Chapter Five: The Crescent Moon Pack

*Flashback: Annie and Alyssa, 14. Benjamin, 16*

“Oh, come on!” Alyssa screams, “That is so stupid!”

I giggle, shaking my head, “You are the one that wanted to watch a dumb romance movie. Of course it’s going to be stupid.”

“At least the snacks are making it tolerable. Who leaves everything behind and travels across the country with a dude she just met?! Seriously?!” she groans.

“I’m so glad your parents aren’t home with all that yelling you’re doing,” I chuckle, hitting her with a pillow.

She playfully pushes my shoulder, “Oh shut up. Or, better yet, I probably need to before Ben decides to shut us down. Again. Jerkwad.”

I roll my eyes, “Yeah, let’s not piss his Highness off. He already hates me enough.”

“He doesn’t hate you, Annie,” she protests.

“I’m not an idiot,” I scoff. “I see the way he glares at me. I’m “fucking annoying and a waste of space”, remember?”

She sighs, “He didn’t mean it when he said that.”

I grunt, standing up and walking to the stairs, “Sure he didn’t. I’m going to run to your room and get my phone charger.”

Taking two steps at a time, I quickly reach her room and head for my bag resting on the end of her bed. I unzip it and pull the cord out. Before I go to close it back, I feel a presence behind me. Turning my head, I see Benjamin leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. My heart quickens, but I keep my face neutral.

“What?” I question. He doesn’t speak, just stares at me. I swallow nervously and turn away.

I can’t deny my attraction to him, but too bad his personality sucks ass. I mentally pray he will just walk away. Naturally, he doesn’t. Benjamin just stands there, staring me down. I choose to ignore him and walk back to the door. I try to squeeze past him but he stops me by blocking with his arm.

I sigh, not meeting his eyes, “What did I do this time?”

Still, he says nothing. Huffing and rolling my eyes, I duck to go underneath his arm. Suddenly, his other one wraps around my waist and I’m pinned between him and the doorframe.

“What the hell, Benjamin?!” I hiss.

“Don’t walk away from me,” he whispers.

“Well maybe if you would speak instead of staring at me like some stalker, I wouldn’t,” I quip back with irritation. When I meet his gaze, the softness in his eyes takes me back, causing confusion, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

My eyes widen as I watch his eyes turn dark. The hand that was gripped on the doorframe moves down to cup my cheek, “I don’t hate you, Annabeth.”

Is this his wolf coming forward?

I don’t have time to question it as he moves closer, our bodies pressed against each other’s. His lips ghost over mine, teasing but never connecting. My heart pounds as I wonder if my best friend’s brother and the first guy I ever had a crush on was truly going to be my first kiss.

Suddenly, he jerks away as if he just touched something hot with a look of disgust on his face. His eyes are back to their normal emerald green. I stare at him in confusion and hurt, “Benjamin?”

“What? Did you think I would kiss someone as pathetic as you? You’re just too fun to not toy with,” He spats before turning on his heels and marching down the hall to his room.

“Annie!! You’re missing the best part!!” Alyssa calls from downstairs.

“Com-coming!” I call back, staring at his retreating form. The ache in my heart intensifies as I blink the tears back. The bastard really has no shame, does he?

*Present Day*

The clock on the dash says 3:07am. I’ve been on the road for several hours, now hundreds of miles away from the only home I’ve ever known. My phone hasn’t stopped for a second, ringing with calls and texts since I sped out of the territory. Every once in a while, I feel someone try to mind-link me, but I ignore it, too. I feel guilty but can’t bring myself to answer either. The thought of turning around crosses my mind every once in a while, but my foot presses down further on the gas each time.

Leah stirs, coming forward to see where we are. The moon is beautiful tonight, illuminating everything around.

“How close are we?” she asks, yawning.

“About two hours out,” I answer, rubbing the tiredness from my eyes.

“Okay…” She sighs, curling into herself. The sadness is radiating off of her and I can feel her confliction with the whole situation.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“Why?” Leah asks, head tilted in confusion.

“You’re hurting, and me leaving didn’t help,” I mumble, slightly ashamed.

“You are hurting too, Annie. You felt we needed to leave, so we did. You will always have my love and support. My heart is just torn from the loss of one and the gain of another,” she says softly.

“Thank you, Leah. I just…I don’t understand. How can it be Benjamin? Out of everyone, fucking Benjamin?” I question angrily.

