Make A Wish (Dandelion #1)

by Jenna Lynn Hodge

  “I need time, Beau. This is all too much too fast. Please, I’m not ready for this and you deserve a girl far better than me. Trust me.” She stood and turned away from me, heading to the door.

  “Juliette, please.”

  “No, B. Just let me go. I can’t give you what you’re asking for.”

  And as if my world was ending, I let all the pain and sorrow I was feeling fall from my eyes.

  SAYLOR

  I opened my door on the first knock, holding my arms open as Jules threw herself into them. Though I was much shorter, over the years we’d perfected the awkwardly placed hugs.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked worriedly while I pulled back and wiped the black makeup lines away from Jules’ face. She’d texted me on her way over but hadn’t specified what was the matter.

  Jules just shook her head, telling me that she wasn’t able to discuss it at that particular time. I knew she couldn’t avoid this subject forever. Eventually she would get tired and I would force her to talk about it. That’s just how we rolled.

  She crawled into my bed and closed her eyes, eventually falling into a peaceful sleep.

  ***

  I sat in front of my TV flipping through the channels, paying little to no attention to the images fluttering across the small, outdated screen. I picked up my phone, fingers flying over the keyboard to type out a text.

  Saylor: What the hell just happened? Jules showed up a total mess.

  Griffin: I probably shouldn’t tell, it’s not our business.

  Saylor: Well considering I’m dealing with the aftermath of said mess, it’s my business. ;)

  Griffin: Fine.

  Saylor: Fine?

  Griffin: Beau told Juliette that he loved her and she walked out on him.

  Saylor: OMG!

  Griffin: Tell me about it.

  Saylor: I’ll talk to her.

  “Is it true?” I threw my body dramatically on the bed, waking Jules in the process.

  “Huh?”

  “Did you really walk out on Beau after he confessed that he loves you?”

  Juliette yawned and sat up, momentarily gazing down at her stomach, avoiding my eyes. “Yeah.”

  “I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but what the hell Jules? All you’re doing is torturing yourself and him.”

  “I’m not good for him, Say. I’m just not.”

  “Why?” I asked, challenging Juliette’s method of thinking. “Why do you feel you aren’t good for him?”

  Juliette’s eyes took on a pained expression as she brushed a stray eyelash from her cheek. “You’ve met him. The guy is absolutely perfect in every way. I wanted to hate him for what happened, but the more time I spent with him, the more I couldn’t. I’m screwed up. I can barely function on a daily basis and half the time I’d rather curl up in bed and avoid everyone altogether. Beau deserves someone who’s happy and loves life. He deserves the kind of girl that he can show off to the world, one that is as perfect as he is. That isn’t me.”

  “Damn, Jules. I think you’ve missed one too many therapy sessions.” I half smiled at her sympathetically. “For the record though. Nobody is perfect. Everybody has days where they want to give the world the middle finger, and you are the type of girl that Beau can show off. Do you love him?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Do you love Beau?”

  “More than anything,” Juliette said, and my face broke out into the world’s biggest smile.

  “I never thought I’d see the day. My little Jules is growing up so fast!” I pretended to wipe nonexistent tears from my eyes. “Problem solved,” I said, returning to all seriousness. “Nothing is stopping you two from living your very own happily ever after. You both love each other and you’re about to welcome a daughter into the world very soon. Now’s your chance to get it figured out. Just think about it, please.”

  “Okay.”

  BEAU

  “I’m sorry, Alpha, but I still haven’t found anything that may be able to explain her inability to phase, not for lack of trying.” Harlow’s grey eyes conveyed her irritation over her failure. “I just know there is something in here somewhere,” she said motioning around the archive room, “but there’s just too much to search through by myself.”

  “My Beta and I can help you, Harlow.” I nodded, feeling nothing but determination and need. We needed this figured out and soon. “It’s very important to me that we find the solution before my daughter is born. I don’t know what’s wrong with Juliette, but if it has any effects whatsoever on my baby, I want to be prepared.”

  “Whatever you say, Sir.”

  I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Griffin.

  Beau: Meet me @ Harlows. New mission. Bring Food.

  Griffin arrived within the hour, carrying six large bags of food from varying fast food places. I briefly reviewed Juliette’s situation—which thoroughly shocked Griffin. I knew the feeling. Shortly after we ate, we began browsing every file in the archives.

  “This is ridiculous, Alpha. There’s too much to go through. How will we know what we’re even searching for?” Griffin growled in frustration after only an hour had passed with no luck.

  “We need anything that hints to a full blooded wolf being unable to phase. Whether it’s a medical cause or curse—anything. There’s no doubt in my mind that there’s a reason for this, we just have to find it.”

  “How long will we search?”

  “Till we find what we’re looking for, Griffin. Less questions, more looking,” I said, not looking up from the nineteen eighties pack archive.

  Each book was lined with more dust than the last, as if it had never seen the light of day. Although there were some interesting topics within the pages, I refused to get sidetracked.

  Hours ticked by, the bright beautiful sun hiding itself away and darkness overcoming the world around us. Candles and lamps were flickering throughout the room as we continued on our quest for an answer. The piles of books we’d gone through grew larger and larger with each passing minute.

