***

In two years, things can change. Two years can make or break you, and it can sometimes be tough. Two years can mean that you have new friends, a new lover, or even a new job. Two years can change the appearance of a person and make them feel better about themselves, even if it was just for a little while.

Two years to me, meant six new best friends, a new hair cut, pretending to have contacts, and a new position of being Gamma. I didn't have a boyfriend, nor was I dating anyone. I just couldn't bring myself to do cheat on Tommy as he did to me.

I didn't know if I would ever go back to that pack, but when Uncle Ryker had called and asked for assistance from this pack, I jumped on the opportunity of going. I mean, I was one hell of a fighter, defeating my grandmother in the first month of us training together. I learned that the White Wolf was more of a teacher than anything else, and they guarded those that needed to be guarded. In other words, I was the Guardian of the Wolf, just like Star Lord and his group were Guardians of the Galaxy. Umm.. spoiler alert?

"I can't believe that you really want to do this, Sam," one of my "new" best friends said, jumping up onto my bed, knocking our young Alpha onto the floor. She smiled cheekily at Jack before looking back at me. "I mean, he was a douche to you."

I sighed and scooted over some and away from Celeste, the only best girl friend that I had. "Ya, well, I am going. I need to. It's my job." I fiddled with the necklace that my grandmother had given me that had been passed down through the white wolves. "'Sides, I miss my aunt and uncle."

"If you had missed them, then you would've left after a year," Jack grumbled, teasingly. He shoved me closer to Celeste and laid down on my other side. His gray eyes sparked with humor and adoration. It was no secret that he thought of me as a sister and treated me like one.

"Shut up, Jack," one of my other friends and Beta of the pack, Kirk, said. He laid on my feet, next to his twin brother, Barker. "You are the one that was trying to beg her to stay with subtle gestures and words."

I snickered while Jack just huffed and rolled his eyes. "He's right," I teased. "You've had your fair share trying to get me to stay after training. I just agreed because he has been..." I winced when I felt the familiar pains of him having sex with someone.

Jack huffed and grabbed my hand. He squeezed it, giving me some comfort as my mate had sex. "Have you decided what you wanted to do with him?" he asked, utter disgust in his voice.

I shrugged. "I don't know... I just..." I took a deep breath and let it out in a mournful sigh. "I just keep on thinking that we have a chance. When he sees me tomorrow..." I shook my head and chuckled darkly. I was a huge romantic when it came to him. I thought that if he saw my face, then he would fall quickly in love with me and take me as his mate.

"That happens in fairy tales," Celeste said, knowing where my thoughts had turned. She grabbed my other hand and sighed. "I really think that you should reject him. I mean, he doesn't deserve someone as good as you."

"Here, here," the gang chorused throwing up their hands.

I shrugged and sighed. "I know, I know. Now, why don't we plan something? It is our last free night, and I do not want to be stuck in."

"Well, we are definitely not going to a bar. Someone can't handle their liquor."

"Hey, that was my first time drinking," I said. "And, someone did spike that drink."

"Who knew you could dance, Sam," Garrett teased. He laid on the couch thing that I had in my room, which served as a storage place as well. He lifted his head and looked at me, smirking. His blue eyes had a spark of wild in them with his blonde hair waving in that bad boy look.

"Well, it was your fault. You took me to a fucking party." I glared at him and gave him a mock pout, causing him to roll his eyes.

"Hakuna Matata," he said, laying down again. "But, I think we should go out. Pool anyone?"

"Ya. Same teams, and the team that won gets to choose the music on the whole ride."

"Deal," we chorused.

"We are so totally going to win," I said, laughing before wincing at another powerful flare up. I had mainly been able to deal with the pain by now, but sometimes it did flare up worse than before. I high fived Celeste and grinned pushing my thoughts of the pain. I was ready to make the other team suffer.

"You are not going to win," Garrett said, snickering.

***

"FREEDOM!" Garrett gasped out as he laid on the ground twelve hours later. "No more Disney songs." He sighed in relief. "I can't believe that you all won again."

"Be like Elsa, and let it go," I replied. I got out of the van and looked around to see that nothing has changed. My stomach was in tight knots because my Wolf was going a bit crazy, happy to see her mate again. As she had told me Kyran, Tommy's Wolf, loved us and didn't want us to get hurt. However, he wasn't able to do anything because Tommy made sure that he was locked in.

