The Pack

Ch. 16

Ariana woke up with excitement. In fact, she barely slept at all from how excited she was for her birthday. She was finally a teenager (which obviously makes her cool) and she would finally be like her big brothers and sister. She climbed out of her bed eagerly and caught a glimpse of her sleeping little brother. She rolled her eyes. They had shared a room since he was born but what teenager wants to share a room with her eight year old brother? She wanted her own room so she could have privacy and she could have sleepovers with friends. But unfortunately she would always have to share a bathroom with the future messy boy. That's what happens in a big family, the young ones get the short end of the stick while the older ones each get their own room and bathroom. When Willow eventually moves out the rooms will shift and then Ariana will get her own bathroom. But who knows when that's gonna happen. So she quietly crept out of bed and passed her brother so she could leave the room. When she opened the door she was faced with pink streamers and a banner. Her face lit up and she audibly gasped. She covered her mouth quickly and looked to Tommy to see if it had woken him up. She was safe and she quickly but quietly closed the door. She passed through her streamers in the doorway and admired the banner hanging on the wall. The words "Happy Birthday" sparkled with glitter and it got her even more excited for what surprises awaited her. Then she noticed underneath the banner was a hand drawn arrow on a piece of blank paper. The arrow pointed down the hall, towards the den. She jumped with anticipation as she followed the arrow and reached the door to see a sign that read "open for a big surprise!" She couldn't help but grin as she reached for the handle and turned the knob. The door swung open and her jaw dropped. "Surprise!" Her family exclaimed as they jumped from their hiding spots. But that's not what surprised Ariana, it was the room itself. It was completely transformed from a cozy family area into a bedroom. The walls were painted baby pink and had silver butterfly decals. There was a bed with a wooden bed frame and canopy drapes with pink bed sheets. There was a desk, a book nook with a comfy bean bag chair, and a wood armoire. 

"You read my mind!" She exclaimed. A room of her own. 

"Not quite." Her mom smiled, coming up to her and leading her inside to get a better look. 

"How did you guys do all this?" Ariana asked, sure that she would have heard or seen construction and the moving of furniture. 

"We can get a lot done when you're at school and practice." Her dad smiled. 

"Your dad built the bed and the armoire himself." Caroline acknowledged her husband's achievements. The two of them locked eyes as a silent conversation of appreciation was exchanged. Ariana ran straight up to him and embraced him in a tight hug. He smiled as he hugged her back. 

"It's perfect dad, thank you." She spoke. 

"Anything for you." He replied, gently smoothing her hair. She stepped back and looked up at him with a grin. Then she heard a picture snapping and flash go off. She turned to Caelum who had his phone held up and he began laughing. 

"Your hair is a mess!" He cackled. She got angry at her meathead brother. 

"You know I can transform now so I can take you." She threatened him. 

"Just because you can transform doesn't mean you're any stronger. You gotta work for it." He replied and flexed his large arm muscles. Willow rolled her eyes and shoved her brother. 

"You work out to make your muscles big, it doesn't enhance your strength at all." She pointed out. Then she looked to her little sister. "You can definitely take him in a fight." She assured her.

 "Says the girl who's stronger than all of us." Caelum complained and Willow flashed a grin.

 "Actually, I'm stronger than all of you." Eric reminded them, playing along with the banter. Ariana's eyes lit up with an idea. 

"On the next full moon we should have a wrestle match!" She suggested excitedly. She was definitely looking forward to spending the full moon with them instead of staying at the house. Her siblings nodded, knowing it would be fun to have a little competition. Her parents, had mixed looks. Eric smiled but his eyes were full of worry. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

"If you're feeling up to it, we definitely can." He spoke. That's when she realized why her parents seemed so concerned. Everyone talks about how scary and painful the first transformation is. She remembered hearing Bryce's screams from the basement when it was his first time. But she was confident. She would be fine.