Ji Ah Park= Jia

Hala Balewa

Gavin Hurley

Adio Balewa

Amaruq

Kiara Balewa

Mun Hee Park

"Yeogi nae dalkomhan dalkomhan geos-ibnida!"
"Here is something sweet, for my sweet!"

Jia smiled softly at her father who was blasting Elvis Presley and cooking his heart out with her mother. The two had been at it all day, cooking, singing, being in love.

Although her mother loved her appa, she was never usually this open with it. Her eomma was excited though. It took a lot for her mother to be excited...and the guest today that they were having over for dinner had her practically shifting with enjoyment. Lucine was coming...the pack Oracle and not accompanied by her best friend.

Jia hadn't even seen Hala since that terrible day of meeting her late mate's brother...Beta Pierson. Soon after Lucine told the man of his brother's passing the oracle and he spent the day cooped up in her home. Then he abruptly left.

He wasn't present for the mourning week...and neither was Jia, due to her heat. She was secretly glad that her mother had holed her up in the house for her week of heat. She wanted to grieve and long for her late mate in peace. And she did both...a lot.

After all the terrible cramps and pains that wracked body from it craving to take a male's seed and become with child...Jia would never, ever go through another heat cycle without medicine. Her mother was the type of woman who hated any type of relief except for what came natural, and since she couldn't take a male to bed, Jia was forced to let nature take its course. Which was the most intense pain she could have ever felt in her entire life. Longing for someone's body that was dead. It made her sick...and often times throughout her heat cycle week she had woken up in a puddle of sweat and aroused.

Jia was so desperate to stop the pain...she actually used her hands to relieve her self. It didn't help much...but it eased her pains a little. She imagined it was him...touching her then she would cry herself to sleep.

Yesterday was the last day of her cycle and she thanked the goddess that it was over. She had lost an ample amount of weight, was exhausted from staying up all night withering in pain...and her heart felt hollow with grief still.

"You know Jia, you should put on some make up, make yourself presentable," her mother suggested as she held up a steaming wooden spoon to her father's lips. She watched as he sipped it, before making a sour face. "Stop it, Jeong! Tell me how it tastes, it is not everyday that Lucine wants to have dinner with us!"

Her appa chuckled, as he continued to focus on his own dish. "Calm my blossom. Everything will be fine, your cooking always leaves me speechless," he said while winking at Jia with a laugh.

She couldn't help the weak laugher that left her throat. "You are supposed to be helping me cook. What are you making, anyway? You should be focused on kimchi!"

Her appa gave her eomma an exasperated sigh. "I am making my little blossom some Hotteok. She has had a hard week and deserves it," her appa claimed as she squealed in delight.

Hotteok or as in English it translates to sweet pancake. They were delicious little pancakes filled with syrup and chopped walnuts. Her appa always added cinnamon too to make a delicious pancake. It was the perfect pick me up for an exhausted Jia.

"Of all days to make such a thing. Jia are you wearing those sweat pants? Change into those nice jeans and a top please. Even though it is Lucine you have to look presentable," her mother stated as her appa walked over to her and handed her a steaming plate of Hotteok.

Jia broke open the little pancakes, trying to think of something to say to her mother. "Eomma, Lucine is probably coming to talk about council things. I was wondering if I could sit this dinner out," she slipped that last part in there quickly as her mother stared at her in shock.

"Neoo michyeoss-eo?"
"Are you crazy?"

"Now, now. Blossom, our little blossom is grieving just like all our other pack members still. Let's not forget that," her father pointed out with a gentle smile towards her eomma.

Her mother did not seem to care what her appa had to say. "Jia we are all grieving. Alpha was a great man, and he was supposed to be our son in law. Grief will not change his death!"

Jia focused on the Hotteok and nibbled on the hot to touch little pancakes, blowing on them before she dove into the sweetness that instantly calmed down her upset soul. She wanted to cry but what was the point when her eomma had no sympathy for her?

"Okay, okay now. I know what will make both you two happy." She didn't pay attention to her appa, but she ddI see him heading in the direction of the small CD player she bought a few months ago to play her cds on..

The specific melody a song by her favorite artists began to play. She watched her eomma begin to nod her head back and forth a small smile appearing on her lips. "Those boys are such a perfect example of perfection."

"You call me artist, you call me idol. Anim eotteon daleun (daleun) mwola haedo," she sang the lyrics while eating her Hotteok's a little more happier. Bts never failed to bring sunshine to a cloudy day.

As Jia and her parents listened to their favorite group, well her favorite group, Jia could hear knocking at the door.

Her mother glanced at her, and shook her head. After a few more knocks, Jia sighed and made her way over to the front door.

So many smells were assaulting her nose from the kitchen she couldn't even smell out who it was, but she was hoping it would be Hala.

Swinging open the door, Jia was surprised to see Gavin. He had bags under his eyes, and a stressed smile on his lips. "Oh...hi Gavin," she said awkwardly.

"Hey...I heard that you got through your heat successfully," he commented as she nodded her head in agreement. She noticed that his eyes trailed over her body, focusing on her midriff that was showing due to her short tank top she was wearing. She awkwardly placed her hands over her exposed skin.

He cleared his throat. "Ah sorry I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..."

But he did...and now it was even more awkward. "It's fine...Gavin I don't mean to be rude but why are you here?"

Beta Gavin sighed, wiping a hand over his face. He seemed in distress? "I just wanted to talk to you...if that's okay."

Jia bit the inside of her cheek, before stepping out of her house and onto the porch. She closed the door and pointed towards the outdoor wicker chairs on her porch.

"Ah okay...but I forgive you, Gavin. You don't have to apologize for anything else. You were Alphas best friend and I was his future mate. You...didn't like that we were eventually going to get closer...right?"

