Almost Saturday 12th September, 2020.
After Isaiah and I got so close in the lake, I found myself avoiding him. The worst part was he didn’t seem to mind. He carried on as if everything were normal. Noah was still furious with me. Isaiah was ignoring me while I ignored him. Jonah and Angie were making out on the couch which always made me feel nauseated. Elijah was helping Isaiah ignore me. They did a few shots together. Werewolves were very good at holding their liquor so they were calm even after about five shots each. It was minutes to midnight. Jillian kept glancing at me from over Chet’s shoulder. There was music playing now in the huge living room and Chet and Jillian, and Jonah and Angie were slow dancing to it.
Elijah offered me a shot. I had never actually drank alcohol before.
“I don’t think she drinks,” said Isaiah, eyeing me.
I ignored him and took the shot Elijah was handing me. I downed it and made a face. It burned! I coughed a little and sniffed.
“Whoa,” was all I could say.
Elijah laughed. Isaiah grinned.
“Why do people drink? It’s awful,” I said.
“Do another,” instructed Elijah. Noah was looking at me disdainfully. I narrowed my eyes at him and downed another.
I felt a little different after this one, less uptight. I wanted one more. Elijah made me another one. I downed my third shot. I giggled. Jillian was grinning at me. Suddenly, Lana appeared wheeling a huge purple birthday cake into the room with sparklers on top. The cake was seven-tiered and covered in edibles flowers. Lana begrudgingly placed it beside me. The group started singing Happy Birthday to me. I smiled and swayed a little, feeling tipsy. It was minutes to midnight. I cut the cake with Jillian. We fed each other cake. It was delicious.
My heart started to race. I ran outside before the stroke of midnight. I could hear Jillian calling me, telling me to wait. I ran to the lake. The moon was high in the sky. Werewolves no longer needed a full moon, or any moon really. It was midnight. I screamed. My bones cracked in and out of place, reshaping themselves. I sank onto my knees. I put my palms on the cool floor. I was on all fours as fur sprouted all over me. It hurt! I tried to scream but all that came out was a howl that cut through the night. I had shifted.
I ran through the nearby woods as if on the wings of the wind. It was exhilarating. I felt like a shadow, like a ghost, a phantom of the night. Untouchable. I belonged there in the woods in the dead of night. I was unafraid. Everything was clear and sharp. Every smell and sight was easily discernible. I breathed in the smell of the forest flowers and the bark of trees and the fertile earth. I sighed happily. My wolf was satisfied. She caught another smell. It was intense and nearby. I ran towards it. It was delicious. A strange musky smell, clean and sharp and distinctly masculine. It made my mouth water. I came back to the house. I shifted. Shit! I did not have clothes to put back on. I had shredded them when I shifted. My clothes were upstairs in the room I was staying in.
I hugged myself and walked towards the house hoping to see Jillian. I passed by the outdoor pool. The jacuzzi was nearby. The autumn air nipped at me. I wondered if anyone was in the water. I would welcome some warmth. The delicious smell was growing stronger. I found the source. Jonah! He was in the jacuzzi and he smelt wonderful.
Mate.
My wolf stirred and then she howled in pain. Jonah was holding Angie. They were locked in a fiery embrace. I stifled a sob but the strangled noise that escaped me disturbed them. They broke apart. Jonah stared at me like he’d never seen me before. Angie looked at me incredulously.
“Put some clothes on!” She said snidely. “No one wants to see that.”
I hugged myself tightly.
“Star,” said Johah, his voice hoarse. He was heartbreakingly handsome. I didn’t want to look at him anymore. I ran into the house.
“Star!” He ran after me.
“Where are you going?” Cried Angie, following Jonah.
I could hear both of their wet footsteps slapping against the tiles as I ducked inside. I ran up the staircase. Isaiah was on the landing, sitting on the window seat where we had first properly talked earlier. He looked up at me. His eyes widened. He had a knowing smile on his face. I dashed by him. He looked just like Jonah and smelled just as wonderful. I needed to get away from him too. I ran to my room and shut the door just in time to lock Isaiah out. He banged on the door.
