An update!
A big thank you to Abo12wa, mielsita, GuestN, Guest, bigbangfan91 and ElisaCollette for the reviews and to those who follow and fav.
Beta: Tumblr- amanaryouserious, FF/AO3 - getpitchslapped
"That's my mate," Stacie said, a little out of breath. "She's here a-and she's a human." It was unexpected. Stacie was rather obsessed over the identity of her mate over the years; she speculated whether it'd be a man or a woman, what they'd be like, how they'd look and if they'd be a born werewolf or not. She drove Beca insane with it sometimes, when she insisted they'd stay awake and practically forced her best friend to listen to her guessing. Stacie tried to encourage Beca to share her own assumptions, because Stacie was sure Beca had some. How could she not? Keeping the attitude of 'I don't give a fuck about anything,' Beca always just listened and made a sarcastic comment every now and then. With the latest occurrences, Stacie's mind was preoccupied, so seeing the person she's supposed to spend her life with there was a complete surprise.
The same thought went through Beca's mind, only she wasn't excited like her best friend; she was everything but. She made a choice earlier, after what she felt at the pizzeria the previous night. Coming face to face with her mate was going to make her life so much harder. She had a young girl who just got turned in a horrific way to train and nurture. There was a threat that kept her on her toes. Beca did not need to deal with finding her mate as well. She was starting to believe someone was testing her. Now Beca knew who her mate was: had a picture in mind, a scent, the sound of her heartbeats and she probably lived nearby. That was going to have a huge effect on her and that was a fight Beca wasn't ready for.
"Control yourself; your eyes are shining blue more than the stupid colorful lights in this place." Beca told the taller woman, peeling her eyes from the ginger woman, which was a hard task on its own.
Stacie closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. She was a strong werewolf and knew very well how to control herself; however, discovering who her mate was was a whole new experience that brought with it emotions and urges that went deep. Everything in her screamed to go up there and claim the beautiful blonde. Stacie had to clench her fists tight and keep her breath steady until she regained her balance. It took a few minutes, and then she opened her eyes. They were brown again, and were still focused on her mate. "Let's go," Stacie said excitedly and began to move.
Beca felt like her blood froze; it was one thing to know her mate was around, but to get close to her and have to socialize with her was a torture the alpha didn't want to put herself through. "Wait, you can't go up there," Beca was quick to respond. Stacie turned fast to face her and Beca was quick to pull her jacket over her chest to hide the glowing of her necklace.
"What do you mean I can't?" Stacie hissed at Beca for trying to keep her from the blonde. She didn't move, though, neither to climb the stairs nor back to her alpha's side.
"It's the first time you see her and you've been drinking. Maybe now it's not the best time for introductions," Beca tried to reason with Stacie.
The woman looked offended and she had every right to be; Beca questioned her self control. While alphas know best, Stacie was confident about her abilities. She knew what it was like to lose her balance: Her childhood years were a mess and although she could've pinned it on what had happened to her, she never did. With a lot of help, she made huge progress and having her alpha doubt that stung. "I'm not going to claim her, Beca." She couldn't believe she actually had to say that. "I want to talk to her, maybe get her number so I won't have to sniff the whole damn city to find her." Stacie put her hands on her hips, but kept her tone and emotions leveled; she didn't want to challenge her leader, only to get her to understand. "Come on, you can feel that I'm fine. There is just one thing I need and it's my best friend to go up there with me, please."
How could Beca say no? She felt like an asshole for what she implied and trying to keep her closest friend from her mate. Stacie wasn't aware of her internal struggle and she was pretty sure the woman barely noticed there was someone sitting next the blonde. It wasn't fair to either of them. Beca sighed; she had to do it. Her goal was to keep her pack happy and one way to do that was for them to find love. She should've stayed home, she thought before nodding. "Lead the way." Beca lazily gestured with her hand towards the stairs and saw the light coming back to Stacie's face. "But if you get handsy, I'm dragging your ass home."
Stacie laughed as they went up the stairs. "I told you I just want to talk to her," She repeated. "But if she initiates…" A smirk slowly formed on her lips. "I can't say no to my soulmate." Stacie feigned innocence and shrugged. She laughed again at the glare she got from the alpha.
