The Summer Moon
Chapter 34 -

Tyrese

My wolf was driving me so crazy I was starting to get a headache. I hated myself for how Malia found out, and he hated it too. I just hate to hope that Malia didn't hate me. She couldn't though, could she? I was shocked when she showed up at my house yesterday. I had expected her to want nothing to do with me after what she saw at Emily's party. But there she was, and she was holding my hand and trying to take care of me, and the way she practically growled at Derek for asking her to leave. She was driving me crazy. Everything about this girl was so perfect, she was feisty but gentle and totally gorgeous and funny. I had to make this work, we had to figure this out.

Malia stirred beside me and I tightened my grip around her waist. I was so grateful when she asked me to come lie with her, I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms for all of eternity. Yet, a pit was still growing deep in my stomach. I knew this was wrong, I knew we couldn't stay like this forever. She wants to pretend this isn't happening, that she didn't see what she had, and I couldn't live a life like that with her. She needs to know the truth about me, she needs to accept it, not just pretend it isn't real.

Mark her, then she can't leave us. My wolf growled and I groaned. "Absolutely not, if she doesn't hate us now, then she definitely will after that!" I shouted back at him and he whimpered and went quiet again. He was right though, marking her would be the perfect solution, but I couldn't do that to her. I had to do this right, I wanted her to love me, not just stay with me because she had to.

Malia's eyes fluttered open and she looked up into mine. Quickly I blinked and looked across my room. Fuck, she totally caught me staring at her while she was sleeping, she's going to think I'm such a creep, but right now that's the least of my problems.

"What time is it?" She asked quietly.

"6:15," I looked over at her again and slowly she moved from my arms to sit up, hanging her legs over the side. She let out a long sigh and wouldn't take her eyes off the floor. I could feel her mood changing to a mixture of sadness and anger. "Malia, can we talk please?" I asked, running my hand down her back.

"I don't want to talk Ty," her voice broke and it nearly broke my heart. Not again, please not again. But sure enough, Malia let out another sigh and looked up to show me the tears flowing down her cheeks again. "Baby please," I dove to the floor, kneeling in front of her. I reached for her face to wipe her tears away but she turned her head. "I need you to understand," I begged of her.

"I don't want to," she mumbled and my heart cracked open a little more. We can't leave it like this though, she has to know. This would be her life too, and as much as I didn't want to push her, she had to accept that.

"Malia, I'm a wolf, we can't just pretend I'm not," I blurted it out more harshly than I meant to and her eyes went wide. I knew I'd made a mistake before she even had a chance to speak, and I could feel the energy in the room around us changing.

"Please just stop," she said abruptly. "I'm sick of all of this, I'm sick of crying and being pathetic when I should be so angry. You all lied to me, my dad lied, Emily, Jesse, Liam lied, you lied to me Ty. Just when I thought I could finally trust you, I leaned in for one night and this happens? Are you freaking kidding me?"

Malia suddenly stood from the bed, balling her hands into fists. My heart pounded in my chest as I took a step back. Her green eyes felt like they were burning holes in my skin as she stared me down.

"Malia-" I began, but she immediately cut me off again.

"Take me home Ty," and with that Malia stormed out of the room and down stairs. I dashed after her, taking the stairs 2 at a time. The girl that had just been resting so peacefully in my bed was long gone and instead she had been replaced with a hurricane. She stomped towards my car and climbed in the passenger side before I could reach her.

I groaned and climbed in the driver's side and we drove towards her house.

"Malia, can we please-" I began.

"No," she cut me off.

"Lia I just want-"

"No,"

"Let me-"

"No," I groaned as I put the car into park and rested my head against the steering wheel. But I couldn't stay there long, as I jumped up and quickly followed Malia as she hopped out of the car and began speed walking to the back door of her

room.

"What the fuck Malia!" I shouted after her, feeling the alpha command coming to my voice. I couldn't help it, she had to listen to me. She spun on her heel to face me, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. I took a deep breath and willed myself to be calm, but I could feel my wolf coming to the surface. "Not even 12 hours ago you were holding my hand and begging me to live, 2 hours ago you were cuddling with me in bed, and now? You can't just pretend this isn't real, you have to at least talk-"

"I don't have to do anything! You lied to me Tyrese! Most boyfriends lie about stupid things like past relationships and checking out other girls, but you? You lied about being a freaking werewolf! You can't expect me to just be okay with that." Her anger was incomparable, and I wished so badly I could get back to bed with her this morning. My wolf was slowly edging closer and closer to the surface though, as my own frustration took over.

"I didn't lie! I just hadn't told you yet," I tried to explain.

Malia took a step closer to me on the porch. "Trying to justify it doesn't make it any better, it was a lie and you know it," her voice was low and my wolf was whimpering. She was right, I had kept this from her, but only because I was scared of this moment right now. Why couldn't she see that? If only she would just let me explain.

Malia turned and unlocked her door, storming into her room. I tried to follow her inside but she turned and met me back at the door again, grasping the black sweater I had given her on our first night together.

