Chapter 5 “On the road again”

Amara

We were four hours into our three day trip to California and I'm pretty sure the driver already hated me. We stopped almost every hour for me to go pee. I heard him mumble something about stupid human bladders, but I didn't really pay attention.

However, every time we got out of the car I had to wear this overgrown smelly hoodie. Apparently this rotten goat milk of a hoodie will hide my scent from potential trackers. I didn't complain too much about it and thanked God he didn't make me wear it in the car. I probably would have barfed the whole way.

We drove straight through the night only to stop for food and pee breaks. I slept mostly, but occasionally looked outside to enjoy the view. I never traveled much as a child. I wonder if it had to do with my parents trying to stay hidden. I had always dreamed of seeing the world. I wanted to paint every landscape humanly possible. I thought about my paintings and Sophia mostly throughout the trip. Anything to not think about my parents or the strangers I am soon to be living with.

On the second night of driving we finally stopped at a small hotel to rest. I found out through a series of nonstop questions that the driver's name was Jesse. He looked around my dad's age, but was bald with a thin mustache under his nose. I figured he was a werewolf due to his height and involvement with the situation. He didn't talk much, but every now and then I saw him crack a smile when I tried to sing along to the radio.

We entered the hotel together. I had my smelly hoodie on and noticed the couple who passed by scrunched their noises. He gave me the key to my own room and ordered me not to step foot outside the door.

"Aye, Aye Captain," I gave a little salute. He huffed then waited for me to go inside my room. This hotel was nicer than the first one and felt more welcoming. Jesse ordered us pizza and I got the entire cheese pizza to myself. I laid in the tub lost in thought while I ate. Thinking of my parents and Sophia, I closed my eyes and scanned through all the good memories I had of them. I redressed my healing wounds and got into bed. I scanned through the channels before settling on Gilligan's Islands. I closed my eyes to dream about a god-like man who could take all my pain away.

Jesse knocked on my door at 4 in the morning. It took him a couple of times but I finally woke up to his consistent banging. We were on the road again shortly after 4:30 a.m. This time I didn't bother to crack jokes or sing to the radio. I assumed Jesse caught on to my mood because he cleared his throat and said, "You look like him."

I sat up a little bit, "You knew my father?"

"Knew, we were best friends." He kept his eyes on the road.

"From the same pack?"

He nodded, "Yes."

"So, you know the dick who killed him." anger rose deep inside my chest just mentioning the asshole who I jabbed in the eye.

"Yes." I could see his knuckles whiting on the steering wheel.

"If you two were best friends then why have I never seen you." I ask out of genuine curiosity. I knew nothing about my fathers life. Now that I thought about it, he never talked about his childhood or family. I never knew my grandparents or if I had cousins.

"Because he didn't want me to." That was the end of our chat. Jesse was a man of very few words. I didn't bother him with any more questions. I sat back against the cool leather seats and laid my head against the door. Thinking about the black furred beast with the same colored eyes, my father.

It took three whole days to arrive in California and several more hours to reach the location where I would be staying. Jesse told me very little about the people I was going to be living with, only that their names were Tabitha and Beck Reeves. They were a kind couple who are Omegas in the Mongolian Pack. They have a daughter named Joslin Reeves who is known to be the life of any party and attends California University.

They live just outside of a state park, near Los Angeles, on the beach. Their Alpha was already informed of my arrival and agreed to help keep me hidden. Apparently their entire pack has a strong resentment for the Crestors. Around 10 in the morning we arrived in a small town tucked between the forest and the beach. I rolled down the window to feel the warmth of the breeze glide across my face. I took in a deep breath and examined my surroundings.

Houses of all sizes and colors lined up and down the streets. You could hear the laughter of children and see parts of the ocean hiding behind buildings. It reminded me of my hometown but much smaller. We arrived at a two story white brick house with a black roof. It was beautiful, at least twice the size of my childhood home. It had large glass windows going up and down the sides and a balcony looking over the carport of a two car garage. It took my breath away. We pulled into the driveway and I started getting a little nervous about meeting the owners of the home.

I stepped out of the black SUV and felt the warmth of the sun shimmering down. Jesse came around the car holding the bags Mrs. Green had packed. I had no clue what was in them. We headed to the classy black door with two potted plants sitting next to the stairs. The entire house seemed to be wrapped in elegance and beauty. We rang the doorbell and heard voices come from inside. Jesse gave me a comforting nod before an older woman opened the door.

This woman wore leather black shorts, a white shirt, with an off-white cardigan. She had deep black hair which was curled. The biggest and brightest smile appeared on her face. Her green eyes were wide with delight and she pulled me into a welcoming hug, "You must be Amara! Beck, get your butt down here!"

She smiled at me once again before giving Jesse a hug. He tensed but didn't pull away, "Jesse, it's been too long."

"15 years," Jesse said as if that was not enough. She gave him a stink eye before gesturing us into her home. We walked into her massive living room with dark oak floors and white walls. It had a modern touch to it along with a homey beach vibe. Light blue pillows and paintings were everywhere in the living along with decors of seashells and a large turtle sculpture. It was very different from my family's mismatched decor.

