over, “Well, that and opening the food line.”

I take a deep breath and sigh, “Let’s get this over with.”

“Before you go in,” she says with a smile, “Happy Birthday bestie.”

I smile and pull away from Jonathan to hug her tight, “Thank you. You better save a dance for me.”

“Uh, duh!” she scoffs before pecking Jonathan on the cheek and hurrying away. “See you guys inside.”

“Ready?” Jonathan asks while grabbing my hand. I nod and start walking to the doors.

“If I can have everyone’s attention!” I hear my father’s voice boom over the speakers as I push the door open. I groan while Jonathan laughs. “I want to thank everyone for coming out to celebrate my beautiful daughter on her nineteenth birthday. We have so many friends and family here, and it makes this old man proud knowing how many people love my Annabeth. The food line is open so please help yourselves, as well as the open bar for those eighteen and up. Friendly reminder, please drink responsibly and if anyone needs a ride, please let us know. We hope you have a fantastic time tonight, and now, if everyone could help me welcome the birthday girl.”

Everyone stops and turns towards us. I can’t help the blush that spreads across my face at all the attention. Cheers and hollers erupt as I walk further in. Jonathan squeezes my hand in support as we make our way to Dad. Family and friends stand up to hug me as I pass by. I finally reach the DJ where my Dad, Mom, Michael, Luna Enora, and Alpha Xavier are waiting for me.

Smiling, I hug them all tight, “Please hand the man his microphone back, Dad.”

Michael snickers, “What? Don’t want to make a speech?”

I groan, “Goddess no.” Turning to the DJ, I plead, “Please, start the music back up. I don’t need to talk. Have mercy on me.”

The man smiles and starts the next track, causing me to breathe out in relief. Jonathan leans over to whisper in my ear, “I’m going to grab us drinks then head to the food line. Alcohol or no alcohol?”

“No alcohol for now. Thank you,” I whisper back. He places a soft kiss on my cheek before walking away.

“You are no fun,” Leah jokes.

“I want to be sober for this, thank you,” I chuckle back in my head.

I return my attention to the Alpha and Luna, “I’m so happy you two are here. I thought it wasn’t going to be til later, if at all.”

Luna Enora smiles, “So did we, but we were able to finish all the paperwork early since Benjamin is handling all the out-of -pack business.”

I internally roll my eyes at his name but keep the smile plastered on my face, “That’s great. I was looking forward to watching you two let loose for once.”

Alpha Xavier lets out a small chuckle, “Don’t expect too much partying now. I still have a pack to run.”

“Party pooper,” I tease. “Here I was hoping you’d be dancing on top of a table before this was over.”

He chuckles, “First of all, it would take a lot to get me that drunk. Secondly, nobody wants to see that.”

“Fair enough. I guess I would prefer you sober when I beat you in one-on-one training tomorrow,” I joke.

He smirks, “Is that a challenge, Miss Solomon?”

“It’s a promise, Alpha Xavier,” I smile smugly.

“And here I was thinking about taking it easy on you as a birthday gift,” he shakes his head, folding his arms. “Guess I’m going to have to give you everything in training now.”

I scoff, “As if I can’t handle it. You throw punches like a newborn pup.”

“Okay you two,” Luna Enora laughs, “that’s enough.”

“Awww. I wasn’t done though,” I fake pout, causing her to shake her head.

“Yes, you are. You can shit talk him tomorrow,” Dad chuckles.

“Annie, stop harassing the Alpha and let’s go get some food,” Mom scolds as she pulls me away. Everyone chuckles following behind us.

Of course, everything tastes AMAZING. Mom never fails to impress. Leah would have had us eaten four more plates if I allowed it. The entire hall was ranting and raving over her cooking and practically begging for recipes. The way her face lit up made me suffering through all of this worth it.

Time starts passing a little quicker. I get to dance with Jonathan, Dad, Alyssa, Michael, Alpha Xavier, some of the pups, Alyssa again because she was jealous, and then Jonathan again because Alyssa can’t one up him. Those who don’t know what happened earlier look onto us with happiness, while those that do look on with sadness. I try to block it out and enjoy what time I have left with him. Tomorrow, everything changes.

A couple of hours pass when Alyssa hands me my bag and drags me into the ladies restroom, “Hey. We need to talk and fixing your makeup is my excuse to get you alone.”

“Alyssa, if this is about this morning-” I start to say.

“No, it’s not. I mean, I want to talk about it when you’re ready, but that’s not what I need to discuss right now,” she interrupts, whispering extremely low so that the other hundreds of werewolves don’t hear.

