Surprise

Chapter 10: For Good

Supper was on our own that night, not with the rest of the pack.  Stella and I found cold pizza in the fridge and ate it without heating it.  After eating, we went and watched TV until Luna Maya came and got me.  “Maya, it’s time,” she said.

I stood, waving to Stella and the Luna led me away to the meeting room from earlier.  She unlocked the door and I followed her inside where Stella’s father and another man I had yet to meet sat at the head of the long table.

“Maya, welcome,” the Alpha said, rising to shake my hand.  I nodded and took his outstretched hand.  “My name is Sam.”

I nodded and smiled politely.  “Alpha Sam,” I acknowledged.  The Beta stood and shook my hand as well while Alpha Sam sat back down.

“I’m Beta Charlie.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

“So, my wife says that you would like to join the circle pack,” Alpha Sam said skeptically.  I nodded in confirmation.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Why don’t you sit down?” he invited me.  I sat in the chair he pointed to just next to the Beta.  “So Maya, why do you want to stay here?”

I thought for a moment, unsure how to answer.  I remembered what Jack had said; “I have really personal reasons for not wanting to go back to where I came.”

He nodded, obviously being too understanding to push the matter.  “Well, Maya, you have to have at least one small reason you can share.”

Remembering Tyler’s advice, I took a deep breath and smiled.  “You wife told me her story.  I sort of understand how much it hurts to be rejected.  I guess I just really want to help with the cause.”

Alpha Sam nodded, thinking.  “Well, we could put you on a recruitment team, if you’d like.  You’d go through a month or so of training for self defense purposes and you could go out through the country doing what we call sweeps.  Our teams search for rejects and others who are alone, and invite them to join us.  You could earn your keep.”

I nodded without thinking.  “That sounds alright,” I said.  It really did sound kind of cool to be in a group of people searching for people to help.

The Alpha and Beta exchanged a glance and then turned back to me.  They both nodded and smiled.  “Welcome to the circle pack.  You can stay until you have found your mate.”

I widened my eyes, ignoring the mate comment.  “That’s it?”

The Alpha frowned.  “No; we still have the human sacrifice to perform and the pledge to the dark side.”

I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion and he laughed.  “I’m just kidding, Maya.  Yes, that’s all.  Now go tell everyone the good news.”  I jumped up in joy out of my seat and turned to go to the door, but his voice stopped me.  “And Maya, get some sleep tonight; you’re going to school tomorrow.  You’re my responsibility now.”

I nodded.  “Of course.”

I rushed out of the room where I met Luna Maya, who’d stayed out in the hall.  She saw my smiling face and hugged me.  “Welcome to the circle family, Maya!”

Stella and the boys turned the corner and when they saw me, they ran over and tackled me in hugs.

“What did they say?” Jack asked.

“They’re putting me on a ‘recruitment team.’”

“Cool.  I always wanted to be on one of those,” Tyler said.

“Are any of you?” I asked all three of them.

Stella nodded.  “Me and Jack.”

I smiled.  “Awesome!  Oh, and I’m starting school here tomorrow!”  There was no controlling my excitement; I was thrilled.

Stella dragged me upstairs to bed that night early, but before actually letting me sleep in the bed that had magically been replaced by a bunk bed, she forced me to pick out my clothes early for the next day.

I chose a loose light brown and off-white striped t-shirt with medium-light wash denim shorts and a gold charm bracelet and brown sandals.  I found a gold bird necklace in Stella’s jewelry box that matched so I kept I out, too.

Stella said that her school had no dress code, which was different from my old school where you couldn’t wear anything that did not reach your knees, no torn jeans, no sandals, no shiny jewelry, no low cut shirts (not that I had many low cut shirts to wear).

I had a matching fedora style hat (I love hats) but Stella said hats are the only thing that they ban in Ohio schools.

I finally got to change into my one pair of pajamas that I’d bought all day, planning on buying more later.  I pulled on the warm black sweats and the tight pink t-shirt with a sleeping monkey on the front.  Before Stella was changed, I quickly informed her “Dibs on top bunk!”

She snapped her head at me and pouted.  “Aw!  I wanted that!”

I laughed.  “Too bad!  I called dibs first!”

She frowned at me.  “Alright.”

I laughed.  “No, you take it.  I just had to be the one who got it fairly before giving it away.”

She laughed, rolling her eyes.  “I attract the weirdest of people,” she muttered.

“Hey!”  I picked up a pillow and tossed it at her head.  It hit her and ricocheted onto the floor.  “Besides, you didn’t attract me; you helped me out of wolf shock!  There’s a difference!”

She laughed.  “Whatever, Maya.  Just take the top bunk.  I’ll be fine.”

I frowned.  “You sure, Roomy?”

She laughed again.  “Yeah, go ahead.”  With no further prompting, I began to climb the ladder on the side of the dark wood bed frame to the top bunk.  Stella finished putting on her t-shirt for pajamas and then crawled into the bottom bunk.  When I couldn’t see her from where I sat, I hung my head down over the edge of the bed so that it wa right in front of her and stuck my tongue out.

“Love you, Darling,” I laughed.

She picked up her pillow from underneath her head and smacked me head with it, and I pulled it back up to the top.

“Goodnight, Sweety,” I said sweetly.

She was quiet, but I knew she was rolling her eyes at me.  I heard movement from underneath and she turned off the lamp, leaving the room dark.

[A/N: Hi!  I promised another upload today, didn’t I?  Well, happy birthday!  I’m super happy right now!  No particular reason, I just am!  Well, vote and comment please!]