Andrea wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. I could hear her silent sobs as her voice quietly trembled saying, “Thank you… thank you Clover…”
I froze. I honestly had no idea how to react in this moment. I felt like she might have lost her mind and was ready to snap. Until she lifted her face up to look at me. I could see the tears trickling down her face as she bit on her bottom lip. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy. She had snot dripping from her nose and I noticed… she was a very ugly crier. However, there was nothing fake about it.
“Den—Den told me what happened. He also told me had you not rejected him first… that he—that he wouldn’t have been able to do it. He told me how you supported us and knew how much he loved me. Thank you for giving him to me. I love him. I need him. I can’t thank you enough.” I watched as the liquid trickled from her eyes and her nose even more. I stepped back and grabbed her a couple tissues.
“Clover, I heard what Taylor did. I…” I watched her looked down in shame as she blew her nose in the tissues I handed her. “I knew she wasn’t the nicest to you. I even reprimanded her when I caught her. I was naïve and wanted to believe my friend was a good person. I’m sorry about what she did.” She looked up at me and whimpered. “I’ve got to do better. As I am right now, I am not luna material. I should have done better. I promise I will do better. I’ll be a good luna to the pack. Clover… I have always been jealous of you…”
I knew she was probably jealous since I was so close to Denny. I was also accepted in the pack house and slept just down the hall from the man she loved. So this part of her confession wasn’t a shock… it was the next part that had my jaw dropping.
“You are so beautiful and bright. You have a light that shines wherever you go and I don’t have that. You might not realize this, but others watch you and admire you. You can’t help but follow the brightest star. Not everyone in the pack is against you… they are just afraid. You don’t have to leave… I—”
“I want to leave.” I smiled at Andrea and shrugged. “I want to go somewhere where I can start out without the past flashing above my head. I don’t want to just be safe in a pack… I want to belong. Thank you for everything you have said. Honestly, Denny and I were never meant to be. I am quite sure of that. I think this was meant to happen for a reason… I just don’t know what that reason is yet. I think I am supposed to go to the Chance pack.” This was true too. I felt like I was being led to the Chance pack for a reason. What was that reason? I guess only the Moon Goddess would know that.
The sound of my door lock clicking was heard and my door hurriedly opened. I looked up to see four panicked faces looking between me and Andrea. Andrea was the one sobbing it probably looked like I was the one bullying her.
“Is everything okay?” Joey stepped up and looked me over before glancing at Andrea.
“Yes, everything is fine. Andrea just came to tell me goodbye.” I smiled up at Andrea who nodded her head.
“And I wanted her to know that she can always come back here. If you ever need us…” I watched as Andrea trailed off softly and I nodded my head. I appreciated the gesture, but it was just too late. This place couldn’t be my home anymore. My wolf is now dormant, and I don’t have the best of memories from this pack. Even if things in the Chance pack didn’t work out, I would not be returning here. “Take care of yourself, Clover.”
I watched Andrea as she walked out of the room for a moment before I turned around to look at my room. It was now time to leave this place. I felt Joey’s hand land on my shoulder and then a low warning growl rippled from behind us.
“With all due respect, take your hand off of my luna.” Conrad growled as I started to choke on air.
“Hold that thought just a second.” I turned to look at Conrad and Logan. “I’m not sure what Alpha Sion told you, but I haven’t agreed to anything.” I watched as two wide smiles spread over Conner and Logan’s faces.
“You are the pack banquet girl, right? And you are also his mate?” Conrad raised his brows up at me and shrugged. “He’s been looking for you without the mate pull…”
“Wait? Alpha Sion already was looking for you…why?” I heard Jude ask and I closed my eyes.
“Anyways just call me Clover… okay? I have a lot of packing to do. So, either you are in here to help, or your presence isn’t needed.” I was avoiding my fling with Sion topic like the plague. I grabbed some suitcases out of my closet and tossed them on my bed.
“You want to talk about it?” I heard Joey’s concerned voice as he approached me from my side. Yeah, that is a hard pass right there.
“No, there isn’t anything to talk about.” I cleared my throat and pointed to one of my bags. “If you want to put the things in my bottom drawer in there, I’d appreciate it.” I looked over at Joey and Jude who both nodded and got to work. I felt a bit bad for Joey at this moment. But I knew he was going to be okay. He was going to find his mate and then he would understand that this was all for the best.
“While we are on names you can call me Conner. This is what everyone calls me.” Conrad said as he moved to the bed. “Just tell us what you need. We are here to help you however you need.”
“I’m not bringing much… just my clothes. I don’t need anything else.”
“Are you sure, Clover?”
I turned to look at Jude and nodded my head. “Yes, I am sure. Honestly, I am taking more than I planned to take originally. Before I was going to stuff everything in a backpack and set off.”
“Where were you planning to go?” Logan asked and I shrugged.
“Just… away.” I said quietly choosing not to elaborate anymore on the topic. I could see the curious glance from Logan and Conner, but they didn’t say anything.
“Do you want me to pack the top drawer too?” Jude asked as he pulled them open much to my horror. I stood there frozen as he looked at the lingerie I had hidden inside.
“I’ll handle those—” I started to say but then Jude reached in and pulled out a green lacey thong. I was mortified and he twirled it around his finger and grinned over at me.
“Clover, you naughty kitten. Why don’t you tell me who you wear these for?” Jude grinned as I ran over jumping to grab them out of his hand. Which didn’t work too well since he was much taller than me. He effortlessly held them up out of reach. “I can see you in a whole new light. Where do you keep the handcuffs and whips?”
“JUUUUDE!” Struggled against him and punched his arm.
“OOOOUUUUUCH, you sexy thang!” Jude teased me mercilessly. I could feel my cheeks heating up as he held the thong up higher.
“Gods, Jude!” I jumped up again in vain. I finally climbed onto his back and wrapped my arms around his throat putting him in a choke hold. Meanwhile Joey took the whole drawer out and was looking over the contents. “Joey, not you too!” I growled as Jude began to spin around. I could hear Conner and Logan snickering in the background. Looks like all of a sudden, they were not in protection mode. Great I am surrounded by animals… quite literally.
Somehow as Jude was spinning me my foot hit the drawer in Joey’s hands. It went up and there was a lingerie explosion. Meanwhile Jude tripped and we both went down decorated in lacey secrets.
So here is the picture… I am laying on top of Jude and we are covered in my lingerie. Logan, Conner and Joey are laughing hysterically when in walks Denny and Sion. Just shoot me now please. Right between the eyes. Make it a clean kill.
Jude started to chuckle as he sat up. “Geez Clover, you are deadly even without your wolf.” He said as he began to rub his throat. “Look Den! Our baby sister has grown up on us.” He displayed the ornaments he was wearing with a devilish grin.
“Okay, just get out. I’ll finish this myself.” I mumbled, not making eye contact with anyone, though I could feel Sion’s eyes drilling into me. Even through this embarrassment… things felt normal. I felt a bit sad to be leaving these guys. We had been through a lot over the years, and we had a bond together… like family.
“FIRE!” The blood curdling screams ripped through the house. “THE HOLDING CELL IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES!”
Oh shit. I finally glanced up with wide eyes. Taylor was in the holding cell…