Feeling This...

I had been living with Avenged for a week and so far, Brian had avoided saying more than three words with me, or being trapped in a room with me for more than half an hour. That was why this particular moment in time was so awkward, or date.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Charlie, Happy Birthday to you,”

No matter how upset you are, you can't help but smile at a rambunctious group of people screaming to you over cake.

“Who wants a piece?” Val asked as she began cutting the cake while I backed away from the table, slowly feeling my face fall into the frown that had been present across it for a week.

“You know you want cake!” Jack sat beside me with a huge chunk of cake. I didn't know what to say, to any of them, today marked eighteen years of lies, from my friends and family. If you had asked me two months ago who I thought I would eventually end up with in the end, my answer would have always been Jack, we went together like mac and cheese, we always had. He had played the part of knight in shining armor on multiple occasions; he was the first one to save me from myself. Now I knew we would never be together, he had a mate out there somewhere, just waiting to set eyes on him. It would be something world stopping that he couldn't resist, or at least that's how Val attempted to explain it to me, and it defiantly wasn't me. I had gotten more than a douse of reality over the last week and his part was the most sour bit, it wasn't the secrets whispered in the dark or the lies to my face, it was the fact Jack would never love me like I needed him to. Once he saw her, I wouldn't be but a thought in his head.

“Thank you for coming,” that was the only thing I could manage to say, especially as Brian came into the living room and sat in a chair beside my end of the couch.

“I wouldn't miss it for the world,” Jack too familiar smile made his eyes glisten, there was never any hint of sarcasm in his eyes, he always said what he meant.

Brian snorted, drawing attention to everyone in the room.

“You got something to say?” I asked him I may not be into the conversation mood but I always seemed to be in the arguing mood, specifically when it involved Brian.

“I was just appreciating his way with you,” he pointed his purple plastic fork between the two of us, “Both of you trying so hard to hold onto each other, even though it will never happen for you two,”

“Dude, do you have a problem or something?” Jack stood up, placing his plate beside me on the couch.
“No, well she is my problem, and not yours so I'm really not sure why you are here,” Brian stood as well.

“I'm not sure why either of you are here!” I joined them standing, “I don't know why we are celebrating my birthday at all, my parents are missing, I'm not a human or a wolf, I'm just here, and were eating cake like there is something to be happy about!” I took a deep breath, “ AND YOU!,” I pointed at Brian, “Have no right to question anything about me, I am nothing to you and you are nothing to me, so let me not be your PROBLEM anymore, forget about me!”

No one said anything as I stormed to the door, grabbing my purse and keys.

Once I was on the other side of the front door, I brushed the tears I didn't even know had formed off my face, only to a surprised feeling in my pocket, my phone.

My heart beat hoping it was a call from my mom, but it was only a text.

But it was her.

New Orleans was the last place I remember being. Happy Birthday.

No I love you, no be home soon, but she was telling me something, but I wasn't exactly sure what it was.

All I knew was that I'd need to tell my Uncle eventually but for now I wanted to see what I could do with it myself.

–

Brian's POV

My blood was boiling, watching those two look at each other, acting like their conversation was really about cake. Starring at each other like they were the only hope. I was her only hope.

But what pissed me off the most was the way I felt about her, my feeling towards her was stronger than I let on to any of them, I felt her move all over the house, I could sense her as long as she was in a few miles of me.

“Brian! Really?” Gena yelled from the kitchen table, still helping Val plate cake, the guys knew better than to mess with mate business, but I guess the girls didn't get that memo, they didn't feel it as strong as it was for the male, from my understanding it was a need for us, it was a want from them.

“Gena, mind your own business!” That earned me a growl from Zacky.

“Oh cool it Gates, Vengeance!” Matt finally made his stand, asserting his Alpha status. “Gena was right Haner, you couldn't just let her go, this was one of the only times she's been out of her room but to go to work in weeks!”

“You didn't see the way she was looking at this Mutt!” I felt the need to shift, anger flying out of no where, just thinking about her eyes expanding at his every thought her dreamy look, studying him.

“Brian, you need to lay off her, she's not feeling what you are, and Jack, you need to chill it with Charlie, you can't be her boyfriend anymore,” Matt continued to lecture, trying to side with all parties.

“I was never her boyfriend, I'm her best friend and no mate is going to change that!” Jack retorted at the group. “She doesn't even like you man,” he pointedly starred at Brian.

“She doesn't have to like me, she get's no choice in the matter,”

Neither did I.

–
Charlie's POV

“Mom, please pick up, I know you've got your phone,” I chocked on my own voice. “ I need your help, what did you mean New Orleans is that last you remember,”

The voice mail clicked showing I’ve run out of time.

I had no clue what she was talking about New Orleans, when did they go there? As far back as I could remember I had never left the state, now everyone keeps talking about a road trip that I was sure never happened.

“Nothing comes up when you put you're dads name in and New Orleans,” Josie sat in front of her lap top, looking as hung over as she felt.

“So have you always known you and I were werewolves?” I asked her, not being able to avoid the subject, I hadn't spoken to her since I found out.

“Since we were little, when I first changed, I ran over to your house, so excited we were going to be more than ourselves, we were going to be like that dude on Harry Potter!” I couldn't help but smile.
“But I guess news of my changing traveled faster than I could get over there, you're dad was outside, waiting for me, he told me you didn't know about werewolves yet and I couldn't say anything, and he promised I'd be the first person to know when I could tell you,” her face fell.

“How old were you?”

“Ten, the same year you left for the summer, or we all thought you left for the summer,”

“But I must have been in New Orleans, mom said that was the last place she remembered,”

“Unless she is talking about where she is now?”

“Why would she run away Josie, she would never leave me,”

“You never knew what you'll do to save your life,”

“What does she need saving from?”