I stare at the screen in silence for a bit.
I silently wonder how it must have been like for Cade and Logan to grow up with girls their age around.
I didn’t have any female presence, other than Mom, until my brothers started dating.
The only girly thing my mother ever talked to me about was where babies come from.
That conversation was done with Dad and the rest of my brothers, so that means I felt compelled to make the same jokes they did.
“So what’s her and Logan’s story?” I wonder.
She smiles sideways at me.
“Well, you know that the plan originally was that Logan and I would get together in the end, right?” I nod.
“When I chose Cade instead, Logan’s parents set their hopes on Reena.
Obviously, they never pressured him… they weren’t that controlling.
But they did give subtle hints that they would support the relationship.
Five years ago, they started dating and they’ve been mates for two.” I don’t know what to think about this.
The one time I saw them together, they didn’t strike me as a couple that much in love.
To each their own, I guess.
Still, I can’t help noticing that a sliver of melancholy settles in my stomach.
“Hey, listen,” Sadie sharply whispers as the title begins to appear onscreen.
“About Friday.
You’re coming, right?” I frown.
“My brothers and I already agreed.” Didn’t we?
“Yeah, I know that’s what you said in front of the others, but I just wanted to make sure you didn’t just say that out of politeness.” “We’ll be there,” I promise.
“Why are you asking?” She sighs out of frustration.
“Because Cade and Logan are going to be gone that night, and Zoey can’t drink but she’s going to be a bartender, and Reena’s not really my favorite person to be around when she’s intoxicated, so there’s really no one for me to hang out with.” I’m really curious about how a host can miss his own welcome home party.
But I doubt she’ll tell me what they’re doing, so I don’t ask her about it.
“Yeah, sure, it’ll be just the two of us,” I agree.
She grins.
“Thanks Dyl.” When Friday does come around, I’m ashamed to admit that I’m a little nervous.
I’ve never been to a party before, and I’ve certainly never thought I would go to one out of my own free will.
I even spent ten minutes thinking about what to wear.
Ten minutes!
I usually just grab the first thing I find in my closet.
In the end, I put on the usual jeans and hoodie, and head out to find my brothers still wrestling in the living room over who gets to sit in the passenger seat.
“You had shotgun after school!” Danny roars.
“And you had it this morning, remember?” Nate fires back.
“You bargained with Mickey and gave him forty bucks to give it up.” “You know he only agreed to that because he knows he’s driving after the party,” Mase points out.
As the screaming match continues, I join Connor who is leaning casually against the front door, calmly watching our brothers.
“Ten bucks says Nate ends up shotgun,” he says.
“You’re on,” I say.
“I believe in my twin.” “Isn’t anyone betting on Mason?” Dad’s voice asks from the couch.
I shrug.
“Mason doesn’t really care.
He just likes to rile them up.” We watch them for a few more minutes until we hear Mom sighing loudly from the kitchen.
She comes stomping into the living room with a murderous look on her face.
At first, the three of them keep on fighting, but then she puts two fingers in her mouth and lets out an ear-splitting whistle that just about blows our heads off.
Even Dad has to cover his ears to protect them.
Sometimes, having heightened senses really sucks.
“If you boys aren’t out of this house in one minute, I will make all of you walk to the pack house, do you understand me?” she threatens, her voice low and deadly.
We all fall quiet and stare guiltily at each other.
Our parents usually put up with our bickering and only intervene when something more important needs to be done, or when our fighting is taking place downstairs, which is where all the breakables are.
Plus, my parents kind of cherish the nights when my brothers and I go out.
It’s the only time they get some peace and quiet.
And other disturbing things I am not even going to think about.
“Sorry, Mom,” Mason is the first to say.
She point at the front door.
“Just take it outside,” she orders, a bit calmer now.
We shuffle out, mumbling apologies and goodbyes.
Before they can start fighting again, Connor suddenly announces, “Mason gets shotgun.” “Aw, come on!” the other two protest.
“No buts,” he argues.
“It’s my car, and he’s less annoying than you two.” They continue complaining, but they do as he says.
“I can’t believe you’re always favoring Mase and Mickey,” Danny whines.
“At least you get to drink,” I point out, to which they have nothing to say.
Because of my secret, it’s always been an unspoken rule that I can’t ingest any substance that might make me drop my guard and cloud my judgment.
Ever since I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, I’m the designated driver after a party.
