Chap.4
(Courtney)
"I will be seeing you". Aunt Julia's voice kept ringing in my head. I could still feel her fingers dig into my arm stopping me from moving any further. A shiver swam down my spine as I caught up with the others who were too engrossed in their conversation to even notice my absence. They were all laughing hysterically over Gwen's sour mood which I discovered was still because of Madeline's attitude towards her.
"It's ok Gwen, I'm sure it's not that big of a deal that she doesn't like you. You not the only one Madeline hates…oh wait, yes you are", Duncan swung an arm around Gwen's shoulder sarcastically trying to make her feel better.
"Oh shut up", Gwen pushed his arm off and growled at the laughing group behind her. Even I had to laugh at the cat's behavior towards her. It even warmed up to me and we had just met. About half way through dinner Madeline jumped from Aunt Julia's lap and circled around my chair wrapping her body around my leg. The action sent the table into an up roar. I blushed at the memory. I was terrible with animals but I guess Madeline proved that I still had hope just yet.
"It's not that bad Gwen. Madeline's just a weird cat. Really what kind of animal is attracted to us anyway?" Trent stepped in between Duncan and Gwen like a wall preventing an upcoming war. Duncan just rolled his eyes and walked away. That guy was really starting to get under my skin.
"I knew someone who used to hang around animals all the time", I looked at Trent's arm wrapped around her shoulder with a raised eye brow. They looked so comfortable with each other and seemed to so easily slip into another world with each other. An ache rumbled in my chest squeezing my heart.
"Who?" my eyes snapped back up to their faces and I could feel my face flush. What was going on with me lately? Why did I keep snapping out of it so much?
"An old friend of ours, he used to keep a pet rabbit with him wherever he went. He was like a giant but he had the biggest heart", the memories of Darius rushed back into my head like a hurricane. I wasn't prepared for the storm of grief that came behind it. Darius was so gentle and so patient, even with me. I put my chest pains aside and pulled my attention back to the staring eyes in front of me. I could feel Kristina's eyes especially boring holes into my head. She didn't want to think about him. Her mind touched my own and I could feel her agony swirl around in my head.
"Please", the mist of emotions whispered in my head begging me to stop. I complied. If I kept talking about him then I was sure to break down in front of everyone else.
"Hey that sounds like Deej", Geoff cheerily stated like what he said was the best thing in the world. I looked back at him without a care. I didn't want some boy named Deej, I wanted Darius and Dem-
"No Courtney don't even go there. Not now", I mentally chastised myself for bringing the past up. I wasn't going to cry. I couldn't. If anything I would bottle it up until I was in the safe confines of my room tonight. That way I wouldn't have to deal with the looks of pity and the murmurs of "sorry".
"Yeah", Bridgette picked up where Geoff left off, "a rabbit follows his every move. He calls the little guy bunny".
"Can you take us to him", I rushed towards Bridgette with a hopeful smile. A light clicked on in my head. Maybe this Deej was really our Darius. Maybe he had escaped the blistering fire at the last moment like us. Maybe just maybe, he had survived. How many huge wolves did you see with rabbits following them after all? There were just too many coincidences for me to look the other way at this point. I looked between the two blondes waiting for a response. Kristina stayed silent behind me.
"Yeah, he should still be on his shift at Rudy's place now anyway", Geoff looked in the opposite direction and squinted his eyes. "Yeah definitely!"
Duncan wordlessly redirected the group and took his position in the front once again. He led us deeper into the city where there were still a few stores opened even at this time of night. There were neon lights glowing above us and young couples laughing in flashy outfits.
"Well here it is", Duncan swept his arms out to the brick bar in front of us. There was only a dingy light blinking in the window saying 'open'. The loose tiles on the roof were tearing from the base and slowly sliding to the ground. Loud music boomed from inside and there were still a few men waiting outside smoking cigarettes.
"Duncan! To what do we owe this pleasure", the bigger of the two men stomped out his cigarette and gestured for us to come inside. There was a large pink scar fresh across his neck similar to the one I had seen peeking under his shirt sleeve. They were scars from a fight no doubt. His friend seemed to have the scars on his eye. They were obvious signs of a fight they got into. Under the smell of cigarettes and alcohol was the scent of my kind.
The inside of the bar was pulsating with life. There were people dancing and laughing in the small amount of space. The scent of wolf kind filled the air. Jeremiah wasn't lying when he said this was his pack's place to hang out.
"Ah Lucas first I need to know if Deej is still here", he pumped his fist with Lucas' and started looking around.
"Yeah I think he's in the back at the bar", Lucas pointed over his shoulder and turned with his friend to dance with a meat girl. Duncan nodded and followed where he pointed only stopping once in awhile to bare his teeth a man with attitude.
"Duncan", another man seared his name through his name shooting him evil glares. This guy as well was covered in pink scratches on the verge of forming scars. Even though he was human he was still menacing (though I knew I could take him if I tried). He looked about 30 maybe 32 but that was probably just from the alcohol in his system. The alcohol was probably also causing his staggering feet. Even in his slumped over state you could tell he was tall. He almost stood as tall as Duncan. Almost. He looked extremely pissed. What was with all these angry men covered in bandages here? I turned my head to Bridgette and perked my eye brow mentally asking what was going on. Thankfully she got what I was saying and mouthed to me "later".
Geoff and Trent immediately went to his side tensing their muscles. The man looked at the boys unafraid. His friends like Geoff and Trent flew to his side matching their numbers. Though they looked threatening there was no question as to who would win this fight. Geoff and Trent were muscular no doubt but Duncan towered over them ripped with muscles. Of course Jeremiah was bigger but he was an alpha so that went without saying but other than that he had to be one of the biggest males here.
