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Chapter Quote:
"Easy things are worthless... It's the hard things that matter. Those are the things worth leaping for...If we don't fight other people's curses, what are we left with? Just a swift fall to the earth, and where's the meaning in that?"
~Invisibility, Andrea Cremer
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Chapter 62

Hunter

The night after the funeral turned out better than I thought. Caleb had invited me to go snack shopping with him and I think that was the first time the two of us had done something together without arguing. We even laughed a bit but the event of the day didn't let much of that happen. But still, it was nice being with him. I think now that we were both alphas and that we weren't competing with each other for the same spot, we had a different respect for each other.

The kids of the pack gathered in our basement, similar to how we'd done the night before the battle. Diana and Thea even showed up. For a bit, the conversation was small and quiet, but when Riley flicked a marshmallow at Spencer who proceeded to chuck a handful back, one of which landed in Riley's open mouth. My pack mate proceeded to celebrate with more exuberance than the situation called for but it was funny nonetheless, especially when he started running around until Spencer grabbed a pillow and slammed it into Riley's stomach, stopping him dead in his tracks. The two started wrestling on the ground with Spencer easily getting the upper hand. Elsa and Thea watched on, the latter even breaking into a small smile. With a mischievous smirk, Dmitri took a pillow and whacked Spencer with it, trying to help out Riley. It was enough to distract Spencer to give Riley a chance to get out of his grasp while Dmitri continued to pummel Spencer with the pillow. That is until Dom nearly knocked him over with his own pillow. Now it was Riley and Dmitri versus Dom and Spencer. It was actually kind of funny because Dom and Spencer were both larger in all ways compared to my pack mates and even though the former wasn't one of us, he was still nearly equal to us in strength. I had a feeling who was going to win this fight, and I was right. Dom and Spencer easily pinned down my pack mates until they called 'uncle'. Elsa and Anna were beaming from ear to ear.

It was nice to see my sisters so happy with their boyfriends. To be honest, I never thought anyone would deserve the love of my sisters, but despite the rocky start, I was glad that they'd chosen Spencer and Dom. They were good guys with good hearts.

The next morning, we were all still in the basement on our makeshift bed of blankets and pillows. The twins had taken over the couch, their hands hanging down to hold onto their respective significant other's hand. Josie was curled up next to me with my arm around her. I glanced around to see my pack, and although I was sad that Barry was missing, I was also proud so many of us had survived. I was expecting to not have this many of my family still here with me. But I noticed Caleb was gone. Lily was next to Spencer, fast asleep. I carefully maneuvered myself out of my entanglement with Josilyn. She stirred but I told her I would be right back and she went back to sleep.

I found Caleb in the living room, staring at the small family portrait of us before Anna was taken, before we'd started arguing every day, before he'd run off, before this war... a floorboard creaked under my feet and he looked up to see who it was.

"Hey," he greeted quietly. "What are you doing up?"

I shrugged. "Just woke up for some reason. How long have you been up? It's five-thirty in the morning."

"I couldn't sleep well last night. A lot is on my mind at the moment."

"Talk to me," I said, plopping down into the armchair next to the couch he was on.

Caleb was silent for a moment, debating whether or not to say anything or to say it was nothing, but some newfound trust made him say, "I miss home. I want to come back but it would complicate so many things... and especially after everything that's happened recently, I don't... I don't want to add any more stress onto any of you."

"I think you leaving would be more stressful than anything. We've all gotten so used to being around you again, especially Elsa and Anna, that it's going to be weird not having you, Spencer, and Lily around. Besides, I've gotten used to having my brother around again. I like it."

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," Caleb laughed.

"Me neither," I snorted. "But in all honesty, if you want to come back, we should talk to mom and dad because I know you won't submit to me being alpha, nor would Lily and Spencer, and I won't submit either."

"We can talk about it to mom and dad later. For now, I say we forget any problems we have and watch TV. What do you say?"

"Want to watch some TV like we did when we were kids?"

"Nothing beats Looney Tunes in the morning."