She knew it was that. The jealous best friend thing. It made sense now that she thought about it, before she just thought Gavin hated her because she was annoying, but now she saw...after the fact. 

Gavin looked at her in confusion before his facial features leveled out. "Yeah...you're right." She nodded her head. Jia was still going to be Luna over the pack and he would stay Beta. It was better if they let bygons be bygons and become...friends.

"I hope that we can become acquaintances or something," she said to him as he began to rub his temples.

"Yeah, that would be fine."

She gave him a slight smile, happy that they resolved any underlying issues they might have had. "So...Kiara and I sometimes go to human flea markets and well I picked this up. It's just a little figurine."

Kiara. The most psycho wolf she knew, who she also counted as an older sister. She did tell Hala and Jia things they weren't supposed to know all the time. Specifically about men and other subjects...

She watched him pull something out of the plastic bag that he had. It was a little wooden wolf figurine. It was small yet adorable...Jia didn't know why she was being gifted this. "I...why are you giving this to me?"

"Kiara didn't want it and I would put stuff like this on his desk but since he's...gone I guess I just...you're the only other person I could think of." Jia felt better receiving something that Kiara rejected. Sure Gavin and Hala's sister weren't going out but they slept together often and were seen together...a lot.

She smiled smoothing over the wooden wolf. "Thanks Gavin."

"You're welcome. I should get going...I have to clean out his office with a few of the other warriors." The look in his eyes caused a immeasurable amount of pain to resonate within her. Gavin looked so broken. She could only imagine losing a best friend. She wouldn't know what to do if she lost Hala.

He rose to his feet and Jia followed in actions. "Why clean it out now if you aren't ready? We have time, Gavin...don't push yourself to do things you don't want to do."

The look on his face told her that, that wasn't the case. "Things are happening that I'm not ready for Jia...I gotta get going. Don't you have a meeting with Lucine tonight?"

What did he mean by that cryptic sentence? Jia ran a hand through her dark hair. "She's just coming over for dinner to talk to my parents. I'm trying to skip out...I kind of just want to go and look at the stars. Something peaceful," she admitted sheepishly.

Gavin shook his head, then began to rub the back of his neck. "Jia you need to sit in for dinner. Whatever she's coming to talk about involves you directly."

He knew something. "What are you talking about Gavin? Why do I need to attend dinner?"

The look of annoyance was beginning to show on his face. "I can't tell you that. All I can say is that you need to attend."

"Why are you being so cryptic? If something big is going to happen I have the right to know..."

He scoffed. "That's why Lucine is coming to tell you."

Jia gripped the little wooden wolf tight in her hand. "As a friend and not the former beta who hated me can you tell me?"

Gavin laughed. Laughed like he hadn't had a good laugh in a long while. "You are ridiculous you know that? I'm trying to warn you and you're acting like a psycho."

"Psycho? You're giving me cryptic messages and not just telling me the truth!"

Gavin growled at her and she had the urge to throw the little wooden figurine at his head. She didn't though, even though she really wanted to. "Why would we clean something out that no one is using unless..." he trailed off pointing to his temple.

Jia thought about it hard. Then felt the necklace that she was wearing of her one true love burn on her skin. She fingered it lightly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "Gavin no."

"Yeah, Jia. It's happening," he sighed out inching down her deck steps. "I gotta go. I can't say anything more. Keep your mouth shut about this okay?"

Before she even had the chance at rebuttal, he rushed away. More like full fledged ran away from her.

Jia could hear footsteps from behind the door, before it opened. "Come Jia. You will be fine."

She felt like a frog was in her throat. "B-But did you hear what he just said?! Eomma no I can't. I can't do this," she whimpered out, letting the figurine fall to the floor and clutching the wolf's head that was given to her to 'borrow.'She was just meant to hold on to it...but since he was gone it was now hers. Forever.

Attempting at stopping the onslaught of tears, she ground her palms into her eyes. She had to stop. She was trying to conceal the anger and frustration, but it just let out.

"Yes I heard him. Ji Ah get in the house, dry your face and prepare for Lucine to come over. This is the last time I will tell you such a thing kindly."

Jia let loose a sob as her mother pulled her into the house. It was too soon. How could Lucine say such a thing? How could the moon goddess make such a telling?

"What happened?!" Her appa gasped, as she meant all of her weight on her mother. She couldn't understand how this was happening. So soon!

"Jeong, na hante matgyeo!"
Jeong leave this to me!"

Her mother sat them on the steps, and pressed Jia closer to herself. "Shhh, stop this. Everything will turn out fine, I promise nae ttal."

Jia's chest was aching terribly. It felt as if someone who just ripped out her heart and bandaged her chest up...just a little bit ripped off the bandages and the newly healed skin.

"Lucine will be here in twenty minutes," her mother said softly, pressing Jia away from her. "You need to gather yourself. If your eyes are still puffy I have serum in my room to calm them down. Put on something nice."

"Eomma please-"

"-Upstairs. Now."

Just like that, the ounce of sympathy that her mother had just showed her...shriveled up and died.

Jia weakly stood up, head cast downward and headed up the steps. By the time she would be done gathering herself, she would be all smiles and happiness to sit down and have a conversation about the ruining of her life.

*******
Hope you guys enjoyed. I had this on hold then my creative juices started to flow once again.
The face claims are at the top. I have every actor/actress played out in my mind except for Warren, Pierson, Jeong, And Lucine.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Also hope everyone's doing well in their classes. College or high school. If I have anybody under that age reading my books oh my god I feel guilty. Don't do drugs, stay in school and if you have sex you'll get pregnant and die xD

Anyway, next chapter should be interesting.