"Harry, Harry, Harry", Duncan crossed his arms and flexed his muscles. Crowds of people were quieting around the feud with worried eyes. A young women was tugging on the sleeve of Harry pleading with him to leave. He ignored her and kept snearing at Duncan. It was obvious who won the fights around here.
"Shut it kid", Harry swung back his fist and launched it at Duncan trying to catch him off guard. Duncan didn't even have to try to catch it. It was like Harry had handed him his fist. Once he grabbed it, Duncan smashed the him into the table behind him. A loud crack was heard as the table collapsed under the weight of the man. Some of the pack came over to the loud racus.
"Duncan why must you cause a mess on my shift", a low soft voice came from behind me. I turned around to see a large man, in his mid twenties. He had light ebony skin, wore a playful grin and had soft hazel eyes. Across his right eye was a long scar flowing all the way to his chin. The scar was new but I remembered those very familiar eyes easily. They were the eyes I had dreamt about so many nights. Those eyes among many others I always dreamt about.
"Not my fault. This asshole started it", Duncan pointed over to the unconscious man laying on the crumpled pieces of table. Hid mate was by his side clutching his hand for dear life. The large man didn't answer Duncan because he was too busy staring at me. I lifted my hand unsure if the man in front of was real or not.
"D-Darius?" I asked stepping forward.
"C-ne!" Darius covered the space between us and pulled me into a hug. I could barely breathe but the opportunity of seeing someone I thought I had lost was worth the loss of air. He released me and took a step back. A tear was glistening in his eye. Good ol' Darius.
"Where is Nina? I", Darius started but he was answered by Kristina's sobbing form. She was crying uncontrollably with joy yet hadn't gotten the common sense to move yet. Darius started crying as well and ran towards her picking her up and spinning her around. They became a mass of tears and laughter, kissing each other with no intentional end.
"Way to go Dj", Trent muttered at the kissing scene in front of him. I coughed as the scene developed a little bit more than necessary. I was happy they were together again, but I wasn't sure if now was the time for a full reunion. They both shoveled their clothes embarrassed. Well Darius (or Dj like they kept calling him for some reason) was embarrassed. He was practically turning into a tomato. Kristina wasn't ashamed in the least. She was too busy smiling to care about the people around her.
"So I'm guessing you guys know each other then", Gwen said sarcastically at the couple still hanging onto each other. Darius blushed an even deeper red.
"Their pack was my pack", Darius gestured towards a large table in the back. The fight from before was completely forgotten and as we drifted to the back the reunion scene we caused was beginning to be forgotten as well. The pack would no doubt be brought up to date on everything that happened tonight and the other humans-well they probably knew they were never going to get any answers. Slowly the music picked up again and people began dancing.
"I thought I'd lost you, Nina", Darius looked into Kristina's eyes and touched foreheads sighing with pleasure. He looked back at me and grabbed my hand with his free one with a smile. "You too lil' sis. I've missed you both so much. I thought I'd never see either of you again". Tears were starting to form around his eyes again.
"So that's where you're from!" Bridgette looked at the three of us excitedly. What was that supposed to mean.
"You didn't tell them where you're fro-Oh", I stopped myself understanding why he hadn't told anyone what happened. "The vow of silence", I finished. I didn't have to ask him anymore because I finally understood. When we had first met Darius and his father, his father was taking a vow of silence for his late father. It was a tradition in their culture that they take the vow for at least three years after the loose a loved one. The first year you are not allowed to say one word. The second year was restricted words and the third year you could not talk about the past. Only his father was taking the vow since Darius had never met his grandfather. For the three months that his father was with us he never said one word. He used his son as a translator for whatever he needed.
"Yes", Darius nodded.
"So how long have you been here?" I asked him.
"Two years ago. I came here right after…", he trailed off and started looking in different directions. A depressing mood was starting to come over the group.
"Well at least we're together again", I squeezed their hands and looked between the two with a smile. Now was not the time to relive the past. It was a happy time. We had just been reunited by a beloved family member. Now should be a celebration time.
"She's right", Darius' smile broadened and that sad tear in his eye stayed put. He turned to a girl wearing a white t and denim uniform with a motherly face. Another one of our kind. "Annette can you bring us a round of cokes", he asked her.
"Sure sugar", she looked around the table "Ya'll want me to goose that? I don't mind", she asked giving Duncan a wink.
"Of course", Duncan looked back at her with a wink of his own. "Thanks Netty". A few minutes later 'Netty' came back with a plate of cokes filled to the brim. She left again giving everyone a warm smile.
We sat there for an hour listening and talking among ourselves. Well it was mostly Darius and Kristina talking to each other. I mostly listened like the others. I was more aware of the jokes they shared than everyone else but there were even some jokes between them that I knew nothing about. Eventually we felt like it was time to go and we began to leave. The display we had created earlier was now completely forgotten, so it was ok to leave without anyone else coming at us for a fight. We had left Kristina behind with Darius at the bar since she wanted to spend more time with him. Plus she was going to be working there in few days so he wanted to show her the ropes after his shift was finished. That was the first night I didn't have a nightmare.
Yay another chapter done!!! This one wasn't as long as the ones before but I really wanted to get the part about Dj done. By the way if you didn't get that part Dj and Darius are the same person. Dj being a junior decided to take on his nickname as a child when he first moved into Duncan so he could sort of start over. So that's the explanation with that one. Any who thanks for reading hoped you all liked it and please review. Thanks!