Behind the Lines

In the past three months I have stayed here, there has neither been an insult or jeer thrown at me. Everyone know my past… at least the gist of it. I never have told anybody the full details, but they have a good idea of what I have been through. They do not judge me for it though. They respect me for being strong, but not as a Royal—as a person.

The past three months have been very eventful. Besides training everyday from six in the morning to noon, I have made very strong relationships with the pack. I feel as I belong here. I do belong here. These people are my new family.

From children to grandparents, everyone treats each other as their own, including me. Children will come up to me every day to ask me to play with them. Teens come up to me to gossip and hang out. Young adults will tell me secrets about other people for blackmail. Mothers will ask me to cook with them and help them around the house. Fathers will take me and the rest of the kids out for some ball or a hike or a fishing trip. Grandparents will tell tales from when they were kids, or tell the legends of the Great Wolves. Every single person plays a role in my life.

But the people closest to me are the ones that work their butt off training with me. Rob is the one that trains me the most. But when alpha duty calls, I am left with the other higher ranking wolves who have become my rock and the people I can trust the most. There are quite a few of us. There is Gavin, who is Rob’s cousin and the beta. He is like the big brother of the pack. He can be a pervert most of the times, but he is capable of being a real sweetheart.

Then there are the Terrible Four, consisting of Xavier, Mason, Bryn and Kyle. Everyone calls them the Terrible Four because of the pranks they pull in the house and number of times they get in trouble. They may be the four strongest and most good looking wolves in the pack, but they are the naughtiest. But behind the naughtiness, is a whole lot of love. I have to say, they are the most protective over me and will always glare at the males from visiting packs. It is sweet yet annoying at the same time.

There is also Piper, Riley, and Violet, the strongest females in the pack after me. You can describe Piper as a fiery red head. Her hair and personality match her name perfectly. She is definitely the most temperamental person I have ever met, getting pissed off at the stupidest things. It is kind of amusing, though. She will pick on the boys for the tiniest things, which will only annoy the boys, which leads into a full blown out war.

Then there is quiet Riley. She barely ever says anything. But when she lets loose, she is one of the spunkiest females around. She is the one person you can tell anything too. She will lend you an ear and a shoulder to cry on.

Last, but not the least, is Violet. She is Rob’s youngest sister by five years. Rob is twenty-two, making Violet seventeen, the same as me. She is definitely a handful and the most spontaneous. She can pack a punch and exchange harsh words, but she also knows how to comfort a person in need and will be there by your side for anything. She is the one person who will do anything for the ones she loves.

While I get along with mostly everyone, there are a couple people who… dislike me. Samantha and Lucy are the pack’s sluts. They think they can get whatever they want, whenever they want it. Before I came here, they used to sleep around with the Terrible Four. But after the boys started hanging out with me, they realized that they would rather go around making my life miserable than getting herpes.

Samantha and Lucy go around telling everyone I am only close to the boys because I am an easy lay. But the people around here do not believe that… they know that I would never. Simply because whenever a werewolf has… sexual intercourse, you can smell the mixture of the scents on the bodies. Sam and Lucy are just jealous that they do not have the attention they used to get before I got here.

Though I have already gotten close to these people, I cannot help but wish Blaine was here with me. I miss his company and his personality. Every day, I have an urge to call him and tell him about my new life and where I am and what happens on a day to day basis like the old times. I only knew him for a week, but we got so close. I can never press the green button on the phone when I call him. I do not have the guts. I do not know if he would want to talk to me. If Landon can order my brothers around, he definitely can order Blaine around. I just cannot figure out if his friendship was as pure as the friendships with these people, here. Or was it as fake as my brothers’ compassion?

I sigh and stop thinking about the past. I focus on the race that Rob and I are competing in against each other. We do this every day at the end of every training session. We start training in human form and end in it as well, with a five mile race. Every day is the same routine. Wake up at five in the morning. Get ready and start training at six. We finish the training at twelve in the afternoon. Afterwards, Rob does whatever alpha duties he needs to do, unless he is free then he hangs out with us. I usually hang out with my “gang.” There are times where I will hang out around the house and do things with other people, but most of the time, I am hanging out with the people I am closest to.

It is almost impossible to beat Rob. Five miles for a werewolf is equivalent to one mile for a human. The average time for a human mile is seven and a half minutes. But since Rob and I are Royals, we are able to run even faster, completing the five miles in just five minutes and fifteen seconds. Rob is one of the fastest werewolves. No one in his pack as been able to beat him, always ending up a mile behind when he finishes. For me, it is different. I have not beaten him yet, but I have come very close to, just a few meters behind him. Every time we race, I get closer and closer to him. It will only take a few more months for me to finally beat him.

