However, I knew something was wrong when tears sprang into Ms. Reynolds' eyes. A second later, she set the phone back on the hook, then she sat down on her chair in a complete daze.
I wanted to know what was going on, so I walked up to her desk and nervously asked, "Was that the nurse? How is Alana doing?"
"I'm so sorry, Kyle. I don't know all the details, but Alana's heart gave up the fight to live," she solemnly muttered.
"What do you mean?" I asked with my brows knitted together in confusion.
"Alana passed away about twenty minutes ago," she sadly replied as tears started rolling down her cheeks.
Instantly, I screamed, "No! It can't be true," then I sprinted out of the classroom and all the way to the nurse's office.
When I got there, the nurse confirmed what Ms. Reynolds told me, and I felt absolutely devastated. I wasn't sure why I was so upset, considering I hardly ever talked to Alana, much less hung out with her, but I was filled with an overwhelming sense of loss.
I was planning to put a stop to all of the teasing that she had been a victim of, but I wouldn't get the chance to rectify those mishaps, since she was no longer alive. I felt absolutely horrible about the mean things I said to her. She had a good reason for throwing that book at me, and if I hadn't chased her, she might not have fainted and died.
I held myself responsible for what happened, and I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to forgive myself. She never did anything wrong to any of us, but we treated her like she was nothing but scum. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became with myself and the other pups that constantly teased her.
I couldn't fathom the thought of seeing any of them or myself at that moment, so I sprinted out of the school. I ran straight to the pack house, where I was greeted with everybody asking why I wasn't at school.
I didn't give anybody a response, because I was on the verge of breaking down in tears. Instead, I ran straight to my bedroom in the Alpha suite, then I threw myself on the bed and let the tears flow freely.
Celeste POV
It was so nice to spend time with Lance. However, I almost messed up when I admitted remembering him, but I got lucky when everybody just brushed it off as a coincidence. We stayed up until six in the morning, then I finally got tired enough to fall asleep.
When I woke up a few short hours later, I felt good and rested. I was pleasantly surprised with how much energy I had after just a few hours of sleep. I felt like I had been asleep for a solid eight hours, but it had only been two and half hours.
I noticed right away that when I stretched, I did so in a way that I would have never been able to do when I was a werewolf. My body was so much more flexible, and I couldn't stop twisting and turning, while I checked out my new flexibility.
After a minute or so, Lance playfully asked, "What are you doing, Celeste? You act like this is the first time you have ever stretched."
Instantly, my cheeks burned from the blush that appeared, then I nervously giggled before I honestly replied, "It kind of feels like the first time. I can't remember ever being able to stretch like this."
Lance chuckled at me, then he sympathetically mumbled, "Don't worry, Celeste. The rest of your memories will return soon."
A little bit later, the doctor came in and checked all of my vitals. Once he was satisfied with the results, he informed us that I could be discharged from the pack hospital. My new werecat dad and Lance quickly got my stuff together, while my new werecat mum helped me change into a clean sundress.
That was when I noticed my new mum smelled like jasmine and blueberries. I must have got the jasmine part of my new scent from my mum and the watermelon part of it from my dad. I found that to be interesting. When I was Alana the werewolf, I got the cherry part of my scent from my mum and the vanilla from my dad.
It made me wonder which of Lance's parents gave him the cocoa part of his scent and which one gave him the orange part. I was still just as enthralled with that cute werecat, as I had been for the last few years of my life living as Alana.
It wasn't long before I was wearing a light purple sundress with little pink hearts, then we left the hospital. My dad and Lance carried the few small bags of stuff, while my mum tightly held onto my hand. My new werecat parents seemed to be loving parents, and I was happy about that, since I was already missing my werewolf parents a great deal.
We walked through the forest for about ten minutes, then I spotted a small cabin tucked in the middle of the woods. It wasn't long before we reached the cabin, then my mum led me inside and happily stated, "Welcome home, sweetie. If you can't remember where something is, don't hesitate to ask. Now follow me, and I will show you your room."
I flashed her a small smile, then I followed her down the hall. She pointed to the first door on the right and said, "Here's the bathroom." After she took a few more steps, she pointed to the door on the left and said, "This is me and your father's bedroom." When we reached the last door on the right, she opened it and motioned for me to enter, as she happily stated, "This is your bedroom."
After I stepped into my bedroom, my mum reached in and flipped the lights on. My eyes were instantly met with light purple walls that had colorful butterflies painted all over them. There was a small white vanity, a white desk, a decent sized white dresser, and a full size bed. The headboard and footboard of the bed were also white, and laying on the bed was a thick pastel purple comforter and two fluffy pillows.
Pink had always been my all time favorite color, but purple followed close behind it. I looked around the room and spotted a few books sitting on the desk that was next to the vanity. I quickly walked over to the books and read the titles, then I smiled from ear to ear, as I enthusiastically asked, "Can we get a pink bookshelf for in here?"
My mum returned the smile, then she curiously asked, "Are you sure you want it pink, instead of white or purple? You used to be very adamant about everything being white and purple."
"I'm sure. I'm ready for a little change in here," I assured her.
