Bitter Sweet

Chapter 2

Chapter 2-The Gift

Cadrian's Pov

So... My birthday didn't turn out so bad. Well, at least not as bad as I imagined.
Yes, i was slapped. Twice.
Once by my sister. Once by our Beta's Son, Tyler.
But that's it!
Overall it was a good day! Aaron helped me cook all three meals! (As a birthday present). He couldn't afford a gift (which bothered him more than me) so he always did something like that for me. Then we hung out all day! Since it was a saturday, there was no school! So me and Aaron hung out literally all day!! It was crazy amazing!
We hadn't done this in a very long time.
"We should make this tradition for Saturdays." I told Aaron. His head was laying in my lap. He was looking up into the branches at a family of birds.
although I wasn't allowed to go to school Aaron was.
I was apparently more responsible for the death of Aaron's Mom and also my Mom. our father's were both killed by hunters when I was barley three and he was four.
I knew he wanted a family with his mate someday. thats why we could never be together even if we wanted to. If we ever fell in love, when he finds his mate we would both get hurt by the whole thing!
Besides I am not going to keep him away from his mate just because mine hates me.
My mate...The Alpha's son...
We found out a year ago. On my sixteenth birthday. He is a little under 3 years older than me. So he is almost 19 at this very moment. Even though a mate is suppose to be your other half. The person that is suppose to love you no matter what. Your soul mate. He hates me.
He loves us. He hasn't rejected us. He can't hate us. My wolf is blind by love. Oh great!
He does not! I snapped back at the love sick wolf. If he loved us he would't let our pack beat us to no end. If he loved us he would save us from this cruelty we call life.
My wolf whimpered back at that. she would probably ignore me for a few days but she needs a reality check every once in a while. I was the one person that could do that.
Anyway...It would hurt both me and Aaron once he found his mate. Even though i was willing to take that risk. Aaron wasn't. And I kinda understood that. I wanted the same thing with Luke but who knows if it would ever happen...
All i can do is wait.
We were shaded by a beautiful old oak tree. The same one both our parents were buried under.
"You know we cant do that."
"I know...but a girl can hope! Cant she?"
"Next year I will be done with high school..." He almost said this to himself. It kinda scared me for no reason at all!
"Yes...and your point?" I said this almost hesitantly and I knew he could tell because he was quick to cover up.
"Sorry, i just mean...I wont have football games on Saturdays anymore. Thats all." With this he became uncomfortable and sat up and mirrored my body.
"You know I don't want to leave you..." Oh no...his words were starting to scare me!
"I know...but if you find your mate...I don't blame you for leaving our pack for hers! I would do the same thing without another thought!"
"That's different Cade..." He whispered this almost to himself. He looked deep into my cloudy blue eyes. As much as i wanted to I couldn't break his gaze.
"I mean...you already have a mate...that treats you like..." My eyes widened at what he was no doubt about to say. "I'm sorry forget I said anything!" He quickly covered up his words so they wouldn't hurt me more than I was already hurting.
I broke our gaze and looked down to the Spring grass under me. I plucked a dandelion from the ground and started fidgeting with it. I would do anything to keep my mind busy.
I didn't even noticed i was shaking until a more steady pair of hands trapped my petite, fragile hands in muscular rough ones...Aarons hands always seemed to calm me down. But not today...it wasn't just my birthday. It was also the anniversary of Aaron and I's mothers death...
"Hey, look at me." Aaron's voice of reasoning always soothed me but I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye. Instead i just collapsed into his strong arms. Not crying not talking just taking comfort in each other's embrace.
I loved Aaron, in a brotherly way. The whole time he just cradled me whispering soothing words in my ear.
I finally broke the beautiful silence which always seemed to creep up on us.
"I'm sorry...I am so sorry..."
"Hey, anytime you need a hug, you know where to find me, Squirt." I couldn't help but smile and let a few happy tears come to my eyes. He softly smiled back but this wasn't the end of the conversation.
"Not for the crying. For our parents...If I had acted sooner...explained better...everything would be fine!"
"Shh...Shh...It was never your fault Cade. Never. My mother was mentally ill. You couldn't have done anything."
"Maybe...Maybe Not." I can't believe i brought this up again...i will never learn! "Aaron?"
He looked down at me with love in his big brown eyes,"Yes?"
"Will you walk me to my room?"
"Of course! I guess it is getting late."
With that he stood up and helped me up as well. I took the arm he offered to me and we headed towards the pack house.

I kissed Aaron on the cheek goodnight and closed the door. Promising i would see him tomorrow bright and early! My room was still as dull as ever! White walls with a few water stains on the ceiling. My bed...black and red bedspread. Yep nothing had changed.
I hopped in the shower. It felt good after todays heartache and pain. It washed away every messed up thing in my life. I never wanted to get out but i eventually had to once my fingers began to wrinkle. I stepped out and welcomed the biting coldness that surrounded me before wrapping myself in a large white towel.
The bathroom had steamed up so i couldn't inspect the bruises the slapping had left.
That's probably a good thing!
I would leave that till tomorrow not bothering to wipe the steam and dew off the mirror not even to comb my hair. That could also wait till tomorrow.
All i wanted was to feel the scratchy roughness of my sheets on my skin.
When i walked into my room once again everything was still in its place...except for the little black box wrapped with a red ribbon on my bed.
I stalked over to it like it might explode.
For at least twenty minutes i just sat on my bed in front of it. Staring. Still in my towel.
"What the hell..." I whispered.
I sat there for at least another ten minutes before deciding that I would get dressed and then I HAD to open that damn box!
So i pulled on my pink soffee shorts and a tight fitting, black camisole. I had a length mirror beside my closet. What I saw was the bruises. Recent and old. I looked farther down. Long neck. skinny looking arms from not being fed properly over the years. After all a werewolf did need more food than a regular human. Farther down...self harm scarred wrists and legs...it was ugly. I was just thankful that I couldn't see my face. My wolf agreed with me.
Well...anyway i was disgusting and ugly i couldn't bare to look at myself anymore so i turned only to be greeted by the little black box...
Now or never
My wolf was right so, I sat on my bed. Picked up the box. Un tied the ribbon. And opened the box.
Inside was the most beautiful little heart necklace. It was silver. With beautiful loops on the inside...i honestly can't explain it...and its from Tiffany!!!
( this is an address to the necklace she received)
http://m.tiffany.com/Mobile/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=30978471&mcat=148204&cid=287465&search_params=s+5-p+7-c+287465-r+-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+

I stared in aw! The biggest goofy smile was etched on my face i couldn't help it! The only thing that broke it was my realization that there was a small envelope under where the box used to lay. I swallowed hard...i didnt know why i had such a bad feeling about this!!
I debated on weather to open it! And i decided i would open it.
Inside was a piece of off white paper. With beautiful cursive dancing all across the page.

Happy 17th Birthday, Cadrian. I saw this necklace and thought of you.
Luke