December 26

"I am telling you I can go visit my parents by my own! I do not need to be escorted there. Besides, Aiden is going with me!" I huffed and put my hands on my hips.

"But what if-" 

I interrupted my overprotective brother. "Alex, we will be fine. I am a lot better now. We can take care of ourselves." 

"Anna..." He whined and looked at me sadly. 

"Alex. It was not your fault. You could not have known. I do not blame you." I walked up to him and hugged him.

"I am your Alpha, I am supposed to make good decisions. If I cannot even take care of my family as it is now, how can I expect to be a good father for my child," he whispered.

I pulled away and looked at his face. He was at the verge of tears. I stood on my tiptoes and patted his head. "You saved us. We are okay now. You have always being so good to me. Thank you for accepting me as your family when I was only just a feral rogue girl."

"I am awesome, aren't I?" He gave me a cheeky grin.

I rolled my eyes. "And humble," I said.

"So," he said turning serious. "Father called last night."

My blood ran cold. Father is a very stoic person and family-oriented person. He never jokes and only smiles when he is with us, his family. It was under his lead that our pack rose to be one of the three strongest packs. He would probably take over Caleb's territory if he found out his daughter was rejected by the future Alpha.    

"Relax, sis," said Alex. "He said that he and mom were coming to spend new year's eve with us since he had not been here in Christmas and to make sure you are here to spend time in family. I do not think we should tell him what happened. Once they are here, let's just enjoy, okay?" 

I smiled and nodded. I miss them so much. "I am looking forward to it."

Alex sighed and smiled softly. "You and Aiden can go by yourselves."

***

I made sure to stop by the post office to send the letter I had spent more than four hours writing.

When I got into the car Aiden shot me a knowing look. I averted my gaze and started the car.

"Keep this between the two of us, please," I said.

"My lips are sealed. But, why a letter?"

"Matt said that he is still in the hospital. I wanted to talk to him but I am too much of a chicken to call or text, so I sent him the letter."

He exhaled loudly and shook his head. "What kind of letter?"

"It is not a hate letter."

"So..."

I could see from the corner of my eye that he was staring at me. "A love letter," I whispered.

"What happened to what you said about growing up and trust?" Aiden had slightly raised his voice and I knew he was suppressing some anger.

"I love him. I needed him to know that I care about him. He is in pain," I said more as a mumble than as coherent speech.

"A pain he himself caused," Aiden said in a sharp serious tone. He usually never talks to me like that.

I chuckled dryly. "I am a stupid, aren't I? Even after being rejected, catching him with another girl and spending an over week writhing in pain because of him, I still want him to be okay and happy. I want him to know that I love him."

Aiden reached to my arm and stroke it softly. "You are not stupid, sorry. I just hate him for hurting you this much."

"Don't hate him. I don't," I said as I pulled up in front of my human parent's house. "Do you remember what you have to say to your abuelos (grandparents)?"

Aiden nodded and we both got out of the car.

***

I opened the front door with my house key and walked into my parent's house to be received by the smell of delicious tamales. I ran to the kitchen and pulled my mom into a bear hug. 

"Hello mom! I missed you so much!"

"Hola mijita. Usted tiene como nariz para la comida. Llegó justo a tiempo. Coja tamales que hay bastantes." (Hello, child. You have a like radar for food. You are just in time. Take tamales; there are a lot.)

I laughed and took one of the tamales and began eating at one of the counters.

Aiden walked into the room carrying the gifts we have gotten for my parents. He put them on the dining table and went hug his grandmother. "Hola, abuelita ¿cómo está?"

"Bien, bien." She put two tamales on a plate and gave them to Aiden. "Go sit at the table like decent people do and eat. You are too skinny."

Nope. He is not too skinny. He already put on all the weight he had lost and some more.

"I am fine with one, grandma. I ate not too long ago."

Oh, Aiden. Sweet Summer child. What have you done?

My mom put one more tamal in the plate. "My poor baby. Have another one. That mother of yours already made you get used to starving. I swear she only knows how to burn water."

"I know how to make tea!" I said between chuckles.

"But if it is my two children! You are here early," said my dad as he walked into the kitchen.

Both Aiden and I ran to hug him.

***

After having been force fed – I mean, having lunch with my parents. We were in the living room chatting jovially and sharing this year's experiences, the good ones.

"So, when are you telling us why you are feeling depressed?" my mother asked and the room fell silent.

"I am not-"

"Yes, you are. You have the same look you had before running away from home," she said.

"And when you came to tell us that you had broken your engagement with that Oliver boy," my father said as he reached for my back and began stroking it.

I told them everything. My mom and dad know that I am a werewolf. Father had come explain it to them after taking me in. It took them a while to accept it but at the end they were supporting of my choices. They even moved into the pack territory to be protected by my pack. However, I forgot the last time we had talked about werewolf related stuff. I had not told them about the rejection before because they would have not left the hospital the whole time I was in there.

After crying in my parents' arms for a while, I felt somewhat better. My dad was outraged half because I felt in love with a teenager, half because said teenager broke my heart. My mother was crying with me. She is a hopeless romantic. I think that even Aiden teared up a little. He had not heard the full detailed story.

"I am going to get a glass of water," I said. I stood up and went to the kitchen.

The doorbell rang.

"Were you expecting someone else?" I asked.

"No, sweetheart," my mom said.

"I will get it." I walked to the door still taking sips of water.

I opened the door and my breath hitched.

"Annita?" he asked, looking as surprised as I was.

I spat the water I was drinking on his face. "Nope," I said and slammed the door shut. What the hell is he doing here? I'mma pretend this just never happened.

"Anna please open up the door," said Oliver.