Long Run

~ 3 ~

As I walk down the stairs I see my friends. They are busy setting up the food. Then Olivia notices me and screams.

"Birthday girl here!"

Everyone turns around and screams in unison.

"Happy Birthday Ivy!"

I smile.

"Thank you, guys."

Olivia takes control and says. "Okay, guys the food is outside. Beta John and Alpha Greg are outside cooking burgers, hot dogs, and skewer kebabs."

We still call Alpha Greg Alpha, my dad Beta John, and Luna Evelyn. They no longer have that title but out of respect. It's 2023 our pack became modernized. Alpha Simon doesn't mind. Alpha Greg ended the tradition of the pack house. He said that it did more harm than good.

I bunch of teenage boys living in one house can only lead to trouble. He believed teenagers should live with their families, train together with their Gamma, go to school, and help out at the resort.

The resorts are what kept this pack alive. We all have part-time jobs. I help out Luna Evelyn at the bakery. Olivia's mom and dad are in charge of the cleaning services at the resorts. It's their job to make sure the resorts are clean, Olivia on a busy day had to clean some rooms herself. In this pack, there is no job that is beneath us. We don't believe in omegas and we take pride in every job we do.

I take a minute and look at my friends. This is actually what I wanted. I am thankful to Dad and Luna Evelyn for not making this into a big party. I want to spend this day with my family and close friends.

I walk out to the backyard Dad and Alpha Greg are at the grill almost done cooking the meat. I look at the side table and it's filled with different salads, appetizers, and grilled vegetables.

Everyone grabs a plate and fills it up with food. We werewolves can eat, we have a high metabolism.

We all sit around the bin fire.

"So Ivy, did you find an apartment yet?" Owen asks me with a full mouth of spicy Asian cucumber salad.

I finish chewing my grilled zucchini before saying. "Yes, today."

All my friends started clapping, cheering, and congratulating me except Olivia.

"So, it's official. You will not change your mind? I was hoping you would find your mate today and he would help you cancel your running away plans." Olivia said with sadness in her eyes.

"Olivia I will be back, and I am not running away. You all know why I am doing this." I then address all my friends.

Everyone stops eating and looks at me. None of them are happy that I will be away but all understand that this is something I have to do.

"We know Ivy. We all are going to miss you when you are gone." Nora says and turns her body to Olivia and says. "Stop it, you know why she is going there, you are her best friend, you should support her and not make it harder for her."

Olivia becomes quiet, and a single tear rolls down her cheek then she says. "Sorry Ivy, I was being selfish. I know you will come back. Right? You will never leave us."

As soon as I open my mouth to reassure them, the words are stuck in my throat, they don't want to come out. I try again but it's like I lost my speech. My wolf started stirring and I started to get tingling in my fingertips.

What is going on? All my friends are looking at me. I started to get an aura which I usually get with my power surge.

No, no this can not happen, my hair is going to glow. I need to calm myself down. But I am calm. Why is this happening to me? I take a deep breath rapidly followed by a second one. This causes me to take extra oxygen in my lungs and then I can exhale, causing me to calm down.

"Happy Birthday Ivy!" I look towards the back door and I see Luna Evelyn behind the screen of the backyard door.

Daphne opens the screen door for her. Luna Evelyn has a large cake in her hands with two candles that say 18. Everyone's attention is now on the cake and not on me. Thank goodness, what was that? That never happened to me before. I shake it off and focus my attention on Luna Evelyn.

Luna Evelyn starts singing the Happy Birthday song and everyone joins in.

"Make a wish sweetheart." My Dad says as Luna Evelyn brings the cake closer.

I close my eyes, make a wish, and blow out the candles. I have a surge of energy flowing through my veins.

"Wow, the reflection from the candles made your hair glow, Ivy that was so cool." I hear Jason say.

"Okay, everyone finish up your food, and then we all can have cake." Luna Evelyn places the cake on the side table and cut pieces of cake placing them on the plates, for everyone to grab later.

Everyone goes back to talking and eating their food. I look around this is my family 8 of my closes friends, I grew up with them. So many memories. I am suddenly taken out of my train of thought with the most amazing smell hits my nose, the sweet, warm smell of chamomile.

The gentle breeze surrounds my whole body. It's so welcoming. I take a deep breath in...

I open my eyes the sweet chamomile smell is mixed with another. It's mixed with a smell of spring, meadow, and a laurel plant. The smell I am very familiar with.