Winter's Pack (The Cursed Book 2)

by Lou Grimes

  “No,” he said as his burning gaze met hers.

  “Hurry up and guess,” Louvette demanded. The turn to their location was coming up quickly, and as soon as she turned Arsen would understand.

  “The turn must be coming up. If so, we are going to my cabin,” he guessed before she turned. Louvette smirked at him when she flicked on her blinker.

  ***

  The familiar cabin that had two small windows and a small front porch came into view as they reached the end of the mile-long driveway that led up into the mountains. It gave the place a secluded feel. It was easier to be what nature intended them to be out here.

  “Did you create this?” Louvette asked as she turned off her car.

  “I did from the ground up. I only needed help doing the electrical work and the plumbing,” Arsen admitted.

  “You should go to school for it. There will be time to run the pack later,” Louvette said.

  “My father fears that if he doesn’t teach me now, he won’t be around to teach me later,” Arsen said. Louvette was silent as she gazed at him in contemplation.

  Arsen had too many obligations binding him to be able to have a life of his own. It made Louvette wonder if that was the same reason that her father was believed to have fled. He had already been bound to the pack before her mother came along, but then a baby was coming. Too much pressure for most to handle without cracking.

  The two of them got out of the car and then walked up to the front porch. Louvette glanced at him, waiting.

  “I don’t have the keys,” Arsen teased, digging into his pockets.

  “I know you. If you don’t have the keys, a set must be hanging around somewhere,” Louvette said.

  Arsen reached over to the mailbox built beside the cabin’s door.

  “I should have realized that nobody in their right mind would deliver mail out here,” Louvette mocked.

  “I’ll start a fire,” he said as he unlocked his cabin.

  “I’ll grab dinner. It’s in the back seat,” Louvette said, grinning as she hopped down the steps of the cabin to her car. The bags she pulled out were the size of two small mountains.

  The door was ajar from Arsen leaving it open for her. She walked in to find Arsen huddled over the fireplace, strategically placing kindling in tipi style formation.

  “Guess what’s for dinner?” Louvette asked.

  “I could smell Piggybacks in your car, my little kidnapper,” Arsen said, still focusing on his task at hand that involved creating a fire.

  “I can’t remember the last time I had BBQ because my mother isn’t a fan,” Louvette explained before starting to open containers all over the medium-sized rustic kitchen table.

  “I love that place,” Arsen murmured.

  The second she opened the container; the scent of smoke permeated the air as if the fireplace was going. Louvette’s stomach gurgled from missing lunch. She had ordered chopped brisket, potato salad, coleslaw, and creamed corn. She was unsure what Arsen would have preferred since they hadn’t gone to a barbecue together yet.

  That first combo bite of sweet barbecue and that crunch of the pepper almost made her lose her senses. The perfect drink for any barbecue meal, lemonade, came with both of their plates.

  Reaching for her drink, one of her muscles contracted painfully as if to remind her of her lesson earlier.

  “Are you okay?” Arsen asked as he sat down. The fire crackled behind them.

  “I’m just worn out from the gym today,” Louvette said. Arsen seemed to accept her answer and not push for further explanation. He knew exactly what had happened.

  “How is that going, anyway?” Arsen questioned.

  “I had to be Accelerated today,” Louvette revealed.

  “That bad, huh? It gets better, I promise,” he said.

  “It already has. I didn’t get knocked out this time. Matt did though,” Louvette pointed out positively.

  “That’s great, I’m so proud of you,” Arsen commended her.

  “He invited us to his party to apologize for being a shithead to me,” Louvette said.

  “You must have dented his pride. For such a small guy, his pride seems larger than life most days,” Arsen revealed.

  “That explains the savage execution. Do you want to go?” Louvette asked, already expecting him to turn her down. Time was the last thing he had. She basically had to kidnap him to score some.

  “What do I get out of it? A night with my girlfriend and all my friends. No responsibilities weighing me down. I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he answered, smirking.