"Take your stupid sweater back and get off my porch," she threw the sweater against my chest and as I stood there frozen, the door slammed in my face. I heard the click of the lock on the other side and I slowly took a few steps back. This can't be happening, she hates me, she can't hate me. My wolf was howling and going crazy and I could hear him repeating the same words over and over again in my head. "She hates us, she's leaving, we should have marked her, she hates us, she's going to leave" he rambled on and I felt my heart crumbling in my chest. My entire body ached as I hung the black sweater on a chair on the porch. I couldn't take this home. It was hers now, just like my heart. She has to forgive me. I dashed off the porch and took off towards the woods, shifting as soon as I reached the forest line. I needed to burn some energy, I needed to clear my head so I could figure out how to win Malia back. How could I make this up to her? I'd made a mistake. I should have told her sooner. She deserved to know.

I weaved between the trees, running the entire border of the territory and back to Malia's in record time. The sun was only beginning to set but I knew I had to get home. My parents would be eager to talk about last night and I really needed to call a meeting with the warriors to increase border security again before there was another rogue attack.

As I shifted back into my human form, I grabbed a pair of shorts from the bush, then dashed towards my car. I couldn't help but look towards Malia's room as I jogged by. All of her curtains were closed but I could see the lights on behind them. I wondered what she was doing, and if she were thinking about me.

I shook my head and pushed the thoughts away. I had to stay focused. I couldn't get emotional again. I need to think about my pack right now. I was an alpha, and I had people to protect.

"Tyrese," John's voice called out as I reached my car and I turned to see him standing on the porch, Savanah, peering through the front door behind him. He jogged down the steps towards me, a grim look plastered on his face. "She knows," he stated, and I nodded my head. "I'm guessing she's shutting you out too?" I nodded my head again then ran my hand through my hair.

"I was going to tell her, I had it all planned out. Then the rogues attacked last night. She saw me shift, she saw me kill a rogue," I shook my head, thinking back to the horror on her face when she first saw my wolf.

"She'll come around," Savanah approached behind John and squeezed his shoulder. I nodded my head at the two of them, but I just had to get out of there. I waved my hand as I climbed in the car, then headed back towards my house, already dreading the thousand questions about the attack I'm sure my dad had prepared for me.

As I walked inside, I heard my mother singing in the kitchen, and wondered what was going on. She only sang when she was particularly happy about something, and since Jordan went missing I don't think I've heard her sing at all. "Mom?" I called as I walked towards the kitchen.

"Honey! I'm so happy you're home," My mom wrapped her arms around me, then leaned back with the biggest smile on her face. I looked between her and my father, who sat at the kitchen island with his usual scowl on his face. "Where's your beautiful mate?" My mother asked.

My heart dropped, my mom was happy because she was looking forward to officially meeting Malia tonight after seeing her yesterday. "She's uh, at home," I explained and watched the smile fade from her face.

"Oh. I figured she would stay for dinner," My mom went back over to the stop and I sighed. I wished she would have.

"Well, thank god she's gone because dammit Tyrese you need to get your head on straight!" My father's fist slammed down on the table as he stood from his chair. I turned to him, widening my eyes slightly. "That girl has you distracted! Derek told me it's her fault you were hurt last night," My father's eyes were cold but I felt a fire starting in my chest. How dare he blame Malia?

"It wasn't her fault, it was mine! I lost focus, I turned my back," I growled at him.

"You lost focus because you were thinking about your human girlfriend," I froze. How did he replace out she was human? Had Malia said something? There's no way he could've smelt it on her, we'd already mated. She had my scent. "Surprised? Derek told me about that one too. Did you really think you could hide that from us? You are an alpha, you need a strong mate. Reject her."

"NO!" I growled, letting my wolf come forwards once again. I would never reject her, even if Malia left me. I could never do that. There would never be anyone else.

"She's a human?" My mother's soft voice entered the argument. She placed her hand on my father's back and I watched as he calmed down a little. "Who is she? How did you meet her?" My father continued to scowl but he looked up at me obviously searching for the same answers.

"I don't know if she's human, she just didn't know about us. I shifted in front of her last night and she found out," I began to explain.

"But she was here last night, she was being protective over you, she wouldn't leave your side," my mom looked to me worried and I felt my heart warm thinking of Malia refusing to leave my side last night.

"I don't know why she was here, I don't even know how she knew I was hurt. She was probably just in shock after everything that happened," I shook my head. Malia was probably so overwhelmed right now. "But she's pissed now, she wants nothing to do with me so I took her home."

"Home?" My mother asked.

I sighed, "At John Taylor's, he's her father." I watched as my mother's face turned to surprise and she exchanged a strange look with my father.

"John Taylor's daughter?" They both turned to look at me again.

"It's a long story. John apparently had a daughter before Savanah with another woman," I began to explain but my mother cut me off. "Joanna," my mother jumped in, "John and Joanna had a daughter, Malia,"

"Did you know her?" I looked over at my mother curiously.

"I remember the night they left very well. There was a horrible storm, a hurricane. We were all so preoccupied with the storm prep that John hadn't even realized they'd gone. By the time he got home, Malia's scent was long gone. We all tried to help him track her but nothing, it was as if she had just disappeared. The storm washed away her scent, I guess. He was heartbroken," My mother looked over to my father, who now stared at the table in front of him. She squeezed my father's shoulder gently, then looked up at me, "and you were heartbroken too."