Through the Woods

Jessica

I smile watching Elijah and Scarlett dancing; it warms my heart to see them getting on. Scarlett has always been very moody which only made the other two always exclude her. However, seeing this makes me hope that our family will continue to grow stronger and closer.

Elijah has never fully accepted me and I respected his wish, and never tried to replace his mother, but I always hoped he'd build a relationship with the girls. He instantly hit it off with Indigo, and I remember when Jackson and I first married, he even began taking her to get sweets and would play with her.

I lean my head on Jackson's shoulder and smile up at him. "Look at them, they're finally getting on," I say happily.

Jackson nods in approval. "I'm glad to see they are. I guess Elijah has matured more than I thought," he chuckles, caressing my hair and kissing my forehead gently. Although there is no mate bond between us, we love one another dearly.

Our eyes meet and I wrap my arms around him. The mate bond is not there, nor can we mark one another since I am still marked by my fated mate, who is very much alive. That helplessness one feels when their mate is not around is something we don't have between us. Yes, I miss him when he's away, but our love is strong.

When life was bleak and I just wanted my girls to be safe, I somehow found a second chance at life and love. A relationship that is so much more than what I had with my fated mate.

I watch as Elijah spins Scarlett around and I smile fondly. "He is going to make an amazing alpha," I muse.

"Let's just hope he finds his mate soon; an alpha needs his luna," Jackson says seriously. I nod in agreement as Aunty Amelia chuckles.

"Well, I'm sure whoever she is, she will give him a run for his money," she says dryly. I step away from Jackson, smiling at the woman who is seated, sipping a glass of freshly squeezed juice as she observes Elijah.

"And I'm sure you aren't about to elaborate on what you mean by that," Jackson says, not glancing at the elder woman.

I don't know what his issue is with her, but as much as I love Aunt Amelia, I am not brave enough to question him. Not when his cold behaviour towards her at times scares me. I wish I knew the reason, because he does listen to her at times as well. It's confusing.

"Well, if you're a fool who can't understand anything, I am not here to spoon-feed you," Amelia replies grumpily, turning her back on us slightly.

I place my hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Jessica." I flinch when Jackson calls me, my stomach churning as bile rises in my throat.

"Yes?" I ask, masking the fear that is seeping through me.

"Did the Jacobs say why they couldn't make it?" he asks, a flicker of concern in his eyes and I relax. He isn't angry at me, he was just calling me.

"No, I mean Angela and Haru are both here, but not their parents," I reply.

Jackson nods, "That's the second pack event they haven't come to, well celebration. Pay them a visit when you have a chance, just make sure everything is alright," he replies thoughtfully.

"I will," I promise. He smiles at me, planting a kiss on my forehead. Are you alright? You look a little pale, he adds through the mind-link.

I'm fine. Really, I answer. He's always so attentive. He knows about our past, knows how deep my trauma runs, and he is so patient with me.

Good, he answers before he's called away by Nick.

Well, I better start telling everyone to start eating! I'll check with the omegas to make sure the food is all ready to go. Smiling, I make my way through the crowds, once again feeling relaxed as I listen to the music.

Scarlett

I stay quiet as I follow Indigo through the forest. Not sure why, but my instincts are telling me to keep following her. Several times she stops to make sure she's not being followed, but she hasn't gotten her wolf, so she won't even be able to sense me. But still I continue to be as discreet as possible, just in case. Wearing heels isn't helping right now, but I manage alright as I step over a fallen branch trying not to crunch anything beneath my feet.

After several minutes, the sound of music has already faded, and the only thing we can hear, aside from the rustling of the wind in the trees, is the insects and small animals in the wilderness around us. Sounds that are loud in the silence.

She's heading towards town… I can't even make sense of where she might be headed. I would assume somewhere she shouldn't be, like a club, but that makes no sense. It's Elijah's Welcoming Home Party, something she's been going on about for months. I don't think she'd miss that to sneak to a club or something.

And she's alone. What's the fun of clubbing alone? But there's no denying she's leaving pack territory, and she doesn't want anyone to spot her, continuing to pause as she checks if anyone is nearby.

My stomach twists. The Monster's men might be out there and what if something happens to her? Or they take her? She looks so much like Mama she would easily be recognised. The very thought makes me nauseous.

I speed up, no longer bothered about where she's going. She can't leave pack territory. How she knew what time the guards will make their rounds here and when it'll be unguarded is beyond me.

