Mason Falls [✔]

Chapter 9: Wasted tears

I cuddle Cleo up to me. Again, because I found her, I had to take today off from school. Then Phoenix and Keagon claimed they were spending today to themselves. When I tried to interject and keep that from happening, they ended up calling me a hypocrite. When Jasper heard this, of course, he had to skip as well. I can't do anything with just me and Cleo!

Cleo wraps her arms and legs around my chest, snoring slightly. The slowness of her stomach going up and down reassures me that she won't die anytime soon. Though, recently, I've been catching her having nightmares. Like Elaine, the pack doctor, said Cleo won't be in any contact with her wolf. Jackson has been pacing, trying day and night to talk to her wolf.

And every time he attempts to, he's met with pure disappointment. And then his sadness makes me sad. But then I look at Cleo and then she immediately makes it melt away. So basically, it's just a repeated process that keeps on nonstop.

I feel a light tap on my arm followed by exploding fireworks from where the touch came from. I look down to see Cleo looking up at me. I smile down at her, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear, making her blush.

"I'm hungry!" She pouts, making me grin and kiss her bottom lip, tingles exploding from the skin to skin contact. She blushes and looks down, playing with her fingers. Lately her pronunciation and cute studder has gotten better. But the better she talks, the more she demands.

She has a very demanding personality. For example, she demands my attention when I'm just doing something alone or you know, contemplating why my life is so drama filled. But I'm not complaining, every day I spend with her makes me a more happy person.

The thing I'm currently not happy about? Well, Phoenix's birthday party and first shift is tomorrow. Yeah, and Keagon took my place for being there on her first run and to comfort her during her change. But since it is her first shift, there technically is no birthday party.

I mean, who would want a birthday party when they are going through the hell of shifting? Regular and every day wolves take twelve hours to shift. But Alphas and Betas have six.

But just because ours is not as long, doesn't mean ours don't hurt. In fact, ours is ten times worse. But after the person shifts, the person's family go for a run together. Most everyday packs have the whole pack run but because we have like six hundred pack members, you could see why we don't do that method.

"Hungry!" Cleo whines, pouting once more.

"Okay, okay, lets go." She jumps out of bed and claps happily, waiting for me to get up. I roll my eyes and stand up, cradling her in my arms. She cuddles into me, laying into a ball and placing her head against my chest. She looks up at me, nodding for me to go to the kitchen.

I sigh and nod, walking out of my bedroom. That's when I hear the soft echos of quiet sobs. I jog down the hallway, making Cleo grunt from the bouncing. I slow down my pace and turn to look into the living room. And there sat Phoenix with her head in her palms, curled into a tight ball on the couch.

She smells a whiff of my scent and looks up to me, her cheeks stained with tears. Her eyes were so puffy and red that it almost looks like she had no eyeballs. Her hair is in knots and she was wearing some of her old pajamas. Her bottom lip trembles and some of her hair falls down in front of her face.

She looks completely broken, like her whole family had died and that the world was crashing down in front of her. Just the aura of her radiated sadness instead of her usual demanding teenaged self. She looks lifeless, clutching on to the couch like it was the only thing to keep her sane.

Cleo lifts her head up and gives me a confused look, turning around to look at my sister. I hear a little gasp belonging to Cleo and I feel my wolf whimper in my head. I walk up to Phoenix and place Cleo gently on the couch, making her detach from me. I bend down to my sister's height and brush her hair behind her ear. I look at her in a loving brother and sister way, tilting my head to the side.