Defect.

Using Brady’s phone as a mirror, I checked to make sure that I didn’t have anymore ruined eyeliner across my cheeks. Once satisfied with my less disheveled look, I took a deep breath to calm my erratic heart and tried to sneak back into the cook out.

Key word being tried—I reached out with my right hand but my skin never made contact with the doorknobs smooth metal.

I couldn’t do it.

I wanted to cry again, this is why I lock up my emotions. If I don’t, if I let them run rampant like right now, I’m just a big ball of an emotional mess.

I could hear the boisterous happy laughter on the other side of the door.

Why couldn’t I just see it like that? That standing in between my happiness was just a door. Why couldn’t I be more optimistic like that?

I don’t understand.

I do understand one thing though: I’m not ready to re-introduce myself to them again. I don’t want to be around them, at least not right now.

I took a step back and walked back across the lawn. Glancing at the Daniels house I saw that Tristan’s car wasn’t there. He hadn’t returned yet.

I kept walking down the street. Once I was a few blocks away, I pulled out Bradys phone and dialed in a number I knew by memory, confused or not.

“Hey,” I whispered when the ringing finally stopped, “I need you to pick me up.”

Ten minutes hadn’t even passed when I heard the familiar sound of an old Honda making its way up the hill. It came to a screeching halt right in front of me. The driver’s window was rolled down manually.

“Hey girl, get in!” Robin shouted winking at me.

I smiled at her and ran over to the passenger door and got in.

She eyed the girls that were walking up the sidewalk into Alpha Henny’s house in disgust. Once seated in I glanced over at the girls as the opened the door to join the rest of the pack. Their clothes made it seem more like party attire than relaxed gathering. I guess they dress to impress.

The second I buckled my seatbelt in she drove off.

**

FWP!

Robin expertly let the arrow fly out of her bow missing its intended target. Robin was off her game. Archery requires a lot of focus, something she didn’t quite have now after I told her about the cook out and the incident at the grave.

Even though it had been a few hours since she picked me up, I ,myself, wasn’t feeling so hot about what had happened.

“A party huh? Zak never told me anything.” She said muttering the last part. She began walking to take the arrow out of her makeshift target—it was a thick carpet taped up to the wall at the back of her house.

I could tell that it was bothering her that Zak didn’t mention anything. More specifically that he didn’t invite her to a party.

I shifted in my seat, “uh- it was just a barbeque. Nothing big.” I said trying to downplay the whole thing.

“Yeah maybe you should have told that to all the people trashing Henry’s house.” She roughly yanked out the arrow, “those girls looked slutty enough to belong in a whore house.” She said playing with the tip of the arrow as she walked back to her spot.

My mouth fell open in shock, “Robin!”

“Well its true.” She muttered.

What was this nasty emotion rolling off of her in waves?

She took up her stance again. Taking one deep breathe she began aiming.

Was it? No way.

“Are you jealous?”

She let the arrow go, I shrieked and threw myself onto the dried grass. The arrow missed its target and instead it lodged itself right into the wooden part of the roof. “No!” she said a little too quickly.

“I think the arrow begs to differ.” I said quietly while standing up. So it wasn’t the fact that Zak didn’t invite her to a party, it was that he didn’t even mention to her a party that beautiful single ladies were going to be attending.

“Venus! I’m not jealous! If he wants to surround himself with girls that flaunt it all, then let him. I’m not jealous. I’m not even his damn girlfriend.”

“I thought you two weren’t talking much?”

“So?” she huffed angrily.

I inwardly smiled; my best friend was definitely in love.

Though, knowing Robin she was going to do something stupid to get back at him. And knowing a male werewolf is, Zak is going to flip out.

I inwardly sighed.

“—It’s not like he ever asked me out. We don’t have a-uh-a commitment with each other. So like, fuck him. I don’t need him.” Robin was rambling on while swinging her arrow around.

I held my hands up defensively, “Okay Robin, okay.” But it wasn’t okay. Zak has dug a deep hole for himself. For someone as headstrong and stubborn as Robin this single move could have potentially severed their relationship.

I can see where Zak is coming from though; he can’t just invite a human girl to a house full of werewolves. One where many unmated wolves would be attending.

