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Acacia/Ciarán - Age 9

I'm a bit sad that the summer's end is nearing and that means I'll have to return home to start school at the castle.

Grandpa Keir said that the summer solstice meeting was pushed back and that he'd be taking me home the day he needs to be there. That's tomorrow, we'll leave first thing in the morning, though he did say I could hang out with my friends at the summer's end bonfire.

It's late in the afternoon though, and Grandpa Keir had told me that I need to start packing so I won't forget anything tomorrow. I'm setting a change of clothes aside for tomorrow morning, keeping my pj's out while stashing everything else away in my bag.

I release a sigh while stepping to the side table in my room, Grandpa Keir having let me take the chessboard up to my room after the incident with Alpha Chris. I'm about to start picking up the pieces to take back downstairs when there is a knock on the open wood door frame.

"Hey," my gaze lifts from the pieces, and I see Taron standing there.

"Hello," I reply while lifting the king piece into my hand.

Taron states from where he stands, "You know, I always thought the king was the strongest piece..."

When his voice trails off I arch a brow at him while scrunching my nose, "You haven't played a day in your life before challenging me to a match."

Taron has a small smile on his face as he chuckles, "You can see right through me."

"Then why bother outing yourself like that?" I roll my eyes and set the pieces aside while folding the board. He walks into the room while offering me help with the remaining portions as we place them in a wooden box.

"To see you do that," his hand lightly brushes the side of mine, and my gaze lifts to meet with his.

My eyes dart away from his as my cheeks turn slightly red, both of us resuming setting the pieces aside as I ask, "Do what?"

"It's cute the way you scrunch your nose, that's all," he laughs lightly before taking the box with all the pieces in his hands while I hold the chessboard.

I say nothing in return, my gaze meeting with his briefly before glancing away again. While standing there quietly, he does ask after a short moment, "How did you get so good at chess?"

"My daddy," I lift my gaze and state, "I'm not the strongest...I understand that...so he wanted me to enhance my mental capability."

Taron stares at me for a long while before he nods and asks, "How come you come here some summers?"

No one has ever asked me that before...

I shift the chessboard in front of me while I look away, "I don't fit in. The vampires aren't anywhere near as kind and generous as werewolves," I pause a moment and just before he's about to speak I state, "and I do understand that one day, I won't have the same relationship with the pups here as I do now because they'll become adults with their wolves...find their mates and perhaps move on if they do leave this pack. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the time I have now as an escape from the way I'm judged all the time..."

"I'm so sorry," he's genuine in the way he responds, I hear the earnest in his voice. There's a long pause of silence between us before Taron says, "I want to help you," he nods in the direction of the hallway, and I furrow my brows with confusion before following him down into the hangout game room.

We return the chessboard and pieces before I'm following Taron out the front doors of the lodge. He glances around, and I see also that many of the teenagers are helping get things ready for the bonfire. He motions for me to follow him off to the back of the lodge before moving toward the edge of the forest. He runs through the tree line, and I halt just before it.

I glance up at the trees, feeling their dark shadows looming over me, and my heart begins to race. My breathing becomes tight in my chest as fear claims me once again and I'm left standing in that fear.

Taron runs back to me before he asks, "Hey...you okay?"

I shake my head from side to side as my gaze meets with his and reply, "I'm scared."

"You shouldn't be scared of the forest," he winks at me before extending his arm and offering me his hand, "after all, you're protected by werewolves."

"I...uh-" I'm cut off the second my hand lands in his.

"Taron!" Ridge calls and I jump at his voice, both of our gazes tracing to land on him as he walks closer from behind the lodge. He pauses a moment when he reaches the two of us, eyeing us carefully before he says, "Your dad's looking for you, he wants to talk to you with Alpha Keir, Coen, and Sophia."

I slowly let my hand slide away from his, though Taron is quicker and his fingers grip just a little tighter around the back of my hand. He tells Ridge, "Let my dad know I'll be there in just a bit, okay?"

Ridge eyes us once more before shrugging his shoulders and saying, "Yeah, okay."

While Ridge walks away, I turn my gaze back to Taron before he begins to lead me into the forest. Everything around me doesn't seem as dark though while I'm lead through the tree trunks by Taron. We walk maybe about five or so minutes away from the lodge before he stops in a small clearing.

He releases my hand slowly before he turns and says, "I want to give you something, to help keep you safe if you feel like you aren't the strongest."

Furrowing my brows at him, I don't quite understand. A few moments later, Taron withdraws from his jeans two small metal cylinders that look like pencils almost. He takes hold of each before he slowly pulls them apart, revealing a very thin wire between the two.

Taron explains, "This is a retractable Garrote wire...it can be used to restrain someone or lethal if intentions allow it."

My eyes widen, and I take a step back, shaking my head in the process while saying, "Mama and daddies say I'm too little for weapons. I already hurt myself once before with one, and I'm not allo-"

"So what happens when you're the only one with a disadvantage?" Taron interrupts me while he shows me the fluid movements required to use the weapon before he slightly twists his wrists while allowing the cylinders to come together again.