  Louvette stared at him in silence, reflecting on the fact he was too perfect. Too sweet. It was now or never to disclose her secrets to him. If she waited any longer to tell him about her Gift, she’d be in deeper than she already was. Before now, Louvette could have borne it if he left her, but as each day ended it seemed to become less bearable.

  “Arsen,” she started to say softly. Her phone ringing cut her short. The two of them gazed at it. Both were reluctant to answer because they knew life would catch up with them eventually. They were just savoring the time they did have together.

  “Aren’t you going to answer it?” he wondered.

  “No, I don’t think I will,” she said, not flicking her eyes to check the number. Louvette ignored the call and attempted to continue the conversation she had been initiating before the phone call, but a second one halted her confession.

  “I think that’s for me,” Arsen supplied.

  Louvette answered her phone, aware that he was right. The number was an unknown caller, so it wasn’t Cara or her mother. No one else had her number with a Montana area code.

  “Time to bring him home, Louvette,” a gruff voice spoke that belonged to Kenneth Whitecreek. Louvette’s face fell, and then Arsen’s followed hers. He must have been hoping for anyone but his father to be calling.

  “We were about to head back,” Louvette answered before clicking the phone off. An action that might have been rude, but at this point rude was the last thing Louvette cared about.

  Arsen stood up, then grabbed their trays and threw them away. He put his arms around her and planted a kiss on her temple now throbbing from stress.

  They got up and left. Louvette returned the unharmed Arsen to his home in Whitefish where his father was waiting outside. Some other leading pack members like Clay and others she hadn’t recalled meeting accompanied him.

  While Arsen got out, Mr. Whitecreek met him at the car door.

  “I forget how young you are sometimes,” Mr. Whitecreek said in an irritated tone. Though he sounded angry, Louvette got the inkling he understood. His displeasure was all for show.

  The other pack members slipped inside, expecting the leader of their pack to start yelling. The yelling never came.

  “Don’t be so hard on my nephew. We were young once, too,” Clay said, good-naturedly before following the rest of them. Louvette sent him a grateful face, hoping he caught it.

  “I’m not sorry,” Arsen said. He didn’t point out the fact that Louvette had kidnapped him.

  “I figured as much. Your uncle is right, too,” Mr. Whitecreek sighed.

  “I stole him, Mr. Whitecreek,” Louvette professed, owning up to her actions so Arsen wouldn’t get in trouble.

  “I know. If Arsen hadn’t been caught off guard, he would have held onto his phone to keep in contact in case of something serious,” Mr. Whitecreek answered.

  “Yeah, I just needed some time with him,” Louvette said. The last thing she was going to do was apologize to this man for Arsen and her spending time together, so if that was what he was waiting for, he’d be waiting until his hair greyed, skin wrinkled, and he passed away.

  “I hope you two at least had fun,” he added, to their shock.

  “We did,” they both answered.

  “Bye, Arsen,” she said before she left. The two of them had given each other actual goodbyes already because they suspected they wouldn’t have time once they g
ot here. Arsen turned and then followed his father into their house.

  Louvette went home in a much better mood than before, having kidnapped Arsen. She had been inches from telling him the truth, but fate had stopped her once again. It was a hard thing to overcome, but she had to for both their sakes.

  ***

  Walking through the door, Louvette was caught off guard when she found her mother crying on the couch. Her mother had done this enough times that she wasn’t blubbering or slashing someone’s tires. She was too much of a lady for that.

  It hurt Louvette’s heart, though, to see her aching.

  “Hey, Mom. What’s wrong?” Louvette asked, though she already knew. Hurrying to her mother’s side, she put her arm around her shoulder in the hopes of making her feel better.

  “Thomas won’t be around anymore. He said he’s too busy working. I tried to convince him that I could make it work if I had to. Sweetie, he didn’t even want to try,” her mother said woefully.

  “If he can’t fight for you, then he doesn’t deserve you,” Louvette pointed out.

  “I see that, but I’m tired of being alone, honey,” she whispered.