Like I said, stupid werewolf hearing.

I raise my eyebrows, “What’s wrong?”

She leans back against the sink, “I wanted to warn you before he got here.”

“Who?” I ask confused.

“My brother,” she looks at me sympathetically.

I can feel Leah roll her eyes, “Great. I told you we should have drinked.”

I ignore her and groan, “I thought he was on pack business for like the next couple of months? Alliances and shit?”

She sighs, “Yeah, he was. Apparently, everything went smoothly and he got back early, about thirty minutes ago. He was going to go straight to bed, but Dad has been hounding him about forging and nursing relationships with the members of the pack, too. Instead, he mind-linked Mom and Dad and said he was going to clean up then head over to show his face.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, “And because it’s my party and we don’t have the greatest relationship, he’s going to make a point to talk to me.”

Alyssa nods, “Right. Look, I know he hasn’t always been the nicest person, but he has changed over the last six months. He has grown up a lot. I could tell every time he called or when I would go visit him because he was homesick. He’s taking this Alpha thing very seriously. He’s building alliances, friendships, and even looking hard for his Luna.”

I drop my hand and look at her in surprise, “Mr. “I can do everything myself” is actually wanting a Luna?”

She chuckles, “Of course, Annie. He may have a hard exterior but that doesn’t mean he’s heartless. He’s been dreaming of his Luna since he was young. He wants to love her, spoil her, and lead with her just like every Alpha does.”

I sigh, “Sorry, that was a little petty. I know he’s not emotionless. Fine. I will be nice and give him a chance to speak to me. The moment he starts-”

“You walk away,” she nods, cutting me off, “not that he will, but if it makes you feel better.”

I tilt my head, “That much faith, huh?”

She shrugs, “Surprisingly, yes.”

“Alright. I trust you. You obviously know better than me. Give me a minute to compose myself, then I’ll come back out,” I relent, fixing my hair in the mirror and touching up my lipstick. She nods silently and walks out.

“Do you think the Alpha told him to come or that he really decided to? Doesn’t he hate us?” Leah asks, skeptical.

“Alyssa seems to think it was his decision. I’m going to play nice, not for him, but for everyone else. I don’t need to punch the future Alpha in the middle of my party,” I respond, heading for the door.

“Fair enough. Though, I wouldn’t mind watching his smug ass hit the floor. You sure I can’t get one punch in? We’ve gotten stronger since the last time he was here,” Leah asks mischievously.

I chuckle, “Tell you what, if he acts a fool, go for it.”

“Hell yes!! Do you think I should do an uppercut or…” Leah stops, then starts whining.

I furrow my eyebrows as I walk out, “What’s wrong? Why are you…?”

Before she can answer, it hits me. The blend of citrus and vanilla invades my senses. It’s intoxicating, the best scent I have ever smelled.

“Mate! Our mate! We have to find him,” Leah jumps around in my head excitedly.

My eyes turn into saucers as I whisper to no one, “This can’t be happening. I’m not ready.”

“I know, but please Annie. Let us at least find out who he is,” she begs.

My feet start moving on their own. Slowly peeking around the corner, I scan the large crowd looking for anyone acting weird. There’s so many wolves and scents, it will be hard to pinpoint and track. I walk out and hug close to the wall as I circle the room. People greet me as I make my way around. I try to stay calm and keep a smile plastered on my face so I don’t raise any suspicion. I can smell him, but I can’t place where he is. Everything inside of me is screaming to find him and fast.

I make it to the other side, near the kitchen, when I notice Alpha Xavier is whispering to Luna Enora at their table. Both of them are looking back towards the bathrooms in concern. Following their gazes, my heart drops to the floor. Where I had been standing a few minutes ago is Benjamin. His eyebrows are furrowed in confusion as he sniffs the air, trying to find a scent.

My scent.

My body takes a subconscious step forward as the bond flares up in my chest, his scent seemingly getting stronger. It begs me to go to him, wanting to see his eyes and solidify the connection. It wants me to hold him tight, and never let go.

Wait, what?!

The thought shakes me out of my trance. I force myself to stop. Taking a couple of steps back, I hide behind a large rose arrangement to watch him.

“It’s him!! Mate. Our mate,” she sings happily in my head.

“Leah! Are you serious? Do you not see who that is?!” I try hard to not yell.

My tone makes her stop and tilt her head in confusion. She takes a second look through my eyes. Her eyes widen, “Oh, shit.”

“Oh shit is right!” I exclaim as my heart races and panic sets in.

No. Not him. I refuse. I don’t want a mate, much less him.