“I know he hasn’t always been the nicest person, but I’m holding onto Alyssa being right. Maybe he has changed. The Moon Goddess put us together for a reason, so it would make sense she would put us with Benjamin for a purpose, too,” she says, trying to comfort the both of us.

“Leah, I only put up with him because Alyssa is my best friend and unfortunately, that’s her brother! I don’t know anything about him, and he sure as hell doesn’t know me, neither does his wolf about you. They will never know us the way Jonathon and Seth do. I’ve known him my entire life, and he never bothered to get to know me before so why should I allow him to now?” I argue, ignoring the ache in my chest.

“Annie? Is this really about wanting to choose Jonathan and your own path or are you scared of what being with Benjamin means?” Leah pokes hesitantly.

My heart sinks. Future Alpha means I would be….Shit. No wonder they are hounding me so bad.

“I wasn’t even thinking about that. There’s no way in hell I will accept this. All I want is to be a pack doctor and live a quiet, simple life. I have no intention of…THAT,” I choke out.

“I know all that responsibility is scary, but She seems to think we can handle it. Otherwise, why bond us to an Alpha? If She thought differently, we would have been bonded to a fighter like Jonathan,” Leah tries to reason.

Before I can respond, my phone starts ringing again for the hundred time. It’s an unknown number so naturally, I ignore it. It’s probably some stupid spam call. Shortly after they hang up, I get a notification for a voicemail. Leaning over, I hit play and a worried voice plays through my speakers.

“Annabeth, I know I’m the last person you wish to hear from. I understand that you are apprehensive and maybe even a little scared. This was a lot to take at once, especially on what should have been a joyous day. I also know I haven’t always been the nicest to you and for that I’m truly sorry. There were reasons why, though they seem idiotic looking back on it. You were always so kind and I wish I could take everything I said and did back. Sweetheart, I’ve been waiting so long for you, dreaming of you, praying for you. I will do everything in my power to show you that I have changed, that I’m not that stupid punk anymore. I will wait however long you need and do whatever it takes to prove it. As much as I want you to come back home so I can beg for your forgiveness, it’s not what you need right now. I’m asking everyone to leave you alone, but please call your Mom and let her know you’re alright. She’s worried sick. I also ask that you call me when you are ready to talk. Day or night, I don’t care, and know that if this all ends with you…choosing Jonathan…I will walk away without a fight. Just please, give me a chance first. Let me explain. I hope to hear from you soon.”

The voicemail ends and my music starts back up. My eyes are wide, focusing on the highway. Surely, this isn’t the same guy, right?

All of sudden, all the calls, texts, and mind-links stop. I wonder if they listened to him or if Alpha Xavier had to order it.

“That was…unexpected,” Leah speaks after a minute.

“Yeah…” I simply reply, unable to say anything else.

I would be lying if I said that his voice and words didn’t affect me. Why did my heart skip a beat when he called me sweetheart? Why did it sink when he said he would walk away? If it’s like this now, what will it be when we lock eyes for the first time? We both sit in stunned silence processing the message.

When we are about twenty minutes away from the Crescent Moon Pack, Leah speaks again, “We should call Mom.”

I nod, “I know. I was going to wait until later. It’s still early.”

“She isn’t sleeping, Annie. She’s an emotional wreck right now which is why I didn’t want to just leave,” she narrows her eyes at me.

“I know,” I whisper, guilty.

“Call her,” Leah demands.

Sighing, I activate my Bluetooth calling and tell it to call Mom. There’s one ring before she answers.

“Annabeth?!” she cries out.

“Hi, Mom,” I answer sadly. I can hear Dad and Michael in the background, relief evident in all of their voices.

“Oh my Goddess, it’s so good to hear your voice. Do you know how scared we all were? You can’t do that to us, Annabeth! You have to talk to us. If you needed to leave, we wouldn’t have fought it. You can take as much time as you need, but for you to disappear with nothing but a note. Then, poor Peter. He felt so guilty not catching onto your lies and thought the Alpha was gonna kill him for letting you leave!” She scolds me.

“I know,” I whisper.

There’s a slight pause, then a heavy sigh, “Baby, I know this birthday was nothing like what you wanted it to be. Everything with Jonathan and now Ben-“

“Mom, I’m sorry, okay? I just wanted you to know I’m alive. I…I don’t want to talk about this. Not yet,” I interrupt softly, not wanting to further upset her.

