Notice Me (8 page)

My entire body went stiff, as I froze mid-stride towards the
bathroom. I didn't want to turn around and face her; my eyes were
wide open with fear. It was as though I could feel my heart beat
thumping wildly in my ears. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck
stood at attention.
He survived being lunged at by two wolves? By the chipper tone of
my mother's voice he seemingly came knocking on my door unscathed.
How is that even possible? Why did he come over looking for me?
What if he's in some sort of a werewolf Mafia or something? Do
things like that exist? Oh god, what if he came looking for me,
because he has to kill me now that I know his secret? I'm going to
get whacked! Maybe, I should stop watching so many gangster
movies.
"He said you didn't look so good in school today, so he was
stopping by to check up on you." Mom added as she began heading
down the steps. "I told him you were sleeping."
After eating dinner, I escaped back to my room to shower and go to
bed. I still felt exhausted. But as much as I wanted to sleep, I
couldn't. Thoughts of today as well as tomorrow floated around
freely in my mind. How would I be able to face him tomorrow? What
the hell would I say? What would he say?
I watched as the night sky turned from black into a lighter shade
of purple. The sun's appearance signaling the arrival of morning,
ugh. I felt like I was dragged through the mud and hung out to dry
in the heat. All in all, I felt like pure crap! Not having slept a
wink, I was grouchy and irritated.
My mom knocked twice before sticking her head into the doorway
asking, "Morning, honey. How are you feeling?"
Would my mom fall for it, with it only being the second day of
school? Was I really that good of an actress that I'd be able to
pull this off? Did I want to cash in my get out of school by
pretending to be sick card today? Hell yes! I really wasn't up to
facing Tristan. I had no idea what to expect and that thought
scared me.
"Sill not feeling so good Mom." I answered in my best damsel in
distress voice. Managing to add a fake cough to the end of
it.
"Well how about you stay in bed and rest today. I'll go make you
some breakfast and call you out from school." Mom suggested leaving
the room. "I'll head in late to work."
"Thanks Mom." I called out loud hoping she'd hear me. "Love
you!"
"Yes!" I hissed, celebrating with a childish fist pump into the
air. My mom doesn't understand how much of a lifesaver she is.
After about fifteen minutes, the smell of bacon wafted up the steps
into my room. Yum, I'll get to have a real breakfast. The sound of
the doorbell ringing interrupted my thoughts of yummy in my tummy
bacon. Who's coming over this early in the morning?

I could hear my mom saying, "No, she won't
be going to school today. She's still not feeling well." Curiosity
was getting the better of me as I threw back my comforter and
tiptoed to the steps.
The sound of his voice sent chills down my spine causing goosebumps
to raise up on my arms. "Do you think I can see her?" Tristan
implored sounding both eager and desperate.
"I don't think that's such a good idea honey. I'm not sure if what
Lise has is contagious, I'm sure you don't want to get sick." She
said in such a stern motherly tone, it even surprised me. "How
about you stop around later on tonight and if she's feeling better
you can see her then." Mom suggested directly afterwards. So much
for being stern, way to go Mom. What is she doing? Who says I want
to see him later?
I heard the front door close and some footsteps coming from the
kitchen causing me to run and throw myself back into bed. Mom
brought up my breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and orange
juice before kissing me on the head and leaving to work.
I spent the day in my fleece monkey pajamas dancing around my room
to songs on my Iphone. I also watched Sixteen Candles and Pretty In
Pink. Ah, classic movies of the 80's are great. I was sitting on my
bed with a peanut better sandwich in hand drooling over Andrew
Mccarthy, when my cell phone began vibrating with an unknown
number.
Looking down at it with a thoughtful glance, I mentally debated if
I wanted to answer it. What would it hurt if I answered I thought
doing a mental shoulder shrug. "Helwo?" I asked a bit muffled. I
was trying to tuck the bite of sandwich I just took on the side of
my cheek, but this action caused it to get stuck to the roof of my
mouth.
Hence, me sounding like I had a severe lisp like Cindy Brady from
the Brady Bunch. ‘
It's always Marsha,
Marsha, Marsha!’
I chuckled internally thinking of
Jan.
"Lise, it's me...Tristan." His voice filled with relief before he
quickly spat out. "Please, don't hang up."
I wouldn't be able to hang up if I wanted to, my fingers were
wrapped around my phone in a death grip. "H-how'd you get my
number?" I stuttered in shock. Tristan Evans is calling me, on my
cell phone! How sad is it that I'm so extremely excited that he has
my number.
