Chapter 1
Pecan's pov
"Oh my god, Pecan! It's so nice to see you after so long!" A voice I instantly recognized to be that of Mrs Regan, my best friend's mum, and the Luna of the pack squealed.
In her hands was a tray full of cupcakes and as she descended the flight of stairs, I couldn't be more pleased Knowing I made the right decision to return to Europe. Back to the pack where I grew up.
After I lost my dad and my mom fell into the habit of drinking, My best friend, Noah, was my only source of escape from my reality. I practically lived with him at the pack house. His father, Paul Regan was the alpha wolf of our pack. They had a massive house and an elaborate land space filled with trees and bushes. I remembered how we'd always race across the woods after school.
But then, mom's condition got worse so I had to go live with my aunty in Milan. Noah and I had kept in touch with each other all through high school. It was hard cause there were times we didn't speak for months, but we tried our best to make it work. Our friendship was that important.
"It's so good to see you too ma'am." I smiled at Mrs Regan, "You haven't aged one bit!"
Earlier on, Noah had picked me up from the airport and driven me down here, the pack house, so I could meet with the rest of the family.
"And I don't think I will anytime soon, not when I have my darling Paul spoiling me silly." Mrs Regan laughed, handing Noah who was beside me the tray full of cupcakes.
The way her face lit up as she said 'my darling Paul' made me suddenly wish that I, too, had someone to attach the 'darling' word to. Not that I was in a hurry to get married, I just found it amusing the type of marriage Mrs Regan had. It was rare to find two persons loving up on each other after so many years of saying 'I do'
"But it appears Noah might pose a threat to that." Mrs Regan's voice disrupted my train of thought as she pulled me into a hug. "He's refused to get married! And he's one if not the most eligible bachelor in the whole pack."
I turned to Noah and he looked like he wished the ground would open up and swallow him.
"Mom, I do have a girlfriend, remember?" He scoffed.
And my girlfriend, Noah meant Stella, a particular she-wolf who had a thing for pissing me off before I left the pack. On our way back home, I was forced to listen to how Noah gushed about how she was the love of his life on our way down here, I didn't particularly know how to feel.
"You said it yourself. Girlfriend, not wife. I mean technically, when are you going to make her your wife?" Mrs Regan questioned, pulling away from the hug and tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear so lovingly.
"Soon mother! Gosh, you're so impatient. I've barely even dated Stella for up to two months and besides this thing takes time." Noah told Mrs Regan, a hint of displeasure in his voice.
"Yeah right." Mrs Regan rolled her eyes.
Mother and Son exchanged glares at each other until a deep husky voice called from behind me, disrupting their play fight.
"Pecan?"
I swerved around to meet the icy brown gaze of Paul Regan, Noah's dad and the alpha of the pack. He was the closest father figure I still had in my life.
For strange reasons, I felt a bit awkward seeing him shirtless.
"Hi P-paul," I greeted, faking a smile to make the situation feel less awkward.
Noah had once mentioned to me how competitive his father was with his hotness but I never imagined it to be this serious! He looked so good and agile for his age, almost perfect, like a Greek god but I immediately zeroed my mind off him. It was wrong and very bad of me to have thoughts of my best friend's dad's body.
Suddenly, Paul's voice cut through, "Noah didn't say you were coming, let alone disclose that you had finally returned to the pack. What a pleasant surprise!" He said, pulling me in for a hug.
I stiffly returned the hug, curling my toes nervously. I couldn't explain why but being near him made me feel like a rabbit caught in a predator's gaze – trapped, yet unable to look away.
As we pulled back, his eyes crinkled at the corner and he said, "It's great to see you again Pecan. I'm pretty sure no one's giving you a hard time at the pack since you returned, right?"
I nodded, "Absolutely. It's been good so far."
"In that case, I'll leave you to have fun with Noah and the rest of the family. We'll catch up later."
A sigh escaped my lips when I heard him say that. He planted a kiss on Mrs Regan's lips before climbing up the stairs.
Rolling my eyes, I glanced at Noah, who was shooting a curious look at me. Ignoring his prying eyes was the perfect option at the moment, cause I didn't understand what he was trying to insinuate with such a strange look in his eyes.
"I am so famished," I blurted out, strutting towards the dining table.
Once I got there, I took a bite from one of the cupcakes. "This is so good Mrs Regan." I mouthed.
And I wasn't bluffing, it was the most delicious cupcake I've had in a long time.
"There's more where that came from sweetheart. And there'll be more at your party."
Party?
"What party?" I asked, turning to look at Noah who looked like he wasn't bothered by my question.
Just then, the door swung open and it was Reia, Noah's younger sister. She screamed at the sight of me and threw her arms around me as we enveloped each other in a hug.
"How have you been? It's so good to see you again." We pulled away from each other. "I missed you so much." I cupped her face in my hands and snuggled at her nose. We both chuckled.
Before I could return to asking Noah what party his mom was talking about, Deb and Fred came bounding down the stairs, accompanied by their father Gregory.
Gregory was the beta wolf of our pack and Deb and Fred were his kids. I hugged both of the kids at the same time and grinned when they tried to crush me with the tightness of their hug.
"It's good to have you back in the pack Pea," Gregory said, patting me on my shoulder.
"It's good to be back," I repeated.
This was what I missed the most about the pack, the warmth and love I received from people who genuinely loved and cared about me.
At the same time, Leia came out of the kitchen holding a wooden spoon that had batter all over it.
"Is that Pecan? Welcome back, love." She hugged me.
Leia was Gregory's Luna. She was a tall and slender woman with a rather loud personality. She was an Omega and used to be a maid at the pack house. But then Gregory fell in love with her and she turned out to be his mate. Their love story was quite inspiring and romantic.
"How was Milan?" she asked.
"Milan was okay. Nothing like home though."
"There's never anywhere like home." She tapped my nose slightly, then she turned her attention to Mrs Regan.
"Remind me next time never to mix the batter."
"Don't tell me you ruined it." Mrs Regan had a horrific look on her face. Leia gave me an apologetic look and made her way back into the kitchen.
"Pecan dear, your party will be starting soon so I have to get back to the kitchen. Feel free."
There they went again with the party talk. I still couldn't comprehend what party they were talking about and it irked me. It made me feel like a foreigner in a strange land.
Before Leia could retreat into the kitchen, I stopped her. "Wait Leia, what party are you talking about?"
She spun around with her brows raised, "What do you mean? Your return party of course. Noah planned it."
I stared at her, confused and that seemed to make her confused too because her brows raised even higher.
"No way! Don't tell me you missed the pretty banners on your way in." Her voice held a tinge of excitement.
I turned to look at Noah and he quickly looked away. Mrs Regan cleared her throat and pointed at the doorway.
My eyes squinted in that direction and immediately landed on the doorway, there was a big banner sprung across the door frame, and on it was boldly written, "Welcome Home Pecan.." I stared at it and gasped.