For Beca, it felt like the walk took them ages. She sensed the excitement coming off her friend and how badly she,herself, wanted to feel it too, but forced herself not to. Beca was basically hypnotized; her eyes were glued to the redheaded beauty and her ears tuned out any noise that wasn't the woman's heartbeat. Good thing Stacie was busy being smitten by the blonde woman, because Beca was doing a horrible job at suppressing her feelings.
Eventually they got to the table and stood between the couch the two women sat on and an empty one. It was then when Beca used everything she had to lock her feelings and not stare like a freak. "Hey, I'm Stacie and this is Beca; we're new to the city." Stacie easily started a conversation. "Do you mind if we join you?" she asked with a bright smile.
"Why?" The blonde asked and looked annoyed. Beca furrowed her brows, but she wasn't shocked; she wrote it as a typical human behavior. Stacie didn't look hurt—if anything, she was intrigued.
"Bree!" the ginger exclaimed and caused Beca's heart to skip a beat; she wasn't prepared for hearing her voice. She swatted the blonde's arm playfully and smiled at the standing women. "Of course you can," she told them at pointed at the empty couch. "Be nice," she muttered to the blonde and didn't know the other two could hear her loud and clear.
"Do you think they're dating?" Stacie's tone had an edge to it, although her facial expression stayed the same. It was jealousy and Beca knew it not because her best friend stank of it; she felt it burning her. She almost growled. She didn't want anything to do with her mate. Why did she still have all those stupid feelings?! It frustrated Beca.
She schooled her expression and stayed strong. "I don't know," Beca answered and sat down.
"Very helpful, Bec." Stacie plopped down next to her, on the end closer to the other couch.
"I'm Chloe and grumpy next to me is my best friend Aubrey," Chloe said with a soft voice and Beca did her best not to roll her eyes at the purrs she felt in her chest. "So, are you freshmen at Barden?"
It was strange and Beca felt awkward. Chloe was extremely friendly, which by itself was weird because how could she be her mate? Aubrey sized her up and it was rather obvious she didn't approve. When the blonde looked over to Stacie, on the other hand, Beca saw the flicker of interest before Aubrey pulled back the bored expression. At least Stacie got an answer to her question; they were best friends. Beca refused to admit to herself she felt relieved. She simply folded her arms close to her chest and remained quiet.
"No, we're done with that," Stacie took it upon herself to answer, knowing that having Beca sitting next to her was already an achievement. "The two of us and a few more friends were traveling and we decided to make a stop, earn some money and enjoy being in one place for a little bit." Stacie glanced at Aubrey a couple of times, but kept her attention at Chloe. She didn't want to come off too strong and freak the girl out. It was hard. Everything about Aubrey drove her crazy, especially that attitude; Stacie found it sexy.
"That sounds so awesome!" One thing was clear to both Beca and Stacie: Chloe was a very enthusiastic human. Though, their thoughts about it were totally different.
"What are you fine ladies doing here tonight?" Stacie asked and played with a strand of hair. The voice in her head telling her to claim her mate right then and there was bearable to handle. However, she didn't ignore the urge to get something from Aubrey, to get her to at least talk. All she got, though, was a scoff.
"Don't mind her, she's over stressed." Chloe nudged her best friend's side, and then looked back at Stacie. "We're seniors and the year just started. We also have work, so things are going to get busy," she explains. "Tonight is, or was supposed to be, about letting go." She sent a pointed look over to Aubrey.
Aubrey raised the hand that was holding a glass half full of vodka and cranberry juice. "I'm drinking, aren't I?" she challenged. "I'm not going to dance; the music is awful." Beca agreed it could use some improvement.
"That's going to change; Beca is going to be the new DJ." Beca's head snapped to Stacie's side and saw the grin plastered on her face. The brunette was glad; she found an opening.
Two sets of blue eyes landed on Beca and it was nearly impossible for her not to drown in Chloe's. She was ok with staying in the background, but now she was going to be forced to communicate.
"I thought you said you went to college." Aubrey's arrogant voice pulled the alpha from her thoughts.
Beca wanted to put her in her place and leave. Unfortunately, she had to get used to it because she'd have to suffer the woman much longer than one night.
"We did," Stacie was quick to reply and asked Beca's forgiveness through their connection. "She took contemporary production and I took business." She wore her proud smile and Aubrey seemed impressed.
