“Well, let me enlighten you. What I told Tyler was true. I hate my birthday because my dad hates my birthday. My dad hates me because on the day of my birth I killed his mate.
Until last year my birthday was never celebrated, ever. It wasn’t allowed. You know about the bullying, what you don’t know is that until the beginning of my freshman year my bullies included my father, my brother and rest of the future leaders of my pack. My basic existence was not even recognized by any of my peers. Not even by my brother.
Until my freshman year I had no real friends, also something that was not allowed. It was safer for people to steer clear of me. The only people who remotely gave a sh*t about me were Luna Ava, in secret, my nanny, who was beaten in front of me if my father thought she overindulged me by being too kind, and then our housekeeper who took over after my nanny was fired. The only reason I have friends now is because of Sierra.
The minute she stepped foot in my pack Sam was attracted to her and decided being nice to me would get him in her good graces. That’s how they figured out I was being harmed by more than just my father and to what extent my father mistreated me. So for the first time in my life my birthday was celebrated last year and it was beautiful.
The guys got me these bracelets,” I held up my arm, “and clearly kept the theme of the combined color coded gift this year with their necklace and you decided to use it for your own selfish gains.” I look from her to my open door. “You can come in, lingering at the door mouth
breathing isn’t doing you any favors.” ~
Both Osiston and Nickolas walk in, looking not too pleased.
“Is that why Tyler came by asking to see you looking like he was in a cage fight?” Nickolas asked. “And we are not mouth breathers.”
I couldn’t suppress a small smile at the idea I hit him hard enough to leave a mark. I just nodded.
“I’m actually sad I missed that.”
“Well, you might need to make up with him. We have been following his crew for the last few weeks, they are up to something.” Osiston says. “And he has been stalking the house, clearly trying to check in on you. He’s not very stealthy. This might work for us.”
“How soon do! need to be friendly again?’ I’m all business now. Tyler means nothing after that. I have no room for people who will turn on me at the first sign of trouble and he didn’t even listen to my side of the story. “I’ll have to start letting him talk to me in class and slowly go from there, he’s got to work for it or he will get suspicious.”
“I agree, but sooner rather than later and for sure before the semester ends.” I nod again and then look back down at my homework. It’s a start that Mina has some history, but I’m still angry and I can’t bring myself to wear the necklace yet, which makes me angry all over again.
She shouldn’t have needed to get my history like that and she shouldn’t have gone over the heads of our group leaders.
This is just another reason for them to not put on a mission until we are old enough. It’s too easy to be impulsive and emotional. The thought of being iced out of missions keeps the anger simmering too. The only way to make this look real with Tyler is to make up with Mina. I have to stuff this irritation and save it for another day.
I can feel Osiston and Nickolas leave. Mina hangs for a minute longer, but when she realizes I’m done with her she walks to my door. “Sky, I didn’t know, and I really am sorry. I hope you can forgive me.” “I’m working on it.” I finally made eye contact with her for the first time in three weeks.
“You took something that you can never give back. You may not have had all of the information, but I shouldn’t be forced into giving my history to people for any reason. We have a job here and if you want it to go faster or better or whatever, you need to work with the team. Express your concerns or ideas with everyone.
We’re the green ones here, not the experts, no matter how good we are at a few things. Get your head out of your ass, act like the leader that I know is in there somewhere. We aren’t here to be ‘the guy’ or ‘the hero’ or whatever you and Alyssa have in your heads. I’m sure the literal years that some of these guys have spent on this mission have been miserable.
Our school year can’t compare. I don’t know how long Alyssa has been here, but she isn’t much older than us and she was brought in to track not make decisions and plans. We are better than this, we need to act better.”
