Chapter 13

I really liked working at the shop. It had been a few weeks since I had started and I was really getting the hang of it. I was also doing a pretty good job at talking to all the pack members that came in and actually started to learn the regulars names. It was different then anything else I had experienced. My mom and I lived pretty much just the two of us, she always wanted to keep us safe.

After being here for a while now I was starting to wonder why she never brought us back here. Living in a pack wasn't as terrifying as I thought. We had a security team and of course no one is perfect…but still they worked really hard to make sure we were all safe. My dad and I still hadn't really talked about everything yet. I wasn't exactly ready. Though I was going to have to soon. This weekend he decided to have a memorial service for my mother. She's already buried in the family cemetery here and all. Dad thought it might be a good idea to give everyone…including me some closure. I think he's having a really hard time but he doesn't want me to know about it.

I didn't know what to say to him about all of it. I still…really didn't know much about him or how to help. I was just functioning above water myself. Having Hope and her friends along with working at the shop was doing some help. Nothing really stopped the nightmares though at this point I was just about use to them.

"Emmry!" I didn't register my name being called until after I felt an hand grab my arm. I couldn't help but let out a scream and try and pull myself away from whoever it was that touched me. My degree of panic went from 0 to 180. I needed to go now.

"Wait wait…shit I'm sorry." The voice said softer as their hand pulled away. I took a few steps away from them and looked up to see Colton standing there looking sheepish. Colton was one of the regulars at the shop. He usually came in either right when I got here or right when I was leaving. It was rather odd that his job was around the same times as mine.

"Please don't do that." I whispered taking another step away from him. I couldn't make his gaze. I knew it hurt their feelings when I backed away or flinched but I couldn't help it. I just hoped they would understand.

"I know I forgot. I seem to do this to you a lot." He laughed a little and ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry...I…I just really am not good with that…" I bit my lip and kept my eyes on my shoes.

"Emmry…please don't apologize...Come on…let me make it up to you. You're done work right? Why don't we go get a milkshake or something and I apologize all the way there and to your house." I finally looked up to see Colton was wearing a soft smile.

"I don't know…." I teased a little pretending to think about it. "Alright I guess. Hope is coming over tonight we're gonna watch silly movies and stay up late since I don't have to work tomorrow."

We started walking towards everyone's favorite diner. Delilah's father was the chef there and whenever he noticed one of her friends he would make sure to take care of them. Colton and I sat at the counter and ordered. I got a mint chocolate chip shake while he got a chocolate one.

Now that we had gone quiet I wasn't exactly sure what to say to him. Colton was a nice enough guy but I was pretty sure he had people he was closer to than me. I was the girl who he had started to become acquainted with at the coffee shop. I mean he had started to hang out with me and Hope and the rest of the group more often. Though by the way everyone had been reacting about him starting to hang out was interesting. Half of the group was completely confused and the other half had this smirk on their face like they knew a secret. Hope was one of the ones that had a smirk on their face and she would not tell me a single thing…well I only asked the once but that one time she didn't tell me at all.

"I heard about the memorial this weekend." He finally broke the silence well the slurping.

"Yes. I think it'll be nice. She deserves it. I was really glad that he wanted to give her a proper goodbye. I never got to give her one." I sighed and looked into my milkshake. I was fighting the flashback as hard as I could.

"If you every want to talk about it…" Colton started and I shook my head. "I appreciate the offer but no thank you." There was no way I could talk about it, the pain was too much.

"Alright if you're sure." He sighed and continued to drink his milkshake. We sat and chatted a little bit here and there but mostly about small things. When I say chatted I mean mostly Colton talked about how family, friends, his job and I smiled and listened. I didn't mind. It was nice to not have to come up with what to say.

A lot of the people here wanted me to share about what it was like living in so many packs but I didn't have good answers for them since I really didn't live within the pack more so within the pack territory barely. That always made them frown a little bit.

"You done?" He asked me and I nodded my head. Colton paid for the milkshake even though I tried really hard to pay.

"Thanks for today, it was nice." I smiled. "I'm sorry again for being..a weirdo." I laughed and brushed some hair away from my face. Colton simply shook his head and laughed.

"It's okay we're all weirdos. Want me to walk you home?" He asked but I shook my head.

"Thanks but I'm going to my dad's office he wants to talk about the memorial. I'll see you the next time I'm working I'm sure." I gave him a quick wave and headed towards what I called pack headquarters.

It seemed like a military office building. It was the tallest building in town and was the only one with dark tinted windows. The security guard let me through and buzzed me to the floor where my father's official office was. He had a home office where he did a lot of work but most of pack management happened here at HQ. It made me laugh that packs were like this. I honestly didn't realize how much like an actual town they were.

"Emmry dear, it's so nice to see you." My dad's secretary smiled at me before telling my dad that I had arrived and then opening his office door for me.

"Thanks Nady it's nice to see you too." I gave her a smile before walking through the giant wooden doors.

"Hey dad." I said plopping down in the chair in front of his desk. He was working on his computer looking thoroughly annoyed.

"Hey love. Just one minute and I'll be all set." He muttered his focus still on the computer.

His office was a decent size and it looked like it had been passed down to him by many generations. There were dozens of photographs and paintings on the walls of different couples. There was a shelf on the opposite side of the room that had memorabilia of some kind but I would have to get up out of the comfy chair to find out.

After a few minutes he sighed and closed his computer finally looking up to see me and smiling.

"Did you have a good day?" I was starting to really get along with my dad. He was a genuinely nice person.

"Yeah I did. I don't have to work tomorrow so I can help you plan the memorial like we talked about." I picked at my thumb while trying to gauge his reaction. He at first didn't want for us to plan the memorial ourselves. He tried to convince me that we could have someone else plan it but I really wanted it to be something him and I did together for mom.

"Ah yes. I cleared my whole morning for that. We don't have to actually make any decisions today. I was hoping you'd let me give you a proper tour of the office today instead." My dad gave me a hopeful look.

I couldn't tell if he was trying to avoid planning the memorial because it made him too sad or if he just really didn't want to plan it. Either way I was going to give him some leniency.

"Alright but if it doesn't have a rooftop pool I'm going to storm out." I joked.

"Well I mean no on ever said there wasn't…" He laughed and stood up. "Let's go my dear." My dad walked over to the door and we went together as he gave me a tour of the building. It felt nice to have a parent, someone to rely on. My mom had been my rock my only thing keeping me tied to the world…Now I think I had just a little bit more than that. I had Dad, Hope, our friends, and my family…all who wanted to just be there for me without asking for anything in return. Even the members of the pack had been pretty welcoming for the most part. There's always a few rotten apples in the bunch. Overall I was starting to become content with coming here. It was for the best.