"You're into music?" Chloe asked, still supporting a wide smile, and took a couple of sips from her drink.
No, no, don't talk to me, was what Beca thought. She tried to set boundaries, but they were breaking one by one. What she learned about feelings towards your mate was nothing compared to how it was in reality. She was tired from holding so much back. Having to deal with her best friend being ecstatic and her obnoxious mate drained her even more. "Yeah," she answered dryly.
"I'm studying music education. Music is my life." That was why Beca didn't want them to talk; now she discovered they shared the same passion.
Beca scratched the back of her neck. She didn't know what to say and Chloe had so much joy in her eyes, which only put more pressure on Beca. All the responses she could've thought about consisted of one word. She was awkward as it is, and Chloe's eyes only confused her and made it worse.
"Wow, you're glowing!" Chloe said and pointed at her.
Beca's eyes widened at the realization. She'd moved her arm and caused the jacket to move and reveal her necklace. Now she was aware to how strong it burned her; it actually hurt. She was so busy, concentrating on too many things, on keeping herself together to notice. Not only did she remember of its existence, but because Chloe said it aloud, Stacie knew the secret she tried her best to hide.
The second the sentence left Chloe's mouth and registered in Stacie's mind, her head snapped towards her best friend. Her eyes almost popped out of their holes at the sight of the bright red color glowing under the alpha's shirt. She stared, as if to make sure what she saw was real. Her head was slowly lifted up and she met with Beca's panicked blue eyes. They both found their mate tonight and were seated next to them. Though Stacie was confused; she didn't expect Beca to jump up and down with joy at the revelation, but she acted strange and on top of it all, kept it from her. "Chloe?"
The alpha couldn't nod; Chloe and Aubrey weren't aware that Stacie asked her a question. She wasn't sure if she could answer either. Her stomach hurt and by then she was positive the universe hated her.
"Did I say something wrong?" Chloe was nervous and when Beca looked at her again, her insides crumbled. Chloe was biting her lip and regret was written all over her face.
"No, not at all." Somehow Beca found her voice. "It's like a mood thing." She made up an excuse and pulled the necklace out to show the redhead; there was no point of hiding it anymore. She heard a gasp coming from Stacie; thankfully it was quiet enough so she was the only one to hear. It had a black chain with a pendant that was iron claws holding a red ball-shaped gem; it was Beca's most precious possession.
"It's beautiful, Beca," Chloe said in amazement. "Why is it glowing?" She looked from the necklace to Beca's eyes.
"Because you're meant to spend your lives together!" Stacie's voice was loud in her mind. Beca couldn't tell if she was angry or happy; she assumed both.
"It's kind of a mood thing; my grandma gave it to me." It wasn't not a complete lie, simply the best version she could tell a human.
"And the mood is making sweet love in the middle of a forest."
Beca really wanted to smack Stacie. "Can you shut the fuck up?!"
"That's so cool!" The compliment warmed Beca's heart, despite her finding the girl too energetic and wanting nothing to do with her. She gave her a small lopsided smile and put the pendant under her blouse again. It seemed like Chloe was happily receiving that smile because she beamed back at Beca.
Aubrey's groan broke their moment and Beca quickly averted her eyes. "We should leave," she told her friend and caused Stacie's wolf to whine. "We classes tomorrow and we need to be at the pizzeria too," Aubrey added to support her claim and stood up.
Stacie perked up. "You don't mean Crust Lus' by any chance, right?"
"Do you know it?" Aubrey sounded surprised.
Stacie nodded and stood up as well, followed by Chloe and Beca. "Our friend, Jesse, just got hired; he starts tomorrow."
Aubrey only hummed as the small group began to walk. "He's lucky; Aubrey is the shift manager tomorrow and I work the counter," Chloe said and glanced at Beca. "Maybe you guys can drop by for lunch and show support?" she suggested with a hopeful smile. "We can meet your other friends as well."
"I already love your mate and I think she's into you." Beca wished she could've blocked Stacie's voice. Chloe's idea, as nice as it was, was bad even if she only considered Emily's situation.
"Maybe we will," Stacie answered before Beca had a chance to tell her otherwise.
