"Dad's gone," my cousin's voice was barely above a whisper. "You must come home for the Evaluations," she uttered and the phone line went dead.
*****
After Keri's Uncle - the Alpha of the Silver Bullets pack - loses his battle with cancer, the young...
Hey, kittens! I have a birthday this month and I'll be celebrating by hosting a GIVEAWAY for you!
So... What would you like to win in the giveaway?
Write your answers in the comments! I'll include the things you ask for the most in the giveaway.
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I pulled my hair in a bun, letting a few strands fall and securing the rest with a large hairclip. A look in the mirror told me I'd done a well-enough job. My clothing was nothing too fancy, just a pair of jeans, a light pink shirt and a burgundy vest. My phone rang out for a couple of seconds then stopped - a signal that Kelly was already outside. I pulled at the shirt and vest one last time to straighten them and headed downstairs where I grabbed my black leather jacket. I locked up - we trusted each other, but we were encouraged to pick this habit up for the times we went away on vacations or for college - then walked up to my cousin's car and got in.
"Looking good, cous," she exclaimed as she turned the key and drove away.
"You too," I said, taking in her attire. She'd gone for jeans and a leather jacket too, but her top was a light blue blouse, the sleeves just an inch longer than those of her jacket.
She laughed.
"I didn't mean the clothes, Keri. You are smiling."
"Oh."
I looked at myself in the rear view mirror and what did you know? I was smiling.
But why wouldn't I?
Things were going well lately.
No new murders, Lisa had a healthy baby, Rhys and Riley were getting married...
My smile only grew as I remembered the excitement on their faces when they'd visited me on Monday morning before Rhys drove Riley to the Milk & Cream. I'd opened the door, saw them flushed and grinning, their hands linked together and I knew - even without a ring on Riley's finger - that the human boy had said yes.
I didn't congratulate them then and there for one reason: I wanted to give them the opportunity to announce the engagement themselves.
And they did.
They told me how Rhys proposed; how Riley had been so excited he'd screamed and forgot to even put the ring on; how they'd already told Rhys' family, but no one else; how they wanted to tell me first and Riley would tell Winnie and Tim today at work; how the reason why Riley wasn't wearing his ring was to put it on that night at the pub when he and Rhys shared the happy news with the rest of the pack.
The two of them had been positively beaming, grins never leaving their faces, chuckles and giggles coming out of their mouths every few minutes. And blushing. Oh, the blushing!
And the hugs.
I'd congratulated them with a hug, they'd each hugged me during one of the many times they'd thanked me for helping Rhys with the ring, and we'd embraced once again as I was seeing them off.