  Before I knew it, the sun was rising once more. With a frustrated sigh, I slammed my book closed. I hated to call it a night—or day—but we all needed to get some rest.

  “I got it!” Harlow’s harmonious voice pierced the air, her timing as great as ever.

  “Enfin,” Griffin muttered to himself and I couldn’t help but mirror his sentiments. Finally.

  She walked towards me with a brown tinted leather bound book in her hands, the page open to a single entry from our former Alpha.

  We have officially discovered a way to prevent a werewolf’s abilities from surfacing. When T. asked me to find a way, I never in my wildest dreams felt that it was possible. His mate, A, is overjoyed at the outcome. The life changing and only suppression device for Weres is now with its new owner. Because of the dangers of others finding out about it and bringing harm to the one who carries it, this information will only be passed down from Alpha. History has been made and a single life has been protected until the time comes when it will no longer be needed.

  Alpha A. Romanei’

  Los Angeles Pack

  “So there’s a suppression device. Huh… Who knew?” Griffin scratched his head. “So does that mean that Juliette has it?”

  “I’m not sure. But right now, it’s our only lead.”

  “Would you like me to talk to her for you, Alpha? With the way things went down, I’d gladly bite the bullet,” Griffin said while he patted me sympathetically on the back.

  “No. I need to do this myself, I guess. As for you two, you read the entry. This information needs to stay private, so I need to bind you two with a secrecy oath.”

  “Yes, Alpha.” They responded in unison.

  I spoke to them in various languages, muttering words that bound them to me in absolute secrecy. Each spoke the words as if it was second nature, speaking in perfect sync with the other.

  “As you say, so will it be.” They returned to English, c
oncluding the unbreakable oath.

  “Thank you both for all your help. I appreciate it more than you realize.” For the first time as Alpha, I bowed my head in submission and thanks to my two very loyal pack members.

  JULIETTE

  “Hey Juliette, this is Beau. We have to talk in regards to your blood test results. Harlow had a lot of insight into why they are the way they are. Bye.”

  I listened to my voice mail on repeat, savoring his mellifluous voice and urging myself to not curl up in a ball and sob to my little heart’s content.

  A couple weeks had gone by since I stormed out on Beau and I just holed myself up in Saylor’s apartment, crying with only Netflix as my company. Saylor wouldn’t speak to me and Beau sent me a couple of messages each week asking only about our daughter—well, more like demanding the 4-1-1 on her—though very little had changed.

  I composed too many texts to count, trying to explain to Beau why I’d walked out, but I was chicken. I was too scared to hit send, so I discarded each draft. Hurting him even more was the last thing I wanted to do and anything I could’ve said over text wouldn’t alleviate that heartache.

  When everything first happened after our one night stand, I’d fantasized about what it’d be like for us to be together as a normal couple. I felt like a total jerk for hurting him and I just didn’t know how I could face him after turning him away, as if his feelings were pointless and didn’t matter.

  Saylor walked into the room with a big glare and, using a very Army-like sergeant voice, demanded that I stop moping and get the hell out of her apartment until I faced my problems. Except her version of that had been a tad bit more colorful a la typical Saylor-style. She had then proceeded to toss her car keys—near my head might I add—while she yelled ‘Go freaking talk to Beau.’ I knew she was right, as always.

  I sat in Saylor’s car, my head resting on the steering wheel, contemplating what to do. How could I look Beau straight in the face and see the pain that I’d caused him? I knew it would destroy me, but I asked for this. I didn’t have a choice when it came to facing him; I was carrying his baby for crying out loud.

  With a quick turn of the key in the ignition, the car spurred to life. For the first time since I rejected him, I was going to face the father of my child and learn about the truth of my blood and whether it would bring harm to our baby or not.

  I pulled up outside his place and sat there, trying with all my might to gather the courage to even get out of the darn car. Although Saylor was irritated with me, I hoped she’d be able to talk me down from the cliff I was damn near panicking on.

  Juliette: How can I face him now?

  Saylor: Grow a pair.

  Juliette: You’re such a great friend.

  Saylor: I know, I’m the best! ;)

  Juliette: I was being sarcastic, Say.

  Saylor: So was I, Jules, so was I.

  Saylor: You need to be honest with him. Because if you aren’t there’s going to be a crap-ton of awkward birthdays and holidays ahead. And that time, I’m being serious.

  Juliette: That’s easier said than done.

  Saylor: And I repeat, Grow. A. Pair.

  So maybe Saylor wasn’t as helpful as I’d hoped she would be, but something in her ‘get-over-yourself’ text talk really gave me the extra boost I needed to put my feet into motion.

  BEAU

  I heard the car pull up long before I laid my eyes on her. I definitely wasn’t looking forward to seeing Juliette after she’d ripped my heart from my chest and stomped on it. I laid everything on the line for her and she didn’t so much as give me an explanation to her walking out.

