** Diana’s POV **
“Guys, no. Just no.” I stated wide eyed, as Kate threw swimsuits at me, one after another, and while Melanie tried to dress an unconscious Grace into a bikini. Let’s just say, it wasn’t going well.
“Oooooo.” Kate giggled as she held up a bikini that seemed to be just strings. “This is cute.”
I gave a silent yelp and snatched it away from her.
“Are you crazy? This is just pieces of dental floss!”
Kate shrugged and reached for the humiliating swimsuit in my hands. But before she could take it, I pitched it out of the dressing room.
Kate scowled. “That was a freaking awesome bikini.”
“I’d rather swim naked than wear that.”
“Done!” Melanie exclaimed.
We turned towards her and my mouth dropped while Kate laughed. Melanie was doing jazz hands to an unconscious Grace who was wearing a cherry bikini. Was this a joke?
“Oh my gosh this is perfect!” Kate laughed. “I need a picture!”
She whipped out her phone and got ready to take a picture, but she froze and smirked.
“Melanie, put your sunglasses on her!”
Melanie ceased her jazz hands and laughed. Then she slipped her sunglasses off the top of her head and placed them on Grace. Kate got back in position for their “amusement.”
I’m so sorry my friend. Please, forgive me for not stopping them.
Snap.
“There,” Kate said as she giggled. “Wait a second…. Melanie! Is that what I think it is!” She shrieked with amusement as she pointed to Grace.
I looked at Grace closely until I saw scribble marks on her cheek. What the heck was that? A backwards three, equal sign, equal sign, then a capitalized “D”?
….Wait a second! Is that a….
I glared at Melanie who was playing with a sharpie in her hands. I believe I have found the culprit.
I walked up to her, catching her attention. When she looked up at me with a questioning look, I slapped her against her head.
“What the heck was that for?” She groaned. “Geeze, you hit hard.”
I pointed at Grace’s face. “You drew a penis on my friends face! And she’s knocked out!”
Melanie gave a sly smile and did a hand gesture like “oh you.” “No one will notice.”
“Actually,” Kate said while she played with her phone. “I already tweeted it, instagramed it, put it on Facebook, and uploaded it to tumblr. Oh, and I took a small video and put it on vine.” She fisted the air. “Do it for the vine!”
I rubbed the back of my neck while Melanie broke out into laughter and fell on her butt. “It can’t be that bad… I mean, how many people could possibly see it?”
“Well,” Kate continued. “I have two point five million followers on twitter, one point nine followers on Instagram, five hundred friends on Facebook, three million followers on tumblr, and seven hundred and sixty followers on vine.”
My mouth dropped. That many? Holy crap, that means poor Grace-
“She’s very popular,” Melanie chimed in.
I gave her a death glare, telling her that she was dead in the next five seconds.
“Uummm, you know what guys, I’ll be in the car. So, you guys, pay for my bikini please.” And with that, she was gone.
I smirked at the sight of Melanie running away. Looks like there’s a way of frightening her. With this knowledge, I could scare her later on in life.
“Why are you smiling like an evil scientist? You’re creeping me out.”
I laughed at Kate and smiled. “Oh no reason, just my thoughts. But, umm, we should probably pick up all these bikinis and pay for them.”
Kate smirked. “But we haven’t found you a bikini.”
My smile dropped. “Uhhh, yes we did. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Slowly, with a smirk still evident on her face, Kate lifted a two piece.
Oh gosh no.
Within seconds she had tackled me and began to rip my clothes off.
“No!” I screamed. “Get off!”
Kate pinned my arms behind my back. “You’re putting the bikini on now!”
I kicked and tried to shove her off, concluding in a soft kick to the back of her head.
“You’re putting the fucking bikini on now!”
“But I don’t wanna!”
She growled. “I’ll give you a painful death. I’ll kick your butt down to tartarus and watch you squirm like a worm. Your cries will mean nothing to me as you scream my name. You will think ‘why Kate? Why did you throw me down here?’ And I’ll laugh while saying ‘because you didn’t put on the bikini.’ So put the bikini on. Now.”
I stopped squirming. “Fine,” I cried. “You win. I’ll put on the stupid bikini.”
I could feel Kate smile evily. “Good, now change. And if you excuse me, I still have to try mine on.”
I sighed when she got up off of me and pulled me to my feet. Then she threw my bikini at me as she began to change into hers.
I turned the other way so that I wouldn’t see Kate change. Then I took off the rest of my clothes and changed into the swimsuit.
The bikini itself made a blush come to my cheeks. It was black with white polkadots covering it. The top was decent, but the bottoms made it look like I was wearing a really short skirt. But luckily it was like a “skort.”
