Chapter 2 - Home Sweet Home

“Home is everything you can walk to.” ― Jerry Spinell

Kiya

Saying goodbye to my students was the toughest thing I had to do. The joys and stress they’ve brought me during the school year were lessons and memories I’d never forget. In my heart, I knew they’ll take on the fourth grade with greatness. Having the privilege to watch those kids grow academically and socially warmed my big heart.

Summer was here, and it was time for me to head back to Garnet Moon.

I drove up to the curb after leaving the elementary school for the last time. Once parked, I stepped out of the cool interior to a blistering exterior. The sun was unforgiving today, and the warm breeze didn’t help! As much as I loved San Jose, being cooked alive for three months wasn’t on my list of plans.

I entered the three-story apartment building on the quest of retrieving my two priceless treasures. There wasn’t anyone I trusted in taking care of them other than my downstairs neighbors, also Garnet Moon members, but living outside the pack lands. Did I mention Anthony bought this building? Nothing lives in my mind rent-free than living in my apartment rent-free!

My footsteps echoed on each stair until I reached the second floor, walking up to a door with a plaque that read ‘Fernandez’ underneath the viewing hole. Grinning, I knocked three times and waited. I heard minor shuffling from inside until the door swung open to reveal an older lady wearing a painfully bright pink apron with her pale brown hair tied into a bun. Her brown eyes crinkled with her smile, yanking me into a sharp hug.

“You’re back so soon, Kiya!” The woman said, patting my back. “Must you take them back now?”

“I have to, Elena. But, I always know that you take good care of my babies whenever I’m working. Now, they must come back to their mother!”

“They should stay a little longer with grandma…” She whimpered, pursing out her bottom lip. I let out a giggle before walking over the threshold of Elena’s apartment. The delicious smell of beef and spices immediately assaulted my nose, making my stomach growl like a ravenous bear. “Sounds like you also need to stay a bit with grandma!”

“Well, if you’re offering to feed me, how could I say no?” I laughed, entering the small, sunlit living room with pictures hung on the walls. Elena and her husband, Luiz, lived here to be closer to their children and grandchildren who moved into the city. Mom and Dad knew them very well, as they were high school friends. Anthony was kind enough to purchase the apartment building, so they didn’t have to worry about rent. Once I moved in to complete my schooling, I knew I was getting a taste of home from the elderly couple. They’ve helped me so much and I couldn’t repay them.

Once I sat on the soft, ash-colored loveseat, tiny patters of feet approached me at Mach speed. My babies pounced on my lap and began licking my fingers, wiggling their shaggy tails in my nose. “Ebony! Ivory! Hello to you, too!”

My black bombay and white ragdoll cats meowed in unison, rubbing their heads in my palms as I pet them. Finding these two in a dirty alleyway in the neighborhood was the day they changed my life forever. So small and helpless, they reminded me of myself before Mom and Dad adopted me. I couldn’t leave them alone, exposed to the evils of the world. Once they got healthy and had their vaccinations, they’ve become my children.

Elena and I chatted for a while over the delicious paella she was so kind to serve me. We talked about what is coming for the future, the pack, and my parents. She confided in me she missed the pack life but didn’t miss the incessant noise of children bouncing off the walls and the battles against rogues. That we both could relate to.

After lunch, I carried my cats back to my apartment on the third floor. They ran through the floors once I opened the door, finding their beds and nestling in them like the pampered princesses they were. I was blessed to not have a pair of cats who needed continuous attention or else they’d scratch up the minimalist furniture in my tiny living room. Once I settled in, I took a well-needed shower and hopped into a pair of pajamas while I tossed my hair into a cotton shirt to dry.

As much as I loved my apartment, I missed my family. The joys of having my abode didn’t compare to being surrounded by constant love and affection, but there was a certain allure to being alone and self-sufficient that I’d never take for granted. I could walk around naked in my apartment with no one saying a damn thing.

Artemis made her presence known while I grabbed the hamper filled with dirty laundry. Judging from the tense aura she gave off; I knew she wanted to talk to me about something. “Artemis? What is it?”

“I can’t get over what happened at the museum the other day.” She responded with a heavy sigh. I admit, it has been bothering me too. Walking to my portable washing machine, I played the event over in my mind as I tossed my clothes inside. “Nothing like that has happened since…”

“I know,” I responded, watching the clothes spin after dumping an ample amount of soap. “I’m trying not to think about it too much. I don’t want to ruin the peace I have.”