  “You’re not alone. You have me,” Louvette promised, tightening her arm as if to prove it.

  “I have you now. What am I going to do when you go to college?” her mother asked. In that moment, Louvette recognized her mother needed more than comfort. She needed some chuckles to cure her blues.

  “You’re right, Mom. I’m not going to college. We are going to live together forever. Is it okay if Arsen moves in at some point?” Louvette asked playfully. Louvette’s words put a certain edge in her mother’s eyes that could only be called fear.

  “No, you’re not staying. You’re going to college and, no, Arsen can’t move in,” her mother backtracked, quicker than anyone ever had in the history of parenting. The tears were suddenly dried up and her stern mother had returned, thankfully.

  “Well, if you’re sure. Or we could live together in my college dorm. Me, you, and Arsen, all living in less than 200 square feet,” Louvette said, tapping on her mother to show what a thrilling idea this was. Louvette knew her mother and that this would never happen in a million years. They had spent too much time living as roommates in close quarters throughout her former years.

  “I am, I’ll just visit when I miss you, how about that?” her mother asked.

  “I don’t know if that is enough mother-daughter time for me,” Louvette joked.

  “Now I can tell you’re kidding because I know you haven’t talked to Arsen about college when you still have over a year left of school,” her mother said.

  “Yeah, you’re right, but you’re not crying anymore,” Louvette pointed out.

  “Thank you. How is your entrance piece going, by the way?” her mother wondered.

  “I’m still working on the piece, but it isn’t due until right before my senior year. I’m taking my time because I need it to be perfect,” Louvette answered.

  “Make sure to enjoy making it,” her mother told her.

  “Speaking of enjoying myself, I got invited to a party and am going if you have no objections,” Louvette added.

  “None here. Have fun,” her mother replied.

  “Are you sure?” Louvette asked, not aiming to leave her broken-hearted mother alone if she didn’t want to be alone.

  “Yes, I’ll just watch The Notebook a million times if I get lonely,” her mother teased, getting how tired Louvette was of The Notebook. It had been magical the first twenty times, but memorizing every single line in the movie had ruined the magic.

  “Oh, I have no doubts that you will. I love you,” Louvette said.

  “I love you too,” her mother replied.

  After she left her mother, she decided to solidify her plans a little bit more and text Cara.

  Louvette: Are you going to Matt’s party?

  Cara: Are you a psychic?

  Louvette’s heart stopped. For a second, her next move was nonexistent. Before she could die of cardiac arrest, her phone dinged in her hand.

  Cara: Garrett invited me to it. I was literally about to text you to see if you were going, but you beat me.

  Louvette: Want to hang out some before we go? Just us. Then we can all ride together.

  Cara: You know I’m always down for some girl time.

  Louvette: What time would you like me to come over?

  Cara: Come around 5. I have to run and go buy some fabric before that.

  Louvette: Sounds great to me.

  The excitement began to build within her, until the remainder of her day had all but disappeared in the same manner as an animal being released from its cage.

  Chapter 12

  Knocking on Cara’s door the next day, Louvette waited outside a few minutes later than they’d originally planned. Cara threw open the door; she was wearing a purple robe and had her hair thrown up into a messy bun. She had been getting ready without Louvette.

  “Why do I always feel like I haven’t seen you in a million years?” Cara asked as soon as she saw Louvette.

  An overpowering wave of fragrances met her nose. The winner of the fragrance racers was grapefruit. If she had been a wolf, she would have had a sneezing fit.

  “I feel the same,” Louvette said. Lately, things in her life kept getting wilder as time went on. This weekend alone felt the same; as if it had been a rough few months instead of a few measly days.

  Louvette hugged her; Cara froze but then relaxed. It was an odd reaction to a hug, but Louvette suspected she had caught Cara off guard since they hadn’t hugged like this. Half-hugs were the only ones written down in the history of their relationship.

  “I’m so lucky. I can’t remember the last time I got a real hug other than from you and Garrett,” Cara murmured into Louvette’s shoulder.