While we run our second to last lap, the Terrible Four and Gavin are sitting on the sidelines, watching the race. They always do this, even when they do not have to train with me. They enjoy watching us run together. One day, I asked Gavin why they wasted their time watching us in a stupid race while they could be doing more productive things.

“Because it is not often that you see two of the strongest wolves in the world run together,” he simply stated.

Usually, we have more spectators, including the girls, but today we are welcoming three more people into our pack. Everyone is at the pack house preparing for the welcome barbeque we are having for the three. The boys are only here because they are exempt from helping out, simply because they would be of no help and would only cause more work. They boys took this opportunity to their own advantage and pulled pranks on the people that were working. They were forced to stop causing trouble when Marla yelled at them and threatened that they will not be getting any dessert for a whole month. Never take away their desserts. They will not be able to live. I am absolutely serious. It is like taking a cell phone from a teenage girl.

So now they watch from the sides. They cheer on for us as if they are watching a football match on television. They know Rob is going to win, but every day they congratulate me for not giving up and trying harder. I tell them to shove it and preach other people. Since no one can beat Rob, being on his tail is a good enough achievement.

Rob and I are on our final lap, me right behind him. The boys shout louder and cheer me on while I overwork my muscles. Rob notices me gaining up on him and pushes himself forward, increasing the distance once again. This goes on for the rest of the lap— me gaining up on him and Rob just moving faster.

In the end, Rob obviously wins. We cross the finish lines, which are just two sweatshirts spread apart, and the boys come running over to us. We both are panting heavily and are covered in sweat. Our postures our identical—hunched over with hands on our knees.

“That was intense man,” Mason exclaims, slapping me on the back like you would to a boy. I guess you could call me one of the guys. I have grown up with more males than female figures.

“I was so sure you were going to win this time!” yells Kyle. Yup, he is the hyper one, always yelling around and jumping instead of walking.

“Water,” I pant out, still trying to catch my breath.

Gavin passes both of us ice cold water bottles and a small towel. By the time we finish, we have our breathing in check and Kyle, Xavier, Mason, and Bryn are in a full on debate over who is a better singer—Katy Perry or Lady Gaga. I swear they are worse than girls sometimes.

Rob, Gavin, and I look at each other with annoyed expressions. This happens at least once a day, if not more. They always find a topic to argue about and will not stop until the other shuts up and forfeits the “great debate” as Gavin likes to call.

Rob, Gavin, and I do not stick around to watch the Terrible Four argue, and we walk our way back to the pack house. The pack house is basically a huge mansion where all the pack members reside in. There are a few people who live in their own houses near the mansion, but most of us live in the house. We could fit our whole pack, which consists of about a hundred fifty wolves, and still house another hundred. The house is more of a… palace than a mansion. Since humans live in this town, unlike my old one, we live far away in the forest, a couple miles away from town, hidden from civilization. Some go to the school in town, but most of us take online classes, including me. We usually only go to town if we want something to do, like clubbing or shopping.

On our way to the house, we strike up a conversation ourselves. The other four do not even notice we are gone.

“What are their names again?” Gavin asks about the three new wolves.

“Caleb, Johnston, and Harmony,” Rob answers.

“Why are they moving in?” I ask.

“They did not like their own pack and wanted somewhere new to live. Their situation was something like yours. They weren’t wanted and had had enough. They didn’t want to become rogues, so they called us from a few states over to ask if they can join us,” Rob explains. Whoa, more neglected wolves. Not to sound mean, but I am glad I am not the only one.

Because of Rob, our pack is very well known. Most people from other packs do not know that I am here. I asked that of Rob when I joined. I did not want my pack to find about my whereabouts. Landon is looking for me, but I do not want him to find about my whereabouts. Rob knows about this because he had a meeting with Landon to talk about any nearby danger. In the end, there was no danger that was too serious, except for a few rogues, but Rob told me that Landon did ask if he heard of me, and if he sees me, to let him know. Rob lied and said he did not. I have yet to thank him for that.

“Where are they staying?” Gavin asks.

“Third floor along with you guys,” Rob says. Third floor is the teen floor. All the teens get their own room. If they have already found their mate, then they share a room, since they cannot be separated for long periods of time.

