Forget Me Not (Book 3 of Acceptance Series)

Chapter 23

I caught her before her head went under water, and she clutched me closer to her.

"Oh, my Goddess," she said, her heart pounding away like a runaway train. She moved a hand through her hair, making sure that she kept a tight grip on me with her other hand. "I can't believe that I just did that."

"I am glad that you did, Seren," I said and rubbed her back while I tried to make her relax. "I thought you wouldn't jump," I admitted.

Serenity scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Not with my phone in my pocket," she said. She cleared her throat and looked away, and a blush appeared on her face. "I was debating on whether or not I should have taken off my pants but decided against it."

"Oh, right," Melody said, and her eyes grew wide. "Phones are a thing, aren't they? Did you have yours in your pocket, TJ?" she asked and looked at me. Guilt filled her eyes, and I had a feeling that she thought it was.

I shook my head, no. "It's still in my room." 'We weren't going anywhere that we couldn't link the pack, so I didn't bother getting it.'

Mel subtly nodded. "I mean, I don't have my phone on me either." She shrugged and grimaced. "So I wasn't worried about it."

Serenity looked at Mel with wide eyes, and her mouth was agape. "And you're how old again, Melody?" she asked while she studied her.

"Sixteen," she replied. She furrowed her brows and cocked her head, confused about Serenity's shocked look. "Why?"

Serenity didn't reply and shook her head. She kept her arms around me, and I could tell that she trusted me not to let her go until she was ready, so I didn't let go of her; I was too happy that she was in my arms.

Mel shrugged and looked indifferent. "I mean, most of my friends are in this community," she said. "I can just go to their house, or they can go to my house."

"What if your mom needs you to go home, and you are out and about?" Serenity asked, and I could tell that she was surprised that we didn't have our phones on us. "How does she contact you then?"

'I don't know how to answer that without saying something about the pack house,' Mel said and glanced at me. 'Do you have any ideas?'

I shrugged. "If need be, she'll ask one of the big wolves to come to find us if we are in the woods," I said. "If we aren't in the woods, then there is a high chance that we are at the Big House or at one of our cousins' houses, so she'll call the landline of those houses and get us that way."

Serenity furrowed her brows and slowly nodded. "Do the wolves mind being used as messengers?" she asked, and we shook our heads, no.

"The white or black one normally comes to get us," I said. I shrugged and acted indifferently. "Sometimes it is the Beta couple, but that is very few and far in between."

She slowly nodded and furrowed her brows further while she thought about what I had said. She bit her lip, and I could tell that she had more questions. "How do you know that they want you to go back to your parents?" she asked.

"They whine and shove us in the direction of our houses," I replied, and my sister nodded in confirmation. 'While they link us,' I said, and she bit back a snort. "Sometimes they allow us to ride on their backs, and they'll take us, but that is far and few in between."

"Doesn't that hurt them?" she asked and cocked her head.

"What? Are you calling us fat?" I asked in mock offense, and my sister had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing.

Serenity's eyes grew wide, and her cheeks turned red. She clutched me tighter to her, and I had a feeling that she thought I was going to let her go. "Oh, no, no, no, no," she said and shook her head. "I-I just thought that they were like normal wolves. I mean, I don't think you can ride them."

"They aren't normal," Melody said. "I mean, they are far larger than normal wolves. They are a heck of a lot stronger. They would have been able to carry us if they wanted to."

"You just have to ask them nicely," I said, and Melody nodded in confirmation.

Serenity furrowed her brows further and nodded while she pressed her lips into a thin line. She looked confused, and I could tell that she had no idea if what we were saying was true or not.

She wanted to believe what he said, but it was so far fetched that she couldn't believe it until it happened to her.

'Yo, Doofus, where are you three?' one of my cousins asked, and I had to make sure that I didn't scowl nor roll my eyes, annoyed. 'Are you two having sex?'

'Melody is with us, Bryson,' I said, letting him hear the annoyance in my voice, and he looked amused. 'Why would we have sex in front of her?'

Bryson mentally shrugged. 'That didn't answer my question. Where are you?'

'Cove.'

'Ok.' He broke the link between us before I could ask him why, and I bit back an annoyed sigh because Serenity doesn't know about the mind link.

Serenity slowly relaxed and pulled away just a bit until she was treading water. "So, do others know about this place?" Serenity asked, and I could tell that she was trying to make sure that she stayed afloat.

"My siblings and cousins do," I said and made sure that she was safe. 'I have no idea what Bryson is planning, but he is on his way here,' I said to Melody.

Melody subtly nodded, and she looked nervous. "If they show up unexpectedly, then it's fine. They normally do, and then we have water fights and whatnot."

"Ugh... I hope that they don't," Serenity said and wrinkled her nose. She swam closer to me, and her eyes grew wide. "I don't know how I am doing this, but I don't know if I will be able to do it if they try and splash us."

"If they do, then we will make sure that you stay safe," I promised and nodded. I smiled and nodded again while she looked at me. "All you have to do is trust us."

Serenity sighed and nodded. "I do," she said. "I trust you both, but that doesn't stop the feeling of doubt..." She sighed and shook her head while she furrowed her brows. "I wish it did, but it doesn't."

I sighed and nodded. "I know," I said. I cleared my throat and shifted in the water. "But one day, I am sure that it will. However, for right now, we'll just take it day by day. Ok?"

Serenity smiled and nodded. "Ok." She cleared her throat and looked away from me before she looked at me again. "Thank you for being here with me and having my back."

I nodded in welcome and smiled. "I will have your back and watch out to make sure that you stay safe."

"Every day?"

"Every day."