The Scared and The Scarred

Chapter 20

Thank you all for your patience. This last month has been pretty hard. I never expected anything like this to happen, and it still doesn't seem real. I've lost family members, but not many I was close to, but this was different.

When you grow up imagining the future with your best friend, remembering the promises you made each other when you were five about being in each other's wedding, your kids someday being best friends too, someday becoming famous singers together, its hard to accept that that all ended.

Its hard to understand how its possible that my 17 year old friend who has been in my life since the day I was born is gone forever. I am a Christian though, and so was she. I know I'll see her again someday, and I can't wait to get another hug from her. She gave the best hugs ever.

Don't ever forget to remind your friends how much you love them, because things can change in a second.

The photo attached to this chapter is of me and her when we took dance lessons together. Its my favorite picture of us. She's the one kissing my cheek. Rest in peace, Mikah, I'll see you again.

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"Wait." I said, waving my hands around as I paced through the kitchen. "If Luca's dad just ran off with her while she was just a baby, where has she been all this time? What if she's working for him, just playing on Luca's emotions so she can spy on everyone."

"I don't know, Celia.." Alice whispered as she looked through the doorway at Belle and Luca talking on the couch. "From what Nick has told me, Calvin drug Annabelle kicking and screaming into the woods, she was holding Belle, and neither of them were ever heard of again. Nick was there, he said Calvin came back covered in blood. We all assumed he killed them both. But she's Nick's mate, if she's not the person she's portraying herself as, this would kill Nick." She said shaking her head as she walked further into the kitchen. "Nick's been dreaming of finding his mate his whole life, if he loses her I don't know what would happen to him."

"I really hope she's telling the truth." I sighed as I left the kitchen, sitting myself beside Luca who was sitting beside Belle, who was talking happily.

"I'm so happy I found you." Belle said, smiling at Luca. "I grew up without any siblings, or so I thought. I didn't know I was adopted until two years ago, on my 16th birthday. The day I turned 16, and was able to use my Gift, I realized my parents weren't my parents. They're both Warrior Gifted, and since I was Gifted with Nature, I knew one of them couldn't truly be related to me. They told me they were going to wait until I was 18 to tell me, but obviously it was no use keeping it secret now." She laughed.

Her face grew serious again. "They told me what happened Luca, but its not a good story. Are you sure you want to know?" She asked him.

"I thought you were dead all these years. I want to know." He nodded.

"Ok." She said, taking a deep breath, and looking to the ground. "Calvin did kill our mother, just not that day." She said sadly.

"He left her nearly dead, in the middle of the woods, with me in her arms. Some wolves traveling from a nearby pack found us, and took us back with them. She was just too injured though, she only lived three days with the pack. I was kept by the family who found us, and since they couldn't have children of their own, I was their only."

"They told me almost everything the day I turned 16, but they didn't give me these," She said, pulling two old envelopes from her bag on the floor, "until my 18th birthday a few months ago."

She stared at the envelopes quietly for a moment before turning to Luca. "They're from our mom." She said, as a tear slipped from her eye.

She quickly wiped it away, and continued. "Mine told me to find you. My parents didn't even know about you, our mom had only told them to give me the letters when I turned 18. It told me to wait until news of Calvin's death had spread, and then to find you. By the time I got it, Calvin was already dead." She told him, handing him the envelope with "Luca" wrote across it in weak swirling letters.

Luca stared at the envelope in his hands, unsure of what to do. "I'll open in later." He said quietly, placing it on the coffee table near the couch. "Tell me about your family, were they good to you?" He asked seriously.

"They're amazing." She smiled. "I would love for you to meet them one day." Her eyes met mine and she smiled. "You're his mate?" She asked me. I smiled, nodding my head.

"I thought so. Something about you smelled familiar, but I had no idea how." She laughed. I never realized that living in the same house, and being near him all the time, I had picked up hints of his scent, but apparently I had.

Luca looked at her with a concerned look on his face, as if he wanted to tell her something, but didn't know how. "Belle.." He spoke. She turned from Nick whom she'd been talking and laughing with, and looked at Luca. "Belle, Calvin is still alive." He told her.

The smile that had been occupying her face instantly disappeared, and in its place was nothing but fear.