Also, Cyra and I had agreed that she would stay back until I needed her. Only then will I use my powers or shift into my wolf form. Yes, I have powers. I control air and water, and boy, I loved using it on my unsuspecting friends. Jack, however, knew about it and would cuss me out when I did them to him.

"Ya, you were the one that was singing loud with A Girl Worth Fighting For," Celeste teased. She hopped onto him, causing him to groan out in pain.

"And, the one that chose Hakuna Matata," Jack said. "Now, get off the ground. People are staring."

I looked forward and gulped when I saw the faces of my tormentors. My whole body tensed a bit, causing Jack to grab my hand and pull me towards the front. My eyes wandered through the group and landed on the female that I had counted on as my mother.

Her green eyes lightened up when they caught sight of me. "SAM!" she squealed happily, causing her mate to look in my direction after talking to someone. She rushed forward and pushed some of her members out of her way.

I squeezed Jack's hand reassuringly before moving forward. Tears glistened in my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. I was done being the weak girl that they knew. I hugged the older female and buried my face into her chest, familiar with her calming scent. "Hi, Aunt Cala," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I've missed you."

She squeezed me, happy that I called her Aunt Cala. "I've missed you too," she said. She moved a bit when her mate came, letting me hug both of them. "And, Ryker misses you too."

"More than you, Cala," he replied, causing me to chuckle and roll my eyes.

Garrett cleared his throat, causing all three of us to pull away from each other and glare at him. "Touching," he said. "Really touching, but I think that we might want to get everything unloaded and stuff."

"Flip you," I said, spying some young children in the mix. "Nobody asked for your opinion."

"Ya, Garrett," Celeste scolded, glaring at him. "And she hadn't seen the people that she counts as family in two years. And, you ruin it by being an asshole?"

"Celeste, language," I scolded, causing her to stick her tongue at me. I stuck my tongue back at her, not caring that I looked childish.

Aunt Cala chuckled. "Now, who do we have? And who are the high ups?" she asked, keeping her arms around me. She looked at my friends, amusement and gratefulness in her eyes. She knew how hard it was for me to make friends, so me coming with six of them made her happy.

"My name is Jack, I am the new Alpha," Jack said, even though I was sure they knew that. "My father sends his apologies of not coming, but he had to take care of some issues with the pack." His face darkened while some of us stiffened. "I am, also a friend of Sam's."

I nodded to Uncle Ry's silent question, letting him know that he knew about my secret.

Kirk stood forward as well. "I am Kirk, and I am the Beta," he said. He gestured towards me. "Sam is our Gamma."

"Funny, I thought you said she was your Gamma. How is it that the top figure is not someone that can shift?"

I growled silently when I heard the cursed voice of Amanda. I hated her, and I hated her even worse because she reeked of Thomas. "Well, I can drop kick anyone's butt," I said. I turned to the front to see that the pack was staring at me in shock. My eyes flickered over them until they landed on the eyes that made me feel hot all over and the lips that I wanted to kiss. "Alpha Thomas," I said, my voice void of emotion. I nodded my head in greeting.

"Sam?" he asked. He glanced me up and down. "You have changed. A lot."

"Ya, I have a couple of tattoos and a belly button piercing as well," I replied, sarcastically. I yelped when Aunt Cala smacked the back of my head and looked at her glaring face. "What?" I asked. I shifted in my spot when I caught her look, and I knew that she wasn't mad about my hair being in a chopped pixie cut fashion.

"You have tattoos and a belly button piercing?" she all but squealed. "What the hell for?"

"The belly button piercing and first tattoo was on accident," I said, shrinking back from her hard glare. "I was... drunk."

"And, this was after her dancing on a table," Garrett added, earning a glare from both of us. "Damn, what is it with woman and glaring? I could be dead many times over, you know."

"Language," Aunt Cala and I said together.

"Whatever," Garrett said, ducking his head. It was funny to see him so nervous around two females on the same wavelength.

"Awww, cheer up Garrett," I teased. "Why should you worry, and why should you care?"

"Don't start," he warned. "Twelve hours of only flipping musicals and Disney songs are enough for one day."

"Hakuna Matata."