It only takes one second for things to change drastically. Moving a plate, dropping a shoe, leaving a jacket set somewhere. Anything can cause a change in the universe, good or bad. Just like they say a butterfly flapping its wings can cause mass destruction somewhere in the world. Or something similar to that formality.

But that doesn't change the fact that life is fickle. So is destiny and so is fate. They're the same thing.

Was it in my destiny to be mistreated by my mother and father, the two people who were meant to love me the most? What or who causes this divine intervention that sets up the direction of our lives?

Timothy and Ameri were the biggest obstacles in my life that I faced. The two of them were forces of evil I had never encountered before. Yes, I had to deal with my neglectful parents following my twelfth birthday when I didn't shift, then failed to ever get my wolf. And yes, my pack began to treat me the same. I was an outcast and there was nothing I could do about it.

I still wonder why these things have happened to me. Though I have to remind myself that people have gone through worse things.

But even now, I want to curse whoever is playing these games with me; with my life. Despite us defeating the villains of our lives, I don't feel as if things are better. There's always a constant feeling of dread, like something is still going to happen.

There's an ominous tone in the air that only I seem to notice. Everyone else around me is happy and they're getting along quite well.

All I can do is let this feeling swell inside of me. Since our battle, it's been eating away at me because that's all it was; a battle. It wasn't the war. But I won't bother anyone with this. Not when things have been so good. Not when things have been so calm.

The sigh that leaves me is haggard and full of repressed emotions. It's been a year of hiding everything and only recently has it been taking a toll. Banging and laughing fills my ears. Pattering feet outside the room disturbs the sleep I can't find and the house shakes ever so slightly from their stomping.

I smile slightly, enjoying the sound of happy, carefree children. They're experiencing life because of what we've done. If Timothy had been the one to succeed, I just know that things would be so much different. And if Ameri had survived the blast that came from my hand, I think I'd be dead now.

Forcing myself up, I stretch and yawn. My phone lights up with a game notification and the time reads nine in the morning. It's too early for running kids and work, yet it's not at the same time.

Coldness has seeped into the sheets on either side of me. My two mates seem to have left hours ago. Unlike me, the two of them have flowed well into this life. Leadership has become them while I've begun falling into a pit of paranoia and possible depression.

When my feet land on the hardwood floor, a bout of dizziness overtakes me. Shaking the daze off, I pull on sweats that are sitting on the floor. Though I still feel groggy, I march my way to the bathroom to fix my hair and get rid of the morning breath.

As I'm practicing hygiene, the door to our room opens. Looking behind me, I connect eyes with the vampire I call my mate. Her black hair rests over her shoulders in straight strands. Her long legs work as she makes her way over to me, a smile on her face.

"I was just coming to check on you," she says as she wraps her arms around me. Naturally, Alexei towers over me, but I've always liked that about her. "How'd you sleep? You tossed and turned a bit last night."

I have to stop my body from tensing or else Alexei will pick up on it quickly. "I was a bit restless I think. Probably bad dreams, but I can't remember them." The lie rolls off smoothly, causing a knot of guilt to form in the back of my throat.

"Hmm," she mumbles, bending her head to press a kiss to my ear. "We'll start making you tea before bed to help soothe you."

I want to shrug my shoulders, already knowing it won't help anything. The nightmares have been recurring for months now. They started soon after we began working on the pack. Closing my eyes has become a hassle in itself now. I sleep, but not really. Not when all I ever see is death and destruction.

"You guys don't have to go through the trouble." I smile and turn to face her. "I think I'm just stressed out."

"Over what?"

The question stills me. It's a half truth, though my stress comes from my own personal issues. I can't very much say pack work because Alexei has been taking care of everything alongside Rory. I've really done nothing to help and it kind of stings.

Shaking my head, I force my smile to widen. "Nothing, honestly. Maybe I'm just feeling a bit hypoactive. I think it's about time I actually start contributing to the pack."

Alexei's smile falls as she stares at me in concern. She tilts her head to the side, regarding me with a strange look in her eyes. The greens of them glow in apprehension and that's exactly what I didn't want.

If her and Rory's focus is on me, then it'll be hard to hide how I'm feeling.

"I'm not sure you're ready," she says slowly, cautiously. It feels like I'm a child who she's afraid to set off.