"Have a seat dear, I'll introduce you to the rest of the bunch." She insisted, so I took a seat and got comfortable. I plotted down on their white sofa which felt like sitting on clouds. The room smelled of tropical breeze. As I waited on the couch admiring the paintings along the wall, Jesse stood next to the door like a security guard. About 10 minutes later Tabthia returned with a tall man who had a little beer gut. He had dark hair with a matching black beard. His gray eyes were a very unusual color but had a friendly smile. He went up to Jesse and they greeted each other with a bear hug. Laughter, real laughter escaped Jesse. I sat there in utter surprise at the fact Jesse could laugh. "Jesse, my man! I haven't seen you in years. How have you been?"

Jesse smiled, "Been good Beck. I see you're doing well."

Beck smiled, "Yes, yes I am. This house was my ole' ladies idea but we love it here. Need you to come back to our pack man. Could always use a wolf with your demeanor to keep the young folk in line."

They talked for a while, catching up before Tabitha introduced me to her husband. They seemed like a nice couple, but I already felt so out of place here. Jesse and I said our goodbyes, which was harder than I thought considering he was a stranger as well.

Tabitha went to show me to my new room. We walked up the wooden staircase to the second floor.

"Our room is all the way down the hall to the right if you ever need us," she pointed to another hall that branched right. We kept walking straight though, "You and Joslin have rooms next to each other. Sorry in advance but she can be a handful."

I remembered Mrs. Green said they had a daughter my age, "Where is Joslin now?"

"God only knows. That girl is like a loose cannon." She opened a door that led to a large bedroom. The bed was already fixed up with white fluffy blankets layered in blue pillows. The room was bright due to the large windows along the wall. A bright blue desk and lamp sat under the windows and there was also a wooden dresser at the nook of the bed. A tv hung on the wall and I could see a large walk-in closet in the corner. "I hope you find yourself at home here Amara. We can't give you back what Titus took from you, but we can try to keep you safe."

With that she left me to unpack and settle in. I lunged my bag onto the bed. First thing I noticed when opening the bag was a few books laid on top. I recognized them immediately, they were my mother's scrapbooks. I took a seat on the bed and opened them. Pictures of my childhood were neatly arranged on the pages. I plucked a photograph of my parents smiling wide at a child blowing out candles on a cake. It was from my third birthday party which was Little Mermaid themed. I smiled as I remembered the famous birthday tradition of eating cake for breakfast. I laid on the bed and spent hours going through the books before me. The only thing I had left to remember my most favorite people. I cradled the books until I noticed the clock wall said five minutes until six o'clock. I grumbled a little before heading downstairs for my first dinner with the Reeves family.

The air smelled of delicious food as I eventually navigated my way to the dining room. The room was a rectangular shape with glass shelves of antique plates along the wall. The table seemed to be able to seat about eight people. It was assorted with plates of foods that included rolls, seafood, and potatoes. Mr. and Mrs. Reeves were already loading their plates. Tabithia noticed me and her face lit up, "Amara! I'm so happy you are up for joining us! Come, make your plate. Joslin should be here soon."

Tabithia handed me a plate and piled it to the brim. I thanked her and took the seat across the table. Beck was at the head of the table, "You look exactly like him you know."

I nodded, "So I've been told."

Beck grins, "Your father had quite a reputation with his people before he met your mother. A ruthless bas...,"

Tabitha kicked Beck under the table, "What he means to say is your father and mother's mating story is inspiring. He became a completely different person after finding his mate, Clara."

"Mate?" I asked, and hated the fact I was clueless about my own legacy.

"Yes, werewolves have mates. The one their souls were born to love. Once you find your mate, a werewolf performs the mating bond and they are joined together. Kind of like marriage for humans."

That made sense why my parents always acted like honeymooners. Laughing, teasing, and genuinely loving each other's company. "How do you know if you found your mate?"

Mr. and Mrs. Reeves turned to each other. As if to remember the first moment they met. "It's hard to put into words but it's like your souls call to each other. Once you meet your mate, you can't live without them. Everything about them makes your senses heighten."

Tabitha looked like she was telling the truth. Even though I cannot imagine what that kind of love must feel like. Suddenly she looked towards the living room before I heard a SLAM!

"MOTHER!!!" someone screamed from the living room. Tabithia took a sharp breath in before a young girl with solid black hair and large gray/green eyes came bouncing into the dinning room. She was about my height and had a very large breast with plumb thighs. She was by no means a large girl but had curves in all the right places. "Mother, mother, mother guess what!"

She bounced all the way to her mother before wrapping her arms around Tabitha. "I got President Wiserbean to let me host the Women Advocate Campaign at school! Isn't that exciting!"

Her mother smiled but I noticed it didn't reach her eyes. "That's great dear. Now, sit down and meet Amara."

The black haired beauty turned to me, "Oh! I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Joslin, your werewolf roomie."