Chapter 8

It was cute watching them together. First, meeting at that diner, then Krewe sneaking into the party, and last but not least, Krewe coming to the rescue during my dear half-sisters first shift. What even brought them together? The Goddess wasn't a good woman. She didn't perform acts of kindness like this. No! She destroyed love and tore people apart. Making wolves be bound to a lover called a mate for like. Sickening.

She tore my family apart. That's why I'm here. Just watching and waiting for my time to strike.

My mother ended up finding her fated mate when he came to visit our pack. My mother and father hadn't marked each other yet, as I came as a surpise to the two of them. They wanted to wait till I was year before mating. My mother believed in fated mates and wasn't ready to have a chosen mate. My father was in love with her , and he believed she would choose him in the end. So when her mate came along, they fell in love instantly. My father chased them out, including her entire family. Except for me. He wouldn't allow me to leave with her. She moved on, obviously, because nine years later, my baby sister, Sawyer, was born.

My father kept me until I was 8, at which point he met his fated mate, who then gave birth to my baby brother, Krewe. Apparently, I was no longer a part of the family. My father had a new hier who would be next in line for Alpha. My father cast me to the wild to survive on my own.

I was taken in by a couple from Hope Springs. They found me wandering on the side of the highway, with nowhere to go. They cared for me and gave me a home. They didn't know I was a wolf, though. That's alright because I'd sneak away. Sneak out of school, sneak out of the house, just to make it back to the pack and watch. I got good at masking my scent and sneaking around. I watched my father. I watched his family, just as I had done to my mother after I found out which pack they belonged to. I was even there the day my father killed my mother. I felt sorry for Sawyer. However, she now lived close to me, and I promised myself then that I would be her guardian. I would love her and protect her.

All this time, my father could have found her and killed her. They lived just a couple of hours away. But my aunt and uncle were smart. They kept her hidden close by. He would never have suspected that.

One day, when the time was right, I would introduce myself to her. We would take back our pack and rule it together. However, once I shifted and then later on realized she didn't, I knew something in my plan would be ruined. She was under some curse or spell. What had my mother done to her? Or maybe it was my aunt and uncle?

However, here we are at 27 and 18, finally able to complete my goal of taking back the Full Moon Pack and reviving what was lost.

I was her teachers assistant for math. I was finishing up a teaching diploma at college and asked to be placed at her high school. I would use that as my way in. It was smart, and no one would suspect a thing. At first, I didn't have any communication with her. Then, when her grades started to slip, I asked her to stay late to help her with her studies. We would meet weekly. We built a trust and a friendship. She would even wave hello at me in the halls when we weren't meeting. She recognized me, and it made me the happiest I've ever been.

I just didn't understand why Krewe kept coming around. Why was he watching her? Why did she take a liking to him? Why did he get to help her through her first shift?

I saw her as she quickly left the school to sit on the bench. I noticed the signs of her spiraling, not knowing what was happening to her body. It was finally happening. But then he was there. Where had he come from? Why was here here again? It didn't make sense. They shouldn't know each other. She was mine. We had plans.

"Mr. Henderson?"

I kept watching their interaction, even as they moved into the woods.

"Mr. Henderson?!"

I was on my way to accidentally bump into her and realize she wasn't feeling well, so I could offer my help. He beat me to it, though. What did she even like about him?

"Hello! Mr. Henderson?"

"Yes, yes, sorry. How can I help you?"

"We have a study session planned but saw you leaving. I was hoping you weren't leaving because I really need my grades to improve and could really use the help of the study session."

"Sorry, you're right. I do have something planned," I looked at my agenda, "I do apologize...."

"Cameron, sir. Cameron Hughes."

"Ah yes, right here. Cameron Hughes. Lunch time study session."

"That's right! Where should we go?"

"The math class. It's fine. Let's head there now."

"Perfect. Thanks for keeping it. It looked like you were worried and really needed to leave. I would have understood, but I'm so happy you have agreed."

Why wouldn't this kid just shut up.

"Mr. Henderson! Are you coming?"

I realized I hadn't budged from the spot I had been standing in as I watched Krewe and Sawyer.

"Yes, sorry again."

My feet started to move as I followed the student. My mind was with Sawyer, though, and the urge to make sure she was alright.