Chapter 20

Beca's POV

After work, I walk to the store to grab some clothing. Jesse paid me today, way earlier than he should've, but he knows that I need some new clothes. So I text Chloe to let her know what I'm doing, not registering the fact that she doesn't text me back, until I'm leaving the store. I don't feel like anything is wrong though so maybe she fell asleep. Or lost herself in some book. She does that a lot.

I walk faster to her house, not worried but still wanting to get there quicker. When I get to the house, I freeze across the street, seeing an unknown car. Lifting my chin, I sniff the air subtly, surprised to smell something familiar. Shaking my head, I go to the front door and open it slowly, not sure what I'm going to find. I can smell Chloe and her mom, but there are two anonymous scents. Confused, I walk into the living room, instantly guessing who the people are. They must be Callie and Carter. I recognize them from the picture. No wonder their scent is familiar since they're related to Chloe.

Everybody turns toward me, making me uncomfortable. I shift back and forth on my feet before giving them a little wave. Chloe smiles, knowing what I'm feeling. She gets up and leads me to the couch, where she was previously sitting. Callie and Carter are on the other small couch while her mom moves to an armchair, allowing Chloe and I to sit together.

"Beca, this is Callie and Carter. My siblings." The twins smile at the same time, looking so much alike, it scares me. They both have dark hair, but Carter's is shorter. You can obviously tell the difference because of the male and female features but even then they have the same pale complexion and blue eyes.

"So this is the girl we've been hearing so much about. It's nice to finally know your name. Oh and to meet you, of course." Carter laughs. I just chuckle nervously, not sure what to say.

"It's nice to meet you too." My voice is small, which is unusual for me but this is Chloe's family. If I make even one mistake, they could easily hate me, just like most people do. I got lucky with her mom not hating my guts but I can't be sure about her siblings.

"You're so pretty," Callie adores. "How do you do it Chloe? Somehow, you get lucky and get the best looking ones." Everybody laughs, but I just keep my face expressionless.

"If anybody is lucky," I say, completely serious. "It's me." Callie and Carter both sigh in harmony.

"That's so sweet."

"You got a good one there, carrot stick." I frown at Carter's nickname for Chloe and look at her, confused. She just laughs and kisses me on the cheek.

"I'll tell you later. What's in the bag?" She gestures to the bag that I completely forgot I had.

"I went by the store to get some clothes. Oh, hang on. I have something for you." I search through the bag until I find the book that I got for Chloe. She's been saying how she has nothing to read and this is a book she's been wanting to read for forever, but can never find.

"Oh my goodness!" Chloe grabs the book out of my hand. "Thank you so much. I have been looking for this everywhere. How….Never mind. I'll just let the mystery keep the romance alive." I smile gladly because I don't want to have to tell her I just happened to spot it on my way out.

"So how did you two lovebirds meet?" Callie sets her chin on her hands, leaning forward, ready for all the juicy details.

"At school," Chloe starts. "We have several classes together."

"Well that's not as exciting as I thought it would be," Carter pouts. If only he knew.

"Guys," Ms. Beale stops our conversation, panic coating her voice. "Turn on the news. Now." She looks up and I can see in her eyes that it has something to do with us. Callie and Carter don't though and stare at each other confused. Chloe turns on the TV and it instantly shows an alleyway in which a reporter is standing, a sympathetic expression on her face.

"Just a few hours ago, two students from Barden High School were mugged in this very alleyway. Jesse Swanson and Emily Junk were walking home when multiple guys jumped out and started to beat them. It is not known at this time exactly what they wanted, only that they took off soon after. There were no witnesses other than the victims who are now undergoing surgery right this minute. They are both in critical condition with no way of predicting how they will come out of these surgeries. We will keep you posted on any updates that-"

I tune the reporter out, too consumed by anger. This had to be Luke. WIthout a word, I stand up and shut the TV off, pacing the living room. My hands curl into fists as I fight to control the rage. Chloe walks over to me, putting a calming hand on my arm. For once though, it doesn't help.

"It was him," I growl, forgetting that we have an audience. "He hates me so much and I don't know why. I didn't do anything. They all fucking hate me for something I didn't fucking do! I swear I'm going to kill that son of a bitch and he won't fucking see it coming."

"Beca," Chloe's soft voice washes over me in a soothing motion, trying to calm the wave of rage threatening to spill over.

"Chloe, what do I do? I don't know what to fucking do. He just does whatever he wants, hurts whoever he wants and I can't do a damn thing about it." I start to get heated again, my voice slowly rising with each syllable.

