15. Chapter 15
Candle Fiasco
I tell Mandy everything that happened in the library.
Tears roll down my cheeks and land on her soft pink shirt as I try to convey how scared I was.
I ask questions that don’t have any answers like why would he do something like that and how am I supposed to trust anyone again after everything that's happened. I’m sobbing as the story comes to a close and I want to stop the next words out of my mouth, but they won’t stay in my mind.
“How is anyone ever going to love me now? I’m tainted by what he did. I couldn’t stop him, and CJ and his pack saw it. They’ll never want to hang out with me now that they know I’m so weak.”
Mandy takes hold of my shoulders and pushes me up to face her.
She wipes the tears off my cheeks, but doesn’t bother to hide the ones still flowing from her eyes.
She isn’t smiling for the first time since I’ve met her.
And a piece of my heart crumbles knowing I’m the reason for the serious sad expression in her eyes.
“Rebecca, what that boy did is not your fault. And no one, not my boys or mates, or anyone else in this town will blame you for it.” She shakes me a bit as if trying to make sure the words are settled deep into my brain.
“You are not weak because a bigger person overpowered you. You are strong because you fought back. You said no, over and over again, and he didn’t listen. That makes him a weak person, not you.”
She tugs me and hugs me fiercely again. She doesn’t let me go as she keeps talking to me.
“You are an amazing person, who has had a very unfortunate month. You are the strongest person I know, because you keep going. Through everything the gods have thrown at you, you keep smiling and treating everyone around you with kindness and love. This is something that happened to you. You didn’t cause it.
It’s okay to be upset, but don’t lose sight of who you are and the amazing heart you have. ”
Her words are a soothing balm to my heart.
I know in my mind that I didn’t do anything wrong.
I never encouraged Camden and told him multiple times that I didn’t want to be anything more than friends.
He is the one that escalated it into the situation it became.
She is absolutely right, but I think I needed to hear it from someone else in order to truly believe it.
I let her hold me and shed a few more tears.
I needed this. I needed someone to be upset for me, to grieve the loss of what I thought was the beginning of a friendship, that ended up being a nightmare.
When all the tears are out, I feel stronger.
I’m ready to face the rest of the day and everything that is waiting for me tonight. I squeeze her waist and sit up.
“Thank you, Mandy. Really. I needed that. Can we,” I move my gaze to the bed, not sure how she will respond to my next request. “Can we not tell your mates about this yet. I want the night to be perfect and happy and I know that this will upset them. I don’t want them to get some crazy idea about hunting down Camden. ”
“Oh sweet girl. You’ve lost your mind if you think CJ and his pack don’t already have something planned.
I know Camden. He was CJ’s best friend until Erik came and CJ’s pack was complete.
Camden got jealous that CJ had the others and the two fell out.
It’s been rough between the boys and the Luna twins ever since.
But,” she smiles at me and moves some of my hair behind my ears.
“We can keep this between us for now. We’ll use it as CJ’s alibi when it comes time. ”
We laugh and hug once more. She changes the topic to a lighter subject and we hold each other on my bed and just talk for the rest of the afternoon.
Around five in the evening, I start to feel restless.
I want to pace and I feel something moving around in my chest, rippling under my skin.
Mandy kisses my head and places a hand on top of mine to stop me from scratching the skin off my arms.
“Come on, Little Wolf. Let's get you dressed for your party. The sun is starting to set, so this will be a quick little birthday cake and ice cream with a few friends, then we can all shift. Your real party will be tomorrow night, we’ll use it to announce your manifestation as well.
'' She gets off the bed and takes my hand, leading me to the closet to help me pick out something to wear.
We decided on a black wrap dress that ties on the side.
It's cute and will be easy to get off when it’s time for my wolf to come.
She helps me brush out my hair and put some products in it to keep the curls from getting frizzy.
She also helps me do my makeup before we go to her room and I help her get ready.
Neither of us is wearing shoes, it makes me giggle when I realize it and she just shakes her head and ushers me back down the stairs.
The Alphas, all seven of them, are waiting in the living room with Abby. I look around, expecting to see more people, but James jumps off the couch and picks me up, spinning me in a circle and distracting me from my search.
“Happy Birthday, Little Wolf! It’s a big night, are you ready?”
I can’t get out any words around my laughter, so I nod and pat his arm around my waist, hoping he’ll put me down. Instead, he throws me! Just tosses me into the air. I panic, flailing my arms around as I go soaring through space. Charles catches me, laughing as he hugs me to his chest.
“You’re so cute, Little Wolf. Happy Birthday.” He gave me one more gentle squeeze before tossing me just like James did.
