Chapter Two | Reunion

I can't breathe but maybe it's actually better that I die this way now that I think about it. No more having to worry about what'll happen when I eventually run into Xander or what I'll end up doing to him when we do. Jackson growled at that. Again, I ignored him. We all knew that it was for the better.

Besides, Xander wouldn't mind it. His conquests wouldn't have to end and we'd be able to go on with our lives without the explosion that would ensue if, by a one percent chance, we did try to make the mate thing work out. Not everyone who has a mate has to stick with their mate.

"Mom." I tried to suck in air to fill my constricting lungs. "I can't breathe."

"I missed my baby so much." She weeps into my chest as she was shorter, a few inches shorter than even Kaylee now.

As much as she was suffocating me and as much as I was slowly losing blood flow to my head and would surely, eventually, pass out if this continued, I welcomed her embrace. There was always too much going on within the pack so it was nearly impossible for my parents to really fly out to visit me, especially due to their status here at the pack.

The pack needed them here and I understood that but that didn't mean that seeing my mothers face, holding her, and smelling her didn't evoke a wave of comfort that I didn't think that I'd miss as much as I have. The surge of feelings that I hadn't anticipated came pouring out as I kept my arms wrapped around her small frame tightly.

A larger build casts a shadow over us as I feel my fathers presence behind me and vaguely witness him wrap his arms around myself and mom.

"You're taking forever Ms. Baby-Got-Back so I'm just going to get in on this action too before he gets fed up." My dad, who has not aged even a bit and remains the big muscular man that he is, mutters.

I laugh but refuse to express just how much I was actually enjoying this. My dad was, to put it simply, a clown. He never failed to flirt with mom in his own interesting way despite the fact that they've been together for over twenty years now or joke around and act like he was still in his twenties but truthfully he was in his fourties' and was incapable of excepting the fact that he was old now but Moon Goddess forbid I call him the 'O' word.

Truth be told, all of the parents of the people that I was close to acted like they were still youthful but it wasn't even embarrassing anymore because I was both used to it and they didn't look their age anyway. Aging was a concept lost on wolves.

I really did miss being home I mused as I pressed a kiss on my mothers forehead and chuckled as she cried  even harder.

"Let's not forget that your sons a bitch." Kaylee chimes in like the hater that she is.

"A bitch that we missed." Dad ruffles my hair until it's in an unruly condition.

That's when I decided that I've officially had enough and release my mom as I begin to swat his hands away, rolling my eyes at the way he guffaws and heads to the large kitchen to probably stuff his face with baked goods that were meant for everyone but he would inhale everything and then face the women of this pack houses wrath after the fact. A repeated cycle that I was very used to but being able to experience it again after three years was comforting, it made me feel like I had never left at all.

"But a bitch nonetheless!" Kaylee yells back at dad who was no longer paying her any mind. She catches my eye and I give her a smirk. She scowls and sticks her tongue out at me.

Ah, yes, nothing has changed one bit.

"How is it that you're back and you two are already at it?" Mom pulls away from me, wiping at her red and puffy eyes as she looks between Kaylee and I.

"Not my fault." Kaylee shrugs from her spot on the couch in the massive living room that has been considerably renovated. "I just think it's sad that he ran away from his poor mate like that."

Mom walks into the living room as well and picks up a piece of tissue paper from a gold rectangular box to blow her nose. It was funny to me how they kept something so regular inside something so flashy. It didn't take a genius to figure out that when it came to the interior renovations and new decor my mother, May, Hazel, and Kaylee had everything to do with it. May is an energetic woman who is a bundle of joy but is also...a lot to deal with but with her son being Xavier Shiftman, who is also a lot to deal with, it made sense. Meanwhile, Hazel is the daughter of Declan and Kai Stone, Declan being the Beta of the Blue Moon pack — at least for now.

"I also can't say that I agree with his decision, but we have no choice but to accept it." Mom sides with Kaylee.

Surprise surprise.

I don't even remember telling anyone besides Kaylee the reason why I had left, but it wouldn't be the most shocking fact of 2041 if Kaylee told mom and dad that I fled because I found out that my best friend is my mate.

