Edited! Oh yeah!

Chapter 2

Strirred

I stirred the stir-fry in my wok, my hands moving vigorously. My spoon knocked against the sides. I slowed, the noise beginning to ring in my ears. Or maybe it was just memories ringing off the sides of my cranium. Fuck, I had never thought Ashland would still be here. Was six years not long enough? I was suddenly regretting coming back to Providence. His appearance made the town much less peaceful…much less like home. Natalie sat on the couch, texting away, oblivious to my internal musings. "Hey Marilein?" I heard her say.

"Yeah?" My hands stopped. I stared at my wok, the food half burned now. "Fuck…"

"Tell me about Frederick's brother. How do you know him?"

What was I suppose to tell her? Well Ashland is just some crazy werewolf who wants me. That's all. No big deal. Except that he has a knack for scaring the living shit out of me. "I dunno." I swallowed the lump in my throat. Fuck Ashland and his ability to unnerve me. "We met in high school." That was true. "Why don't you tell me about him? I haven't seen him in about what, 5, 6 years now?"

"What's there to say? He's Alpha…"

"What?" I turned quickly. He was Alpha? That meant Ashland wasn't visiting…he was here to stay.

"Yeah, the pack up here got him as their new alpha. The old guy finally kicked the bucket."

My brows knitted. I didn't know too much about the pack. When I was away I didn't ask Pete questions, and Pete didn't offer answers. I had wanted to separate myself from the pack. "And Pete?"

"Ashland choice him as his beta; him and Kenneth Moore. Yeah, there was even a huge party when it happened. All the wolves got to skip school that day for the 'coronation'. It happened awhile ago."

"When?" I turned off the gas stove. I grabbed two plates, my mind finally capable of processing the new information.

"It was probably real soon after you left cause Mom was like, 'Mari is going to be so upset she missed this for Pete'. I had expected Pete to be really excited, but he seemed to take it pretty calmly. But stupid Kenneth Moore.. He gloated for months. He finally got a girl too. She is so fucking dumb…"

I stopped moving. "Natalie Karen Gardner, don't cuss!"

"I'm 16 Mari."

"Yeah! If dad was here he would pop you!" She shrugged before continuing to text. "Come on. Lunch is ready." I looked over at the clock; 2:15. Natalie had grown up so much since I had left. I put the plates on the coffee table and turned on the tv. Reruns of Avatar was on. Despite my age, I always loved a good cartoon. A heavy knock disrupted us. "How about you get the door Nat?" I stuffed a spoonful of rice in my mouth as she stood. I could hear her call me from the foyer.

"It's Pete!"

I turned to see Pete follow her inside. His smile was soft. "Hey," he said, running his hands over his closely cropped brown hair.

"Hey." I turned back to the tv. A thick silence settled over the room. My sister's phone cut through the silence like a blade. I could hear her talking, most likely to her boyfriend. When she left the room, I could feel Pete move closer to me.

"Mari, about Ashland…"

"He's really not my business." Ashland and his desires were not my concern. I could just go back to Atlanta. I had friends there too…friends that would be willing to help me with a job. I bit my lip. I had an interview next week—I didn't need this crap on my mind.

"Why are you fighting so fucking hard?" I turned to him to glare, opening my mouth to argue. "No! Could you stop and think for a moment?" He took a breath. "Ashland wants me to talk to you, about this issue. I'm doing it because I'm just as responsible to this pack as he is!"

"Pete…I'm not going to sleep with him just because you want me to! Do you remember what happened? Do you remember what he did to me?"

"It's not like he doesn't know he did wrong! He… As a wolf Mari, he wants you; he wants every bit of you…"

"Well you tell him, welcome to life! You can't always get what you want." I turned away then, and stared at the tv, watching the flames of the fire nation engulf the northern water tribe's walls. I felt, engulfed too. I had returned home looking to enjoy myself. Looking to start a steady career and life, but only found myself walking into a nightmare.

"Why don't you just talk to him? Give him the time of day?"

My eyes stayed on the flames. My mind brought up the feeling of hands against my thighs, a mouth slanted against my throat. He had been so heavy then, and any movement to push him away had only aroused him further. If Pete hadn't come then… "Not everyone gets 2nd chances."

"I think he deserves it." Pete stared at me, his blue eyes almost electric. What was I suppose to do? How could I ever trust Ashland. "What had happened…last time…Ashland wasn't intending you harm. He…"

"He tried to rape me Pete." I stared into those eyes of his, daring him to challenge my statement. He was the one to walk in. He was the one to pull Ashland away from me. "He deserves nothing from me. How can you expect me to just forgive and forget?"

"I would have figured you would understand the situation Mari. You were always so inquisitive and bright in school. I would have expected that you would have tried to figure out why."

"I did wonder. For a little bit." I curled tighter into the chair. I hadn't thought about that night in so long. I had stopped thinking about. That was how I had coped when I left. I just stopped thinking about wolves.

"Ashland may be alpha now, but he sucks ass when it comes to controlling his wolf. He's never had to control it before Mari. And I can damn well tell you that he had absolutely no control that night."

"He should learn it then."

"Well why don't you teach him?" He gave me this look. One eye was narrowed slightly. "I'll chaperone if you just go out with him."

"Once."

"A few times."

"A few is not a number Pete!"

"Go out with him for a month. One month. That's it. Unlimited dates in that month though…"

"This deal sucks ass Pete. Arent you beta? I would expect you to know better negotiating fucking date."

Pete's face scrunched up. He dropped his head. "If you care anything about me, you'll do the month."

"I love you Pete." The sneaky bastard was trying to guilt trip me. "But that won't work this time. A month is ridiculous."

"Well how else is he going to show you that he's changed? One date is nowhere near enough! And how are you going to teach him to put that wolf away?"

"Two weeks."

"Mari…"

"18 days!"

"30 days…."

"25…"

"30…."

"Do I have to sign in my blood?"

Pete grabbed me then, his hug tight. "You have no idea how awesome this is!" His grip tightened.

"The hug or my agreement?"

"You…" His lips brushed my forehead for a moment and I felt myself blush. Peter Long was a devastatingly attractive man with brown hair and electric blue eyes. I had, during a brief moment in high school, a huge crush on him. I had wanted him like most of the girls at our school had—but I was tortured. Pete looked at me like a sibling. And Pete had effectively made himself as such. My blush deepened. I felt slightly nauseous thinking about Pete kissing me. My face scrunched at the horrible mental image. I had once wanted Pete to do a hell of a lot more then kiss me, but now… The mere idea sent unpleasant shivers down my body. I had known Pete for so long, that now doing anything would be akin to incest. I pulled away.

"I think I need to get to sleep."

"It's like 4:30."

"Yeah, well I'm exhausted now." I really did feel like a needed a rest.

"Well, would you mind meeting Ash for lunch tomorrow? Noon sharp?"

"Oh, he has lunch at a prompt time?"

"Well…yeah…."

I pushed Pete out the door. I planned to sleep the entire day away.