I watch as Alyssa approaches him with worry on her face. They start whispering to each other and I know it won’t take long for her to put the pieces together. His eyes scan the hall as he starts walking the path I took against the wall, Alyssa following close behind.

“We got to go,” I say before quickly walking into the kitchen.

Luckily, no one is in there, all the food already out and served. There’s a back entrance for the workers, which is the perfect way to escape. Practically running out, I rip my shoes off my feet and high tail it home. Bursting through the front door, I slam it shut behind me and run up the stairs to my room. Locking my door, I throw my bag and shoes onto my bed before I start to pace. My phone slides out but I don’t pay much attention to it.

“It’s not going to take him long to find me. His tracking is the best of the pack. What do I do, Leah?!” I plead.

“I don’t know, but Annie, breathe,” Leah tries to calm me.

“Breathe!? I just lost Jonathan and on my birthday no less. Now, I’m going to be forced to…expected to… no! I don’t want this! I don’t want him!” I exclaim.

Just then, my phone starts ringing. I stare at it for a moment before I approach my bed. It’s Jonathan. Grabbing it, I think to answer but I stop myself. When the call ends, I see all the notifications.

Five missed calls.

Mom: Annabeth, where are you? Did you go home?

Dad: Baby girl, are you okay? I can’t find you anywhere.

Alyssa: Annie, please answer. We need to talk. It’s important.

Jonathan: Love, I’m getting worried. Please answer the phone.

My heart pounds harder as I fight with myself on if I should respond to them. I start pacing again when my car keys catch my eye. Dad had given me his old Jeep Wrangler when I turned sixteen, shortly after he bought his new truck. He knew how much I loved it, so it was my present instead of him selling or trading it in. I stare at them for a moment before a thought enters my mind.

“Annie?” Leah says my name, getting concerned.

I don’t respond, opening the settings app on my phone and turning off the GPS. Heading to my closet, I find my old backpack that I used for all my sleepovers and start stuffing clothes in. A week worth of outfits should do for now. Next, I move to my dresser and pull out my undergarments and socks. I toss them in along with a pair of flip flops. Dashing to my bathroom, I grab all my toiletries and shove them in, too. Ripping my dress off, I throw it on the bed before quickly putting on a random T-shirt, jeans, and my tennis shoes.

“Please, Annie. Talk to me,” Leah presses.

“We are going to Uncle Marc’s,” I simply say as I pull out a piece of paper from my desk drawer.

“I thought something was going on, which is why he couldn’t come here for the party. Would he be okay with us just showing up?” She asks nervously.

“He won’t turn us away. Not telling him means I can convince him to hold off a day or two before he tells the rest of the family, and Dad tries to drag me back,” I say as I scribble a note.

Mom, Dad, and Michael:

I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you, but I can’t do this. To lose Jonathan is one thing, but to find the bond with someone who has never had anything but disdain for me on the same day is too much. I don’t know how long I will be gone. I just need time. Thanks for trying to make my birthday special through this whole ordeal. Michael, I’m going to have to take a rain check on our rematch. I’ll make it up to. Tell Alpha Xavier that I never meant to disrespect him by leaving like this, and I hope he will let me return and do our training session when I’m ready. Let Alyssa and Jonathan know that I’m sorry, too. I love you all so much. Please, try not to be angry with me.

Annie

Reaching under my bed, I pull out a small metal container that holds all my money I have saved from jobs I’ve done over the last couple of years. I did anything from helping around the pack and babysitting to tutoring and helping at the hospital. There’s easily five thousand in here. Not that I think I’ll need it, but I don’t know how long I’ll be gone and better be safe than sorry. I shove that into my pack as well before I stand up.

She sighs, “Don’t you think you are acting a little irrationally right now? Going for a run to clear your head is one thing, but leaving the pack? ”

“You heard Alyssa. Her brother has been looking for a long time and we know how stubborn that man is. Even if he does hate me, the mate bond will change that and force us to love each other the moment our eyes connect. Another reason to leave while I can, before my body doesn’t let me. Jonathan might as well be lost to us now, but that doesn’t mean I have to accept this. So, I won’t and make my own fate,” I say stubbornly, grabbing my keys and running down the stairs.

“Alyssa also said he has changed. You said we would give our mate a chance,” she reminds me.

“Changed? This is Benjamin we are talking about! And I tried to give him a chance. Multiple times. He’s the one that didn’t want to be bothered and now he’s gonna be all for it because of some bond? No thanks,” I scoff.

“This is going to hurt our family, Annie. I’m okay with us leaving but at least talk to them. Don’t just disappear,” she begs.

