King Luka

18.

Our transportation pulled up into my new packs driveway. Multiple heads turn to look at the car. One of them being Millies. Her already small frame has shrunken sickeningly and her eyes have sunken into her skull. Her normally bright red hair is the color of wine, with a shine of grease filming it. Her body is shaking like a chihuahua, but I don't think that it's from the cold.

My shaky hand raises itself to cover my horrified mouth. Here my best friend stands, looking like she just went through a second rejection. Tears pool in my eyes as I stare at her sickly form. A silent sob wracks my body. 

My door flies open as I thrust it away from me. The car hadn't even stopped completely before I was out of the house in a complete whirlwind. I slightly trip before regaining my balance and speed my way towards Millie. She slightly squints her eyes as she stares at my running body, before she recognizes me and catches my flying body. I hug her with all I can muster. She sobs out from under my arms. Her salty tears drip themselves onto my t-shirt. I exhale loudly before letting a few tears escape from behind my tears. 

"Oh, Goddess. I've missed you so much, Mil," I whisper out into her greasy hair. She doesn't reply, she only lets out another sob. She squeezes me impossibly harder. She touches the back of my head, as if to check I was really here. 

I'm not sure how long we stand there. Me hugging my best friend. It's not like I minded though. The cold wind pushed me back into the reality. 

"Let's go inside. It'l be warmer," I suggest. She nods her head weakly and we break apart. 

She pushes the door to the Lukas' house and we waltz in together. The familiar scent of Luka and vanilla invades my senses. And for some reason it feels as though it's been my first time here. My eyes connect with Luka walking up the stairs with my luggage. I follow him up the stairs, with Millie immediately behind me. 

He nudges the door open to my room with his hip and the wooden door responds to the action silently. He flicks the lights on with his nose. As light floods the room, I scan the room. Everything is put back in it's place. The unmade bed from when I left has been perfectly made, the clothes that had been strewn around the floor had been put out of sight, and the dusty dresser had no spec of dirt on it. 

"I uh, I cleaned it," Luka states, scratching the back of his neck with a blush rising in his cheeks. I nodded and looked back around the room. The red splotches from when Millie and I had our paint war seemed to be staring back at me. I shivered and pick my bags up from off the bed and placed them on my bed.  

An hour and a box of Oreo's later I was finished unpacking, with help from Millie. Well, I made Millie eat the Oreo's while I worked; she didn't need to lose any extra calories. 

A couple minutes ago, Millie went to her room to go to bed; her full belly making her tired. Since then, I had pulled out my laptop and began writing and listening to music. 

Suddenly, my door swings open and in walks Eli, holding his own laptop in his grasp. His eye are wide and his breathing ragged.

"Holy cow, Vee! You have got to see this!" he claims. I raise an eyebrow and shuffle over on my bed, making room for Eli. He races over to the bed and in no time he has set himself up on my bed. The laptops screen was lit up, showing Lukas' office. In the bottom right corner was the date that he cheated on me. A pang in my chest signals at the date. 

"Listen, Eli. I really don't-" I began.

"Shut up, Vee and just watch the clip!" he interrupted. My head jerks back at his sudden attitude. I silence myself and look at the computer. Eli clicks play on the screen. 

I sat there staring at the screen for a couple seconds, nothing happening. Then, the girl who I saw in Lukas' shirt that day walked in, wearing only her undergarments. I flinch at the sight. She places herself on his desk, staring at the bathroom door. After a few minutes, Luka walks out, a towel covering his bottom half. He walks out whistling a tune which slowly dies off after his eyes connect with the girl sitting on his desk. I click the pause button on the screen. 

"Wait I have a couple questions. One, why is there a camera in Lukas' office? Two, why is there a shower in Lukas' office? And three, how did you get this clip?" I ask quickly.

"Documentation for proof of deals; sometimes he works late nights so he had a shower installed; and I'm the King Beta," he mumbles while focusing on clicking the play button. 

Luka walks forward, towards the girl. 

"What are you doing, Rebecca?" he asks the girl. She sends a seductive smile his way. 

"I just want to make you happier than she makes you," she replies to him. She pushes herself off of the desk and she starts dragging her hands in inappropriate places. Luka pulls a face and shoves her off of him. 

"You don't even compare to her. Don't ever think you do. This hasn't been the first time you've done this. And each time, guess what? My answer has been no each time!" he sarcastically remarks and grabs his shorts and boxers off of his chair and he slides them on under his towel. Suddenly, a banging on the door turns Lukas' attention to it. Luka throws his shirt to the girl. 

"Put this on. At least regain some sort of self-dignity," Luka spits at her. The banging consists. Abruptly, the door swings open and in storms a furious Eli. 

"What the fu-" 

Eli stops the video there. My eyes are as wide as saucers as I stare at the frozen screen. 

I was wrong.

Luka never cheated on me. 

He never did. 

Then why has he never told me the truth?

Because you wouldn't have believed him.

As if someone punched me in the side of the head, a pressure formed itself inside my skull. A howl seared inside my brain. 

My wolf stretches herself out in my head and makes herself comfortable.

Eli shoots me a knowing smirk. 

"She's back isn't she?" he asks even though he already knows the answers. I give a weak smile and bob my head. After a prolonged silence, I speak. 

"I have to go see him." I spring off the bed and make my way downstairs. Using my nose, I follow Lukas' scent. The trail leads me out to the porch that over looks the lake outside. Luka sits perched on the lawn chair an acoustic guitar perched on his leg. He strums mindlessly as he stares out at the body of water. 

He hums something beautifully along with the tune of the song. A few words slip from his mouth as he hums. 

"Shady grove, my little love. Shady grove, I say. Shady grove, my little love, I'm bound to go away," he softly sings out to no one in particular. I clear my throat announcing my presence. His head whips to me with a blush rising in his cheeks and neck. 

"Oh, hi."

I wave at him and take a seat next to him. 

"I didn't know you played guitar," I declare. He shrugs.

"I used to a while back, but Alpha duties forced me to stop," he replies, strumming a chord slowly. I nod my head. We both look out at the lake, staying silent.

"Why didn't you tell me, Luka?" I quietly ask after a stretch of silence. 

"Tell you what?" he asks oblivious. I look at him. 

"Why didn't you tell me you really didn't cheat?" 

He clears his throat and looks down.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. And people already hated me, I'd rather not have you hated instead by the same people," he replies while flicking his thumb against the strings. My heart skips a beat. 

"Really? Where are the cameras?" I joke, nudging him with my elbow. He smiles and keeps his head down.

"No cameras. All the truth. I assume that Eli showed you the video?" he asks while raising his head and staring at me with his cerulean eyes. I nod my head at him.

And for the majority of the night we sat in silence, staring at the beautiful lake in the distance.