Second Chances

Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Meetings

April 1, 2011

The cool breeze of Kansas’s springtime air washed over my body. The wind brought the smell of rain, but also of the wet wolves of the North. Yeah… Wet wolf was not a pleasant smell.

Finally, 11:00 p.m. had rolled around. The entire pack was standing before me, as I stood on the fountain placed in the exact center of the village. Behind the wolves stood the non-werewolves, such as the human and witch mates.

“Good evening!” I shouted to them. They cheered in response. “Tonight, we welcome Leigh Lancaster!” I gestured to the blonde woman, who was cross-armed next to me.

“Hello,” she said, her voice clear and strong despite the delicacy of her mouth. “I am from the Northern pack, though not a werewolf myself.”

So she had a mate up there?

Her eyes flashed to mine, shining brightly in the moonlight. They were familiar somehow, though I don’t ever remember being close to someone with brown eyes. I could only remember blue and green eyes growing up. “No mate. Just doing Tallulah a favor.” Then those eyes told me something: ‘this is a clue to my comment at lunch’. Her eyes soon fell back to the crowd, though, lips pursed ever so slightly.

I stared at her a second longer, but also returned my attention to my pack. “An enemy will become an ally! The Northern and Southern wolf packs of Kansas will be joined!”

Becky, in front of me on the ground, grinned. Because of the wind – which was the typical carry a person away speed – her hair was an absolute mess resembling a child’s crayon box. “Steph – you better be bringing Cody to meet me! I must approve!” With that, she pumped her fist into the air.

“No probs, baby!” shouted Steph back, somewhere in back. The younger wolves howled with laughter. I can faintly recall a time where I would have been part of that.

Dammit. I had to stop living in the past. I wasn’t ever getting it back.

A smile started to tug at Leigh’s lips, her eyes fondly watching them. As if she knew them. Her lips moved slightly, mouthing something like, “Never change.”

“I’m bored,” announced Becky, leaning against the edge of the fountain. I know she was my baby sister, but she was 19 years old. Obviously, maturity was beyond her reach. “I mean, I know it’s only 11:05 now, but can we eat? You know, I’m getting hungry. Haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“She allowed us no time for dinner,” Della interjected, an annoyed look painting her face. “Jeez, couldn’t spare five minutes for a goddamned hotdog!”

I think that was the only reason people actually showed up to the late night meetings. Food, and the fact that Becky would somehow start a riot.

“Go eat everyone, then.” I rolled my eyes. “And remember: Don’t do… Everything you were doing, and Tallulah won’t hunt us down and kill you all one by one while I watch from the sidelines as per usual.

“Was that an attempt at humor?” mockingly gasped Becky, placing her hand over her mouth in faux surprise.

“No,” I dryly replied, rolling my eyes again.

“If you keep doing that, you’ll mess your eyes up, and they’ll get stuck like that!” She imitated our mother, a werewolf that had gone rogue twelve years ago.

“Shut up and go stuff your face, Rebecca!” I snapped, running my hand through my hair.

“Gladly.” She then proceeded to grab Wyatt’s hand, and skip down the cobblestone street (the former Alpha’s wife had loved design, and because of that the Southern Kansas pack had the nicest village out of all the other werewolf packs). Yes, even Wyatt skipped. Lovesick idiot.

“I can tell who wears the pants in that relationship.”

I turned to find Leigh – with her arms stilled crossed. “Miss Lancaster.”

“Call me Leigh,” she corrected quickly, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. Those eyes…

“I’m not sure what to think of you,” I admitted. My eyes were trained on the chocolate irises, trying to catch anything from them that would give me a clue as to what she meant earlier in the diner. She gave me nothing.

“Well,” she began, walking my way. “You think I’m pretty, obviously. But there could be other reasons you’re always watching me?”

There was a pull I felt towards her. Whether or not it was curiosity, I wouldn’t know. But there was some sort of attraction.

“You’re thinking about it,” she told me, carefully stopping right in front of me. So close, I could feel her breathing against my neck. To smell her scent – another thing about her that seemed familiar to me. It was like the ocean. Brittanie loved the ocean, having spent her summers in Hawaii.

“You’re right,” I admitted the truth to her again. For some reason, I couldn’t lie to her. “Are you a witch?”

“No. One hundred percent human.” A ghost of a bitter smile crept onto her lips.

“Are you going to join the others?” I asked, motioning towards the building in which the others had gathered. Every meeting I called, people brought an endless amount of food. Vera Barclay especially.

When the wind kept whipping her hair back into her eyes, she took to tucking it behind her ears. “No,” she replied, shaking her head. “I don’t think I will. Not until you do, of course.”

“Why not? I’m not your Alpha.”

She shook her head again. “You don’t want me to leave, so I can’t.”

“Why not?” I demanded.

Rubbing her hand on the back of her neck, she said, “You really don’t know anything about the secrets of the supernatural, do you? That was why Ivan was to be the Alpha. He knows so much more about this life than you.”

“Get the hell out of here!” I growled at the sound of his name.

“Thank you.”