Chapter 4

 

I walk across the stage to receive my diploma.. Reciting my speech in my head… I graduated! Dean’s list.. top of my class.. as such, Valedictorian is mine by right. I am proud of myself! I have achieved a myriad of accolades and achievements, in my 24 months here.

After I delivered my speech, I rush out to find Caleb.. finding him, in a group of my friends.. I run. He catches me and swings me around.. kissing me all over my face. I laugh, as he tells me “I am so proud of you! You are going to do such great things!”

We head out to have dinner, at an exclusive restaurant in town.. one over from Sacred Moon, as Caleb has to return tonight. Walking in, he gives his name and we are seated.

We order drinks and he asks “Have you kept up with your training?” I grin and nod “Of course! I bet I could give you a run for your money now!” He chuckles and mutters something about always betting.

The server takes our dinner order and I ask “How have things been? Even though I am not pack, I still worry about them.. with the exception of the few, the people mean a lot to me.”

He smiles “I know they do! Not a day goes by, that someone doesn’t ask about you. Luna Bridget asks every day.. but she does so covertly. The pack is going to hell. You were right when you said Anderson would be a weak Alpha. It’s like following behind a two year old.. constantly cleaning up his messes. He spends a fortune in pack funds.. keeping Amelia in the style she is accustomed to. Delusions of grandeur. You called it.. It’s just a matter of time. But, tell me! Which offer did you accept?”

I smile.. very proud of all the packs.. and different species seeking my council. One, in particular, caught my eye.. and after deliberating a good month or so, I decided to accept.. and am pleased with myself!

I tell him “I accepted the Draconian Pack.. in Alaska! It’s only twenty miles from Grandma’s old pack.. Heartsong. I am so excited. They paid me a four hundred grand retainer for the next two years. There is a lot of cases pending.. in regards to land rights.. mineral rights.. natural gas.. as well as oil. I’m going to be a busy little puppy for awhile! Gotta earn my keep!”

He laughed “Holy shit! When will I ever get to see you!? I refuse to go more than six months without my hugs and cuddles!” I smiled, taking his hand, I said “I will be down in the lower 48, frequently, I believe. A lot of these hearings will bheld at council headquarters.. we can get together, then.. yeah?”

He nodded vigorously “I can live with that! I can’t tell you how very proud I am of you, Rori! You have overcome so much! Against the odds, you have healed.. and moved forward! I know it wasn’t easy. I admire your strength!”

I grinned and said “You don’t know how strong you can be, until being strong is all you have left. I worry about Axel, Caleb! Tell him I am sorry. That he needs to be strong, too!”

He shakes his head “My little sister. Always caring! Always worried about everyone else. I love you, peanut! You know that, right!?” I smiled and said “Not everyone, Bubba! You. The pack! And Axel! Everyone else can kiss my ass, if they can catch it flying by!”

He laughed and hugged me. We said our goodbyes and he left to go home.. I drove away.. in search of my new tomorrow!

Caleb’s POV ~

I arrived home, to chaos! I walked in and Amelia screamed “Where have you been? What kind of Beta deserts his pack when you knew Alpha Draco is due to arrive in the morning!?”

I shrugged “My sister graduated today.. and there was no way I would miss that! For your information, everything is ready for the Alpha’s visit. It’s your job as Luna, to make all the arrangements.. as you are well aware! But nope! You like to play princess and dress up in your slutty dresses, taking all the credit, as usual. You should thank the Goddess for the talented and accomplished staff in the pack house.. but I seriously doubt she’d listen to you!”

I walked into Anderson’s office, to find him brooding.. once again. I poured a glass of bourbon and sat across from him. I waited for him to speak. When he did, he asked where I had gone.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose “Anderson.. for two weeks.. Two weeks! You have known my sister was graduating Summa Cum Laude from university today! She was Valedictorian and no fucking way was I missing her speech.. or her big day!”

He sneered “Yeah! Well, you have another sister who is falling apart trying to get everything done for the Alpha’s visit tomorrow! She needed her big brother’s help!”

I laughed “First of all! I only have ONE sister.. secondly, I don’t know what bullshit smokescreen Amelia’s throwing up for you, but absolutely everything for Alpha Draco’s visit has been done for three days, Anderson! Your mate is utterly useless when it comes to arranging any event for this pack! It always falls to me.. the staff.. or Your Mother! Two fucking years, Anderson! And she’s still utterly useless! But you can’t see past your own dick to realize that!”

He tried snarling at me.. but it came out as a whine.. “Your family needs you to be present, Caleb! Amelia needs to know you care! You have to get over Aurora. She isn’t even a member of this pack, anymore! Her life is not your business!”

I actually did snarl “MY sister is a successful attorney.. working for the Draconian Pack.. and she is well aware of how much I love her! I disowned Amelia and her parents when they decided my sister didn’t matter! I am only beta because Aurora made me promise to be here for Axel! Not you! Your wolf! You don’t get it! You don’t have a clue how destroyed she was! You didn’t even care that she was in such agony.. such excruciating pain her last night in this pack that Isla nearly clawed her to death to stop the pain! So.. don’t give me that ‘poor Amelia’ bullshit when the pair of you nearly killed my sister!”

He mutters “I didn’t know. I thought since she rejected me.. she wouldn’t feel it. I swear, Caleb. I didn’t know!”

I scoffed “Again! Bullshit! You didn’t accept the rejection until the next day! You did it deliberately! Maliciously! You fucking knew, Anderson! Even You are not that ignorant!”

I stormed out and went to the study. Pouring another bourbon, I sat down and texted Aurora to make sure she had stopped for the night. She texted back and said she had and would FaceTime after her shower.

I looked up as my ex-Dad walked in.. he asked “Son, may I speak with you?” I shrugged and said “sure.. but I am Caleb.. not Son!” He sighed.. and sat across from me.

He said “Your mother and I.. okay, okay.. Allison and I would like to know what we can do to earn your forgiveness. Our family has been fractured for two years and it’s destroying us. We can’t continue this way! The pack is talking!”

I chuckle “Seriously? Fractured? That shit is fucking broken, Chancey! You ask what you can do. I doubt there’s anything you can do. Can you turn back time? Can you undo the past twenty years? Accept that you gave birth to twin daughters and treat them equally? Can you erase the night I nearly lost my sister as she bled out on the floor of a room she was no longer welcome in because her wolf didn’t want to survive the loss of her mate? Get back to me, when you can change the past and make it right!”