"I can't..." I glance at the weapon as he hands it to me. My lower lip trembles when he takes my hand when I won't take it and places it in my palm, closing my fingers around it. When he lets go of me, I ask, "Why?"

Taron says, "An alpha protects every member of his pack, no matter their strength."

"I'm weak, Taron," I reply back while tears form in my eyes, blurring my vision slightly as I state, "I shouldn't even be worth your time because I'm not a werewolf. I will never be part of a pack."

"Aca-"

"Just..." my voice trails off while interrupting him. I shake my head and say, "Stop fighting for me..." it hurts when I continue, "...you should be spending time with your future luna."

I brush the tears that had escaped down my cheeks with the back of my hand while Taron takes a step forward. I take a similar one back and return, "Sophia's hurt because you're spending more time with me than with her," I pause a moment when I see something spark behind his eyes, yet I don't allow him to say anything else before I note, "your future is with her...and I don't want her feelings getting hurt because you're giving her mixed messages by spending time with me."

Taron's jaw clenches before he moves forward only this time, it's to walk around me. He heads back in the direction we had come from, my heart beating fast as I release an exhale, glancing down at the weapon I still hold tight in my hand.

I slide it into my jeans before I turn away from the clearing. It feels so much bigger and much more intimidating when I'm all alone, glancing over quickly as I can't help but wonder if someone is watching me. It's when a chill runs down my spine does a slight yelp leave my lips while I turn and run through the tree trunks. Weaving around them, I don't look back, and the moment I set foot back near the lodge, I topple into Dexter.

We hit the ground together, and he laughs at me while asking, "What were you doing?"

"Hide and seek?" I'm quick to rush out before I see Jelena approaching from the distance.

She exclaims, "There you two are!"

"We're going to play hide and seek!" Dexter exclaims with delight.

I laugh while steadying my heart from how fast it's racing before I say, "I need to finish packing first."

"Boo!" Dexter cries out, "The summer went by too fast, I don't want you to leave!"

"Yeah," Jelena agrees and smiles, "now I don't have anyone else to team up on Dexter with," she ruffles his hair while he pushes her off.

A smile is on my lips before Dexter exclaims, "Oh! We can play night hide and seek at the bonfire then!"

"Great idea!" Jelena agrees, and we all decide to head into the lodge. As Dexter and Jelena run into the hangout game room, I catch sight of Grandpa Keir, Sophia and her daddy Coen sitting across from Alpha Chris and Taron. They're in one room over, and I find Sophia glance my way before giving me a wide grin.

Hm...wonder what she's so happy about?

I run up the stairs to finish packing, setting aside the rest of my clothes and zipping up my bag. When my eyes land on the purple fluorescent rock, my mind races to Taron and how thoughtful he'd been to get one for me. With a smile on my lips, I pack it safely with the rest of my belongings.

Reaching for my backpack, I set the books I'd brought with me inside before taking the moonstone pendant into my hand as I'd finished the book I was reading a few days ago. It's beautiful, the way it reflects the light.

"Acacia?" Grandpa Keir's voice comes from the open door frame, and I'm quick to turn around. His eyes move over me briefly before they settle on the moonstone. He narrows his eyes before taking a few steps toward me and asking, "Where did you get this?"

My eyes meet with his as I try to hide the moonstone, though Grandpa Keir motions for me to give it to him. While I slowly allow it to drop into his open palm, I tell him, "Ciarán found it at daddy's old estate grounds a few Christmases ago and gave it to me as a present."

Grandpa Keir turns the moonstone over in his hand as his eyes suddenly flicker with a golden glint. He's very quiet for a few moments before he raises his gaze to meet with mine. He says, "This belonged to your grandmother...her birth mother, in turn, gave it to her...she was an oracle, and this was her amulet," his thumb brushes over an indent in the back of it, a small groove before saying, "Acacia..."

I look up at him while reply, "Yes...Grandpa Keir?"

"I'm going to hold onto this until I bring you home," he releases a small sigh before saying, "we're going to talk with your parents, alright?"

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask with worry, my voice somewhat shaky as I'm nervous now that he's bringing mama and daddies into the mix.

Grandpa Keir shakes his head and replies, "No...in fact, you did everything right...you did what you were supposed to..." his voice appears almost distant before he states, "...with the rogues." He's silent for awhile, and he asks, "Is the rest of your belongings packed?"

"Yeah..." I nod my head and notice how the sun is beginning to set, and it won't be long now before night descends.

"Alright, why don't you go on ahead as the end of summer bonfire and party will begin shortly," Grandpa Keir nods in the direction of the hallway, and I'm quick to move around him. I'm still a little nervous though...

...he knows something, and he's not telling me.

When I set foot outside the lodge, I see that food is already being set up, the sun's glow setting over the top of the trees. A few of the teenagers have already started drinking after they help setting up, chairs set up around the very large bonfire pit near the edge of the main pack grounds. I catch sight of Dexter and Jelena chasing after one another, Holden also joining in on the fun and as they see me, I'm waved over by Jelena.

As I get closer, she smiles and asks, "Who wants to play hide and seek? We got four people now," she eyes Dexter and Holden before her eyes rest on me.