"I forced Luke to get it off Anya." He informed me. It sounded like
he was sitting in his car somewhere. I could hear the soft sounds
of the radio in the background. "How are you feeling?"

I scoffed at his nonchalant attitude, is this
guy for real? Why is he carrying on like everything was just peachy
and that I didn't see what I saw? "How would YOU be feeling?" I
asked in disbelief. Did he honestly expect me to answer him with a
normal response?
"I'm sorry Lise." Tristan whispered quietly. I've never heard him
sound so depressed. "I just needed to hear you voice, to know that
you're alright." I heard the sound of a horn blaring in the
background.

Feeling horrible for being such an evil witch
towards him, I sighed thinking back to yesterday. Right before we
were rudely interrupted, Tristan was trying to tell me something.
He said I'm not who you think I am, technically he should get some
brownie points for attempting to tell me, right?
"Where are you? Why aren't you in school?" I demanded to know. When
he came over knocking on my door this morning, it was way early.
Which means he still would have made it to school on time.
"Driving around." Tristan replied with a blank voice. "I didn't
feel like going to school today."
He sounded so...empty? My chest began feeling a pressure against it
like it was aching, missing something terribly. "What?" I asked
baffled. Why wouldn't he feel like going to school? "Why not?" I
pushed, wanting to know what the hell could be that serious that
he'd miss school.
Then again I barely had any room to talk considering I missed
school to avoid him. What a hypocrite, huh? Tristan mumbled
something incoherently. I tried my best to strain my ears and even
stood quiet for a minute afterwards to replay and try to figure out
what he said. But, I couldn't figure it out.
"I beg your pardon?" I implored asking him to repeat himself. What
was he doing that caused his attention to be elsewhere?
"I said, I didn't feel like going to school because..." He began
saying, pausing for a second and sighing. Like he'd be disclosing
too much information if he told me. "Because you weren't going to
be there."
My heart did back-flips in my chest. If it could melt, I think that
line right there would've done it. Why is this guy turning my world
upside down? Next, I did what I would never dreamt of doing in a
million years. I invited a boy over to my house without my parent's
permission, while they weren't home.

"Come over." I breathed, needing to see his face
to get some sort of an explanation as to what I saw or what I
thought I saw. Am I insane? If one of them came home early from
work to check on me, I'd be grounded for life. Never-mind, our
nosey neighbor across the street! Mrs. Ferguson, the tiny
eighty-five year old white hair, cat lady who feels like she is
head of neighborhood watch.
Word travels fast, but as long as Mrs. Ferguson is still kicking,
gossip spreads like wildfire around Port Clyde. All I'd need is
Mrs. Ferguson ratting me out to my parents, I could kiss my
wonderful freedom good bye.
I heard a sharp intake, which sounded like a gasp of surprise, "Are
you sure you're ready to see me?" Tristan asked doubtful.
"Positive." I answered before telling him. "Park in your driveway
and come through the back."

Chapter 11: Acceptance
Tristan's POV
Driving around town aimlessly, I stared straight ahead at the road
in front of me. Dad's probably furious after getting the call from
the attendance office that I no-showed for school. Oh well, that's
the least of my worries right now. The only thing plaguing my mind
is the fact that she's terrified of me.
She's avoiding me. I tried to check on her last night, but her Mom
told me she was asleep. Then I waited for her this morning to give
her a ride to school, only to find out she's not going. Bashing my
closed fist down onto the top of my steering wheel in anger, I was
surprised when it didn't break. I shook my head in disbelief as
sorrow filled my heart.
I can't believe I allowed something like this to happen. I'm the
future Alpha for crying out loud. I should have been more alert.
Things shouldn't have gotten that bad so quickly. Worst of all I
should have been able to protect Lise better than I did. I feel
like an utter and complete failure.
What was I thinking when I shoved her in the back and expected her
to run all the way home? Was I expecting her to fend for herself in
the woods? What if there were other wolves, what an idiot.
You would think my Dad would have included me in on the 'new'
family that they allowed to move into our territory. Considering I
was forced to go away with him on business matters on Monday and
Tuesday. But no, I was left to keep Jewel occupied. Who cares if
the meeting was held at her house? What the hell do I look like,
some sort of a babysitter? Does it look like I care that my Dad's
Beta is Jewel's father?
A new family moved into our territory, a couple and their four
children. Their old pack was attacked and killed by a group of
rogues. The two wolves I ran into are the two eldest sons. Being on
high alert, they mistook me for a rogue trying to harm a human.