“Okay, turn and face me,” Kate said after I finished changing.
I heaved a sigh and turned towards Kate, who was observing me while she was in a bikini herself.
“Wait! Why do I get this one and you get the batman one?”
Kate shrugged. “‘Cause I’m cooler. And plus, we wanna make you look sexy.”
“W-w-what? Why? I don’t wanna look sexy!”
Kate laughed. “Don’t you see, this is for Christopher.”
I blushed. “W-well, if it’s for Christopher, then I guess…”
“Great!” She shouted as she began pushing me out of the dressing room. “Now let’s go.”
“Wait! We have to change back into our clothes! And what about Grace?”
Kate stopped. “Oh yeah… Okay, I’ll carry her, you grab our clothes.”
“W-what?”
“We ain’t changing because we’re going straight to the beach once we pick up the guys. So-“
Kate stopped talking and stared into space. After a few moments, I waved my hand in front of her, but she just stood still. That’s when I noticed her eyes were clouded over.
A mind link.
Then just like that, she snapped out of it. She gripped my shoulders so tight that I flinched, and gave me a panicked expression.
“Diana, get to the car and tell Melanie to drive you back home, now. You stay in Christopher’s house and you do not move a muscle, I’ll be there with Grace as soon as I can.”
“What? Why? I still have to change-“
She cut me off. “Forget about changing! The pack- there’s rouges, and we need to keep our Luna safe. I’ll tell the clerk that you’re the Luna, she’ll understand.”
Kate shoved me away. “Hurry and run!”
I nodded and ran out the shop. Behind me, buzzers went off, because I was still wearing the unpaid for swim suit, and a woman started screaming at me. But I ignored them. I had to get to Melanie, and quick. I had to get her to drive me home fast so that I could hide. But, what about Christopher? Would he be hiding with me? Or would he be fighting? Most likely fighting…
Christopher, please be okay…
** Christopher’s POV **
‘Hold your ground!’ I commanded to my men through our link. There were seven of us and twenty three rouges. We were outnumbered and surrounded.
‘Christopher,’ Brent barked. ‘More people are on their way to help, but I don’t know if they’ll make it on time.’ He shook his furry head. ‘We’re fighting against time.’
I nodded and looked past my beta, at the pure black rouge with red eyes staring at me with hatred. I’d have to fight him, I could tell that he was the leader, and that he wanted to rip my throat out.
‘Christopher!’ Baron shouted through the link. ‘Watch out!’
I turned and ducked just in time to miss the rouge that tried to jump me. Then with that, the black rouge released a ferocious howl.
That was the signal, for both of our groups. We all attacked each other.
One after another, rouges tried to attack me. But I dodged with ease. I had my eyes set for one rouge, and that was the leader.
As I ran through the battles my men were having, I caught sight of a tiny white wolf running down hill towards us. That couldn’t possibly be who I thought it was.
I skidded to a stop. ‘Allison! Go back home and hide! It’s not safe!’
She kept running, ignoring my warnings. If she kept that up, she could get herself killed.
‘I’ve come to help Chris!’
She was almost down the hill, and I had to stop her.
Right before I darted to her, a burning pain erupted through my leg, causing a painful yelp to escape my lips. Then, a hard body knocked into mine, causing me to tumble to the ground.
At that moment, everything seemed to go in slow motion. The first thing I saw was the wolf that attacked me, a dark brown one, standing over me and keeping me pinned down with it’s paws while it snarled. The next, my men holding off their own rouges. Some battled one while others battled two. Then, as I looked to the side, I saw Allison. Poor Allison. I saw her growling at a much larger, grey wolf. It stood over her, intimidating her, yet she still growled. But that’s when it happened. The wolf attacked. It swiped at Allison, sending her flying to the ground. And a massive pool of red surrounded her as her small body twitched.
Blood.
The stench of it hit my nose fast, and anger coursed through me.
‘Kill them,’ my wolf growled in my head. ‘Kill them all! They will pay for hurting her!’
I could feel my wolf trying to take control, but I held him back. Who knew what he would do if he got through.
I released a growl and snapped at the wolf’s neck, but it easily dodged. Then before I knew it, it swiped it’s claws across my chest.
A howl escaped my lips as my head fell to the ground. How could this be happening?
I looked at the large black wolf that was the rouges’ leader as it stared down at me. I felt like he had a grudge for me. That he had a reason for ambushing me. But why? Why did his eyes show so much hatred?