Then again, why wouldn’t he want his mate by his side?

Oh Zak, you have certainly dug a very deep hole.

I looked up at my best friend, she had her hands on her thin hips, a frustrated look on her face, and the sun setting behind her making her blond flyaway hairs glowing like a halo.

Robin huffed, “You hungry?”

I meekly nodded and followed her as she led me inside her small house through the back door. It creaked in protest as Robin had to force it open, swearing under her breath the entire time about needing a new door.

Before I could follow her inside a loud shout made both of us retract our steps, “Niñas!”

Both of our heads whipped to the side to see Mrs. Flores, Robins neighbor, as she was peeking through the chain link fence with a worried face. I looked around her to see that the children who were playing some sort of game like cops and robbers stopped to see the exchange between us.

“ Is everyting oh-right?” Mrs. Flores asked in her thick Columbian accent. She was referring to my squeaking and Robins loud angry voice.

Robin gave her a reassuring smile, “Si si, Señora Flores!” Robin shouted back as she gestured to her bow and arrow.

“Hola, Vinoos”

I felt, rather than saw, Robin hold back a chuckle. Mrs. Flores could never pronounce my name correctly.

I smiled meekly at her, “Hi Señora Flores”

Mrs. Flores smiled back at both of us to show she understood before saying her goodbyes and going back inside her house to watch her children run amok in her backyard.

We went inside. Her back door always led us to be in border of her small living room and even smaller kitchen.

“What did she call us?” I asked quietly as if Mrs. Flores had super hearing.

“Niña’s, it means girls.” Robin replied as she sauntered into her kitchen.

I nodded. It has never failed to surprise me how quickly Robin learned how to pick up Spanish from her neighbors.

“Want some Mac’ N’ Cheese?” Robin asked as she began rummaging in her pantry.

“Do I have a choice?” I teased knowing that that was the only decent meal Robin knew how to cook without starting a fire.

“Hell no” She smirked pulling out the box she was looking for.

I sat down at the small wooden poker table that doubled as their dinning table. Mayra had draped a big frilly cloth over to it to hide the tables’ real purpose. I looked around the littered papers that were thrown haphazardly.

By the style of writing I could tell it was Mayra’s papers.

“Where’s Mayra?” I asked Robin who was huddled over the stove to check that the water was boiling before she added the boxes contents

“Not sure,” she glanced at the clock we bought on a whim at the thrift store once, it read 6:35 “She got out of work not too long ago so she should be home soon.” Robin answered taking the bag out the box.

“Oh, does she still work at tha—” my words drifted off as I watched Robin crush the bag in between her hands before dumping it all together in the boiling pot, with the other little baggy that contained the cheese.

“That’s…that’s not how you do it.” I whispered in shock.

Robin turned to me and cocked an eyebrow, “do you cook?”

My cheeks tinted a bit, as I mustered a soft “No.”

She smiled, “then don’t worry then kiddo” she said winking at me before returning to her pot.

Once it was done, Robin served some on a small plate, and added a spoon before taking it up to her Moms room.

When we arrived here, we both went up to greet her but she was buried under a mountain of blankets. I’m still amazed that Robin hasn’t given up on her Mom even know her Mother clearly gave up on her whole family.

Maybe I should be more like Robin?

No, its not like her Mother shunned her like mine did.

I sighed, but it was always worth a try right?

The moment Robin began to serve me a plate of her concoction was the moment Mayra trudged through the front door with a couple of grocery bags.

“Hey girls” she greeted us tiredly. She dropped the grocery bags onto the dining table.

“Hey, how was work?” Robin asked while taking out another plate to serve Mayra on.

~ A/N: If the consumption of alcohol bothers you please stop reading now and continue reading until after I show the * sign. Only one star. Thank you~

“Killer.” Mayra said taking a seat next to me, “But that’s why I got this!” she pulled out a small vodka bottle from one of the grocery bags.

Robin nearly dropped her plate but I choked on my saliva. “How did you get that?” Robin asked amazed as she placed the plate down in front of Mayra.

“A guy from work!” she said cheerily. I eyed her wearily, was she alright?