Once I shifted, they immediately submitted, recognizing me as the
future Alpha.
There will be no consequences or punishment towards them
considering they're new to the pack. I wasn't angry with them; it's
excusable, with all they've been through recently. The sound of
Lise's nightmarish scream echoed over and over again in my head. I
told her to run and under no circumstances to turn around.
What did she do? She turned around and witnessed first hand what I
truly am. I'm so stupid I shouldn't have brought her out there. I
should've given it more time before trying to explain. It's just
that I wanted to tell her already. I want her to know every single
thing about me. I needed reassurance that even after knowing it
all, she'll still want to be with me.
That's where my downfall is, trying to get her acceptance way too
quickly. Things like these take time; it's my entire fault for
being an impatient jerk. I'm going out my mind not knowing if she's
ok. I text Luke, begging him to ask Anya for Lise's number.
Knowing Anya, she'll do anything Luke asked of her. I can't believe
the irony that my best friend's mate just so happens to be Lise's
best friend. In a way, maybe it'll help her accept the news better.
Having Anya there to help her ease into the transition of a life
change. One day Luke's going to be my Beta and a damn great one at
that.
He's my voice of reasoning, always able to talk me out of doing
something stupid. Luke's going about this thing the right way.
Getting Anya to fall for him before he breaks the news to her. It
doesn't seem like he'll have much more to go. The two of them are
smitten with one another.
My hand was shaking slightly as I held onto my phone reading the
text back from Luke. The text that included Lise's cell number,
which I quickly saved to my contacts. I pulled into the nearest
parking lot of a strip mall, knowing I wouldn't be able to
concentrate on driving and speak to her at the same time. My nerves
were a bundled mess, I just hope she picked up. Not only did she
answer, but also she wanted me to come over. Was it because she
needed to see me just as much as I needed her?
"Positive." She answered before telling me. "Park in your driveway
and come through the back."
I hung up without a response, not wanting to waste another second.
I placed my cell phone into the cup holder and threw the car into
reverse making it home within five minutes. I sped the entire way
there. I was close to the harbor, debating on kayaking over to the
lighthouse to be alone and figure out how I could get her to see
me, to talk to me.
Walking around towards the back of our houses, I spotted Mrs.
Ferguson sitting on her porch rocking chair. Her fat orange cat
Ruby splayed out across her lap. Thankfully her attention was
focused on talking to our mailman Joe. I'd never hear the end of it
if she saw me sneaking into the Foster's.
The entire town would know by the end of the day, about the
promiscuous teenagers who skipped school to do the nasty while
their parents were at work. I could smell Lise’s scent even before
I made it around to their backyard. It took everything out of me to
not sprint the entire way there, desperate much?
Seeing her standing in the screen doorway dressed in a pink tank
top and her fleece monkey pajama pants took my damn breath away.
She looked adorable with her hair tied up into a loose ponytail
with a few strands hanging around her face. My heart was racing at
a rapid pace with each step I took closer to her.
My wolf wanted to make himself known he wanted his mate to become
familiar with him too. Using all my control, I had to push him back
down reassuring him that he'd get to know our mate, just not right
now. I'm sure my eyes were glowing from all the emotions coursing
through my veins. Taking in a few sets of deep breaths I tried to
calm myself down, not wanting to frighten her.
Taking the steps two at a time, I approached the back door with
caution. I tucked my hands deep into my pockets to prevent myself
from grabbing her into a hug. I wanted to hold her close to me and
never let her go. Even though it's only been a few days, I knew the
instant I looked in her eyes that I'd love this girl for the rest
of my existence.
She's the only one who'll be able to make my heart beat out my
chest. The only one who'll be able to calm me with the soothing
sound of her voice and touch. For a teenage guy, having to
experience something like this would be a scary experience. I'm not
your average teenage guy. I've been taught at a young age that I
needed to accept this with open arms.
"Hi." I greeted, unsure of what else to say as she held open the
screen door for me to enter. "Thanks." I said stepping into her
kitchen.
"Hi." Her voice answered nervously. She's scared, I can sense her
fear. That's the last thing I want from her, to fear me. "Let's go
into the living room." She suggested leading the way out the
kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Lise offered
kindly as she took a seat on the sofa.
Shaking my head, I had to clear my throat, which was suddenly dry.
"No thanks, I'm good."
I watched as she rubbed on soft material of her fleece pants
anxiously, refusing to make eye contact with me. Sitting there
quietly for a few Moments, trying to gather myself and figure out
where to begin. I reached out taking her hand into my own. The good
thing about it was that she allowed me to hold her hand in mine.