  When I texted her, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her how she was doing. I cared, but I wanted to let go and move on—to only focus on our daughter who’d be here very soon. I knew it wasn’t that easy though. How can you just let go of the other half of your heart? Especially when she would always be there in my life as a constant reminder of what I’d loved and lost.

  She didn’t walk straight through my front door like she always did. I heard her hesitate before knocking, almost as if she was contemplating turning around and leaving.

  I stood from behind my computer, slid in my desk chair, and walked through the house to the front door. With one swing of the door, I was cascaded with her alluring scent, which sent my body into overdrive. I wanted to slam the door to distance us, to keep from having to suffer the immediate desire I felt when I was around her, but I didn’t.

  “H-h-hi, B,” she spoke, her nerves apparent in her inability to not stutter. She wore a long black maxi skirt and a white tank top that hugged the bulge of her ever growing belly. She had small silver studded earrings and a dangle-y bracelet with a key charm. Her baby bump had grown much bigger in the past weeks than I had thought was possible.

  “Hello, Juliette.” I noticed her cringe at the formality of my words but didn’t respond as she wobbled past me into the house and back into the room that I had previously occupied.

  She was barely able to ease down—more like plop—into one of the chairs without her belly knocking her completely off balance.

  “So you know what’s wrong with me? What is it?” Short and to the point. Typical Juliette.

  “There’s nothing wrong with you. But yes, I know why your results turned out the way that they did,” I said.

  “Enough with the vagueness. Please just tell me so that we can get this over with,” she begged, cutting me off, leaving all the confusion at the door.

  I stared at her, thinking hard about where I wanted to start. Before I had found out who I truly was, I’d thought that werewolves were only folklore, which they were, but like most stories they’d originated from some truth.

  “Have you heard of Lycanthropes?” She shook her head ‘no’ and I continued. “Then how about werewolves?”

  “Of course I’ve heard of werewolves, I didn’t live under a rock in my high school days. Twilight used to be Saylor’s favorite.” She rolled her eyes. “Why do you ask?”

  “The proper name for a werewolf is a Lycanthrope, and they aren’t myths—they’re real.”

  “Seriously? This is what you called me here for? To talk about werewolves? Great!” Her words dripped with sarcasm but I ignored her commentary and continued.

  “Your blood shows a genetic dominant gene that is passed from a parent to their child. Your parents passed it to you and now both of us have passed it on to our daughter.” I cleared my throat. “I have the exact same genetic makeup as you, though I didn’t know it until Harlow pointed it out. Juliette, the gene we passed to our baby is a Lycan one.”

  I sat back and watched her take in the words that I’d spoken. Confusion, frustration, and something else I couldn’t place flitted across her features.

  “Oh hell no. Please don’t tell me that you’re trying to tell me that you think that you, me, and our daughter are werewolves?” She said the last word as if it were a curse word that she’d get in trouble for speaking.

  “That is exactly what I’m saying, Jules, and I don’t think, I know. Your parents were and my father was—now we are.”

  “You know what Beau, this is ridiculous.” She stormed from the room, muttering quietly under her breath as she made her way back to the car. “Leave it to me to get involved with a guy who thinks he a freaking shape-shifting wolf.” My wolf hearing was able to pick up every word and I had to wait until she drove off, before laughing at the absurd but very true nature of her words.

  Juliette had every right to believe that I was crazy. It truly was a crazy concept to understand and believe in— especially if the only supernatural beings you’ve heard of were found in movies and TV shows. Sooner rather than later, she would have to face the truth, and for that, I knew I needed a professional’s help at the art of persuasion.

  ***

  “You want me to convince Juliette about us? Seriously? What about Eve? I volunteered before because I knew you’d want to do it yourself—I thought I’d be off the
hook.”

  “I’m not asking Evie. I’m asking you.”

  Griffin sighed loudly as he paced back and forth, thinking and occasionally mumbling under his breath. His hair waved with every step he took.

  “With no disrespect, Alpha... She’s difficult. I really don’t think she’ll listen to me. She barely listens to Saylor and they’ve known each other their whole lives.”

  “All I’m asking, Griff, is for you to try. It’s a good possibility that Juliette won’t listen, but what if she does? She’s one of us. She’s pack and—”

  “—we protect family,” Griffin finished, reciting the motto that we as a pack lived by. “Okay. You win, Sir. I will try my best, but I make no promises,” he said, skepticism apparent in his blue eyes.

  “Understandable.” I gestured him over to the seat beside me. When he finally sat, I handed over the book that we’d searched high and low to find—the one that had the handwritten account of the suppression device. “Take this. It may help you when you talk to her.”

  “Yes, Sir. So—How is she?”

  I lowered my eyes momentarily before answering. Talking about her was hard when I knew she didn’t want me. “Still her same ole audacious, hardheaded self.”

  “Alpha woman, she is.”

  “Indeed,” I responded, half-smiling at the truth Griff had spoken. “I believe that Juliette is my mate.”

  “I know you want to make her your mate, Alpha. I kind of gathered that when you planned that super cheesy and girly ‘I-love-you’ thing.”

  I shook my head. “No. That isn’t what I mean. I mean, I believe she is my soul mate.”