Chloe and Stacie kept talking a bit more until they all exited the club. Beca had no idea how someone could talk so easily with a stranger and become sort of friends with them in such a short time. At least the torture was about to end; they were out and about to say goodbye. Stacie said bye to Aubrey and got a weak one in return. What happened next Beca could've never predicted – Chloe wrapped her arms around her in a hug. Her wolf actually howled in her chest and the purrs became louder. Her eyes shut closed in time, because she was certain they turned red. Everything in her told her to bite Chloe and the sweet scent of the redhead was not helping. Beca didn't move, instead battled against changing. Thankfully, Chloe pulled back and moved to hug Stacie and they parted ways.
The two best friends walked for less than two minutes before Stacie couldn't take it anymore. "I can't believe it!" she exclaimed and turned to look at Beca as she walked backwards. "We found our mates together and they're friends too. How awesome is that?!" Beca didn't see a point to correcting her friend. "Why didn't you tell me before we went to talk to them?"
Beca put her hand in the pockets of her jacket and shrugged. She had reasons, but it didn't mean she was going to share them.
"You're not going to shut her out, right?" Stacie tried to read her friend as she easily avoided tripping on a trash can. "She's not as amazing as Aubrey, but she's cool and pretty." Beca wasn't sure if she wanted to scoff or growl at what Stacie said and ended up not saying anything. "You both love music!" Stacie pointed out, trying to get any sort of reaction.
"Can you drop it?" Beca asked and walked faster.
No was Stacie's firm answer. "For some reason, a ridiculous one I'm sure, you decided not to tell me you found your mate, even though she is the best friend of mine. So now we're going to talk about it," the tall woman stated. Talking was part of what best friends do, even if Beca didn't like it.
"There is nothing to talk about."
Stacie gasped. "Are you kidding me? We found the loves of our lives and you're being nonchalant about it?" Again, she didn't expect Beca to squeal, but that was absurd. "How are you not happy? Don't you feel that rush going through your body, your wolf getting stronger and the pull towards her?"
Beca felt it alright; it was almost too much, even. Every fiber of her being wanted Chloe; it was something primal she couldn't brush off. What she could do was control her actions and her mind was set on the matter.
"Beca talk to me." Stacie stopped and put her hand up for Beca to do the same."I know you-"
"Just stop it," Beca told her, her voice a little louder than usual. "That's my private issue to deal with. You have your mate, focus on her and leave me alone," Beca summed up and resumed walking.
"An issue, that's how you refer to your mate?" Stacie tried not to get angry over her alpha's behavior. Chloe looked to her like a nice girl and not a problem to take care of. She gave Beca the benefit of the doubt, knowing for sure there was something her best friend was holding back. Beca was an alpha; it's a bigger deal for them to find their mate than it is for a beta. "You'd like to forget how well I know you, Mitchell but I do. Why are pulling your walls up?"
Beca completely ignored her and kept on walking.
"Dammit, Beca!" Stacie forcefully pulled Beca back. She kept a tight held on her forearm and looked at her with her blue eyes and an irritated expression on her face. "I know you don't like new people, but she's not just a random girl. This is one of the few relationships you're supposed to be thrilled about having, no matter how antisocial you are," she argued passionately.
"I don't want a relationship with her." Beca pulled her arm back, gave the other woman a death glare and pushed passed her. If it was anyone other than her family, they would've probably ended up with some broken bones.
Stacie took a deep breath. She wasn't happy about the situation, but at least Beca was talking. "That's bullshit, Bec; she's your mate and it's not possible for you not to want her, like it's not possible for you to stop being an alpha."
"I choose not to, ok? Does that work better for you?"
"Beca," Stacie warned. She wasn't going to let Beca take whatever it was on her. It wasn't about Stacie having power over Beca, but rather her trying to ground her best friend. Yeah, the shorter girl didn't handle her emotions well, so it wasn't the first time.
"Sorry." Beca glanced at Stacie and slumped her shoulders.
Stacie nodded and they made a few steps in silence, each in her with her own thoughts. "Why are you doing it?" Stacie finally asked. "You're making yourself miserable for no reason."
"Who said there aren't any reasons?" Beca's voice was quiet.