This time flying through the air is much scarier than last time because I can’t see where I’m going. I hear a faint growl before I’m caught again. The Wintergreen scent surrounding me clues me into the fact that August has now plucked me out of the air and kept me from falling.
“Little Wolf, I should be offended that you ignored me when you came in from school, but CJ said you needed to talk to Mandy, and it’s your Birthday, so I’ll forgive you this time. Happy Birthday.”
He tosses me back towards James, who is smiling so big, I think his cheeks may split in two. I’m giggling now, no longer afraid that I’ll fall to my death, confident that the Alphas will catch me. Before I make it to James though, someone snatches me out of the air from the side.
I collide into a wide chest and the scent of Chocolate surrounds me.
I can hear a quiet rumbling growl and somehow, I know that Erik has caught me this time.
He slowly walks back to the couch with me in his arms. I expect him to sit me down on my own, but instead, he settles between Hutch and Skylar with me in his lab.
CJ is smirking at us from the other side of Skylar who is …
. Scolding the Alphas as if they were children.
“You can’t throw her around like that! She could get hurt.
I know that you wouldn’t do it on purpose.
” He holds his hand up to stop them from interjecting as all three of them open their mouths.
“But she was freaking out and could have hurt herself. Or you could have dropped her. From now on, if you must throw her, make sure she knows it’s going to happen before tossing her around like a football. ”
Everyone is staring at us like we’ve gone crazy.
Abby has her eyes squinted as she looks between the five of us.
Charles, James, and August look both chastised and confused and Mandy is beaming like a kid in a candy store.
I’m a bit uncomfortable with the attention and try to squirm my way off Erik’s lap.
He grunts and holds me closer to his chest to make me stop moving.
Staring up at him in confusion, I gasp when I feel the effects my squirming around has on him.
It's a rather, um, large effect. My whole body freezes and Hutch is covering his mouth with his hand.
I can still hear his chuckle, but nobody else seems to know what is happening right now. Me included.
“Come on boys. Dads didn’t mean any harm. It’s getting late, let's do the cake so you can go meet the team on the beach.”
Mandy stands up off the other side of the couch and walks over to help me off Erik’s lap.
Once I’m standing, she grabs my hand and leads me into the kitchen.
I’ve noticed more and more how touchy all of the wolves are and I can’t say I dislike it.
I always feel better when one of them is touching me.
But I’m confused because all day today, I’ve been feeling lonely unless the guys are in the room. Even snuggled up to Mandy, who I feel the most comfortable with, I felt so alone. It was like something is missing, though I can’t figure out what it is.
Then, when I was in Erik’s arms, surrounded by his pack, I felt complete and relaxed for the first time today. Even now, I’m starting to feel withdrawn and awkward again without them in the room. I’m surrounded by Abby and the Pack, but I’m not comfortable until Skylar, Hutch, CJ, and Erik walk in.
My shoulders relax and a deep breath I wasn’t aware I was holding escapes my lungs.
Abby is still looking at me with squinted eyes and I want to cry.
I never got the feeling that she didn’t like me, but since she has been here, her actions suggest she doesn’t trust me for some reason.
I want to ask her what I did and why she is upset with me, but I don’t want to ruin tonight.
She is staying here tonight and if she is still acting strange in the morning, I’ll confront her about it.
With Mandy there, and maybe her Alphas. Definitely not alone, that sounds terrifying.
I’m drawn out of my thoughts by Charles placing down a huge cake covered in Light purple frosting.
‘Happy 18th Birthday Little Wolf’ is written in beautiful steady handwriting that I know Charles didn’t do.
From the smile on his face, I’m assuming the lettering is James’s work.
There are little dolphin figurines jumping out the cake over the words and Gold candles shaped like the number eighteen are lit behind the Dolphins.
Everyone in the room is singing happy birthday and my face is flushed red.
One of the boys has an amazing singing voice, but with all the others joining him, I can’t pinpoint who it is.
When the song is over, I put my hands on the ends of my hair and lean forward to blow out the candles.
Of course, as soon as I blow them out, they light back up again on their own.
“Damn it, Augie! I said don’t do the trick candles! Erik almost passed out trying to blow those damn things out last year!” Mandy sounds mad, but her eyes are dancing with mischief and the smile won’t leave her lips.
CJ and his pack are all holding their stomachs and August looks offended.
Clearly he didn’t put the trick candles on the cake.
Something tells me the boys did it. I fully believe it, so when Abby starts giggling, I’m a bit shocked.
I did not see that coming. James is already pulling the still lit candles off the cake to run them under water when Mandy turns to Abby, fake shock and betrayal on her face while laughter dances in her gaze.
“You! You did this! How could you?” Mandy puts her hand on her heart and the back of her other wrist on her forehead. She dramatically falls back against August and pretends to faint.