“Baby girl, we need to discuss this,” my Dad says in the same gentle tone. She must have me on speakerphone.

“And we will. Just not now,” I retort, trying to not get upset.

Dad sighs, “Can you at least tell me where you are or where you’re going?”

I bite my lip, “I’m not really sure, Dad. I’m just driving. Maybe I’ll turn it into a birthday road trip or something. And before you ask, yes, I remember your training and I have pepper spray on my keychain. I will be careful.”

“Annabeth…” Dad starts in his fatherly tone.

“Look, I will call you everyday, but I just want to be alone. You and I both know you, or Jonathan, or…” I pause, about to say Benjamin but the name won’t come out, “whoever will run straight to wherever I am. I love you, but I need to not be a part of the Lunar Eclipse Pack for a little bit. I just wanna be a nineteen year old woman with her Jeep.”

There’s a moment of silence. I assume they are mind-linking each other.

Michael speaks up, “It’s good to hear your voice, baby sis. Though, I hate to say that this means you forfeit our tournament.”

I can’t help but smile and laugh, “Of course you’d say that, big bro. It’s the only way you win.”

The chuckles from all three of them eases my anxiety a little.

“Ouch. Guess I’ll have to practice while you’re away so I can earn my dignity back,” Michael snickers.

“You can certainly try,” I joke.

“Alright, baby girl. As long as you call me or your mother every day, we will not push for information,” Dad relents and Mom sighs.

“I can do that. I love you, all of you. You know that right?” I ask.

“Of course, baby,” Mom responds, “No matter how old you get, you are still my little girl and I’m going to worry. Just know we are here for you okay?”

“I know, Mom. Thank you,” I say sincerely. “I’ll call you guys back later today okay?”

She sighs, “Okay. Please be safe, Annie.”

“I will. I love you. Bye Dad. Bye Michael,” I call out. Both men say a sad goodbye.

“Bye, baby,” Mom whispers just as sadly.

“Bye, Mama,” I sigh before hanging up.

“I feel better now, if not also a little sad,” Leah sighs.

“Me too,” I nod.

The clock says 5:23am when I find myself approaching my Uncle’s territory, just as the sun is starting to rise. I know he won’t turn me away, but I hope I can hold off on him calling Dad. There’s fighters all along the border patrolling. One walks a few feet in front of the entrance with a hand up, stopping me.

“State your name and…Annie?” a male voice says stunned.

“Hey, cousin. How are you?” I smirk, unbuckling my seatbelt.

There stands Uncle Marc’s oldest, Harry. He towers over me at six foot six, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He currently is the pack’s best warrior, which makes sense since he is ridiculously buff and their next Alpha.

My Dad is originally from the Crescent Moon Pack, but when he met my mother during his cross-pack fighter training, he decided to return to Lunar Eclipse and build a life there. Uncle Marc was the oldest, so he knew he would never be Alpha. That was something he was okay with. He had told me one time that Uncle Marc was far more suited for that than him, not that he would ever say that to his face.

When Grandpa Solomon passed away shortly after I turned nine due to a rogue attack, Uncle Marc became the Alpha. He wanted us to come back and make Dad his Beta, but by this point, he had become the head fighter and had been Alpha Xavier’s Beta for almost five years. Dad turned him down, said he built a life for his kids and he had duties he couldn’t leave behind. Apparently, it was a big blow up. They both are trying to move past it, but it’s obvious that there are still hurt feelings on both ends.

Of course, they always kept it separate from us kids and were always involved in our lives. Crescent Moon was my second home and where I ran to on summer breaks, hanging out with Harry and his twin sister Hope, who are only a couple of months older than me. That had stopped once we turned sixteen and began our separate training sessions. Harry started his to be a fighter, Hope with her classes to become a teacher, and me with my doctor training. Our relationship consists of facetime and social media now.

His face lights up as he rips the door open to pull me into a hug, “What the hell are you doing here? Are you okay? Does Dad know?”

I giggle and shake my head, “That would ruin the whole surprise angle I’m going for. I’m fine. A lot has happened over the last couple of days, but I’ll get into that later.”

“He’s going to kill you,” he snorts, setting me back on my feet.

Pulling back, I smile up at him, “I know, but I missed you guys and wanted to see you.”

He chuckles and turns to a fighter standing guard, “Anthony, cover for me. I need to escort this trouble maker to the Alpha.”

“Hey!” I fuss.