  “I’m so sorry, Cara. I’ll hug you anytime you need or want it,” she whispered, wishing that her friend didn’t have such awful parents.

  “Thank you. Enough sad stuff, though,” Cara said thickly. Louvette’s heart was so saddened from the lack of love Cara received in her own home. Cara’s eyes were red rimmed when she pulled away.

  The need to cheer her up took root in Louvette once she saw the eyes. Louvette was a sucker for crying people, thanks to taking care of her own mother. Over the years, Louvette had grown so skilled in the art of distracting teary-eyed people that she was a couple years away from starting her own psychologist show. She was the epitome of Dr. Phil. With her own mother, it had been ice cream and movies. Louvette suspected she knew the perfect thing for Cara.

  “What are you wearing tonight?” Louvette asked, changing the subject to a happier note for the fashionista standing before her.

  “I can show you better than I can tell you,” Cara promised.

  “Then show me already,” Louvette demanded. Cara giggled, and went to hide in her closet.

  Louvette opened her makeup bag, which was much lighter than Cara’s. She highly doubted there was a bag in this world that could hold Cara’s makeup or even the items Cara considered ‘essential.’

  “Ready?” Cara’s muffled voice asked from inside the closest. It was a little breathy.

  Louvette turned to bestow her full attention.

  “Always,” she said.

  Cara threw open her closet door and sashayed out in a tight mid-thigh sequined dress. The dress that clad Cara’s body was a dark cosmos of blue, purple, gold, and white twisting about. Louvette wanted nothing more than to shift the sequins about, revealing the colors hiding underneath. While in her closet, Cara had slipped on a pair of black high heels.

  Louvette wolf whistled as Cara cat-walked around the room.

  “I know! I can’t wait until Garrett sees this,” Cara said, beaming.

  “He’s going to lose it,” Louvette teased.

  “Your turn,” Cara announced.

  “I’m okay. I had an awful time picking out an outfit tonight, so I brought a little of everything,”
Louvette admitted.

  “Give it to me, Vette,” Cara said, making a come-hither motion with her hands.

  Louvette relented, finding comfort in the fact her clothes weren’t going to get any worse. She handed over her bag of outfits.

  Cara started digging through the bag, humming here and there, tossing things aside as she went.

  “You have some nice pieces, but they aren’t going together well,” Cara said after assessing the situation.

  “Ordinarily, my outfit inspiration isn’t this terrible. Can you fix it?” Louvette wondered.

  “Are you ready to be Cinderellaed?” Cara questioned.

  “That’s not a word.,” Louvette said.

  “It is if I say it is,” Cara said.

  “Just make me decent. Nothing too revealing, either. I want to have fun tonight, not spend the night wondering if someone is getting a show,” Louvette said.

  “They would consider themselves lucky enough to have the images of scantily clad us bestowed upon them,” Cara replied. She sent a mischievous wink.

  “Please, just make me subtly hot,” Louvette asked.

  “I have an idea,” Cara said before starting to throw articles of clothing at Louvette. Some were her own, others were lying about the room. No doubt clean and recently discarded. Cara had probably gone through her whole closet before she settled on her cosmic dress.

  Louvette put her arms out as if the wicked witch had cast a frozen spell on her, freezing her for all time. The doubt about the items was clear on her face.

  “Are you sure?” Louvette wondered because there was no way she and Cara were going to the same party from the looks of the clothes she had.

  “Don’t doubt me, Vette. It hurts my pride. Try them on,” Cara informed her.

  “Okay,” Louvette said as she went to change in the closet.

  Louvette came out in a pair of professionally ripped up pants, a short black top that had sizable bell sleeves, and her own pair of black and white Converse.

  “You look amazing and 100% functional,” Cara pointed out.

  Walking over to look at herself in the mirror, Louvette checked out her appearance. It made the necklace her father had intended to give her pop. To be honest, she hadn’t taken it off once since finding it. All the things she had learned still weren’t enough reason to take it off. She was waiting for the proof only her eyes could provide.