"Stupid ones, I'm sure." Stacie raised her brow at her friend, but Beca didn't see it because she wasn't looking at her. "You always put everyone else before yourself. Most of the time I get it; you take care of us and I appreciate it." She saw her alpha becoming uncomfortable with the conversation, but they had to talk about it. "I don't need to go through alpha training to know you need to take care of yourself as well in order to be a good leader. Being in a healthy relationship with your mate is one way to do it." Stacie cared deeply about the young woman next to her; they were almost like sisters and she wanted the best for Beca as much as she wanted it for herself. "I was only kidding about making love in the forest, for now at least" She giggled and brushed off another of Beca's glares. "What I mean is, it's not like you're going to get married tomorrow. Get to know her, allow yourself to fall in love," she finished softly.
"That's not going to happen." Beca shook her head.
"Please don't tell me it's because she's a woman." Stacie sighed. "You know that gender does not matter to us."
Beca rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know that, thank you very much."
"Then what is it?" Stacie whined and pulled on Beca's arm using both of her hands. "She's bubbly, yes, but it'd be good for you. She's cute and friendly and don't kill me, she also looks good." Beca had to ignore the fire lit up by jealousy and possessiveness. "She's… No, that can't be," Stacie said with a mixture of confusion and shock.
"What?" Beca rolled her shoulders, feeling anxious.
Stacie clenched her jaw and looked long and hard at her best friend. "Beca Mitchell, do not tell me you're rejecting your mate because she's a human!" she yelled. They both looked to their sides and relaxed when no one was around.
Beca gulped and walked faster. It wasn't the entire reason, but it was enough for Stacie to get pissed at her and talk her ear off.
"Seriously Beca? You're being one of those snobbish bitches? I can't believe you." Stacie was disappointed and made sure the alpha knew she disapproved. "You're being a hypocrite too; you accepted Emily and take care of her like she's your child, but won't even try to get to know the woman who's supposed to be your soulmate? " Stacie didn't give Beca a chance to say anything; she was riled up. "Your grandma would've be-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Beca stopped and glared at the taller brunette with her red-colored eyes and bared her teeth.
"The truth hurts, huh? You're being an asshole and you don't deserve Chloe." This time it was Stacie who pushed Beca and kept walking.
There was some distance between them when Beca spoke up again. "I won't give her the bite," the alpha mumbled and pushed her hands back to her jacket pockets.
Stacie heard her clearly and stopped. She turned around, anger still evident on her face and folded her arms. "Explain."
Beca didn't want to; she wanted to carry the burden without anyone knowing and keep things the way they were. She had to now because she didn't want Stacie to think of her as one of those idiots who thought they were worth more because they were 'pure.' She hated those fuckers with burning passion. She also didn't want to fight with the woman, so she opened up. "There is nothing to explain really." Obviously that wasn't acceptable to Stacie, so Beca took a deep breath and closed the distance between them. She stood next to her and spoke: "I won't force her to change just because I'm a werewolf and some mystical shit decided we're meant to be."
"Don't you think it's her decision?" Stacie's voice softened. That was more like that Beca she knew and loved.
"There is no free will here, Stace." Beca shook her head. "We're forced to be with a person-"
"Who's our perfect match," Stacie argued.
"Still, there is no choice; there is one person you're supposed to spend your life with. You must claim each other and if they happened to be a human, then they have to turn. That's tons of pressure on both sides. I don't want any of that," she told her honestly and sighed.
"You're thinking about it too hard, you just met her. You'll get to know one another, form a strong bond and she'll want to change for you; she'll love you enough to want to do that."
"No, she'd feel obligated to," Beca stated and resumed walking.
Stacie shook her head; she couldn't accept Beca's view on the matter. "I don't-"
"That's my life and my decision to make. I'm not asking you to follow me on that or to even accept it, just respect it," Beca asked and glanced over at the taller woman. "Besides, I have all of you to worry about and care for and let me tell you, you're a handful." She grinned.
"Psst, you love us." Maybe too much, Stacie thought to herself.
Beca didn't confirm nor deny. "Can you keep it to yourself? I mean, Chloe being, y'know…"
"Really, Beca?" Stacie whined, not liking it one bit.
Beca nodded. "They'd be thrilled enough about blondie and there is no point of mentioning something that isn't relevant."
"Alright." Stacie had no choice but to agree. "You know she's going to be around considering she and Aubrey are best friends."