“There’s no time. Besides, I can tell you exactly what will happen, because it’s what always happens. I’m a good, obedient daughter and will do what they think is best. I have always done whatever they wanted every time. Every. Time. Not this time. This is my life, my choice,” I huff, placing the note on the kitchen island before pushing through the back door. “Dad will only see “my duty to the pack” and immediately act as if the jerk has a say. Mom will be the voice of reason and convince me to sleep on it, just for me to be persuaded by them in the morning. They will guilt me into staying.”

“Annie-” She attempts to persuade me one final time, but I cut her off.

“My mind is made up, Leah,” my voice leaving no room for discussion. I quickly open the driver door and sling my bag inside, hiding it under the passenger seat.

“The Alpha is going to know the moment you get close to the border. The fighters will see you,” Leah says in annoyance.

I start the engine, “I know, which is why I’m going to approach calmly and hopefully talk my way out. I’m going to hit the gas and get out of the territory before anyone can react.”

“So, are we just leaving everything behind?” she questions sadly.

I sigh, pulling out onto the road and heading for the entrance, “Not forever, Leah. I need time and space. I can’t think for myself here, not with this. They will push what they think is right onto me.”

With a final sigh, she relents, “Okay, Annie. I have your back.”

“Thank you,” I whisper sincerely.

As we approach the border, I can see there’s only a couple of fighters standing guard tonight. Perfect. The one nearest to the gate turns at the sound of me approaching.

I roll down my window, “Hey, Peter.”

“Hey, birthday girl. Shouldn’t you be at the party?” Alyssa’s mate asks curiously.

“Oh, I was. Too many people and got overwhelmed, so I decided to do a late night ice cream run and watch Disney movies,” I lie, hoping he won’t pick up on it.

“That sounds fun. I have to report in and say hello to Benjamin but maybe Alyssa and I can join you after? I get off of patrol in about twenty minutes,” he asks, glancing at his watch.

“Of course. I’m sure Jonathan will join us, too,” I force a smile.

He nods, “I’m…sorry about that, by the way.”

I shrug, “It is what it is. We always knew it was a possibility.”

Peter offers a sad smile, “I know but it still hurts. I don’t know if this will make you feel better, but don’t give up hope. Your mate is out there, somewhere, and he will make you feel happier and more complete than you could ever imagine. Trust me, I know.”

“Oh, he’s closer than you realize,” Leah remarks.

I give him a small nod, “Thanks. Well, I probably should get going so I can get back.”

“Of course. Hey, does the Alpha know you are leaving the territory?” Peter questions, realizing that probably was the first thing he should have asked.

“Yep. I mentioned it before I headed home,” I answer, praying he doesn’t see through me.

“Okay. Well, go on then. I’ll let him know you are passing through,” he smiles.

Shit.

“Sure thing. See you later, Peter,” I call out as I start to drive away, quickly rolling up my window. I pass the boundary line and count to ten before I hit the gas, speeding away.

“Well, there’s no turning back now,” Leah comments as I look into my rear view mirror.

I see Peter’s panicked face flagging me down to come back. Fighters can’t shift and leave the territory when there’s less than five stationed. When something happens and there’s not enough fighters, they have to call for backup. Meaning, it’ll take the Alpha, my family, and any fighter on rotation at least five minutes to run to the border or ten minutes with a car to try and follow. That’s more than enough time for me to get a head start, and I’m smart enough to not take common roads. I’ll take the back way there, hoping that’ll keep them from catching up.

Instantly, my phone starts going off. Alpha Xavier is calling me. I place it in my cup holder and let it go to voicemail. As soon as the call stops, another comes in. This time from Alyssa. Then, Dad. Then, Mom. Then, Jonathan. No one leaves a message. Guess they were hoping I’d answer for one of them. When I don’t, the mind-links start coming in. The most intense one I know right off the bat is the Alpha. If I answer, he will order me to return and I will have no choice but to obey. Throwing up mind blocks, it makes everyone’s calls calmer in my head and more tolerable.

“How long will it take us to get to Uncle Marc’s? Will he let us stay?” Leah inquires.

“About five hours using the back roads. Four using the interstate but that would be predictable, so back roads it is. I’m sure he will. I don’t see why he would turn us away,” I answer, connecting my phone to the stereo.

“And if for whatever reason he does?” Leah questions.

“I have no idea,” I sigh honestly.

She doesn’t speak again, settling into the back of my head. My mind is racing as I try to reassure myself this was the right thing to do. Taking deep breaths, I focus on the highway and the tunes filling the cab, ignoring the constant buzzing coming from my phone.