“I get it, Kiki. However, I don’t believe in coincidences. Walking into an exhibit and getting attacked by a snake spirit? Not to mention that there weren’t any witnesses to corroborate our story. What if Osiris is—”

“No, Artemis!” I shouted, slamming my fist on top of the dryer. The sinking feeling in my chest made it painful to breathe. With one shaky sigh after another, I tried my best to get rid of my pooling anxiety. “He’s dead. There’s no way he could come back, not after so long. What if what happened was just a damn hallucination?”

“I don’t think it was a hallucination, Kiya.”

“It has to be because there is no way in hell that I’m dealing with that shit again.” Artemis didn’t respond after that, opting to retreat to the back of my mind. Groaning, I ran a hand through my hair as I leaned against the wall by my hip. I put the whole Osiris fiasco behind me for the sake of my healing. Sometimes that bastard haunted my dreams, his lingering presence sticking to me like glue. I had to miss a full semester of school because of his crap, but after a while, things got better. He faded with the wind, along with his memory.

Whatever happened in that exhibit could just be a post-traumatic flashback manifesting in that snake game. Snakes were disgusting. For the past three years, I had nothing but peace. Nothing interfered with my ability to finish school and work, and life was back to normal for me. No avatar madness, no supernatural attacks, or anything else of the sort. Phoebe and Violetta fell into their normalcy afterward as well, for they deserved the same peace I got.

There is no impending doom. My life was peaceful, and it will stay that way.

My mood soured, which made laundry feel like an egregious chore. I tossed my wet clothes in the dryer and carried them back to my room once they were done. While folding my clothes on my bed, a heavy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach from how I reacted to Artemis. I didn’t mean to respond so strongly like that. Regretfully, I opened our mind-link, connecting with my beloved wolf.

“Hey, Artemis? I’m sorry for yelling at you like that. I’m not angry with you and if I made you feel that way, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Kiya. I was never angry, but concerned. I guess you can say I was also scared of our peace being interrupted. I tried to make sense of what happened, and I frustrated you.”

“Still, I’m sorry. It’s just a lot to think about, you know?”

“Yeah, I do.”

My phone buzzing on my vanity table pulled me out of my thoughts, demanding my attention. I set my shirt down and walked over to pick it up. It was a text message. When I saw who it was from the preview, my heart rate picked up as I had run a marathon.

Neron.

It was the first text he sent me in the past few months. Life had sucked us into our journeys that so much time would pass without us talking to one another. My heart continued to race as my thumb lingered over the text preview, curious to know what he had sent me. Should I open it or not? Why the hell was I so nervous? He’s a friend I missed talking to, and this was a good chance to start up again.

Hell, Nuria blows up my phone every chance she gets. At least her brother was calmer.

Reeling in some courage, I pressed the preview and read what he had sent. I couldn’t stop the smile forming on my face.

NERON: Congrats on finishing your job with your students! I hope life has been treating you well since then. How is Artemis?”

I shouldn’t be too damn eager to text back, but my fingers had a mind of their own.

ME: “Thank you, Neron. I appreciate the congrats and Artemis is doing great! I’m preparing to move back home in a few days. How is Onyx?”

NERON: Onyx-ing.

Artemis let out a bark of laughter at the response and I couldn’t help but smile. She never voiced it because she wanted to keep a strong face, but I knew deep down she missed Onyx a lot. Onyx and she couldn’t be any more different from one another, but somehow, they meshed well together. I felt like the bad guy for robbing her of that experience because of my problems; always waiting for me to get my act together.

They’ll meet again. I know they will. I just wasn’t sure when or if I’m ready to head to Onyx Moon yet.

Neron and I continued texting, talking about what our plans were for the following week, our families, and more. I’d forgotten about the laundry and the time that flew by in the blink of an eye because when I came to, albeit from Ebony pawing at my ankle, it was late afternoon.

Crazy.

Ebony meowed, curling her tail around my foot as her way to tell me she was hungry. The most vocal out of my cats. I laughed and rubbed her head. I sent Neron a quick text, telling him I had to go, and went to feed my cats.

I’ll just finish packing tomorrow.

---

Bags? Packed.

Cats? Secured.

Gas tank? Full.

Time for me to head home!

I bid Elena and Luiz farewell and set off on the road back to Garnet Moon. Scrolling my window down, the wind danced wildly with my curls as I blasted ‘Whatever it Takes’ by Imagine Dragons on the radio. Every building I passed melted into a blur of browns and whites, and every person the same. So many great memories happened in San Jose, and my heart missed the nostalgia of my college campus. I loved college, but I loved graduating more. Life waited for no one. I glanced at the rearview mirror now and then to check on Ebony and Ivory in their harnesses.