"I know," Beca replied.
Stacie put her hand on friend's shoulder and squeezed. She dropped the subject for the moment, but wasn't going to let Beca be an idiot and pass on true love because she was so damn good. Stacie was determined to change Beca's mind and she had destiny on her side.
Beca didn't get much sleep that night. Her thoughts refused to let her rest and at some point, at the first sign of sunlight, she decided to get up. She put a jacket on and grabbed her laptop and headphones, then headed to the roof. She sat there and allowed the sun to wash over her while she prepared a mix for her test run at the club. The music served as a good distraction for a few hours. When she went back to the apartment, everyone was up and eating breakfast. Stacie was telling them about their night and beamed when she spoke about Aubrey. She left out the part of the best friend being Beca's mate and Beca sent an appreciative nod towards when she joined them at the table. The three were fascinated by the Stacie story, especially Emily who rested her head on her palms and stared at the older woman. The sight hurt Beca because she knew she'd have to tell her at some point. It wasn't going to be then and Beca simply stayed quiet and ate her breakfast.
Shortly after, Jesse got ready and went to his first shift at the pizzeria, but not without Stacie telling him to throw some good words about her to his shift manager. Jesse asked if she meant telling Aubrey something like the time she mixed up the location of their camp site and flashed a bunch of elderly strangers. Stacie snarled and ran after him outside. Lilly told Beca she was going out and going to take Stacie with her for a run. It left the alpha alone with Emily and she wasn't sure what to do.
"Hey, Beca?" Emily's voice snapped her from her trying to figure out a way to pass the time.
"Yeah?"
"Can we... Like, I'm feeling better and I thought we could, maybe, go for a walk?" Emily asked and swayed nervously in front of her.
"Are you sure you're up to that?" It could've been good for Emily to be in the sun and breathe fresh air. Only Beca didn't want to push her so soon.
Emily nodded happily. "Even just around the block. Please!"
Beca stayed quiet and considered the options. "Alright. An hour tops and you get a good rest after. Deal?"
"Deal!" Emily agreed right away and gave Beca a tight hug, making the alpha sit awkwardly in her seat.
"Thanks, Beca! I'm going to change real quick and we can go." Emily left before Beca could've said anything.
"Kids…" Beca muttered under her breath and got up to get ready.
15 minutes later the pair exited their building and faced the nice chilly air outside. Beca held back a smile at seeing Emily closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Beca shoved her hands in the pockets of her favorite turquoise hoodie and enjoyed the silence between them not being awkward. The silence, though, didn't last for long.
"You know, this turning werewolf wasn't the worst thing for me…" Emily said and kicked a rock.
"How so?" Beca curiously asked. Emily didn't know anything about the world of werewolves or what her future held, but she was brutally attacked and almost died, so it's kind of strange to hear her say that.
Emily looked over at Beca and licked her lips. The alpha could sense she was nervous and gave her the time to sort her thoughts and share whatever she wanted to. "Two years ago, when I was 16, I got emancipated and moved pretty far from home," the younger girl admitted and got a nod from Beca as a way of saying keep talking. "My mom and I were extremely close, she was my best friend. I used to tell her everything. She was open-minded and accepted how weird her child was and was always there for me." Beca didn't need her wolf senses to know it was difficult for Emily to talk about this. She didn't interrupt, only nodded now and then to let Emily know she was listening. "Until a few days after my 12th birthday." Emily gulped. "She and my dad set me down and told me mom had brain cancer and it was terminal." Emily's voice broke and she wiped a couple of tears just before they got a chance to fall. Beca didn't know what to expect and it hit her hard; she and her mom were close and she also suffered losses. Their bond only intensified the sympathy she felt towards the young girl.
"I'm sorry, Em." It was all Beca could say. There was nothing words could've done and she knew it. A hug would've been appropriate at a situation like this, but she wasn't big fan of physical contact. She did stroke Emily's arm a few times to show support and even that was a stretch from her comfort zone.
Emily held Beca's eyes as an acknowledgement to what she said, and then continued. "She was gone 14 months later. The last four months she could barely function." Emily bit down hard on her lip and pushed the tears back. "My dad and I didn't get along as well and after she… It just got worse; he was barely home and when he was all we did was fight. When I was 14 he started heavily drinking and it only heated things up."
