Long Run

~ 2 ~

I finally reached the top of the mountain. I plopped down next to my huge boulder. He became one of my best friends. In the last six years I have told him everything, he knows everything about me, my deepest secrets, my heartbreaks, and my happiness.

"Good morning Wilson. Today is my birthday. I am finally eighteen. I can sense my mate now, but I am not going to worry about that now, my main focus right now is culinary school. I am leaving..." I tell Wilson out loud.

I fell in love with cooking and baking. I spend a lot of time with ex-Luna Evelyn. She became my mom's best friend. She is the only one that loves to talk about my mom. Dad not so much. I guess it's painful for him. Evelyn always talks about how they baked together. How my mom was so good at creating new recipes. How they opened a bakery together. How they woke up at 4 in the morning to start baking and their husbands were not a fan of them waking up to a cold bed.

As I sit next to Wilson enjoying my view. My phone goes off. I take it out of my messenger bag and I see a message from Evelyn.

-Good morning my sweet sweet girl. Happy Birthday! I am so proud of you. Your mom would be too. I hope you have a great run. See you tonight.

I smile at her message. I should head back. I have to complete my registration for culinary school. I was accepted three months ago, now I need to attend virtual orientation, after orientation get my supplies, and rent an apartment.

I am going to culinary school in Miami. That is where my mom is from. My mom never told my Dad anything about her family. I don't know if I have grandparents, uncles, aunts, or cousins. I don't know what I am looking for there but I need to go there. I have a strong desire to do so. When I told my dad my plans last year he was not happy but I promise him that I will come back, help Luna Evelyn run the bakery, and maybe work at Alpha's resort as a head chef.

Our town is in the middle of the mountains with great nature springs. Ex-Alpha Greg build resorts around them. In winter it's one of the best places to ski.

I take out my water bottle from my messages bag open it and drink the whole bottle. I then get up, pat Wilson goodbye, and start running down the trail. It's so much easier to go down the hill.

As I am half a mile away I halt in my step. I am breathing fast from my run, I am taking big gulps of air. It smells of pine trees, nature, what I smell usually but there is something new it's now mixed in with raw honey, vanilla bean, and chamomile.

"No, no it's my mate."

My wolf Devon became restless inside my head, clawing to come out.

"My mate. I need my mate" Devon tells me.

I ignore her.

I never smelled something so good. The smell consumed me with a warm feeling. I have not met my mate yet but I feel the love for him already.

"Wait, what how can that be?"

I take a deep breath and in my mind, I manifest for my mate not to recognize me. I have a surge of energy floating through my veins, it means it worked. Since the day when I run away, jump out the window, and hid my scent. I learn that I can basically manifest anything I want.

The first three months when I found out I can do that it was really fun. Got straight As without studying. Able to climb a tree with ease. And also I could recall any memory I wanted.

Except for the one I really wanted... To see my mom's face. My Dad said my mom did skin-to-skin with me after she gave birth to me, she breastfeed me. Four hours after giving birth my mom started to bleed, the doctors said she went into DIC which is something that can happen to humans, a very dangerous postpartum hemorrhage.

One night I spend the whole night trying to remember. It's like that memory is in the fog. It's like I almost had it but then it just escaped me. I felt so weak after that night, trying to remember her, I slept for two days straight.

My dad was so worried about me, werewolves don't get sick. He called the doctor and everything. After that, I never tried it again, I did not want to bring suspicion. I cried so hard that night trying to remember. The one thing I wanted the most I could not have.

That gift can be a blessing or a curse. Why do I have it? Why am I different? Are there more like me? So many questions that I never shared with anyone, not even my Dad.

I take a minute for this whole mate thing to sink in. I have a mate!! I will not reveal to him who I am until I come back from Miami. I need to do this for myself. What if he does not let me go or even worse I will fall so much in love that I will change my mind about going to Miami? No, no I need to do this for myself. Block him for now.

I started running again, came home took a shower, and blow dry my hair straight. I know Dad and Luna Evelyn have something planned for me tonight.

I sit with my laptop and finish all my registration for culinary school. I looked for an apartment. I found one it's very cute, close to school, to the beach, and it's fully furnished. I contacted the landlord, he did a quick virtual tour and he will be sending over the contract for my dad to sign by email for a month-to-month lease.

Okay, everything is ready I am leaving in two weeks. As I close my laptop I hear voices in the kitchen and outside in the back yard. I walk over to the window and I see some of my friends from school setting up the bond fire pit. Olivia and Jason are already arguing. Jason told Olivia how she should be placing the lounge chairs and of course, Olivia did not like that. I can not hold my smile watching them.

"Ivy."

I turn my attention from the window and I see my dad at the entrance of my room. He walks into my room and opens up his arms for a hug. I welcome his embrace and circle my arms around his waist. I am 5' 9 but my Dad is 6' 5, his arm circles my shoulders as I hide my face in his chest.

"Happy Birthday my beautiful girl. You look so much like your mother. You have her hair, her eyes, her smile, and you are kind like her. I am so grateful she gave me you. Life would be so empty without you."

He kisses my forehead and hugs me tight.

"Come on get ready, all your friends are here." He lets go of me and leaves the room for me to change.

I walk into my walk-in closet, I put on my blue floral ruffle short dress, and head downstairs.