"I mean I was thinking the news..." I stared at Caleb, trying to figure out if he was being serious when he broke into a goofy grin. "I'm kidding. Of course I mean Looney Tunes."

"Oh thank god. I thought your injury killed the fun in you too," I remarked. Caleb laughed as he turned on the TV.
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Dom

Spencer, Elsa, Anna, and I were the last ones to wake up of the pack. Probably because we'd stayed up longer than any of them. We slept in until around eleven when the twins let simultaneous howls out in their sleep. Spencer and I scrambled awake in a panic to see our girlfriends writhing around on the couch.

"Elsa!" Spencer exclaimed, grabbing onto one of her hands. Her eyes flew open just as Anna shot into sitting position. Both were gasping for air. I cupped Anna's face and asked, "Hey, whatever it was, it was just a dream."

She gripped my hand in hers, not looking me in the eye, when she responded, "You died. You all died."

"Brutally," Elsa added. She was grasping her boyfriend's hand so tightly that her knuckles were white. Spencer kissed her hand and I visibly saw the tension leave her body.

"Sorry for waking you up," Anna apologized.

"Don't be sorry. You couldn't help it," I told her gently.

"I know but-"

"-it was a really rude wake up," Elsa finished.

"I've had worse," Spencer said.

"Everything okay down here?" Ren Laroche queried, suddenly appearing on the stairwell.

"Yeah, bad dream," Elsa responded.

"Okay... lunch is ready. The pack is eating outside. Hunter, Caleb, Lily, Josilyn and I are having a meeting but we'll be out to join shortly." Ren disappeared up the stairs.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Spencer mused.

"Maybe what Caleb is going to do now that the war is over. Maybe they'll convince him to stay," Elsa said hopefully.

"We'll find out. I say we go grab food. I'm starving," I announced.

"Agreed," Anna said. The four of us got up and made our way upstairs. Sure enough the entirety of the Laroche pack was outside either on picnic blankets or towels eating their lunch. Anna grabbed a blanket she'd bought in Mexico that was large enough for all of us to sit down. The girls carried our drinks while Spencer and I carried the plates of food. We plopped down, enjoying a normal, sunny day.

It was only when the alphas came out that the day went south. Caleb called for Spencer to come over. He and Lily whispered to him some things that even Anna and Elsa couldn't hear they were speaking so low. But by the sagging of Spencer's shoulders, I knew whatever the news was couldn't be good.

Sure enough, when he came over, he sat down and dejectedly told us, "Caleb and Lily are heading back to Canada for a week. They need to handle some things and then when they come back, we're heading home..."

Elsa leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, her face flushing a deep red even underneath her makeup.

"I really thought Caleb was going to stay," Anna stated, seeming rather shocked herself. "Elsa, you need to go with him. I'll go with you."

"But what about our family? You just got back with them. I don't want to take them away from you again," Elsa argued.

"As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine. You're the only thing I remembered from my past and I can't lose you again. You go with Spencer, I go with you."

"And Dom goes wherever you do," Elsa finished, the corner of her lip turning up into a small smirk.

"I mean true, but we need to ask Caleb and Lily if that's okay," I said.

"I'm sure it is. Why wouldn't it be?" Anna asked.

I shrugged. "I'm not a Guardian. I know I've been through a lot with y'all but still."

"I'll argue with him until he lets you."

"We can be very persuasive," Elsa added.

"So I know," Caleb said, walking up to us. "Dom, you're welcome to come live with us. I wouldn't ask Anna to leave you behind, not after everything you two have been through together. I do, however, need to talk to you about something in private. You mind coming with me?"

"Not at all. I'll be back," I said, getting up. When we were out of earshot, I asked, "What's up?"

"My mom informed me of what she offered you and what you said. Do you still want to go through with it? Because you don't have to be like one of us to be with us. You've proven that."

"It'd be easier though. I'm not just wanting to be like you to have your abilities. I think in the long run it'd be the best too."

"Then we have work to do. Follow me."
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