She didn't flinch and snatch her hand away like I expected her
to.
My body filled with warmth immediately upon contact. "Lise..." I
began still unsure of what to say. "I'm a wolf."
The sound of her laughter filling the room surprised the hell out
of me. That was the last thing I figured she'd do, was laugh. "Ya
don't say?" Lise giggled, her hazel eyes twinkling brightly as her
body shook with deliriousness. "I think watching you turn into a
black dog was proof enough."
Oh god, either she's taking this better than I thought she would or
she's officially lost her mind. Searching her face for any sign
that she's still sane, I closed my eyes reeked with guilt. I'm
going to have to start paying visits to her in the local loony bin.
I refuse to sit back and watch my mate get taken away to a psyche
ward in a straitjacket.
"Why don't you start with how you became a wolf?" Lise's soft tone
surprised me. She was using her other hand to rub the top of mine
soothingly.
"Wait..." I said with a slight shake of my head. Not understanding
how she could be so calm? "Aren't you scared of me? I'm not
normal..." My voice drifted off. I'm a human who can shift into a
damn wolf and within three years, is soon to be Alpha of the
Monhegan Moonlight Pack.
"Do you want me to be afraid?" Lise retorted in a snippy tone. "Um,
in case you haven't noticed Tristan, I'm far from normal so whom
would I be to judge you?"
My facial expression filled with astonishment, as my heart swelled
to maximum proportions. Does this mean that my mate is accepting me
for what and who I am?
"I'm not going to lie, when it first happened I was terrified." She
admitted with a slight grimace. "I had time to think it over and
decided you deserve a chance to explain yourself."
Upon hearing that, I let it all out. I told her about the pack,
which included confirming whether or not each person she named was
a wolf. I informed her that what happened yesterday, along with the
incident involving Jewel was all just a misunderstanding. She
listened intently while I went into detail about choosing Luke to
be my Beta and me becoming Alpha. Once I began the bit about mates,
she seemed to lose a bit of her calm composure.
"A mate is a life long partner. Someone whose connected to you in
every way possible. A wolf only ever has one love. He or she
recognizes their mate once they gaze into his or her eyes after our
eighteenth birthday." I disclosed quietly. "It's like love at first
sight. There's only every one. No one else can ever compare."
This is the part that scares me the most, once she figures out
she's my mate, she'll run away and never turn back. I could feel
her eyes roaming over my entire face, almost as if she were trying
to figure me out. "So am I your mate?" She breathed out, so low
that I wouldn't have heard her, had it not been for my wolf
senses.
My eyes were drawn to hers; I need to see her reaction to this
answer to be able to know the truth. "Yes." Was the only answer
that escaped my mouth. Surprise was the only look I recognized
flashing across her expression. "I-is Anya Luke's mate?" She
whispered still staring at me with her lips slightly parted.
I wanted to reach over and capture her lips in my own. Run my hands
through her soft silky hair and hold her in my arms. "Yes." I gave
her yet another single worded answer. I was waiting for her to lose
it, flip out and totally go crazy on me.
A tiny shriek of excitement escaped her lips; next thing I knew
Lise threw her arms around my neck and practically jumped into my
lap. "So what are you trying to tell me Tristan?" Lise's voice
teased as she stared curiously into my eyes. Where did she get this
sudden boost of confidence? Did I manage to scare the crap out of
her yesterday? She doesn't seem like herself.
"That you're my mate." I answered her question with a weary look.
"I'll never want anyone else, but you. So the ball is in your
court, whether you want to be with me or not. I won't force you." I
was still a bit worried about her mental state, not sure if I
should bring her to the hospital to be evaluated. She could very
well be in some form of shock?
"Yes." Lise's voice came out muffled, her head was laid comfortably
against my chest as I held onto her tightly.
"Yes?" I asked with confusion. What's she answering yes to, to
being my mate? Pulling her head back slightly to look up at me, she
gave me the biggest, most innocent smile. "Yes, I want to be with
you...be your mate." Lise mumbled laying her head against my
shoulder. "If you want me to."
If I want her to, is the sky normally blue? Are the clouds white?
Of course I want her to be my mate, more than anything in the
entire world. "I want you to." I grinned and began trailing kisses
from her forehead to her cheeks, all the way down to those soft
plump pink lips.
Once our lips collided, mini explosions erupted throughout my body.
I'm sure she's experiencing the same fireworks. This kiss is so
much better for the both of us, because it means she accepts my
wolf and me as her lifelong mate. There's no greater feeling than
this.