Beca almost growled at hearing the last part. Their bond and friendship were just at their beginning, they still had a lot to learn and work on, but Beca was still Emily's alpha and she cared deeply for the girl. Knowing that someone hurt her sparked a flare in her. She kept under control, though, so Emily wouldn't pick up on it and get even more emotional. Beca was there to listen, learn and, in her way, show support.
"At some point I had enough. I got a job and worked on improving my grades. When I was sure I was doing well and got proof of him being a horrible caregiver, I got emancipated," Emily told her with a more leveled voice.
"You said you moved far away from home. So how did you get to where we found you?" Beca inquired.
"My mom left me money, but I saved it. I didn't need much to get by, so I saved my own money aside. First I moved as far as I could without having to change schools, so he wouldn't bother me. It wasn't until I graduated that I was able to actually live that place behind me. A few months later… You know what happened," Emily explained. She wasn't ready to talk about the attack just yet. "I'm still terrified of everything that's happening to me and this world I know nothing about. But I feel safe with all of you and what you said to me about us being a family got to me. I guess I needed you in more than one way," Emily finished telling Beca and smiled shyly at her.
All those warm, fuzzy feelings she was having over what Emily said were damaging her badass persona. She cleared her throat and pushed her shoulders back. "We needed you too, Emily. You're as important to this pack as all of us," Beca assured her and used kind of an authoritative tone; she couldn't have let the young girl think she was a softy. It didn't stop Emily from smiling brightly at her and Beca found it hard not to smile back. So she used her signature move and rolled her eyes.
Emily and Beca walked for 10 more minutes. Beca told the young girl that if she'd keep up the good progress, they'd go to the forest soon and start training. It was clearly a mistake because Emily got overly excited and Beca had to physically stop her from skipping.
"Eat something and go rest!" Beca yelled towards Emily when they came back to the apartment and the young one had a chance to disappear into her room. Beca sighed and locked the door. She made her way to her own bedroom and saw Stacie checking herself in the mirror. "Where are you heading to? Work starts much later," she asked and plopped on her bed.
"I'm going to visit Jesse at his new work and grab lunch," Stacie answered as she got her hair done.
Beca propped herself on her arms and quirked a brow at her friend. "Don't you mean you're going to stalk Aubrey?" It was too obvious and Stacie wasn't denying it. "This dress is surely going to get her attention." It wasn't a fancy dress, just a simple red casual dress that hugged Stacie's body perfectly and showed her long legs.
"A woman can only hope so," Stacie said and turned to Beca. "I'll be pleased if she'd say something that ain't snarky at me."
"Good luck with that," Beca mumbled.
Stacie glared at her for a couple of second before she walked to unplug her phone from the charger.
Beca set up and took her shoes off. She felt a bit anxious knowing where Stacie was going and who was going to be there. She just had to deal with it because it was only going to get harder.
"You want to come with?" Stacie asked casually, but hoped Beca would say yes. She didn't. Stacie shrugged. She told her she'd bring the rest of them something when she get back and left.
Stacie's heart pounded faster and faster as she got closer to the pizzeria. She didn't get much of a chance to talk to Aubrey the previous night, yet it was pretty obvious the woman was closed off and intense. The werewolf wasn't worried, though, as she had plenty of experience with that kind.
She entered the restaurant with a bit of an extra sway of her hips, in case Aubrey was in the front. She could feel the blonde's presence, but didn't see her anywhere. Stacie pouted for a brief moment, but didn't despair. She saw Chloe at the counter and walked towards her.
"Stacie? Hey!" Chloe waved at her and Stacie noticed she looked to see if there were any more people with her. When the redhead realized it was only her, she focused her attention and excitement on Stacie.
"Hey, Chloe." Stacie smiled back at her.
"I see you took my advice," she pointed out with a proud smile. "Jesse is doing well. Aubrey is there with him, teaching him a few things," Chloe explained and gestured with her hand to the back area.
Stacie nodded and attempted to isolate the variety of smells so she could focus on Aubrey's. Her heart skipped a beat when she was successful and a citrus fruit scent filled her nostrils. "He didn't burn the place down, so I'm guessing he's doing alright," she joked and caused the other girl to giggle.