“Now, I know I don’t usually consent to underage drinking but… I feel like I really just need a drink to unwind ya’ know? I’ve gotten so much stress built up since finals are approaching.”
I softly nodded.

“Under age drinking? That means we’re invited.” Robin smirked.

“Not necessarily.” Mayra chuckled, “I’m not even getting drunk. Just one drink.”

Of course, we all knew that Robin would get her way.

So after three shots had been consumed, Mayra was drunk and Robin was able to convince her to allow her to drink.

Robin down one shot with Mayra when I finally glanced down at my phone –or should I say Bradys phone?— to see twenty missed calls and thirteen messages.

*

As it was in my hand it began to silently ring.

The Caller ID said “Bro” but I picked it up anyways.

“Hello?”

“Venus.” Alpha Henny breathed out a sigh of relief, “where are you?”

“Out.” I replied. I stood up and signaled to the girls that I was going to step aside to finish the call. I went into the backyard.

“Now is not the time for games Venus. Where are you?”

“I’m not playing games Alpha.”

“I could easily send out the pack to find you”

“Why should they even care? It’s not like I’m your mate.”

“Venus—”

“I’m not someone of importance to them, like lets say a Luna. “

I didn’t hear him curse but I could tell that that’s what he was doing on the other end. There were a few more seconds of muffled silence before his gruff voice returned to the phone.

“Alright. I can see why you’re mad and don’t want to see me but can we get together and talk about this like adults?”

I almost let out a bitter laugh, oh now he wants to treat me like an adult?

“I’m not an adult.” He began to protest, “But I do want to talk about this.”

“Thank the Goddess,” He whispered, “Can you meet me at the diner on Main St. in say five minutes?”

Five minutes? I’m not speedy-freaking-Mcgee! it’ll take me five minutes to get in the car.

“No.”

“What? I thought we were going to talk about this.”

“We are. I’ll see you when I get there, not when you tell me. I leave in fifteen minutes. “

“Fine.”

“See you.” I said and promptly hung up. I huffed and looked to the quickly setting sun.

So much drama for one day.

**

“Are you sure your friend said the diner?” The driver asked.

“Yeah he did.” Robin replied for me as she slung her arm around me. “You are so pretty, I got your back.” She whispered. I held back the gag from the stench of her alcohol breath.

Thank the Goddess we didn’t bring Mayra along.

She was drunk by the time Robins friend, Danny, arrived to be our designated driver. One drink, my ass!

I told Robin I had to meet Brady here. She was only slightly buzzed, but I still wasn’t going to let her drive so (after hiding the alcohol and threatening not to return it) she called her friend from the baseball team and a girl from the archery team. We had to leave Mayra with his friend Mikey.

He was a cute underclassman trying to get in good with everyone. It was evident that he treasured Danny, like the superhero he was obsessed with as a kid.

He has no clue of the mess we just left him in.

We told Danny where we were going, I couldn’t tell him why it was so important though. He agreed saying it was such a good thing that we called him rather than attempt to drive.

But really, who would crash the car first: the buzzed reckless driver or the inexperienced nerves rattled girl?

That’s how we ended up here, parked a few steps away from the diners entrance bickering in Robin’s cramped car about whether or not I should enter. The fact of the diner being completely void of people allowed Danny to keep bugging me not to go.

He doesn’t know me. He doesn’t have to worry about me, I mean no one ever has. He doesn’t have to.

Besides, I don’t know him.

He could be a werewolf for all I know. It sucks that I can’t detect them. I didn’t know that Brady was a werewolf until I saw him at the pack meeting. I hardly go to pack meetings so I wouldn’t know if he’s a ThunderBird, then again he could be a Pavone. I’m not sure.

Then there’s also Robin’s teammate.

Robin’s teammate spoke up from the other side of Robin, “its nothing sketchy right?”

“Yeah.” I whispered.

For all I know, they could just simply be human.

“Alright Ballentyne, you’ve got twenty minutes. Bringing Robin along wasn’t such a great idea.” Robin’s teammate told me.

“Shut it Natalie,” Robin slurred before starting to slump in her seat.

“You should go, like right now.” Natalie said to me while trying to make Robin sit right.