Anthony laughs and nods in response. I jump back in while Harry gets in the passenger seat, then I head for the pack house. He blanks out for a second, before coming back laughing.

“What did he say?” I look at him concerned.

“Dad said he’s gonna kick your ass for not telling him, otherwise he would have had a party ready and not mailed your present,” he smirks.

“Well tell him I’m partied out so that’s perfectly okay,” my face falls slightly and I don’t say anymore.

He raises an eyebrow at me, “Alright, cuz. What’s the deal? Daniel can feel how restless Leah is,” He inquires.

“Sorry,” Leah says sheepishly.

“Don’t apologize silly. We’ve been through a lot,” I reassure her.

I sigh, “I’m going to tell you. I would just rather it be with all of you there so I only have to say it once.”

“Fair enough. I mean, is Uncle Kristoff and Aunt Hannah okay? And Michael? Nothing like that, huh?” He asks.

I jerk my head towards him bug eyed, “Oh god, no. They are fine. I didn’t mean to scare you like that. Trust me, I would have called if it was something like that.”

He breathes a sigh of relief, “Good. I’m surprised they let you come by yourself. It’s a pretty good drive.” When I don’t respond, he raises an eyebrow at me, “They…do know you’re here, right?”

I swallow nervously, “No.”

Harry’s eyes widen, “Annie!”

“I kinda…left without them knowing,” I whisper.

“Surely, you told the Alpha, right? I mean, he’s pretty much a second father to you and you wouldn’t leave his territory without informing him,” He asks in disbelief.

“Um….” I bite my lip.

“Please tell me you told the Alpha,” he says, slightly panicked.

I glance at him, then look back to the road. When I don’t speak a second time, it gives him his answer. “Holy shit. Dad is going to flip,” he mutters.

“I know, I know! I did leave a note, not that that really helps. I called them right before I got here so they knew I was okay, but I didn’t say I was coming here. Just that I needed to be away for a while. With Dad and Uncle Marc’s strained relationship, I know he wouldn’t guess I’d come here,” I explain, eyes fixed on the road.

There’s silence in the cab as he regards me. I know what he’s thinking. This isn’t me at all. I don’t just leave without a word. I don’t run away.

“God, Annie. What on Earth could have happened for you to do something like this?” he questions to himself.

I don’t answer as the pack house comes into view. I pull into a parking spot, putting the jeep in park. Taking a deep breath, I turn to speak but before I can, the front door flies open. Hope, who obviously was just woken up with her tousled brown hair and powder pink robe loosely tied on, runs straight for the driver’s side door. Uncle Marc and Aunt Crystal follow close behind with wide smiles on their faces.

“ANNIE!!” she squeals as I get out. She slams into me full force, almost knocking me down. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “OH. MY. GOD. I can’t believe you’re here! I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the party. Oh, by the way, Happy birthday!! We are the same age now. I’ve got so much to tell you! And Susie is begging to go on a run with Leah so we got to do that!”

“Yes please!!” Leah cheers excitedly.

“Of course,” I chuckle, responding to both of them.

“Hope, take it down a notch,” Aunt Crystal fusses with a sleepy smile.

I pull away, and bow my head in respect, “Alpha Solomon. I apologize for showing up like this.”

“Nuh uh. None of that, not with me. I’m just Uncle Marc. You know that,” He chastises as they approach me. I smile, as they take turns hugging me.

Anyone who didn’t know would think Uncle Marc and Dad were twins with how much they look alike. Same build, same hair, same eyes, and almost same voice. Mom said I used to get confused a lot when I was little. Aunt Crystal, on the other hand, is a very kind, petite woman with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She’s as thin as a pencil and even shorter than Mom at five feet tall. What is with these short women and tall men?

“Not that we aren’t happy to see you, but what are you doing here?” Aunt Crystal questions, “Is everything okay?”

My smile drops to a frown as my eyes move to the ground. The family makes quick glances at each other before Uncle Marc reaches out for me. He cups my face, pulling me up to look at him.

His brows furrowed in concern, “Sunshine, have you been crying? What happened?” Tears start pooling at my childhood nickname, but I hastily blink them back.

Aunt Crystal looks at me with the same worry as she rubs my back, “Come on, honey. Let’s get you inside so we can talk, okay?”

I nod as she guides me up the walkway, “I’m sorry I woke you guys up so early.”

“Nonsense. We are here whenever you need us,” she shushes me.

I smile weakly as we enter the house. This was going to be an interesting conversation.