Just like the angels they were, they sat and groomed themselves in their cat beds.

Before long, I made it onto the main road. The aroma of the redwood trees tickled my nostrils, the scent of my hearth. My car entered a sea of pale reds blooming under the blistering sun, bathing the forest floor with lights unmatched to flames. I loved it. I felt Artemis growing antsy for a much-needed run on the territory, and I couldn’t wait for her to stretch her legs out once again.

Fifteen minutes later, I rolled into the familiar land, bombarded with the echoes of children playing and warriors training. I grinned; nothing had changed. Parking my car in the garage, I stepped out into the diesel-fuel-scented heat when I was accosted by a smaller, yet strong body. A tuff of auburn hair greeted my eyes, but the head lifted to reveal a bright set of hazels and a brighter grin.

“Tia! You’re back!”

“Nice to see you too, Ximey.” I giggled, squeezing her in a hug. Ximena had grown into a formidable five-year-old, and from her tight squeezes around my waist, her Alpha strength was coming in rather too quickly. A smaller body followed behind her, a beautiful boy with cute cheeks and curly brown hair clouding his equally brown eyes. He giggled and latched himself onto my other leg, rubbing his face into my skin. “Ah, and you too, Alessandro!”

Home sweet home.

A couple of Omegas met me outside and offered to take my suitcases and my cats inside the pack house, considering the children refused to leave my side. Walking out with my niece and nephew on either side of me, we ambled to the front entrance, passing by the training grounds. If Ximena and Alessandro were here, that meant their parents wouldn’t be too far behind. Alessandro scurried on ahead with Ximena groaning.

“He is always running off somewhere.” She rolled her eyes. “Mama and Papa should be here soon. Do you want me to get them?”

“You can if you want to. Do you know where your Abuela and Abuelo are?”

“Over there!” Ximena pointed in the distance where Mom and Dad strolled, connected by their hands, before running behind her little brother. Excitement filled me like adrenaline as I prepared to run toward them, but a pair of strong hands snatched and lifted me in the air.

“Little Bit has arrived!” Jackie shouted with a laugh, lowering me to squeeze me into a tighter hug than Ximena could muster. Laughing, I reciprocated her affection, resting my head on her shoulder despite her sweat clinging onto me. “How was the trip?”

“It was good. Now, let me go—you’re all sweaty.” I said, separating from the hug. “Where’s Abigail and Aisha?”

“Abi took her little cousin shopping for new clothes, so they’ll be back in a few hours. Aisha would be so happy that you’re here.”

“You didn’t tell her I was coming?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. My best friend shined a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding my gaze.

“Surprise?”

“Mija!” I turned around to see my parents strolling up to me with smiles on their faces. Unprovoked, I leaped in and hugged them both, filling my nose with their sweet scents of pumpkin and peaches. “Are you settled in yet?” Mom asked me.

“My stuff was just taken to my room, so almost.”

Jackie scoffed behind me. “Wow. I see how it is, Kiya.”

“Wha?”

“As soon as Lyra and Nikolai come around, I’m left in the dust!” She replied with enough dramatics to make theater kids jealous. I turned to see her mocking hurt with a hand on her forehead. “Woe is me! Whatever shall I do?”

“Get your butt back into training,” Dad responded, crossing his arms. “I don’t think it is your break time, young lady.”

“I schedule my own breaks.” Jackie retorted with a bout of confidence. However, one look from Dad stripped and burned her confidence to ash. Her face fell, and she immediately scampered back to the training grounds, knocking one of the male trainees on his ass.

“You didn’t have to do that, Dad.” I laughed.

“That woman has been slacking.” He rolled his eyes in amusement. “But, being freshly married will do that to you.” Lyra nudged him on the shoulder, enticing a fit of laughter from him. Jackie and Abi got married a year ago and have been growing stronger ever since. It was also around the same time Abigail’s little cousin, Aisha, moved in with them.

I couldn’t believe how much had changed over the three years with my little gang of friends. Children were coming in from all angles, and their relationships were stronger than ever.

Life truly waited for no one.

Ximena ran over and tugged on my leg, pulling my attention from my parents. “Mama and Papa want to see you, Tia!”

“Oh, do they?” I smiled down at my niece before looking back at my parents. “Want to come with?”

“We will. We have some things to talk to that young man about, especially with the upcoming Alpha Gathering.” Mom mentioned, her voice lowering an octave. I raised an eyebrow in curiosity as to what the subject matter was, but I was sure it was Alpha business. It didn’t involve me.

But, Ximena, restless as she was, tugged me toward the pack house entrance.

It felt good to be back home.