"So I'm going to be your excuse to ogle your girlfriend?' Jesse projected into her mind and she had to force herself not to go over there and smack his head.
"Not my girlfriend yet and I hope you didn't piss her off today. She needs to see how awesome I am."
"Ugh, I think pissed off is her default state."
Before Stacie had a chance to threaten his life, Chloe's voice got her attention. "Stacie, do you hear me?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, spaced out for a moment there." Stacie laughed it off. "What did you say?"
Chloe didn't seem to be bothered by it and repeated her question. "I asked what you would like for lunch."
"You have gratinated pasta, right?" Chloe nodded. "Cool. I'll take one now and three for my friends before I leave."
Chloe typed her order. "Oh, your friends couldn't make it?" she asked casually and Stacie grinned. Beca was such an idiot, she thought to herself.
"Not today, but maybe next time," Stacie answered and thought she noticed Chloe biting the inside of her cheek. She was going to get Beca there; she already had a great excuse.
"Something to drink?"
"Orange juice. Thanks."
"I'm just going on my break. Do you mind if we sit together?" Chloe asked and clocked out of the system.
"Sure, I hate eating alone." Stacie thought she was good at making friends, but Chloe was something else. She never met someone so nice and full of life.
"Aubrey, I'm taking my break!" Chloe said loudly for her friend and shift manager to hear and moved to the front of the restaurant. She and Stacie found a booth on the left side and sat across from each other. Stacie asked how Chloe's classes went. The redhead told her it was going to be a stressful year and that she hoped she'd keep her good grades. The few couple of classes she started earlier were fine and she was excited about the rest of the year; she had a lot of interesting courses. Chloe was a fun and interesting person to talk to. Stacie was glad that meeting her mate led her to making a friend. It was also a good thing that said friend was her best friend's mate. Stacie was in a good place; she only wished Aubrey would give her the time of day.
Stacie's head turned from the woman across from her to the one making her way to their table. That tight black shirt and pants with the tight ponytail Aubrey had was going to kill her. Stacie was sure of that.
"Here is your pasta and juice." Aubrey put the plate and glass in front of her. Stacie did her best not to frown when she didn't get any type of greeting. Aubrey only nodded when she said thank you. "Your friend isn't completely useless." Aubrey looked at Stacie as she talked again, and then turned to Chloe. "I might ask to keep him on our shift."
"I guess you'll come check on me a lot, huh?" Jesse's voice was laced with playfulness. "You might want to use that napkin; you're drooling."
"You better pray she keeps you on her shift or you won't be of use to me and I could kill you."
"Make love, not war!" he said defensively and Stacie tried hard not to laugh.
"Yeah, he's cool and he, unlike others, has no problem randomly singing Disney songs with me." Chloe gave her best friend a pointed look, which didn't faze the tall blonde at all.
Stacie followed her as she made her way back to the counter, ignoring how hot the food was when she took a bite. Good thing she healed fast or she'd have to go around with a painful burn for a while.
"I hope you have a lot of patience." Once again Chloe's voice brook her trance.
"Huh?" Stacie took a sip from her juice to cool her mouth.
Chloe tilted her head and gave her a knowing look. "If you want a chance with her, you'll have to be patient. Unless you only looking for a one-time thing. Then you should just give up."
That was direct. Stacie loved it and smiled. "I'm a very patient woman." No, she wasn't at all, but for Aubrey she could be.
Chloe's smile widened and she leaned back and got more comfortable. "Good."
"How about we all get together?" Stacie suggested after swallowing another bite.
"Aubrey and I and you and your friends?" Stacie nodded. "Yes, that sounds cool!"
"Maybe sometime this weekend, when no one has classes or work?"
Stacie was nervous for a moment that Chloe would actually explode from how excited she was about the idea. She giggled when the ginger grabbed her phone and entered her number. Chloe ringed herself and Stacie assumed it was so she'd have her number as well. "Now we can talk about that get together," Chloe said, looking very pleased with herself.
The werewolf had no idea how the hell that ball of energy was her best friend's mate. Fate had one hell of a sense of humor. Stacie also thought Beca probably would kill her when she'd find out about the group hang-out. It was a good thing that she went on run that morning.
If you're considering leaving a comment, tell me what you liked and what you'd want to see more of.
'till next time.