The Autumn Eclipse

Chapter Four

Liam

When I woke up the next morning the house was quiet, Lia and Ty must have already left for the day. Truly I was relieved, not having to dodge any more of there endless questions about the date with Alana that I really didn’t want to talk about. However, the first thing I did as I rolled off the couch was check my phone. I had been hoping that maybe she texted me, only to be disappointed to find no messages from her.

I groaned and pulled myself from the couch, grabbing a banana off the counter for breakfast then heading to my room to get dressed for the day. Last night had totally sucked, and I knew I had to do something romantic to make up for it but romance was hardly my forte. I couldn’t ask anyone for help with this one though, Alana was my mate. I wanted to do this myself, I just wanted to win her heart so badly.

I jumped in the shower and watched the reminants of the hair gel out then left my hair messy for the day ahead. Pulling on a fresh t-shirt and a pair of shorts, I made my way to the arena for training this morning with the warriors. At least at the gym I could take my mind off Alana, clear my head, and hopefully afterwards I would come up with a good plan to win her over.

Yet, as I walked into the gym I knew this was far from what I needed. “Oh hey Liam,” Conner greeted me at the front entrance, but something was off because instead of our usual banter her just scurried away to meet up with some other pack members. I waved towards the group of them, but as they turned to look in my direction I noticed the scowls on their faces. Like I had done something wrong. I tried to shake it off and made my way to the weight room.

Picking up some dumbbells, I found a space on the floor. Then just as I was about to start my training, in the mirror I noticed another set of pack members looking in my direction. Their voices were hushed, and I couldn’t hear what they were saying but whatever it was; it was definitely about me because they’re eyes were glued in this direction.

Bringing my wolf forwards, I focused in on the conversation. That’s when I heard it; the thing I had been most afraid of. “I can’t believe he’s still Ty’s beta, I mean he’s probably just working with his parents,” one of them had mumbled and a growl ripped from my mouth as I lost control. The groups eyes went wide, obviously having heard it. Without thinking I picked up a weighted plate and whipped it across the room at them. I watched in victory as the group scattered, but then in the corner of my eye I noticed more gossipers. My breathing getting heavy, I knew I had to get out of here before I did something I would regret.

I dropped the rest of my weights back on the rack, deciding I’d have to come back here later when there were less people around. How could they think I would go against the pack, against Ty? I was nothing like my parents, I’d never been anything but loyal to the pack. But then again, so had they, until they weren’t. I sprinted out of the gym and towards my car as fast as my feet would carry me only to collide with another body on my way.

“Woah Liam watch where you’re going,” Emily snapped at me and I spun to see her rubbing the shoulder I had just slammed into. Normally I’d have some sort of snarky comment calling her a wuss or insisting that it was her fault, but not today.

So instead I just mumbled back, “Sorry,” and continued on my steady pace back to my car. Once I settled into the driver’s seat, I drove straight out of town. Trying to clear my head, I found myself cursing my parents for the mess they had left me in. Who even knew what happened to them after they left the pack, and I couldn’t care less. They’d betrayed our pack, they betrayed me, and now I was left dealing with the aftermath of having traitors for parents.

I spun my car around and headed back towards town, with only one destination in mind; home. My old home. Pulling in the driveway it felt unusual, looking at the place I had once grown up. The house was dark now, and starting to look unkept. The grass my dad had always kept trimmed was now growing long, and the flower boxes my mother had once nursed so gently on the porch were now wilting from the lack of water.

I jogged up the front steps and slipped inside. The dust was starting to collect on surfaces I thought it might never sit; the dining table, my mother’s spotless kitchen counters, my dad’s TV remote. My heartbeat was weak, shallow as I walked through the house. Old memories were playing through my mind no matter how hard I tried to keep them at bay.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, I remembered the first time Ty and I tried to slide down the railings. We’d come flying off at the end and stumble forwards, and by our third round we’d knocked over my mother’s decorative vase and smashed it to pieces. I remember my mother just shaking her head, trying not to be angry at us no matter how much our blood boiled. I wondered if even then she knew she’s betray us, betray me.

Slowly, I climbed the stairs. Step by step, pushing myself farther into the house and farther into my old life. Peeking first in my parents bedroom, it was empty, everything unchanged from the last morning they were here. My mother had made the bed, my father casually throwing the pillows on in any direction as she glared at him. Their pyjamas were still laid out on the dresser top, but no one would be returning to wear them. My heart ached in my chest, for the first time missing their presence since they left. They were my parents, and they weren’t coming back. The smallest part of me had imagined that when I came back home finally, they would be here waiting me. But they weren’t, and I was alone.

I ventured to my room next, picking up the picture frames from my dresser. Old photos from high school, of me and my friends, and finally of one of me and my dad at my first warrior training class. Had he known then, what was coming in our future? Was he training me then to betray our pack, to always fight by his side? Was it me that had betrayed his trust? Doubts lingered in my mind but I pushed them away. My pack was my family, by blood or not. From my closet I grabbed a suit case and began throwing the remains of my clothes inside, as well as the few photos I actually wanted to keep. With a sigh, my hand landed once more on the photo of my dad and I.

“Liam?” A voice interrupted my silence, calling from downstairs and I set the photo back on the dresser. It was time to leave this place behind. I slung the bag over my shoulder, taking one more peek at my childhood before pushing the memories behind me. Then I followed the voice calling out to me to the bottom of the stairs, finding Emily searching for me as she walked through the kitchen. “Hey, are you okay?” She asked me when she saw my face and I only imagined what I looked like right now; my eyes red and puffy from the tears that I’d done my best to push back.

“Fine,” I grumbled, pushing my hair back out of my face and taking a deep breath. I tried to push by her, to get out of this place as fast as I could but her hand caught my arm.

“Liam,” she said, her voice more stern and demanding this time. “Are you okay?” She asked me and I finally turned to get a good look at her. Her brown eyes searched mine, her red hair tied up into a messy bun, still dressed in her training clothes. She must have followed me here. I groaned and threw my back, then sat down. I let my head fall into my hands, leaning on the table, hiding my face from her once more. “That was a stupid question, I know you’re not,” she said next and I felt my heartache come forwards once more. The house fell silent again, and for a moment I thought she had left but then I felt a warm hand brush against my back.

“I’m sorry about your parents Liam, and what you’re going through because of them. It’s going to get easier,” Emily whispered. Her hand closed around my shoulder and gave it a small but reassuring squeeze, and I really hoped she was right even if that didn’t really seem possible right now.

“You don’t know that,” I muttered back.

“Sure I do, things either get better or they get worse, and really I don’t think they can get much worse,” she let out a laugh and I almost wanted to join in. That was a pretty good point.

“Thanks Em,” I gave her a small smile, realizing that this was the first time the two of us had talked without fighting, and it was actually kind of nice.

“Do you need help? Cleaning this place out?” She offered, and I scoffed, the idea of cleaning this place up sounded like a literal nightmare. “I know we’ve never really been friends, but Jesse’s gone now and my parents are hardly home, so my place is kind of lonely sometimes too. Plus my parents keep telling me to pack away his stuff, like he’s never coming back, like he’s just done with us and maybe he is because he doesn’t call anymore and well life just sucks. But basically I’m trying to say, I get it, sort of. So if you want help, I can help,” She rambled on, her eyes locked on mine.

“Light the place on fire for all I care Emily,” I replied, then picked up my bag and headed out the front door. There was nothing left for me here.