Becoming An Alpha's Mate (BAAM) - editing

BAAM (24)

Pic of Tilly =>

We made it to Ellcie's house and headed to the backyard. It looked like everyone was already there. Mom made a beeline for Glory, Chris clinging to her leg, while dad went straight of the table full of barbecued ribs. I stood a little awkwardly at the gate, watching everyone chat and eat. Tilly looked over from her conversation with Vallery and skipped over, pulling Vallery along with her.

"We heard what happened," said Tilly. "Are you all right?"

I nodded.

"We forgive you, by the way," Vallery said. "You know, for the ignoring us and not believing anyone about Hunter."

I nodded again. I wasn't really sorry for ignoring them. I felt like Hunter was my friend at that time, and they were jerks. I was, however, sorry for not believing them.

"Well, why don't you come hang out with us," Tilly grabbed my arm, "and try to not pay attention to anything anyone says. The adults can be quite cruel."

We passed Chris playing with Peyson, Arista and some other little boy. A group of adults looked at us, more like glared at me, as we walked past them towards the punch bowl. We sat at an empty table and they asked me questions about Friday night, none of which I answered.

"What's up, ladies?" Timothy asked as he sat next to Vallery, throwing his around around her.

"Not much, Timmy boy," Tilly responded.

Timothy glared over at her. "Don't call me that, Titi." Tilly rose up so quickly, she spilt some of her drink on her shorts. "Looks like you had an accident, Titi."

Tilly let out a growl and stormed off. Probably going to find a change of shorts.

Vallery shrugged Timothy's arm off her shoulder. "Don't be such a jerk, Timothy. Especially to one that can hold a grudge as long as Tilly does."

"She had it coming, really." That received a smack to his chest.

"Are you two....mates?" I asked.

"No!" They both shouted. Timothy received another slap.

"We can't stand each other. In fact, I have a good suspicion that duffous, here, is mates with Alana. They just don't know it for some reason," Vallery replied.

I shuddered at Alana's name. I haven't told anyone what Eliza had said to me about Alana, and I didn't want to mention it now. "So, do you guys usually have a cookout around this time?" I asked.

"Yes, and no," replied Vallery. "We always have a cookout about a week before the wolf moon, but we're having it early, because it's doubling as Ellcie's baby shower."

"Oh. Well my family and I didn't bring a gift-"

"We don't bring gifts to werewolf baby showers," Timothy interrupted. "I never understood why, but we don't."

"Then what's the point in having a baby shower then?"

"I doono," Timothy mumbled.

"We bring money instead," responded Vallery. "It's so the expecting parents can get exactly what they're wanting in the right color and what not."

We looked up as Tilly made her way back over to us. "Hey, Holly, you want to go for a run with Luke, Jullian and I?"

I scrunched my nose. "You mean, in our wolf forms?" Tilly nodded. "No thanks."

"You should go, Holly. It's fun," Vallery encouraged. She stood up. "I'll go too."

Timothy stood up as well and exclaimed, "I'll go too!"

The three of them looked at me expectantly. Giving up, I sighed and rose to my feet. "All right, let's go."

'Okay, guys versus girls!' Lucas said through our mind links.

'No!' responded Tilly. 'It's a known fact that guys are stronger and faster than girls, even if they're werewolves. We have to mix the teams up. It's only fair.'

I came up to Tilly and nudge her with my muzzle. 'Let them have the teams their way, it's a know fact that girls are much smarter than guys, anyway.'

The guys took offense to that and declared the game a battle of the sexes and their wits. That was a stupid mistake on their part. The girls had pinned the guys more than three times the amount that the guys were able to pin us. We were about to play another round when Peyson and Arista showed up.

'Can we play?' They asked.

Vallery was the one to speak up. 'You to might get hurt if you played with us older kids.' They gave Vallery their cutest puppy face and like celery, Vallery cracked. 'All right!'

'Um, I don't think that's a good idea,' said Tilly. 'They are a lot littler, they might get hurt.'

'Sorry girls, that's a no,' responded Timothy.

They girls bowed their heads and slowly made their way back to the house. Vallery, feeling bad, trotted after them, promising she'd play a game of hid and seek with them.

'We're down a girl,' said Tilly.

'I'll take Vallery's pace!' shouted a new voice.

I looked over my shoulder to see who the new comer was. Alana. My body tensed without warning, and my withers stood on end. The sides of my lips rose up without my say so, revealing my sharp fangs in a snarl. A growl worked its way up my throat, releasing itself.

'Hey,' Tilly nudged me, 'what's up?'

My eyes didn't leave Alana. 'I don't feel like playing anymore.' With that, I ran back to the house.

It was getting late and the cookout was coming to an end. I still hadn't talked to Marcus, but he seemed to have busied himself talking to Dallas and Ellcie the entire time, and occasionally spoke with a few older people. My family and I were headed to our car when Tilly bounced over to me.

"Hey," she said, "mind if I spend the night?"

I blinked at her. Today was the first day I've talked to her in weeksand she wanted to spend the night? "Um, le-let me ask...." I went over to the other side of the car and asked my mom if Tilly was allowed to come with us and stay the night. Tomorrow was school, and I was surprised she said yes. I told Tilly she was welcome to spend the night, if only I knew what I was getting myself into.