“Star! Star! Come on! Just get dressed and come out ok! I’m waiting right here. Couldn’t you tell earlier? Didn’t you feel something…between us? Come out, Baby! Why’re you hiding?” Isaiah called at the door.
I breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped talking and moved away from the door. I quickly got dressed in whatever was closest, cotton underwear, a pink nightgown with short sleeves and a fuzzy pink jacket over it. I put on some socks. I really didn’t care how I looked anymore. I just wanted to go to bed so this trip could be over sooner.
“Star, it’s Jonah. Look, I’m sorry. Let’s talk,” said Jonah from the other side of the door. Isaiah was back as well.
“Sorry?” He said to his brother. “What did you do to her?” He snarled.
“Nothing,” replied Jonah. “She saw me with Angie.”
I heard scuffling noises like the brothers were shoving each other. More voices. Elijah and Noah were there now too. Jillian came to the door with Chet. Angie’s voice rang out the loudest.
“You guys are fighting over that loser? Seriously?” Asked Angie.
I heard a growl that I recognised immediately as Isaiah. I was suddenly able to tell them apart easily.
“Star, can we talk, honey?” Came Jillian’s voice.
“No, please, not right now,” I said, through tears, my voice cracking.
I knew I was being childish but the sight of Jonah and Angie had shattered me without warning. I did not think I could feel so deeply. I hardly knew Jonah. A small part of me wished I could let Isaiah come in, maybe even Noah, just to talk for a bit. Suddenly the door opened. Noah! He had the key.
“Noah!” Chastised Chet, for using the master key. “Not cool, bro.”
Noah walked up to me. We stared at each other.
“You should leave,” said Noah. Huh.
“WHAT?” Snarled Isaiah, storming into the room and grabbing me.
Tingles shot through me where he touched me. He put me behind him and faced his brother. Elijah entered and stood in front of me too.
Jonah came in and stood with Noah.
“She can go and we’ll talk about this later,” said Jonah, stamping on my already shattered heart.
I gripped Isaiah’s elbow and his warmth and the feel of his skin comforted me immediately.
“She’s our mate. She’s not going anywhere. Let your whore leave,” said Elijah, referencing Angie.
Jonah growled. He was defending Angie. My heart throbbed.
“I’ll go!” I managed to say. “It’s clear you guys don’t want me.”
“How exactly is that clear, Princess? I’ve just asked my brother to get rid of his whore so you’ll stop crying!” Said Elijah, cupping my face in his huge warm hands. Warmth spread through me. He used his thumbs to wipe my tears.
“Baby, relax, Elijah and I are not gonna let you walk out of here,” cooed Isaiah, his hand finding my lower back as he drew me close.
Their warmth was so intoxicating, I couldn’t pull away.
Noah and Jonah were gazing at me intensely. Noah shook his head as if to clear it.
“Inviting her here was a mistake,” said Noah.
Isaiah shoved him. Jonah grabbed the scruff of Isaiah’s shirt and Elijah shoved Jonah away from Isaiah. The four brothers were at odds, the elder two against the younger two.
“Noah, I thought we were ok,” I said in a small voice. He was the first of them to be nice to me.
His face softened. “Star, I’m doing what’s best for you, trust me.”
“And I get that Jonah wants to be with Angie,” I said sniffling. I wasn’t an idiot.
“It’s not that,” said Jonah softly.
“Ugh! Would you and Noah just get the fuck out of here. You’re upsetting our mate. She’s not leaving tonight. Over my dead body!” Said Elijah.
His elder two brothers glared but it was two against two. Angie pulled Jonah away. I winced but Isaiah held me tightly. I glared at Noah. I felt betrayed by him. He sighed and kept his eyes on me until the very last moment when he shut the door. I burst into tears, bitter sobs making my body shudder. It was all too much and all so sudden. I was confused about so many different things. I knew with multiples they all had to accept you for you to be fully marked and mated especially as they were alphas and would need to agree upon a luna. Isaiah and Elijah immediately wrapped themselves around me. Somehow, I ended up under the covers in my bed sandwiched between two of the Quads. I cried into my pillow while they massaged my shoulders and back, ran their fingers through my hair and kissed my tear-streaked cheeks and my marking spots, making me shiver. Sleep came quickly as their body heat and scents soothed me.