"Okay, sweetie. I will talk to your dad, and we will make that happen as soon as we can. I'm going to fix us some lunch. I'll holler for you when it's ready," she cheerfully replied, then she left my bedroom.
That's when I noticed Lance was leaning on the doorframe. He had a odd expression on his face, and I wasn't sure why, so I curiously asked him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Something seems different about you. You remember me, but nothing else. Purple has always been your favorite color, but now you're suddenly asking for something pink. What happened in that brain of yours, when you hit your head?" he warily questioned, as he walked closer to me.
"I don't know what the big deal is. So, I like pink now. I still like purple, too," I defensively retorted.
Lance suddenly started tickling me, and I immediately dropped to the floor, as I erupted in laughter. My parents had tried to tickle me a few times when I was a young werewolf, but my heart rate would always shoot up, then I would faint, so they quit trying.
He tickled me so ferociously, I thought I was going to lose control of my bladder, but luckily he stopped just in time. I stayed lying on my back in the middle of the floor and continued to giggle, as I tried to get my breathing under control.
Once I was able to sit up, I jumped to my feet, then I sprinted to the bathroom. I couldn't chance him tickling me like that again, until I released my overfull bladder. When I was done, I quickly washed my hands, then I returned to my bedroom.
Lance was sitting at my desk, and he was flipping through one of the books, so I took the opportunity to observe him. He really was a younger version of the werecat I helped escape from the dungeons at the Great Forest Pack. Speaking of, I had that date committed to my memory, and I vowed to make sure he didn't go anywhere near the border, when that date came around again in the future.
After a few minutes, I walked over to my bed and plopped down on it. Instantly, I sank into the soft material that the mattress was made from
. It was nothing like the bed Alana had, but that was not a bad thing. This one was way bigger and way softer.
I climbed farther onto the bed, then I sprawled out and started giggling. I was brought out of my fit of giggles a few seconds later by Lance warily asking, "What is so entertaining over there?"
"I love this bed. It's so amazing," I cheekily chirped in response.
"It's the same bed you've had for years. I swear you are acting so weird," he nonchalantly replied.
"I'm not weird," I responded in all seriousness.
Lance's eyes widened a little, then he quickly mumbled, "I didn't say you are weird. I said you are acting weird."
"Same difference," I defiantly huffed. I was teased enough when I was Alana. There was no way I was going to let anybody tease me now that I was a healthy werecat. Not even Lance.
He was quick to walk over to the bed, then he sat down and gazed at me. After a few seconds of silence, he sheepishly stated, "I'm sorry, Celeste. I really don't think you're weird. I think you are the most awesome werecat that has ever lived."
I tried to stop myself from smiling, but it was like my lips had a mind of their own. I felt them slowly curve up, then I watched Lance's lips follow suit. I couldn't stay mad at him, especially when he smiled at me like that, so I reached over and patted his hand, as I timidly replied, "It's okay, Lance. I know you didn't mean it the way it sounded."
Lance acted like he was wiping sweat off his forehead, as he playfully remarked, "Good! I thought you were really mad at me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself, if I ever did anything to make you mad at me."
A second later, I heard my mum holler that lunch was ready. I playfully pushed Lance off my bed, while making sure he wouldn't get hurt in the process, then I jumped off the bed. I landed gracefully on my feet, then I grabbed Lance's hand and walked with him to the dining table.
Chapter 6
Naptime
Lance POV
While I ate lunch with Celeste and her parents, I was constantly getting lost in my thoughts. I wanted to believe that Celeste was acting different because of the concussion and amnesia she was suffering from. However, I had this weird feeling that she was a completely different person.
She looked like Celeste, but when she would gaze at me, she would get this far away look on her face, like she was reliving a past memory or something. Not only that, when she talked, it seemed like her accent had changed in a lot of subtle ways. It was like she had grown up somewhere else, with the way she annunciated some syllables and words.
Not to mention the fact that she wanted something pink in her bedroom. She had always been so headstrong about everything being purple and white, but now all of a sudden she liked the one color that she used to loathe.
I wasn't sure what to think about all of it, but I knew she was still my bestfriend no matter what. She clearly remembered me, and that had to mean something. I hoped she would regain the rest of her memories soon, so I would know she was still the same Celeste that I had known my whole life.
After we finished eating, we went back to her bedroom and hung out for a little longer. We both propped our backs against the headboard of her bed, then we talked about school. It wasn't long before she stretched her limbs, then she scooted down the headboard and laid her head on my thighs.
I wasn't sure what to think about it, so I just sat there and silently played with her beautiful hair. I had always liked her hair. It was the most vibrant shade of burgundy, and there were streaks of neon orange mixed in the burgundy.
It only took Celeste a few minutes to fall asleep with her head resting on me, then I started feeling my own eyes droop. As I attempted to move so I could lay down, Celeste curled up into a ball. It was one of those things most werecats did, so I wasn't the least bit surprised.
When I noticed she was shivering a little, I curled my body around hers, then I pulled the blanket over us the best I could with us laying on top of it. I don't know why I suddenly felt so compelled to make sure she was warm, but I had this overwhelming desire to make my bestfriend comfortable and keep her happy.
