The Runaway Luna novel Chapter 2

"Mom you didn't have to." I sigh, the feeling of guilt mixing with relief. At the sound of my voice, she turns towards me with a grin.

"Jaelyn it's your birthday! I'm not letting you cook for your brother, or anyone else! He shouldn't treat you the way he does." She says the last bit with a frown, sadness in her eyes. She shakes it off quickly as her smile returns. "Besides, you might find your mate today!" I laugh at her sudden excitement and nod, not wanting her to know how nervous I really was. My hope is that if and when I find him he will be there. He'll make all this better. Maybe he will be the one who can finally convince everyone that it wasn't my fault and I can have my family back. Or just whisk me away from all of it.

After eating quickly to avoid the glares from my 'oh so loving' brother and his 'crew' I slide into my shoes and I'm on my way out the door. Calling a quick bye to mom on the way out. Before I knew it I was stepping out of my car and being tackled to the ground. Startled, I look up to find my best friend Andrea grinning on top of me. I push her off, making her pout and stick her tongue out at me. She was always a bit, eccentric.

"Happy birthday bitch!" She yells excitedly, doing her stupid birthday dance she made up a few years ago in an attempt to cheer me up on one very bad birthday. I shake the thought away, not wanting to relive it. I always pretend to be annoyed by it but honestly, I love it. I mean how could I not? She's one of the only people who understand me and Its one of the many things that make us so close. She always seems to know just how to cheer me up, no matter how down I am.

"Thanks Andy." I smile at her wickedly, giggling when an all to familiar scowl spreads across her face.

"Don't call me that!" She pouts, forcing another laugh out of me. Maybe today won't be so bad after all? One could only hope.

"Don't call me a bitch." We both smirk at eachother before bursting into laughter. We've been like this for as long as I can remember. We argue like cats and dogs but secretly we love it. It's one of the only ways for me to stay sane around here.

"But your my bitch." She puts emphasis on the 'my', grinning at me before dragging me through the parking lot. All I can do is shake my head at her, a smile plastered to my face as she giggles all the way to the building. "Are you excited to meet your mate?" As soon as the words leave her mouth, the nerves rise back up in me. Crap, I almost forgot.

"I don't know." I say back honestly. I really didn't know what to expect. He could accept me and maybe i could finally be happy. Or he could reject me and make everything a hell of a lot worse. Sadly, that seems to be the more likely options. If I were to get rejected I don't know how I would be able to survive my first shift. I was already so- weak.

All we can seem to do is stare into each others eyes for what seems like forever. Forever, until his eyes narrow suddenly and he steps away from me in disgust. I almost detect a hint of sadness in his eyes until he begins to speak. "Hello? Anybody home in that empty head of yours?" No, it couldn't have been sadness, he was the same old Cade. I can almost feel my heart shatter into a million pieces, his insults had never stung so much.

"C-Cade, I-" I stutter, not knowing what to say. What could I say? I knew exactly what was coming.

"Get out of my way freak, I need to get to class." He grunts out, making me flinch and take another step backward, out of his way. I can't help but look uo at him, searching his eyes I hope to see any hint that what he was doing was hurting him as well. For a moment, I can see him lose his composure, only pain and sadness on his face. Unfortunately it's gone as quickly as it came.

"But your my mate." I say quietly, not even noticing the tears now rolling down my face. I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to scream. But all I could do was stand there, in shock with tears rolling down my cheeks. An all too familiar feeling of grief seeping through me.