I leave my luggage by the forye and enter the kitchen. Like I anticipated, dad has just finished eating the last cinnamon roll in an eight by nine inch pan and evidence of his crime is littered across his lips. He looks at me and we share a mutual understanding of keeping out lips closed but it's not like it mattered since mom would know and still whoop his ass for it.

However, this shared look was just for the sake of having this dad and son moment between us so I wasn't complaining. Mom and Kaylee stroll into the kitchen shortly after I had arrived. I couldn't help the chuckle that escape my lips as dad tried to lick his lips quickly to get rid of the evidence of his latest conquest but he still had sticky fingers from the icing and the breath of a cinnamon roll thief so it didn't matter.

Moms expression fell as she glared at dad and I watched with amusement as her jaw ticked. Kaylee and I looked at each other and an infectious smile spread across our lips almost immediately. Not more than one minute later, dad was running and mom was chasing. Mom was a strong ass woman despite her being a whole foot shorter than dad so this cat and mouse game never failed to be amusing.

It really beat watching Stranger Things amongst others who felt like narrating each scene that occurred or interrupting the interesting parts to discuss conspiracy theories. I shudder as I reminisced how some of my weekends were spent at university where there was an overwhelming amount of annoying humans.

"You're going to sleep outside!" I hear mom scream as she disappears from my field of vision.

Their loud footsteps are the only remaining thing that was left of the rambunctious two that I call my parents. I wasn't able to hear what my dads response was but it didn't matter for two reasons. My dad was a simp when it came to my mother and my moms word is final.

"You'd think that he'd learn his lesson by now." I heard her before I actually saw the thin, caramel skinned female with her overly curly brown hair tied up into a messy ponytail atop her hair and greens eyes that sparkled with humor to whomever she was talking to.

When she noticed my presence as she finally came into view with two guys that I was all too familiar with in tow, her eyes widened as her mouth fell open in shock. Given the fact that no one else knew that I was coming, this is the very reaction that I was expecting. The two boys behind her wore similar shock on their faces. It was so comical that I couldn't help but laugh at their faces.

The short girl sprinted across the massive kitchen in no time until she was inches away from me; close enough to launch her small frame at me and engulf me in a tight hug.

"Hazel, you're crushing me. I think I feel my bones being broken and snapped in half." I jest, knowing that I'm exaggerating and Hazel is fully aware of it as well as she doesn't release me, but rather hugs me firmly.

"If that's the case then good." Kaylee mutters to herself as she walks to the fridge and takes out a bottle of water to wash away the 'I'm a hater,' taste off her tongue.

"It's been forever!" Hazel exclaims as she keeps her arms wrapped around me.

As I pat Hazel's back awkwardly as I was not the biggest fan of hugs — my parents had also managed to exhaust me from their vice like embrace — I catch the eye of the tall brunette male in the room who's blue eyes showed his jealousy towards having his mate all over another man. I nearly snorted.

"Hunter, get your mate before she breaks me." I cry out mockingly.

He rolls his eyes but still obliges gratefully as he walks towards us and gripping her waist, gently pulls his mate off of me and holds her close to him protectively. He buries his nose into her hair and lifts his right hand up to reach towards me. With a smile on my face, I meet him half way with my left hand as I slap my own hand with his and end it with a fist pump.

"This is one hell of a surprise. You didn't even let anyone know that you were coming back." Hunter says, rocking back and forth gingerly with Hazel in his arms who was looking at me like she couldn't believe that I was actually right before her eyes.

Her look made me feel like I was an animal in a zoo exhibit. Cross that, Eastons look made me feel like that. He was by Kaylee who was speaking to him but he'd keep glancing at me like he wanted to say something but he was too chicken to actually come right out and say anything.

Good old Easton.

The boy was too shy to approach anyone with the exception of his three siblings — Hazel, Archer, and Aiden — who were apart of his quad; they were quadruplets. In addition, he was also pretty close with Eros and Niklaus. I rarely spoke to him with the exception of the handful of times that he'd come over to our section of the pack house to spend time with Kaylee followed by Eros who was Xanders brother. Its nice to know that things really have not changed one bit.

"Welcome home." Easton said quickly to me as he finally managed to make direct eye contact with me.

Kaylee glanced over her shoulder to look at me before she dramatically gagged and turned back around to look at Easton who found interest in the marble floors again.