"Beca," Chloe grabs my chin, forcing me to look into her icy blue eyes. "You need to calm down." Her free hand grabs one of mine and she rubs her thumb back and forth across my palm. Taking a deep breath, I realize that she's right. I now notice a familiar ache in my jaw as though it's getting ready to shift into my wolf's canines and my hands throb as my claws fight to be released. I guess with enough anger, it's possible to shift only partly, but I didn't think so. No other wolf has been able to but here I am, about to show Chloe's siblings what I am.

"What's going on? Who are you talking about?" Callie yells, standing up and pulling her brother with her. Ms. Beale goes over to them, looking at me with terror and panic in her eyes.

"They go to our school," Chloe states. She glances at me and shrugs, knowing that it's just an obstacle thrown in the way of a tsunami. If her siblings are anything like Chloe, they won't stop till they get answers.

"We got that much," Carter says. "Why is she freaking out so much? And how does she know who did it?"

"I know you have questions but I can't tell you anything. If I did, you guys would just be in danger." Chloe cries, pain at having to hide the truth from her siblings evident. I just grip her hand tighter, letting her make this choice. It's hers to make and if she thinks it's for the best, than I do too. As they all go back and forth, I think about what this means. If Luke went so far as to attack my friends, than what else will he do? Go after Chloe or her mom while they run to the store? Or grab Chloe from school? Any of those are question is how do I get him to stop it?

"I have to go after him," I whisper and Chloe stops what she was saying to look at me, horror in her eyes.

"Beca, he will kill you." I shrug.

"As long as you and your family is safe, that's all that matters. I have to stop this because if I don't, he'll come after you guys and I can't let that happen."

"It's too dangerous," Chloe throws in weakly, knowing that nothing will change my mind. "At least take a little time to think of some kind of plan. Please?"

"Of course." Mesmerized by her soft hair, I run my hand through it, watching the red strands move like waves with each movement. Chloe sobs, clinging to me. Everybody watches this, her siblings not sure what's going on and her mom not sure what to do.

"Why don't you explain everything to them?" I suggest and Chloe looks at me, her blue eyes void of their normal spark and in that space is filled with sadness and tears. She nods which gives her mom the go ahead. While they talk, I lead Chloe up to her room, so we can have some time together before I take on Luke.

We lay down on the bed, Chloe's head resting on my chest, her arms wrapped around my waist. One of my hands stroke her hair while the other rests on her waist. For a while, we just lay there silent as the sky gets darker, a foreboding mood settling around us. Finally, Chloe speaks, her voice hoarse from all the tears.

"What would have happened if I rejected you?" I suck in a sharp breath, not expecting that. I owe her the truth though. Always have and from now on, that's what she'll get.

"There are many things that could happen. You could reject me and I would be fine, but that isn't very plausible. It almost never happens that way. The other way, the more common result, is that I would wallow in misery as it slowly drives me to the brink of insanity. Eventually, I would reach the edge and nothing could stop me from falling over. Not even you. I would probably live in the forest as a hermit until my wolf would take over, but not in a good way."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asks quietly.

"If my wolf took over, there would be no Beca, no concious between right and wrong. Nothing to stop the instinct or the blood lust. My wolf would be so filled with anger, it would attack anything nearby or go after people with no reasoning other than pure rage. When that rage dies down-and it would die down- my wolf would just die, too heartbroken to go on."

"What about you? You said your wolf would die, but what about you?" Chloe looks up at me, reaching up a hand and stroking my face.

"If my wolf were to take over, I would be gone. Beca would cease to exist and there would be no way to get me back."

"Just like that? Poof and your gone?" I nod and Chloe laughs darkly. "Well there goes that plan."

"What?" I frown.

"I was going to reject you so that maybe you wouldn't have to go after Luke." I smile adoringly at her. She was willing to break both of our hearts in order to save my life.

"Even if your reject me now, Chloe, he would just come after you for sport."

"Well that doesn't seem very fair," Chloe pouts and I chuckle.

"If it was fair, we would be able to be together with no problems. My parents wouldn't be dead and I wouldn't be hated. Your dad would be alive and you might've never moved here. Never would've met me and I'm beginning to think that maybe that would be better."

"It wouldn't be better," Chloe scolds. "Beca, if I never met you, even with my father I would still feel like I'm missing something. I wouldn't feel whole. So don't say that again. We are meant to be together and nothing will stop that. I will do anything to stay together. Anything." She whispers the last part, no longer looking me in the eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Chloe just shakes her head.

"Nothing. Let's just go to sleep. We can talk about this in the morning." Sleep sounds really good so I close my eyes, savoring what may be one of my last moments with Chloe. Luke is strong being the Alphas son and all, so my chances of winning is zero to none. But I have to do something to try and stop him. I have to show him what exactly I'm made of, that Chloe is mine and no one will ever mess with her. The pack- No, the world, needs to know that I'm done being pushed around and looked down upon. That I will do anything to protect what's closest to my heart, even if it kills me.