More Than Anything

3

 I'm never drinking again.

I take another sip of my coffee as I wait for my stack of pancakes. This morning wasn't my best from all my drunken nights but it definitely wasn't my worst.

I look around the resturaunt reading the old rustic signs that hang from the walls. Soon my pancakes are set down in front of me. I cut the stack up drowning the pieces in syrup before taking a bite.

The pancakes were amazing! They are the most perfect pancakes I have ever tasted. After eating the warm goodness and drinking my coffee, I pay my bill and step out of the restaurant. The sun comes blasting down on me and I immediately pull out some sun glasses pushing them onto my eyes.

My headache was finally starting to settle making me decide to walk around town for a little bit.

I pull out my phone checking to see if Brooke has called yet. She has called me everyday since I left 6 months ago. She is something else. It is only about to be 12:00 so I put my phone away knowing she would call me later on tonight.

Besides Brooke I had 2 other sisters and 2 brothers. In order it was Blake, Beatrice, Blair, Brody, Brooke, and then me. Lot of B's but my mom and dad are Bridget and Bryan so they thought it be funny.

As I think about my family I feel an ache in my heart that I have been feeling for a week or so. I was ready to go home and after this one last adventure, I probably would. My family is the dearest thing to me and being apart from them has already started to take its toll on me.

I take a deep breath breathing in the clean air letting it settle me like it always does when something's bothering me. I take another breath but notice something off in the air, something different.

And before I could smell it any longer it was gone. That was odd. I decide it must be me going crazy and I probably have just been out in the hot sun for way to long before turning around and heading back to the motel.

Once I'm there I turn on the tv on some random channel and I change clothes. I put on a clean pair of jean shorts and a new top before setting a timer on my phone and laying down for a quick nap.

...

I wake to the sound of ringing in my ear. I lean up on my elbows grabbing my phone and noticing its not my timer but my mom calling.

"Hello." I answer in a gruff voice.

"Bell baby is that you?" My moms frantic voice calls out through the phone. I tense up at the sound of her voice.

"Yes, what is it mamma?" I ask my voice now matching hers.

"It's Brooke," I hear her sobbing Into the phone, "Her mate, Clayton, he-he- he killed her." she crys out.

I breath in a deep breath looking around the empty motel room as if it will some how tell me my mother is lying.

"W-what?" I say breathlessly into the phone. I feel my breath being pulled away from me as I gasp out for air.

"I'm so sorry I had to tell you this way sweetie," she says sniffling. "Take your time coming back or rush back which ever will be better for you. I've got to go, I'll talk to you later. Bye honey." my mom says then hangs up.

The line goes dead but I don't let the phone leave my ear. I'm frozen in shock not beliving the words that just came out of my mother's mouth. The phone suddenly drops from my hand as a wave of unimaginable reasons why anyone would ever hurt there mate come to mind.

Tears are springing at my eyes but don't seem to fall out. I wipe from under my eyes only to wipe away nothing.

Anger fills my soul before I can even think of the fucked up man that must have been my sisters mate. I hope he rots in hell. I feel an anger and hatred so powerful that I could kill him with my bare hands if my brothers and sisters haven't already.

It's not a bad idea. I think about it for a moment before grabbing my keys and walking out the motel door. I crank my car and look at the time 7:00. I might as well be drunk when I kill the bastard.

My anger clouds all rationality as I drive fast toward the swinging donkey. I pull in slamming my door before walking into the bar. As soon as I'm seated the bartender is there.

"Give me the strongest thing you got and give me lots of it." I tell the bartender. He looks at me for a moment before nodding and pulling a bottle of fancy whiskey down off a shelf.

I grab the bottle by the neck slapping 100 dollars down on the counter before taking the cork off and putting the alcohol to my lips.

I wanted to kill the son of a bitch. I want to rip his head right off his body. How could he ever even think about putting his hands on Brooke! He had hell coming his way if he even though he was getting away easy.

I drink and drink the strong whiskey until the bottle is empty. I'm stumbling on the floor and still angry as hell. My legs are tingling like wasp are constantly stinging them and the whole room is spinning to where I can't see anything.

But still all I could think about was my dead sister and her murderous mate. God damnit! I stood up from the stool falling down trying to get to the bathroom. I get onto my feet before i walk and wobbling to the bathroom.

My knees smash on to the white tiles of the bathroom floor as I throw up everything I had eaten all day. I cry as I grip the toilet seat as hard as I can. The tears are flowing from my eyes now as the reality sets in to my vague brain. My sister, Brooke, is gone. I scream and cry from sorrow and anger.

As I cry a smell so strong and seeps into my nose. I push myself off of the floor.  I wobble out of the bathroom down the hallway until I'm propped on a wall looking at the glass doors of the bar.

The smell is a hundred times stronger now as I stand looking at Troy walk through the door. He looks at me his eyes widening at my boozy state.

"Tr- Troy," I slur falling into his arms as I try to walk towards him. He holds me up keeping me from falling as his friends walk through the door but there is someone knew and as he comes in the smell follows him. My eyes are trying to close as I'm completely limp In Troy's arms but I fight to keep my eyes open as the new guy looks up and meets my eyes.

It's like gravity stops. Time stands still. My heart stops in my chest and I know that this man is my mate.

And he knows to.

"Mine." He growls out.