The Alpha's Family

Stolen Violets

(Brett's POV)

I waited nervously at the door, a bouquet of flowers in my hands behind my back. I was still fuming from my conversation with Jackie, but I wasn't going to make it evident that her words had disturbed me. So to quell my doubts, here I was, at Emma's door.

The door opened. Hazel eyes framed with hipster glasses, prescription and not a fashion sense, peered at me shyly. Her untamed blonde curls looked as untamed as ever. She had to be at least a head shorter than me.
Emma's cheeks colored. "B-Brett," she said. She ran her fingers through her hair in a useless attempt to fix her hair. Not that I really cared about that. I thought it was cute, the way random curls of hair stuck out this way and that. "I didn't know you were coming over today."

I grinned. "Sorry," I said. "Here. Violets, your favorite. Right?"

Emma took them with a small smile on her face. "Yeah. You didn't have to," she said. "But thank you. Er, where'd you get them?"

I laughed nervously. "The garden," I admitted. "But it's okay. My dad won't notice a few missing violets. He's not terribly interested in flowers."

Emma made a face. "Brett!"

"Hey, come on, I risked it for you."

The blush was back. "Thank you," she said again.

"Hey, I was wondering," I announced shyly. I swallowed and told myself to calm down, that this was nothing. "I bought two tickets for the werewolf fair. I wanted to go with one of my siblings, but Kane and Emi are gone and I don't think Jackie wants to talk to me right now." For reasons that shouldn't be mentioned to you.

Emma pursed her lips. "Are you saying I'm just your substitute?"

Brett realized his mistake. "No!" he rushed out an explanation. "No. I mean, I would totally want to go with you even if they were all available."

"But?" she pressed.

"There's no but."

Emma knitted her eyebrows together in confusion before a wide, breathtaking smile took over. "Brett, is getting an extra ticket for one of your siblings just a cover up for getting a ticket for me?"

I flushed a bright red. She really was smart, or just plain cocky. I inwardly laughed at that. Emma wasn't the type of girl to be arrogant. In fact, she was pretty self conscious. Especially about her hair, which she claimed was the "spawn of all evil".

"You got me," I admitted. "Okay, so I got these tickets for the both of us and I really want you to come, and if you say no I'll drag Jackie along to make it look like she planned to come all along."

Emma beamed. "When you put it that way," she said, playfully tapping her finger against her chin to mock thinking too hard. "Hm... My gut tells me yes. I'd love to go with you."
I managed a relieved grin. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Emma nodded. "Oh, and Brett?"

"Yeah?"

"Try to take your mind off of Emi and Kane. They'll be fine." She offered a reassuring smile.

I nodded. "They can take care of themselves," I said, sure of myself now. "Bye, Emma!"

I almost skipped down the hallway, a very childish and not very manly thing to do, but I did have a little bounce in my step. I saw Jackie in the kitchen but she didn't notice me. If she did, she ignored me. Maybe she was still mad.

At what? At some love that she couldn't understand? I scoffed. Jackie was a stiff good girl. She was the type of girl that would go to Church on Sunday (but we're werewolves, so we don't believe in God) and complain about boys instead of flirting with them.

Not that it was any of my business. And my love life was none of hers, either.

I realized that I was outside. Red and orange leaves flew around in whirls of wind, creating mini tornadoes here and there. The forest trees were almost bare. The sky was a gloomy gray, the type that got your mood down. But not me.

I sighed and smiled at the sky.

"What's gotten into you?" I hadn't noticed Mom lounging on the steps. She stared at me through half-lidded green eyes. She had probably been napping out here, in the wind.

I blushed. "Nothing. Nevermind it."

She smiled. "Whatever, kiddo," her smile disappeared and she sat up. "By the way, do you know what happened to my violets?"

(One earful and a day later...)

Emma's eyes lit up at the sight of the fair. "Wow!" she gasped. "I haven't been here since I was little, when my mom used to take me."

I frowned. "What happened?"

She glanced at me with with sad- and something else that I couldn't quite place, an uncharacteristic spite- eyes. "You know," she whispered. "Everybody does. She went back to men. I guess I can't really blame her. It must be hard to raise a child alone."

And whose fault was that? Clara didn't even know who Emma's father was. Or at least, she hadn't told anyone. She was mateless as far as the pack knew. There were rumors that she was rejected for being promiscuous. I wasn't going to voice these thoughts, in case they would upset Emma.

After a short hesitation, I took her hand in mine and stroked it. She leaned her head on my shoulder. Her hair smelled like strawberries. I had the urge to run my free hand through her curls.

"Brett?" her voice soft and unguarded. "Don't worry about me, okay? I can tell you're worrying."

She was right. I was wondering how she managed to be a good student and a cheerful person when her life was like this. She wasn't putting on a show to please others, was she?

Instead of answering, I gripped her hand and pulled her toward the fair entrance. She didn't resist. I could tell that she knew I had purposely avoided answering her question. I couldn't not worry about her.

After all, I was kind of in love with her. I had been ever since we were little.

I thought I smelled something filthy in the air. Not like trash, but something furry and out of place. I tensed my shoulders. Something was wrong.

However, I lost the scent once we handed in our tickets and were thrown into a throng of werewolves. Strange smells from different werewolves were mixing. It must've just been that. I relaxed slightly, but I wasn't entirely reassured.

I didn't smell the same filthy scent for the rest of the night.

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Hey, guys! I'm baaaack!

Oh my God, I took so long to update, didn't I? You guys must hate me. But guess what? It's summer. So screw school right now, I'm free (not that I don't have summer homework)! Actually, if you really want the truth of my absence, I've given in to anime and books. >.<

Vote for the sake of Brett's love. (Just imagine him holding a rose up to the sky, okay?)

Comment. Please. Just because.

Follow, because I'll be happy and you'll be happy (hopefully) and I have donuts.

Until next time, my faithful canaries.