I tense and furrow my eyebrows. "What do you mean? You and Rory have been handling everything and I've literally been lounging around. I can't let you guys do all of this work. My pack, my responsibility."

"Yes," Alexei starts, pulling away and crossing her arms. "But we bear it so you don't have to. That's how a team works and we know that you've been dealing with some internal things. Things you aren't ready to share. That's fine."

Once again, I've underestimated the effects of the mate bond. No matter how hard I try to hide it, they'll always be able to detect my feelings. Just like I can detect theirs.

Letting my shoulders drop, I sigh. There was always a possibility they would see through my facade, but I had hoped to have a little more time. I wanted to work through this all a bit more before actually telling them anything, but the ideal solution would have been to hide it away forever.

"It's not that I don't want to share-"

Her laugh cuts me off. If I didn't know Alexei, I'd think she was mocking me. "You don't have to explain yourself, Sophia-Grace. Just because we're in a relationship, it doesn't mean you have to tell us everything. But... just let me know now if this is something that will hurt you or anyone else in the future."

I don't know the answer to that. Silence is all I can give. My dreams come in pieces and they're hard to put together or perceive. But this feeling I've been having is making me think the whole world is doomed. If what I've been seeing is some type of premonition, then my demise is for sure.

Shrugging again, I bring a hand up to rub my face. Turning towards the mirror, I take in my sickly complexion and the deep, purple that accompany my eyes. I look haggard, as if I've just been through the ringer. Do I really have the right to look and feel this way when nothing has happened yet?

"I think-"

"Luna?" Someone knocks on the bedroom door, effectively cutting me off.

My shoulders drop in relief. I don't know when I became so tense, but my heart beats rapidly with the anxiety I'm feeling. Meanwhile, Alexei still has her gaze laced firmly on me. When our eyes meet, she nods her head. As another knock sounds, she places her hand on the back of my head. With a kiss to my forehead, she caresses my shoulder as she moves away.

"Ah, Luna Alexei. We brought breakfast for Luna and were hoping she'd join us for..."

As they drone on, everything around me feels like it's fading. My body stills as something washes over me. All of a sudden, I feel like slime is coating my entire figure. When I bring my hands up to look at them, I see red. At the sight, my breathing picks up and I fight the urge to scream aloud. I know this is some type of hallucination, a delusion because of the nightmares I've been having.

Clenching my eyes closed, I pray for this to end quickly. I wish to hear the sound of my mate speaking to our pack members happily.

"Sophia-Grace?"

A hand on my shoulder pulls me back to the present and I want to thank whoever it is until I meet Alexei's gaze in the mirror. She looks on in worry and confusion. It only takes a moment for me to realize I'm breathing heavily, trembling, and have squeezed my hands into fists. The action was done so tightly that I now have crescent shaped cuts that are bleeding.

***

"I'm fine." I smile while massaging Rory's head which lays in my lap.

The night air is slightly brisk, but with a blanket around me and with two forms of warmth around, I hardly feel the cold. It's not just the two of them helping keep my temperature up, but also the cheerful atmosphere around us.

Before us sits most, if not all, pack members as we all tune in for a movie. A huge screen sits many feet away while a projector gets set up in the opposite direction. When we were first getting the pack back in order, Rory came up with the idea to have a night where the pack is able to connect. There were so many of us who distanced ourselves because of stupid ideals and discrimination for things uncontrollable. So, he decided we needed to have 'pack nights' where we'd all come together and connect; spend a night without any hassle.

It's a good way to end the night.

"I'm sure in retrospect you are, but your blood was still shed," Rory says as he grabs my free hand and lays a kiss on my palm. "I wish I could take your pain away."

His words are heavier than they seem. I'm sure Alexei has already told him what happened in the bathroom and my freak episode. The two of them are like bros and I often wonder if a special bond is forming between them.

"It only stung when Alexei poured alcohol on it," I tell him, laughing lightly. The sound is obviously fake, even to my ears.

"Mmm, we fight infections, not welcome them," Alexei whispers as the movie starts.

All the chatter across the field begins to cease as everyone turns their attention to the screen. The opening credits for Lady and the Tramp begin, prompting squeals from the children. I can just make out their parents hushing them and the occasional 'mommy, look!' A smile lights on my face. These are the moments I live for, the moments I never want to give up.

Rory turns to face the movie and I lay my head on Alexei's shoulder while she wraps her arm around me.

Everything can wait until tomorrow.