I don’t really mind the not drinking part, since I’ve never really tried it, but I like to play it out like I do.
It makes my brothers sympathize with me and gives me plenty of opportunities to mess with them.
Driving home is an added bonus.
I like driving, and I rarely get a chance to, so when I do, I cherish it.
On the way to the pack house, the conversation shifts to my brothers’ memories of their best and worst nights of partying.
I can’t really give much input, since I usually take a nap in the car and wait for them.
But I do find a million different things to make fun of.
Like how Connor once got so wasted that he went skinny dipping with a girl, who then ditched him when he started singing I’m Too Sexy.
That was too weird for her.
A few minutes later, we get to the entrance of the pack’s compound, and a security guard asks for our names.
When Connor gives him our last name, he calls for someone called Creed on his walkie-talkie and he buzzes us in.
The gates retract and the road opens up in front of us; I am literally amazed.
Sadie may have said there are eleven of them, but that’s if you only count those living in the pack house.
There’s about a dozen other regular-sized houses scattered across the compound, and all of them may be lived in.
Malcolm the diner owner probably lives in one of them.
There are also a few other buildings with different purposes inside the gates, used for anything a big pack needs; a training center, a hospital and a school.
I’m pretty sure there’s also a playground somewhere in there.
A granite road leads all the way to the pack house, then turns around and makes a perfect circle back to the entry gates.
Every patch of land in between that doesn’t have property built on is covered by a perfectly green grass carpet.
Some trees are also scattered here and there.
It almost looks like a spa or a country club, with the pack house as the hotel.
In the werewolf world, a pack usually lives in the same house, and they have all their training and education within it.
But SMP is a bit too big to fit inside one house.
The compound was built decades ago and the pack’s way of life was established along with it.
The pack house is where the alpha, beta, family and mates live.
I’m guessing this is where Logan’s family lives, along with Reena, Cade and Sadie.
The others live in the houses.
The training center and hospital are used by all, but the school is for the younger kids only.
At this time of the day, when the sun has set hours ago, the lights coming from the pack house are bright enough to illuminate a big part of the compound.
Music can also be heard from there, but it’s far enough from the houses that it doesn’t disturb them if there’s anyone at home sleeping.
I doubt anyone other than little kids and their parents is staying home tonight; this party is a big deal.
When the pack house itself comes into view, I notice that the road has been closed from that point on, and there are a few people gathering in front of the barriers.
There’s a lot more people than I imagined; surely more than the pack contains.
Then I realize that most of them are human, which really shocks me.
I thought this was supposed to be a private party?
“Where the hell am I going to park?” Connor mumbles to himself.
That’s when I notice a familiar brunette who seems out of place amidst the crowd on the street.
Standing beside people clearly dressed for a night out at a club, she looks almost awkward in a simple short-sleeved red dress that reaches her knees, with laces lining the top of its chest.
She has black flats on and is tapping one of them while she looks around for us.
I roll my window down and stick my head out.
“Sadie!” I yell.
At the sound of her name, she turns and sees me a moment later.
She beams widely and jogs toward us.
“Hey Dylan!” she greets me in her usual manner.
“You made it!” “Yeah, we did.
Um, do you know where we can park?” She seems to realize that my brothers are in the car too, and crouches down to see them through the window.
“Hey guys!” she says.
“Nice to see you all came.” “We wouldn’t miss it,” Mason says with a smile.
Then she looks at our driver.
“It’s Connor, right?” she asks.
“Yeah,” he answers casually, a little surprised she remembered his name.
She points to the side of the barrier.
“You can park on either side of the street here.
Not that many cars are supposed to be coming in.” “Kay, thanks.” “Wait, Con, hold on,” I stop him before the car moves again.
I hop out and close the door behind me.
“I’ll meet you guys in there.” “Alright, cool,” they easily agree.
“Remember, don’t drink anything except water you’ve poured yourself,” Mason reminds me.
I roll my eyes, annoyed he had to say that in front of my friend.
“Whatever, Dad.” Sadie’s watching us with an amused half-smile on her face.
I grab her elbow and start dragging her away.
“Don’t even start.” “Start what?” she asks innocently.
“Teasing you that your brothers are babying you?
Why wouldn’t I?
It’s hilarious.” Instinctively, I growl at her, but there’s enough noise around us that she doesn’t hear.
“I’m the designated driver, okay?” I offer as a way of explanation.
“Whatever you say, baby,” she teases.