Chapter 7 going back

　　* Present Time *

　　Matthew and Serenity have been in the car for quite a few hours now, travelling towards the Midnight Moon Pack. They'd decided it would be better if they got there as soon as possible and Serenity did not want to anger her dear best friend, who may turn into Bridezilla herself.

　　She was nervous and anxious to meet them all, especially a certain someone with stormy grey eyes. As if feeling her nervousness, Matthew places his hand on top hers, while he drives with the other, and says "It's going to be just fine and do not to forget I'm going to be with you." She shoots him a nervous smile.

　　It is a five-hour drive and she realises that they were nearing their destination. They were only thirty minutes away and her nerves start getting the best of her, her left leg starts bouncing up and down in nervousness.

　　She looks out the window and recognize the familiar forest on the way to the pack house and she reminisces in the old memories of her running through these forests in her wolf form and a smile takes over her face at the nostalgic memory.

　　After a few minutes, they arrive at their destination and they get out of the car. They both walk towards the familiar building which looked marvelous with white, gold, and black themed intricate designs lining the walls. It was a big mansion meant for at least two hundred pack members if not more.

　　On the way towards the front steps, the pack house door slams open and Serenity gets to see a flash of brown hair and before she knows it, she was tackled down by her best friend. She hugs her tight and yells "Bitch, I missed you so much and it's about time you came back!" Causing Serenity to laugh and reply "I missed you too".

　　Their reunion was cut off by Courtney saying "Oh look who do we have here. I'm guessing you are Matthew, her boyfriend." All the while Courtney points a finger at Serenity while saying but looking at Matthew, Serenity shoots her a playful glare.

　　Matt looks at her amused and shoots her a smirk and replies "Why?! Yes indeed. I'm this beautiful woman's boyfriend." and snakes an arm around Serenitu waist which causes her to turn shade of red. Matthew smiles amusedly down at her. Courtney gushes seeing this and says how cute and lovely they both look together.

　　Our reunion is interrupted when someone new speaks up and his voice is coming from the direction of the pack house. "Hey Court, who is it?" When the person looks up, his blue-green eyes widen when he sees Serenity. He runs towards where she was standing and engulfs her in his infamous brotherly bear hug, Serenity basks in the warmth and familiarity.

　　She hears a growl which comes from Matthew causing Serenity to elbow him in the stomach.

　　He instantly recognizes his mistake and gives her a sheepish smile. "Sere Bear! Where have you been? We missed you so much." Alex, her older brother says and pulls back, looking at her with moisture in his eyes but looks happy none the less to see his baby sister.

　　Serenity shoots Courtney a look, realising that she did not tell them the reason behind why she had left. She shakes her head in 'no' and Serenity turns to look towards Alex and say, "I couldn't stay here. It was painful and I missed you so much."

　　She doesn't know what it was, maybe something in her words might've stopped from asking her anymore questions, but looks at her with a concerned gaze.

　　"Where are mom and dad any ways?" She asks him to change the topic, which works since and he replies.

　　"They went on a vacation to Hawaii."

　　Alex looks towards where Matt had been standing and asks him with narrowed eyes "Who are you?" Serenity rolls her eyes knowing that Alex loves playing the scary older brother card and she could see that he does not find Matthew as a threat to his baby sisters safety.

　　"I'm her boyfriend." They both look at each other with narrowed eyes for a few moments and then suddenly burst into laughter and engulf in a manly hug. Serenity and Courtney look at them like they have gone bonkers and shoot each other a worried glance.

　　Men are weird indeed. Serenity shakes her head.

　　She was so engulfed with meeting them that she hadn't noticed that someone had been watching their interaction all this time, feeling the prickling sensation of being watched, she looks up towards window on the second floor of the pack house.

　　Feeling the stare, the moment she looked up and her eyes lock with stormy grey colored eyes which held some kind of emotion that she couldn't decipher. She looks down not being able to hold his gaze for long. Courtney, Alex and Matthew were chatting with each other that they hadn't noticed the little interaction she seemed to share with the person.

　　He has not changed much after all this time. He has grown manlier than the last time she had seen him and has a five o'clock shadow on his chin that makes him look dangerous and sexy at the same time.

　　"So, what are we waiting for? Let us go inside and let us get you guys settled. We have a lot of planning left to do for the wedding." Courtney says breaking Serenity from her trance. Matthew and her agree too this and they walk towards the pack house.

　　It is the next day and Serenity was staying in her old bedroom. Nothing has changed about it. Everything is in its place.

　　Just the way she had left it, but she could smell a faint scent of someone, but she could not point out whose it was since it was stale.

　　'Maybe a pack cleaner has cleaned it before her arrival or something' she thinks to myself.

　　Matthew was staying in the room next to hers. Though he does not sleep there as he sneaked into her room last night. He is currently out with Alex fishing in the nearby stream. Courtney is downstairs in the kitchen making sandwiches for Serenity and herself.

　　She was getting bored out of her mind staying in one place, so she decides to go downstairs and help Courtney.

　　She passes by a few room and just when she was turning to take a right from the hallways, she hears a piercing cry from one of the rooms, which makes Serenity to still at her spot. She decides that might as well check what it was.

　　What she was not prepared for was to find a baby boy who was crying on the floor. Seeing this, she instantly rushes towards the baby and pick him up from the ground. It appears that he had fallen from the bed while crawling.

　　"Ohhh! It is okay. Shhh! Sshh! Don't cry." She tries to soothe him by rubbing his back while his head laid buried on her neck. She rubs small red spot on his elbow which definitely was caused from the fall. After a few minutes the baby calms down.

　　She looks at the baby to find him already staring at her with stormy grey eyes. He has a small button nose and pouty lips. Now that she was really looking at this baby, she found that he seems kind of familiar. Almost like someone she might know but could not tell who.

　　He is a really cute baby. He was wearing one of those black and white horizontally stripped onesies with a black beanie with light brown pom-poms on his head. She knew for sure that he is going to be a looker, when he grows up he will going to have all ladies fawning after him for his attention.

　　She smiles at the baby and cooes and makes funny faces at him to which he squeals and giggles. He says something gibberish in his baby language while looking at Serenity. He lays his head in the crook of her neck and wraps his arm around her neck and looks up at her with those gorgeous grey eyes. Her heart melts seeing this; 'I wish I could have a baby of my own' she thinks to myself.

　　She decides that she should take him with her just in case he starts crying again, so she starts walking with him towards the pack kitchen and find Courtney standing there making the sandwiches.

　　"Courtney." Her calls are gone unheard.

　　"Courtney." She says a little bit louder this time to get her attention and she succeeds when Courtney turns around and flashes a smile at her, but that look is replaced with shock when she sees the baby in Serenity's arms.

　　Serenity looks down at the baby in her arms and ask her "Courtney, whose baby is this?".

　　She looks up at her after a few moments when she does not reply to find her giving Serenity 'a deer caught in headlights' type of look.