Independent She-wolf novel Chapter 30

"But you didn't come home last night," he sniffed.

"I stayed with a good friend last night."

"Katie?" he asked.

"Yeah," I lied.

"Oh really?" Ryan asked as he came around the corner with Cody following behind him. "Because I called Katie's parents last night looking for you. They said you weren't there." Shit. Busted! "Where were you?"

"Um... I was at a friend's," I said softly.

"Dani, I needed your help last night," Ryan said seriously. "You can't keep running off. I made all the arrangements, but I could've used your help! What am I going to do with you?"

I sighed. This was not going the way I wanted it. If Ryan sent me off and didn't let me stay, I wouldn't be able to go through this. Jace was here and so was Katie. I needed them, especially Jace. We haven't even been together that long. I looked at the twins. "Go upstairs, guys," I told them.

Ben looked worried and Cody looked scared. I nodded to them telling them everything would be okay and the left. I turned to Ryan. "Look I'm sorry I wasn't here. I just freaked out, okay."

Ryan sighed. "Dani, you always want to be treated like an adult, but you just run off. Mom and Dad just died. I can't do this alone. Nana and Grandpa are going to take the boys in and I think I'm sending you with them."

"What?" I asked. He was going to send me away. No, he just couldn't. "Ryan, please don't send me away. I don't want to leave. This is my home." Don't get me wrong, I loved my grandparents, but Jace and Katie and everything I really loved was here. Mom and Dad would always be here, too.

My brother shook his head. "Dani, I just don't know what to do. You are always running off. And I won't be able to give you what you need to live a good life."

I had to tell him. About Jace. About what I was. About everything. I listened to make sure that Cody and Ben weren't listening in. They weren't. "Ryan, I need to tell you something," I said.

"Okay," he said and looked at me carefully.

He's going to think I'm insane. He'll try to send me to a mental hospital. "Don't freak out okay," I told him and he nodded. "I'm different from you and the twins. And Mom and Dad for that matter. You're going to think I'm crazy, but just hear me out, okay?" Again, he nodded. "I'm a werewolf."

For awhile, it was quiet. Then, Ryan started to laugh and when he saw my face, he stopped. "You're not serious," he said.

"They weren't," I said. "It has to do with us being part Pawnee and me being born on a harvest moon at midnight . You won't tell anyone, right?"

"Of course not," Ryan said. "Are there others?"

Just the packs around the words, the loners, the killer rouges, and the stalkers. "There's a pack here," I said.

"Are you like apart of it?" Ryan asked. "Is that why you want to stay?"

I nodded. "I'm not sure about the whole pack thing. They just moved here a couple weeks ago. Until then I was the only one here. But, yes, they are the reason I want to stay."

Ryan looked deep in thought. "Why do you want to stay if your not really apart of it?" he asked.

Really, I didn't want to tell him about Jace. Not just yet, but I was going to be completely honest with him. I don't think I had it in me to lie to him anymore. "You see, werewolves have these things called mates. They are like soul mates. Two wolves that belong together and will stay with each other forever. No matter what, they will love each other unconditionally and would die for one another. The alpha of the pack here, also known as the leader, well, he's my mate."