Changing Fate

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen:

I felt like death warmed over.  I may be immune to human diseases and illnesses, but I certainly wasn't to hangovers.  And unfortunately, I remembered every detail of last night.  Every shameful, mortifying detail of my behavior.

I groaned as I pried my eyes open.  They were full of crust and gunk in the corners and I rubbed them so harshly, I felt they may burst in my skull.  When I blinked them open again, a stream of blinding sunlight was streaming right in my face.  My mouth felt like cotton and tasted like I had swallowed ammonia.  My lips were dry and crusty, in desperate need of some chap stick.  I groaned again as I lifted my hand to block the light.  My head pounded like a drum, beating in time with my heart.  I sealed my eyes shut again and massaged my temples. 

I sat up after a few minutes and took myself in.  Someone had changed me out of my clothes from last night and I was now dressed in a t-shirt and shorts.  My bra was even gone.  I should feel violated at the thought of someone seeing me naked while I was passed out, but I was just thankful that I was in something comfortable.

I pushed my cheetah print comforter off of my legs and swung them over the side of the bed.  I groaned for the third time as a wave of dizziness swept over me and I stayed sitting for a few seconds until it passed.  In those few seconds, I was finally able to smell myself.  I nearly gagged at the lingering scent of vomit that clung to me like a second skin.  There was even some dried up at the ends of my hair.

I breathed through my mouth as I walked into my bathroom, to take a much needed shower.  I grabbed a few pain relievers from the medicine cabinet and downed them along with two full glasses of water before getting in.

After a nearly hour long shower, I finally felt human again... or well, werewolf again.  I dressed in another pair of cotton shorts and a t-shirt, with a sports bra underneath since a real bra just wasn't in the cards today.

I brushed through my hair and pulled it into a messy bun.  To feel and smell even better, I lathered my body in lotion, leaving my skin soft and smelling like honeysuckle.  I brushed my teeth - three times - and rinsed my mouth thoroughly with mouthwash.

I sighed again once I was ready, not at all prepared mentally to go downstairs.  I focused my hearing and almost groaned again when I heard my parents down there.  I wouldn't be surprised if they got here late last night after everything happened.  The thought of them coming home from their night away together for me, piled onto the guilt.

I felt so ashamed of my actions now.  I was in a dark place yesterday and I had taken it out on the people who loved me most and they didn't deserve that.  I just couldn't bring myself to tell them.  Deep down I knew they wouldn't judge me, but I was judging myself.  Obviously something was wrong with me if my own mate didn't want me.  I just didn't want my family to know that and look at me differently.

I wondered if they already knew though.  I wondered how much Tyler actually knew.  He was blissfully ignorant before I left yesterday, so the King must have told him after.  I didn't let myself get my hopes up that he may care.  He made it perfectly clear that he hadn't.

I mustered up all the courage I could and left my room, making my way downstairs slowly.  My pace was about as fast as a turtle stuck in peanut butter.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I finally reached the open living room, kitchen, dining room area.  Everyone was already down here.

Dad, Brody, and Tyler were sitting in the living room, while Mom and Selena were in the kitchen.  Mom was stirring a big pot of something and Selena was pulling something out of the oven.  It smelled like chicken noodle soup and cookies, but I couldn't be positive since I couldn't see.