I hopped out the car and jogged into the diner.

A bell above me chimed signaling my arrival.

“Venus.” I jumped back and turned to my side, Alpha Henny was suddenly beside me, roughly guiding me to a booth on the side.

Jesus, this man forgets that I’m just a human.

“Come, let’s talk this out. I had this entire place cleared.” He said sitting down across from me.

I thought he was going to be furious. Rather, he looked nervous, like about to be fired from his job nervous and not butterflies in your stomach nervous.

Zak was behind him sitting quietly just staring blankly at his menu.

“What’s with Zak?” I whisper to Alpha Henny.

He quickly glances backwards before facing me, “Don’t mind him, he’s contacting his wolf right now.”

“Oh.”

An awkward silence passed between us.

“You’ve been lying to me.” I started off, my voice sounding strained.

“I know.” He sighed defeated.

“No, I don’t think you do.” He looked at me confused, “there are things you are hiding from me, from the pack, besides all of this mates crap.”

I saw an emotion quickly flicker through his dark irises. I wasn’t able to decipher though.

“How do you know?”

“It doesn’t matter how I know, just that I do.”

He rubbed his face with his large hands before leaning back in his seat, “ In my old pack, I was the Alphas son. I was in line to receive the title but due to the circumstances that left me mateless no one thought it would be fit of me to lead the pack without my Luna by my side. It was passed on to another man.”

“What about Brady?”

“C’mon Venus, he was bullied in our last pack. It was for being scrawny; now wait until they found out that his Luna would be a male. They would’ve thought that two Alphas would be running the place.”

That’s right. Brady likes guys so it would only make sense that his mate be a man.

“Oh…” I whispered quietly.

Alpha Henny sighed before continuing, “ I was deemed unfit to run a pack for this mark I bear.” He gestured to his leather bracelet, “and for that mark I suffered and left the pack. It was made easier since I was just chasing after Brady. He couldn’t take it anymore either.”

Oh dear goddess, I just wanted to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be alright. He had been through so much

“Does anyone know about your past?” I practically whisper.

“Besides Zak and Nick? No.” he shook his head as he said no, “if the members of the ThunderBird pack were to find out about this mark, they would see me as weak as well as unfit and over throw me. Then were would that leave us? On the streets.”

I looked at my hands in my lap.

“They protested my position as Alpha when I first took it up, then after claiming one of them as their Luna they have become more stated. I only occasionally get a challenge, rather than every other day when I first arrived here.”

I nodded but kept my gaze on my hands. I’m not one of them. They can’t be happy that such a weak human girl was placed as Luna.

Then again, a Luna doesn’t need to be strong like an Alpha she just needs to be a Luna. The ThunderBirds have been without a Luna for so long.

I am not her though.

I can’t be her.

I am not going to be one of them just because it benefits them

I am not.

I was shunned and now because I bear some sort of value of them they are quick to consider me as one of them!

Calm down Venus. Take a deep breathe.

I deeply inhaled, then slowly exhaled.

Another awkward silence passed between us.

“I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat, “about claiming you as mine.”

My head snapped up and I quirked an eyebrow, did he really just flat out apologize?

“Why did you do it in the first place?”

He sighed and rubbed his face with his large hands again, “as Alpha I need a mate. A pack cannot function without a Luna. It was just easy to call you mine in that moment.”

I clenched my fist under the table and an angry fire started up inside my stomach, “that doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me!” I nearly shouted.

“If word got out that you weren’t, then I could lose my position as Alpha.”

I felt my jaw drop open and the fire within me begin to rise, “you think I would go around talking about how I wasn’t Luna to jeopardize your position?”

“I didn’t know you when that happened. You were just a quiet and interesting girl. Venus, to be fair, at that moment in time you hated me.”

I felt the angry fire in me start to quell, “you have a point.”

“Yeah, and I started to get to know you more… and I started to believe it myself that you are my Luna.”

His?

Well this explains his strange behavior.

I shook my head, “I can never be yours.”

His hand suddenly shot out to tuck a hair behind my ear, “please.”

I jerked my head away from his touch, “please what?” I asked narrowing my eyes.

“Please consider being mine.”