Cold as Winter

I pull my sweaty self to my room on the main floor. Almost too high on adrenaline I jump to a crouch when Sara opens her door.

She gives me a raised eye brow, her hazel eyes searching my matching pair for a sign of danger.

"Good morning Maria, you know you don't have to fight me to be alpha. Just ask." Sara says leaning on her door frame, now fully examining me.

Oh God, she can tell.

"I'm good sis. But if you want to give me power, just give me some more allowance and I'll get by." I say trying to avert her attention.

I fail miserably, she knows. She knows I don't care about money.

She sighs.
"Maria, can we talk?" She says.

"Sis, we are talking."

"Maria, let's go to your room." She states, not even needing her alpha powers to compel me to obey.

"Why...why don't we go to your room." I breathe. What's the point now of feeble resistance, she probably knows.

Sara straightens from the door frame, her muscles flexing as she strides to my door. She flicks the handle and sits on the bed.

Her eyes are locked on mine. I walk in and plop onto the suitcase that I brilliantly left in the middle of my carpet.

"The pack link is strong you know. Especially between family members, that's why it's easy for me to tell when something is wrong with you. Even without the link Sara, I know somethings up. I won't force you to tell me, you know that. I just want you to trust me. Before I am your alpha, I'll always be your sister."

"Did you hear something on the line?" I say, peeling fresh mud out of my fingernails. The disgusting feeling of my nails reminding me of disgust of myself. Is it really okay for me to want to leave?

"I want to hear it from you." Maria says.

I look at her long linen pajamas, so loose and soft and against her muscled figure. The idea that she could be reasoning with me always reminds me that she's not much older than I am, but at the same time her life experience from a decade more of life, of time with my parents makes her a bit different. The strength of her presence makes me feel vulnerable.

Our personalities are so different, where she is strong and a little carefree as she rules the pack, winging it as she goes. I feel weak and dependent on my plans. I feel unsure. But she is sure.

And she probably knows.

"I'm not going far, just to America." I hurl at her.

"You're leaving Saskatchewan for the U.S? I thought you might end up in Toronto actually." She smiles lightly.

"I...I'm not really into the big city, I want to go somewhere different."

"So when were you going to tell me?" Maria stands, almost looming over me. Her brown curls clipped back give me a full view of her fierce battle face.

"I...I " I glance down at the suitcase, packed and ready. At any moment I could have escaped. Just left her. Left my sister. Somehow I had planned that as if she's not the strongest link to my heart.

"No, Maria please don't be sad." Sara holds me in her arms and my face burns.

"I'm sorry." I say.

Maria punches my arm.

"I'll take you down you know that?" I huff through tears.

"Yeah, you big cry baby I can see that."

The tears subside and my sister gives me a quizzical look.

"I know I haven't had as much time for you as before Maria, but I just want you to know I love you. You can go." My heart leaps.

"But, will you at least tell me something? Where are you going?"

I wipe my sweaty teary face. I wipe my hands and smile. The acceptance from my sister makes me feel whole again.

"You know the place where Richard's mate Lisa came from? When mom and dad became alphas there was a whole issue down there where they found the lost Alpha and they all celebrated for a few weeks?"

"Are you looking for drama Maria? I think it's over now." Sara says pinching my cheek.

I pull away and roll my eyes. Smiles dancing on our faces.

"I'm going to Lost Crescent Sara, and I can feel it calling me." I say.

Sara's eye brows raise lightly and she grins so wide I remember when she met Adam, her mate.

"Oh, so it's like that, eh? Well then, I guess I better call Alpha Stone!" Sara says and rushes from my room.

I take the opportunity to slip into the shower. At last I start to feel refreshed.