“Cool. Is everything ready for the barbeque?” I ask. For every new member, we held a barbeque to get to know them better, and for them to know us. They held one for me, and it was probably one of the best days ever, excluding the time when Mason and Kyle threw me in the pool. Apparently, it was an initiation type of thing. I just kicked their shins. They were bruised for a couple hours. And that is a lot of time, considering that wolves heal faster than humans.

“Yeah, everyone is just hanging around now, waiting for their arrival,” Rob answers. He probably used the mind link to find out if everyone is done.

“Do you think Kyle and Mason will throw them in the pool?” Gavin smirks.

“Don’t they every time?” Rob counters, smiling as well.

We all laugh at the memory and continue our way down home. We can hear the laughter and yelling of the four boys behind us, finally catching up to us.

We reach home at the same time. We exit the forest trail behind the house and come face to face with all the balloons hanging from various places, some saying “Welcome Home!”

It looks pretty damn cool. The sun is glowing from the sun’s reflection. There are random pool toys and floats in the pool, for when the teens and kids want to swim in it. Tables are set in various places around the large backyard, each with its own silver and green table cloth, symbolizing our pack name.

Men are setting up the many barbeques in a corner, while women come out of the kitchen to place already made appetizers and treats on a large table that has all the food on it. Trust me; it takes a lot of food to feed more than a hundred people, especially since we are wolves. Since my shift, my appetite has grown bigger, but with my constant training, I am able to stay in shape. Plus, I have always had good metabolism.

I ditch the guys to go help the women inside. Entering the kitchen from the patio door, Marla immediately orders me to wash my hands. I wash my hands quickly before Marla hands me a plate of various, fresh baked cookies. I set the cookies on the table outside, before heading back in for another plate. This time when I go in, Violet, Riley, and Piper are organizing utensils into different cups. Forks, spoons, and knives all in separate cups.

I notice all the food has been taken outside, so I help the girls organize. I go to the table they are sitting on and help myself to a seat and a handful of tables.

“Hey Journey,” they greet simultaneously.

“Sup girls.”

“So, did you finally beat Robbie?” Violet asks, calling her brother by her own given nickname. If anyone else calls him that, he will freak out on you. I have learnt that the hard way.

I sigh, “No. He beat me again.”

“Well, everyone knows you are going to beat him one day,” Piper rolls her eyes as if stating the obvious.

“Yeah. You get closer to him every time. It will only be a matter of days before he comes home from training crying to Marla ‘cause he lost,” Riley teases. We all laugh at her statement.

If there was anything else that Rob hates more than being called “Robbie,” it is losing. He will not come out the room for the whole day if he loses. It is kind of funny. The girls and I always come up with little contests that we know we will win and Rob will lose. Last week, we had a cookie baking contest against Rob and Riley. We had Jeannie, Riley’s mom, and Marla be the judges. Of course, Riley won. Marla, Jeannie, and Rob lost. I say Marla and Jeannie lost because they had to have the cookies. They had to spit it in the garbage because Rob used salt instead of sugar. His face was priceless when he tasted the cookie, stating that he did not use salt. He learnt that the hard way. Poor kid sulked in his room all afternoon and evening. So much for being a tough alpha.

“So what do you think Caleb and Johnston will look like? Hot or not?” Violet gossips.

“Violet… all werewolves are hot,” Piper states, accidently stabbing herself with a plastic knife. She mutters obscenities to herself while Riley and I silently laugh. She is already mad at herself; we do not need her to blow up on us, as well.

“True, true. But do you think anyone of them can be our mates?” Violet wonders.

“Could be, who knows,” Riley shrugs.

“I wonder what Harmony is like. Hopefully not like Samantha and Lucy. Two sluts are enough in one pack,” Piper huffs.

“I’m sure she will be fine. If not, we can tell Kyle and Mason to dump her in the pool to… cool her down,” Violet laughs. We all laugh at her innuendo and gossip like the old women we are.

We finish sorting the plastic utensils after ten minutes, but sit at the table talking for another thirty. The doorbell in the front rings, halting Riley’s and Piper’s heated conversation. Apparently, hard water is ice, as stated by Piper. As you can tell, she is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

New wolf scents snake their way in the corners of the mansion, signaling the arrival of the three new wolves. All of us look at each other with wide eyes and wide smiles. Only one thing crawls through our minds…. Boys.