"Don't welcome him back, Easton." She playfully scolded him.

I quirked the corners of my lips. "Thanks, Easton."

He nodded and that was the last of our encounter as Kaylee took his wrist and brought him to a different area within the kitchen that had a bench and a breakfast bar. She pulled on one of the many available cereal dispenser levers that distributed Frosted Flakes and began to munch on the snack despite the fact that it was nearly time for dinner. The girl could eat cereal at any time of the day, dry or wet.

I return my attention back to Hunter and Hazel to continue conversing with the two but that was a fruitless endeavor as Hunter was now cuddled even closer to Hazel — as if that was even possible — and flirting with her as he whispered the most gag worthy shit into her ear. My wolf hearing worked to my disadvantage this time as I was inadvertently intruding in their private love sesh.

I didn't want to hear how worked up he was nor did I want to fucking hear how crazy he was for her and I certainly did not need to smell the lust that was rolling off of them in waves.

They were a cute pair with Hunter being much taller than Hazel, his 'I could play football and annihilate my every opponent' build, blue eyes that never failed to captivate the adorable girl, and charming smile with the smallest dimple perched inconspicuously by the right side of his mouth that got onlookers to do a double take at.

Meanwhile, Hazel was truly a thing of beauty which wasn't surprising as both of her fathers were pretty attractive people. Her silky appearing brunette curls were in a ponytail and although it was a messy one, it suited her. Alongside her hair came her Victoria Secret thin frame, her delicate facial features that were comprised of thin soft pink lips, bright green eyes, a button nose, and a jawline that accentuated her a diamond shaped face.

All in all, they were fucking beautiful. Congratulations Moon Goddess, you've created couple of the year.

I snickered to myself.

Even before I had left three years ago, when the two discovered that they were mates they were attached at the hip. You'd think that being with each other twenty four-seven for nearly four years now would created a crack within their relationship eventually but they were still going on so strong. The power of mates...

'You wouldn't know anything about that.' Jackson grumbles.

'I don't want to know anything about that.' I retorted.

'Liar.' Jackson coughed to hide the snide comment.

For the third time, I block him out. What the hell was the point of being able to block him out when he was still able to spew bullshit when my guard was down or distracted and the block came down almost immediately because of that? Moon Goddess constructed us in such a fucked way. Even with the whole mate thing. If I could say two things to her, I'd say with all my chest and with every ounce of anger in me: Fuck You.

If she hadn't paired me with Xander, things wouldn't have ended up like this. I would've never left, I would've been able to spend three years here with everyone, Xander would remain my best friends and things between us would have never gotten to the way it is now, and I wouldn't have to worry about the shit that I have to worry about and inevitably deal with.

In Xanders mind, I can imagine that he still thinks of me as his best friend even though I began to distance myself away from him as soon as I discovered that we were mates. I knew that shit probably fucked with his head, he was living in ignorance not knowing why his best friend was suddenly acting weird and refusing to even remain in the same room as him.

Soon, I'd have to face it and I didn't want to but maybe it wouldn't go as bad as I think it will and Xander will understand where I'm coming from and will allow me to reject him. Just another thing on the list of what I think is fucked about this whole mate shit; rejection has to be consensual and both parties have to equally agree to the rejection to sever the mate bond.

Even when the mate bond is severed, that lingering pain remains there as a reminder that you are tied to someone else and your soul belongs to them. It just feels sadistic to me. Maybe Xander will see it how I see it too and I'm just being worried for nothing. He'd be able to continue living his life...sleeping with whoever.

I swallowed. Fuck. I don't care.

I shake my head and absentmindedly reach for a tangerine that was in the cream colored ceramic bowl that was in the center of the large rectangular black and white swirled marble island. I mentally create a wall to block any feelings I have towards the prospect of Xander doing shit with other people. It was evident from the way my hand clamped down firmly and violently on the orange fruit as it's juices overflowed, and it's original shape crumbled weakly with the smell of citrus lingering in the air, that my wall was not as impenetrable as I thought it was.

I need to fix that.

My thoughts are interrupted as the familiar faces of people that I was relatively close to appear. Eros, Caspian, Nicklaus, and Archer all appear and the shock ensues once again.

It was another reunion yet again.