I couldn't imagine it being love or a mate bond or anything like that, since we were only eleven, and we wouldn't be able to find out who our mates were until we turned sixteen and our mates also turned sixteen. After a few minutes, I brushed it off, and concluded that it must have something to do with me still being worried about the concussion and amnesia, then I quickly fell asleep.
Celeste POV
I wasn't all that surprised when I suddenly felt tired, since I experienced that a lot when I still Alana the werewolf with the heart defect. What did surprise me was the way Lance started playing with my hair after I laid my head on his lap.
Within a few minutes, my eyelids got too heavy to keep open any longer. I drifted into a peaceful sleep, but I only slept for a few hours again.
When I woke up, I noticed right away that I was curled up in a ball. I started to stretch my limbs out, but I quickly realized there was a body curled around me. I sniffed the air and immediately knew it was Lance who was curled around me.
I thought it was so sweet that he stayed and took a nap with me. I knew from my studies of the werecat species that we were generally solitary creatures. We lived in packs, but we didn't all live together in a pack house, nor did we live with our houses close to each other. Instead, we preferred to have distance between our homes and the homes of our fellow werecats.
Usually, only mates and parents with their offspring cuddled together and showed each other affection. Of course, that just confused me even more, since Lance wasn't my dad or my mate. I guess, he could be my mate, but we were both too young to know if we were mates, so that couldn't be what prompted him to curl up to me.
After a few minutes of laying there and enjoying the smell of his sweet and citrusy scent, I uncurled my body, while also uncurling his at the same time. A second later, I heard him warily ask, "Are you okay, Celeste."
"Yep, I just needed to stretch," I nonchalantly mumbled, as I leisurely stretched out the various muscles throughout my now flexible body.
When I glanced over at Lance, I noticed he was doing the same thing, and he looked oddly cute while he was stretching. I felt my lips curve up to form a smile, then I curiously asked, "Are you staying for dinner?"
"I can, if you want me to," he cheerfully replied with a smile.
"I would like that," I sheepishly admitted.
"So, what do you want to do until dinner?" Lance curiously asked.
"I don't know. What would I normally do?" I nonchalantly asked in return.
Lance chuckled at me, then he enthusiastically replied, "We usually spend most of our time chasing the little creatures in the forest."
"Why?" I asked while feeling a little puzzled.
"That's how we practice our attacking techniques, not to mention it helps our bodies stay more agile. When we can finally shift into our cat form, we will have even more fun chasing the little critters," he cheerfully informed me with a wide smile on his face.
"Hum. I'm not up for a bunch of running today, but would you mind showing me around the territory tomorrow, since I don't know where the border is anymore?" I timidly asked.
"Of course, Celeste. We can't have you mistakenly crossing the border into a different pack's territory," he quickly responded.
"Thanks, Lance," I appreciatively replied, then we laid on my bed and talked about the different things that were cool about our territory.
Chapter 7
Celeste's Bestfriend Lynzee
Lance POV
After eating dinner with Celeste and her parents, I gave Celeste a hug and told her I needed to head home. She seemed a little bummed that I was leaving, but I assured her that I would be back the next morning.
Lynzee's house was on the way to my house, so I stopped by to give her some heads up about Celeste's amnesia. The first thing that came out of my mouth when I saw Lynzee was, "Why didn't you visit Celeste at the hospital?"
sheepishly admitted.
"They didn't think she was going to come out of the coma, Lynzee. You should have been there," I deadpanned.
"I know, Lance. I feel really bad about not going to see Celeste. How is she doing?" Lynzee apologetically replied.
"She seems to be okay, but she has amnesia," I nervously informed Lynzee.
She looked down at the ground for a few seconds, then she warily asked, "Does she remember anything?"
"Not really. The only thing she seemed to remember was who I am. She doesn't remember anything that's happened throughout her life, nor does she remember her own parents," I anxiously stated.
"How can she remember you, but not her parents?" Lynzee curiously asked.
I sighed before I answered, "I don't know. It's downright weird. Celeste isn't acting the same either. It's like she is experiencing things for the first time. You should have seen her stretching out. Also, the way she reacted when she laid on her bed. It was like she had never laid on her own bed before."
"Hum, it must have something to do with the amnesia," she mumbled in response.
"I just don't know what to think about everything. She likes pink all of a sudden. Celeste has always hated that color," I deadpanned.
"Okay, Lance, I agree with you on that one. That is just flat out weird," she warily stated.
"I wanted to give you a little fair warning about what to expect the next time you see her," I anxiously informed Lynzee.
"Thanks for the heads up. When are you going to visit her again?" Lynzee curiously asked.
"As soon as I get up in the morning. I'm going to show her the border, since she can't remember anything," I quickly answered.
"That's a good idea. Stop by here on your way, and I will go with you. Actually, I'm going to head over there now, but still stop by here on your way," she excitedly stated.
"Okay. I'll see you in the morning," I replied before I finished walking the remaining distance to my house.
Revenge : His Mysterious Werecat Page 4