They are all for it, and I smile while nodding my head and reply, "Yes!"

"Okay," she points to herself before saying, "I'll be it!" She covers her eyes with her hands and immediately begins counting backward from twenty.

We are all quick to disperse, me quickly running behind the lodge and next to the crates. I have to keep a hand over my mouth as when I hear Jelena countdown to one; she instantly gasps, "Dexter! That isn't a good hiding place, what are you thinking?!"

While I hear a lot of footsteps running around and Jelena attempting to find Holden and me, I start to feel a chill trail through my body, my eyes growing wide as I search all around where I'm kneeling down. Very quickly, I gasp and glance down at one of my hands touching the grass as the other remains over my mouth. Spiderwebs slowly creep up onto my skin, the feeling of the silken strands causing goosebumps to break out across my skin.

The air catches in my lungs when I pull my hand away, only to find that the spiderwebs remain adjacent to my skin. I try and shake them off quickly, even wiping them on my jeans, but they remain as they are. Closing my eyes shut tightly, I try to break away from it all, but the coolness seeps deeper into my skin, my heart beating fast as I hear the blood rushing in my ears.

"Tell daddy Kev says he's safe," a voice rings out in my ear, and I whirl around, landing on my butt while my eyes grow wide with shock. Staring up, it's the figure of my daddy only a foot away from me...he has these markings on parts of his neck and face, and I don't know what they mean.

"Daddy?" I question, my hand lowering from my mouth as I quiver in fear, backing into the boxes while staring up at him.

What appears to be my daddy merely shakes his head and just like that, Jelena comes bolting through his wispy form before it vanishes and I scream. She giggles while leaning her hands against her knees, her eyes staring down at me before she asks, "What? Come on; I didn't scare you that badly."

"N-No," I reply while shaking my head, quickly glancing down at my hand to see that nothing is there. Jelena offers me hers, and she pulls me to my feet, walking with me out behind the lodge closer to the fire.

"'Smores!" Dexter calls, motioning Jelena and me over to the bonfire. My eyes land on Ridge sitting next to Taron who has Sophia on his other side. Jelena sits down next to Sophia as I take the spot on the grass next to Jelena and Dexter scoots closer to me while Holden is on his other side. We each are given a stick, most of us burning the marshmallows well before they are ready to eat and we all laugh at the flames catch the sugary goodness on fire before quickly blowing them out.

I mush a cooked marshmallow between the graham crackers and chocolate, stuffing my face with it just as Jelena does hers. She turns to me and makes a silly face where I almost snort and spit my 'Smore at her. Ridge is also playing games, challenging Taron to who can fit the most marshmallows in their mouths.

We all watch as they plop one after the next until they both have chipmunk worthy cheeks filled with sweets. Now the real challenge, who can eat all those in one go?

Well, we don't find out because Jelena is quick to run around the bonfire and scare Ridge when he's not paying attention. The marshmallows fly from his mouth as we all laugh at the way his face turns red.

Taron asks once he's swallowed the marshmallows, "Who wants a drink?"

We all raise our hands, and he gets a quick count before Ridge also stands with him to help bring back the drinks. Sophia has this glow to her, a smile on her lips when she turns to me, Jelena returning to us only to sit next to Holden and Dexter.

"What are you so smiley about?" I arch a brow as she can't stop from giggling.

Sophia is excited when she states, "I'm going to spend the year with Crusaders Pack!"

"Oh?" I ask while still figuring out what that means.

"Yeah! I leave tomorrow morning with Alpha Chris, Taron, and Ridge," she throws her arms around me and says, "I can't believe I get to go and see how life's like with them."

"That's great," I force a quick smile when I see Taron and Ridge coming back with the drinks, Sophia lifting her arms from around me to take a soda from Taron. She pops it open while Taron sits back down next to her, passing me a drink and one for Jelena. Ridge hands out drinks for Holden and Dexter before he also takes his seat.

I catch Grandpa Keir over near one of the trees with Alpha Chris, and he shows him the moonstone...

Alpha Chris appears surprised though the second his eyes land on it, Grandpa Keir nodding before putting it out of sight.

What did I do now?

My eyes gaze away from them, glancing back around me as the night carries on. Dexter and Jelena are close, their eyes gazing into the fire while the light dances off them. Ridge and Holden are talking on one of the other sides, debating about something I'm not entirely sure of. Taron and Sophia are close also, him wrapping an arm around her waist while she tilts her head against his shoulder.

It's funny how even here, I end up alone, knowing I'll never truly belong but spend brief moments escaping from my reality.

Standing to my feet and brushing the dirt and grass from my jeans, I walk past Taron and Sophie, heading in the direction of the lodge. I see him turn his head slightly, his eyes looking me over once before I turn away and climb the stairs to the front door.

I'm tired anyway.

Making it up to my bedroom, I close the door behind me, kicking my shoes off before I don't even change into my pj's. Slipping into the bed covers, I pull them close under my neck, burying the side of my head into the pillow as I let a few tears escape my eyes.

I don't want to be alone...

You're not alone...you never will be.

💫--To Be Continued--💫