Chapter 2 Lilah

• I chose to ignore the atmosphere anyway and address it later if it was still the same when I came home, just wanting to get to see Logan and start enjoying his birthday with him. I walked across our brightly lit kitchen, to grab Logan’s birthday gift which was sat on the kitchen work surface, but as I did my Dad stood up.
• “Morning’ Lilah, you gonna have some breakfast with us?” he smiled kindly as he spoke.
• “Nah is ok thanks Pops” I looked back at him “ I’m running real late and want to see Logan” the fact I was looking at my Dad when I spoke to him meant I saw the loaded look he gave to my Mum, and it was a weird one, something is going on……..
• “Awww come on Del” my Mum spoke up using another of my pet names friends and family used for me “ I’m sure Logey can wait a while longer, you know you should have something to eat.”
• This time I saw a look from my Mum to me, then to my Dad, I had no clue what was going on, but I just wanted to get on my way to see Logan. I was already way behind my planned schedule, I wanted to be there for when he shifted for the second time so I really hope I hadn’t missed that as it was such a treasured moment for a young wolf when they shifted…….
• And he was desperate for me to meet his wolf! He will have shifted for the first time in the early hours of his birthday with his family there, as that’s how most families do it as it’s a special moment in our werewolf lives. But Logan had begged me to make sure I was there for the next time he would shift as he was as desperate for me to meet his wolf as I was to meet him, saying he knew his wolf would love me as much as he did. I really need to hurry...
• “nah I’m good, thanks though Mama” I said as I grabbed Logan’s gift from the kitchen worktop and walked out of the door before either one of them could try to stop me or delay me any further.
• Where is he going to be? I pondered to myself, knowing he’d either be home or he’d be in the Pack House.
• Our house was situated literally next door to the Alpha house where Logan lived with his family so it wouldn’t take me a minute to check if he was home.
• I tried to glance inside the house for signs of life inside but couldn’t see much at all, I reached the front door in no time at all and knocked hard on the door on the off chance that perhaps Logan had slept in too. I stood waiting, enjoying the heat from the sunshine on my back, the mornings are definitely getting warmer……
• Doesn’t look like anyone is home, maybe I should try call him…….
• I reach for my phone in my back pocket of my jeans and dial the familiar number of my boyfriend and soon to be mate, as I start walking along the garden path as I let the phone ring
• …..Come on Logan……Where are you? This seemed odd. The phone rang but weirdly he didn’t answer, he normally always answered for me, but I wasn’t going to let it bother me, it was his birthday today, and a special birthday at that.
• My guess would be Logan, his sisters and his Mum would have headed to the Pack House with Alpha Grayson this morning to spend time there while Uncle Grayson went to work in his office. The Pack House unfortunately was a little further away for me, so as I quickly stepped over the fence again, I picked up my pace walking down the quiet path ways of our pack.
• The sun was really shining brightly today, I enjoyed the heat from it on my skin as I walked, noticing the leaves budding on the trees in the gardens of some of the nearby houses. I was walking at a quicker pace, more a jog now, doing my best to get to Logan as soon as I could, feeling so bad for being late….my speed walking was obviously helping as the Pack House was coming into sight.
• The Pack House is basically a large house used by the entire Pack, much as the name suggests I guess. Ours looks a bit like a hotel to look at I think. It has lots of different purposes, single wolves can live there in the dorm style rooms, there is a full top floor which is for more senior wolves, and I know Logan plans to take the Alpha suite when he turns eighteen, there are kitchens, a large dining room where the whole pack eat together a few times a week, although food is served in the pack house daily for those that live here and for those that want to eat here as everyone is always welcome.
• Also in the packhouse we have a library, two lounge areas, a games room and the pack offices – one for the Alpha, my Dad’s (the Beta) and also the Gamma’s office. Our Pack House also has some secure rooms underneath for security reasons too.
• There was always the laugh of pack members from the lounge or games room, and always someone there to talk to…… I am almost at a run as I approach the large double entrance doors to the Pack House, my heart really pounding in my chest…..
• Maybe a combination of the fact I was excited and had been running a little, but considering I was used to exercise it was more likely because I knew the moment has almost arrived to see Logan and have him officially declare me as his mate when his inner wolf can sense.
• Oh goddess! I cannot wait!!!
• I reach the doors as Dylan, one of our pack warriors was walking from the Pack House, likely on his way to start his border patrol for the day, he looks at me, normally he’d greet me with a friendly smile, but instead today he greets me with a quick glance, like he didn’t want to make eye contact and then he awkwardly stutters “ Oh hey Lilah, erh, what you doing here?”
• Idiot, I thought, Logan is your friend, you’ll know it’s his birthday, why you asking why I’m here, surely you know? Seriously, what is it with people today?! Why are they acting so weird?
• I chose to ignore my annoyance though, focusing on what I need to do “ Hey Dylan, just here to see Logan” I explain, though feeling like I am really explaining the complete obvious.
• Dylan then does some weird thing with his eyes, shrugs and quickly walks past me.
• What the hell?! Fuck it, I don’t have time for this….. I just want to get to Logan, wish him a Happy Birthday, give him a kiss and give him his gift….I’ve thought so long over what to get for him, wanting to make it extra special with it being the day he shifts, and the day we were certain we would become mates…
• I walked down the familiar corridors, and could see people noticing me arrive; but instead of the friendly smiles I’m used to I was getting awkward smiles, people avoiding my gaze, or giving me awkward glances or even people straight up moving out of my way!
• Seriously what is going on?! Something doesn’t feel right I tell myself I don’t think I like it……
• I need to find Logan so I head to the main lounge area, knowing his favourite seat in there is the most likely place he’d be right now, probably with an army of devoted pack members surrounding him, chatting to him, wishing him a happy birthday….
• He was certainly loved within our pack. I walk into the large and cosy lounge area, which is full of many of our pack members chatting and laughing, but as I do an eerie silence descends on the room and a large number of pack members quickly make an exit…..
• This shit is getting weirder, I tell myself as a feeling of dread fills my stomach, the need for Logan filling me even more. I am urgently scanning the room for him, and as I predicted he was sat on his favourite chair, the big black recliner armchair, almost in the centre of the room – his favourite.
• My heart drops through the floor, as I said, yes, Logan was on his favourite seat, but he is not alone……….. far from it………… curled up on his knee is Anya Beckett, daughter of our Gamma. Logan’s eyes are staring intently into hers, hers gazing back into hers as she giggles and traces her finger up his cheek bone. Her petite body curled up on his knee, her long dark curls, loose down her back, with Logan running his hand through them….
• What the fuck?! Why is she touching my Logan like that? Why is he touching her?! My mind is working overtime, yet Logan doesn’t even seem to have realized that I have walked into the room!!
• He is MY boyfriend!! He is MY mate, everyone said so!
• MY mate….. isn’t he?!