I'm about to call her when she takes a sharp turn down towards the river away from the town and I frown.

So, she's not sneaking into town? Wait, does she have a boyfriend or something?

I scrunch my nose, wondering if I overreacted by following my gut feeling. I follow her, debating if I should leave before she sees me when she slows down.

Where are we?

It's just a rocky place overgrown with thorns, branches and weeds.

But she knows where she's going, finding the gaps between the brambles before ducking down, and for a second I lose her before I hear her grunt and then a thud as she drops down from somewhere.

Reaching the edge, I peer down as the wind blows. I know if I jump she'll hear me. Hesitating, I linger on the edge, crouching down between the thorny branches. I can still see her from here and I don't think she's going much further as her stops have slowed.

"I'm back," she whispers, making my curiosity pique, watching as she pushes a bush, and some large leaves out of the way to reveal a…

A rock!

What on earth?

Frowning, I watch as she drops to her knees and closes her eyes, sighing.

Is someone hiding behind the rock?

I try to look closer, unable to see or smell anyone, and I can't hear anyone either. My wolf is calm, not sensing danger either. I really can't see anything behind the rock.

Indigo is silent as she sits there and rummages in her pocket. "Here! I brought you a chocolate." She chuckles as if proud of herself and opens the bar, halving it and placing half by the rock. "Ok, maybe you should have more," she breaks some more off, leaving me completely baffled.

Does she know I'm here? Is that why she is putting on this strange show to mess with my head?

I stay low as she eats her small share of chocolate and simply sits there quietly. I watch the chocolate beside her waiting for someone to reach out and grab it, but five minutes pass… then ten… It's nearly fifteen minutes later and the chocolate remains there untouched.

Weird.

She stands up after a couple more minutes.

"Well, I got to go, bye." She places her hand on the rock before she takes the uneaten pieces of chocolate out of the wrapper and pockets the wrapper, placing the chocolate back on the ground by the rock again. "Oh and my brother's back! So yeah… I guess."

Leaving her awkward statement at that, she turns towards me and I instantly move back. She probably knows I'm here. That entire thing was bizarre. I mean, I know Indigo is strange, but what the hell was that?

Silently I make my way back towards home, unable to make head nor tail of the entire strange exchange.

Soon the music reaches my ears and I can see the lights from some of the houses through the trees when I stop suddenly and turn back.

I have to ask her.

Knowing she won't be far behind, I hurry back the way I just came and it's not long before she comes into view, hands in pockets and looking like her normal self, as if she didn't just do the weirdest thing I've seen.

"Where were you?" I ask, making her come to an abrupt stop. She glances around and cocks a brow.

"Nowhere, you freak." She frowns. "Why are you even looking for me? I went for a walk, ok?"

Rolling her eyes, she pushes past me and continues towards home. I tilt my head. "So you just randomly took a walk alone through the woods at your favourite brother's Welcoming Home Party?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah, why's that so weird? The party was getting a bit boring. Besides he's with his friends," she retorts.

It's weird because you left after taking a careful look that no one spots you.

"Are you telling the truth?" I ask quietly.

"Yes! What the hell is your problem? Honestly, you're so damn annoying!" she shouts, breaking into a run as she returns to the party, leaving me standing there feeling utterly confused.

She didn't accuse me of following her, so she definitely doesn't know I did, but I think I'll pay that place a visit. Still confused, I shake my head and hurry back to the hustling, bustling party.

A quick glance around shows that everyone is digging into the food. Elijah is sitting with his friends, leaning back in his chair as he laughs about something with Aaron, Monica, and Liam.

Fiona is sitting with her family at the table next to them, her eyes downcast as she keeps stealing looks at the man, who doesn't even seem to notice her. Indigo's disappeared and I take a seat at the bar again. I'll get my food after all the traffic around the buffet tables calms down.

I cross my legs, grab another drink and run my fingers through my hair, trying to think what the hell that was with Indigo. Maybe she just belongs in the looney bin. I suddenly feel someone watching me and I know who it is before I even turn to look at him.

His cerulean eyes burn into mine, and for a second everything zones out until Monica says something and Elijah looks away, breaking eye contact with me and I quickly turn away.

I look around, hoping to find Angela, but to my disappointment, she's sitting next to her brother. He must have told her to. The man is a bore and he probably killed Angela's fun, but I guess most brothers do

Shaking my head, I gulp down my drink and take another. What a night, and it's definitely not over.