We jump up from our seats and race to the main entrance. Over there, a big crowd is settled to greet the new members. We elbow our way in to the front. There, Rob and Gavin are the first to greet the new trio, being the head of the pack.

Rob and Gavin tell us their names, and while those two introduce the new wolves, I see Johnston, the new kid, looking intently at someone next to me. I turn my head to see Riley staring back at him just as seriously. Looks like someone found their mate. I smile at the two, happy that they have met. Riley would always tell me how she dreams of having the perfect mate. Let’s hope that he fits her standards, not that she will have a choice. She will love him no matter what.

The three new wolves are absolutely stunning. Johnston looks like your typical emo bad boy, but his eyes say it all. They are so calm and peaceful and innocent. And his aura just makes you want to hug him tight and never let go. Harmony is beautiful. Her personality just screams “kindness” and like Johnston, her eyes are full of life and innocence.

Now enter Caleb. He is the hottest out of all of them… out of Johnston I should say… I do not like girls that way. He has brown hair which is messed up but makes him look sexier. He is pretty tall, about six feet two inches. Just three inches shy of Rob. He has an amazing tan and perfect build. His body language says he is a chill guy, but his eyes say he is nervous. He has his hands in his pocket and is looking around the house in awe, probably because of the size. He is biting his lip and keeps skimming his eyes over the crowd. His eyes lands on me and he smiles.

Gosh, that is one smile. He has straight white teeth. His two dimples makes him even cuter. Goodness, I am a sucker for dimples.

I smile back and step up to introduce myself to all of them… but between you and me, I really just want an excuse to talk to Caleb.

“Hi. I am Journey,” I introduce, holding my hand out to Harmony first. I did not want to look boy obsessed—in this case, Caleb obsessed—in front of them.

“Hi, I am Harmony, nice to meet you,” Harmony says in a very sweet, shy voice.

“Don’t be shy! You are all a part of the family now!” I tease. This makes Harmony blush hard and I smile at her nervousness. Behind me, shouts of agreement are heard when people welcome them further in the house, and into the backyard, where everything is now set up.

The boys are by the grills, trying to get the older men to let them cook. They all shake their spatulas at the boys and tell them to get out, but not before reminding them what happened at the last barbeque. Xavier and Mason put the hamburgers on the grill for too long and it caught on fire. It was quite a night, but helped with the marshmallows.

While Harmony talks to the girls, I notice Johnston and Riley looking at each other shyly, neither one making the first move. I think I will help them out. Since they are too busy looking at each other, I sneak up behind Riley and shove her into Johnston hard. Johnston catches her and they both are lost in each other’s eyes. I let them be and smile. Where is the Staples easy button when you need one?

I move my way to the refreshments table but notice Caleb standing in a corner looking all awkward. A lot of the younger teenage girls are in a huddle not too far away and talking excitedly at how hot he is.

Across the yard, I see Samantha and Lucy smirking at him, though he does not see them. I figure now is my time to make a move, before Sam and Lucy get to him first.

I walk over to him, but not before taking a glass of lemonade for both of us. I stalk over to him and he looks up from the ground at me, sensing me, probably.

I smile at him and hand him the lemonade. He takes it graciously.

“I couldn’t help but notice you here all alone. Plus, these girls are eye raping you like vultures,” I say the last part a little louder so the girls can hear me. From the corner of my eye, I see all the girls blush and hurriedly walk away, muttering “I can’t believe we were that obvious!”

He laughs, “Thank you. I don’t know if I can handle another stare from those freaky girls,” he says, pointing behind me. I turn around to see Samantha and Lucy glaring at me. I turn around facing Caleb again and laugh. He reminds me a lot like Blaine.

“As long as you don’t have a wish for herpes, don’t get in their way. You will be sorry,” I whisper. He laughs along with me and we chatter away.

Xavier, Mason, Kyle, and Bryn join us soon enough and we walk around pulling jokes.

Caleb gets along perfectly with the group. He even offers some pranks to the boys, and they get an evil glint in their eyes, probably planning them in their twisted minds.

The time passes with much celebration. New friends are made and new jokes exchanged. Overall, it was a great day, and I cannot wait to get to know these new people more.

Throughout the day, I could not help but sneak quick glances at Caleb. And I noticed that he did the same. Whenever we would catch each other, we would look away and occupy ourselves with something else to do. He is a great guy. Funny, smart, cuddly, cute, unique… but not my mate.

Though he is not my mate… I can’t help but to care and be intrigued by him.

I think I may have a little crush on Caleb. And I think he does too…