I glanced at the wolf that had me pinned down. Surprisingly, it wasn’t paying attention to me, so that was my cue. I bit it’s paw, causing it to flinch and yelp. Then, while it howled with pain, I shoved it off me. When it hit the ground and I got to my feet, I ran to it and clamped my jaws on it’s neck. With my strength, I lifted it while it squirmed and threw it, making it hit the ground harder.
They will pay, all of them.
I turned to the black wolf that just watched me with amusement. This was my chance. This was my chance to end it all.
I charged at him, but he dodged. I turned to face him, but he wasn’t watching me, he was licking his paw.
Oh that’s it, he’s dead.
I dug deep inside myself and pulled out the strength necessary to catch him. And that was it.
I launched myself at him and we tumbled to the ground, ending with me pinning him down. And when I saw the chance, I clamped my jaws onto his shoulder, causing a howl to escape his lips.
While he tried to use his strength to push me off, I bit into his flesh even harder. His blood seeped through and got into my mouth, all I could taste was that “metal” flavor.
He yelped once more, and before I knew it, I was knocked off him and onto my back. When I looked at the source of it, I was sort of surprised. Pinning me down was the same wolf before, except now, it had blood seeping through it’s neck from the wound I gave it and it seemed
much weaker.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the black wolf get to it’s feet. Then, it stalked toward me, pure hatred shining in it’s eyes.
This was it, I thought. He’s finally going to attack.
As it stood over me, it’s paw raised to slash me, it just froze. It looked around frantically until it’s eyes spotted something. I looked to where his gaze was locked and my heart stopped.
Standing at the base of the hill was Diana, fear reflecting from her eyes. She observed the scene and screamed, but it couldn’t be heard. Just with my good sense of sight, I barely made out the word she screamed.
Christopher.
I growled at the wolf that had me pinned down and slashed my claw across it’s chest. Finally, after it’s howl of pain, it fell limp.
I swiftly got to my feet but was overrun but three more rouges. They blocked me from their leader and my mate.
I glanced at the black wolf, but he was no longer there. Now stood a guy my age with tattered clothes and wounds. But his eyes were no longer filled with anger, they were filled with compassion towards my mate.
“Diana.” He called, holding out his hand. “I’ve come for you.”
Diana’s eyes went wide with fear, but she walked slowly towards us until she was face to face with the guy.
Wait a second…is she wearing a bikini?
Around us, the fighting had stopped. Everyone was just watching Diana and the enemy, seeing what would happen.
“What have you done? Paul? Why are you here? Go back to your mate.”
Paul. So that’s the name of the man I’ll rip to shreds.
Paul frowned and walked around Diana, observing her.
“What a cute outfit. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were going swimming.”
As fast as lightening, Diana grabbed his wrist, surprising me that she could be so bold.
“Just get to the point.”
“Diana, I’ve come to get you. We can live happily together and have pups and raise them. I want to be with you.”
Tears pricked her eyes and my heart broke. I never wanted to see Diana cry. But, what did Paul mean to her?
“Paul, go away. I never want to see you again.”
He just gave a small smile and brought her into a hug, except, she wasn’t hugging him back. Her arms were just hugging her sides.
I growled but he ignored me.
“I love you Diana.” He said. Then he whispered into her ear, so low that I couldn’t hear. But I knew it was bad because her breath hitched.
He walked away, disappearing into the forest with his rouges following him. When they were all gone, I nudged her.
“Christopher,” she whimpered, not looking at me. “I’m sorry, this is all my fault.”
I looked around at my men who were battered but okay. Then I looked where Allison had gotten hurt. I would’ve ran to her side, but the pack nurses were tending to her.
I shook my fuzzy head and licked her arm, causing her to give a small giggle.
‘It’s not your fault Diana. These rouges would’ve attacked anyways. We’ve been getting reports from different packs that rouges have been closing in on their territories. It was just a matter of time.’
She turned to me and wrapped her arms around my furry neck and buried her face into the fur.
“You don’t understand,” she cried. “All of this is my fault. Paul, he’s going to-“
I nudged her again and she stopped.
‘Climb on, let’s go home.’
She nodded and climbed onto my back.
As I walked uphill towards our house, I felt Diana’s grip tighten on my fur. I stopped.
‘Whats wrong?’
She spoke after a moment. “That white wolf, the small one…is that Allison?”
I stared at Allison’s wounded form. She was covered in blood as the nurses tended to her. I couldn’t tell Diana that was Allison. She would cry and never stop. She would blame herself. And I should be at Allison’s side right now, comforting her. But if I did that, Diana would find out.
‘No,’ I lied.
Diana heaved a sigh. “Okay, good. Let’s go home.”
I nodded and continued uphill while thoughts exploded in my head. Paul was one of them.
Paul, I will kill you for what you did. I will kill you for hurting my Diana.