New Friends

Alexandra

The small pizza parlor that Beta Jax had taken us to must have been a popular spot amongst the shifters in Crescent Moon Pack because it was lively, bustling and filled with people. I blinked repeatedly, I had never seen anything like this. The laughs and chatter amongst the tables filled the air. I recognized that this was a happy place. I followed Beta Jax and Mia to a booth tucked in the corner, sliding into the plush beige bench beside Beta Jax.

A middle aged man approached our table, “Beta. Mia. I see you’ve brought a new friend,” he said with a chuckle.

I felt my cheek warm to the touch at the acknowledgement, “H-hi, I’m Lexi,” I said. He held out his large calloused hand that nearly swallowed my own, looking at me strangely until I followed his prompt and extended mine to meet his. He was a bulky man, shorter than many of the other shifters I’d see in Crescent Moon so far but still much larger than I was.

“Such a beautiful young lady, your eyes are very unique, they suit you,” he said with a small smile.

“Can we stop flirting with the young lady? I’ve listened to her stomach growl the entire way here,” Beta Jax complained with a low growl.

Mia tossed her bouncy curls over her shoulder and rolled her lavender eyes, “don’t worry Shane, he means his stomach is all we heard the entire way here.”

“My regular please,” Mia said, not giving Beta Jax a moment to interject.

Beta Jax arched his right brow then returned his glare back to Shane, “two beers on tap with a large pepperoni and mushroom pizza, thanks buddy.”

Mia scoffed and pursed her lips together in irritation, “you didn’t even let her choose for herself! Moon Goddess, sometimes you’re such a jerk,” Mia said, “sorry. What would you like, Lexi?”

“Um, that’s fine. I’m okay with that,” I responded. I didn’t really care what it was. I wasn’t even sure what the options were for a pizza. I didn’t want to be difficult either, I was just happy to be here – even if I wasn’t sure for how long that would be. I had accepted that I had to live in the present throughout my time in Crescent Pack, as history taught me, it was only a matter of time that everything around me would come crashing down. No amount of happiness couldn’t last forever.

“Very well, Lexi, it’s a pleasure. I hope we see you around this old joint more often. Best pizza in the country,” Shane said, puffing his chest out, filled with pride.

Shane quickly returned holding a black serving tray with our drinks on top, he passed me my drink. I had never had beer before but I wasn’t about to add to the list of things that Beta Jax and Mia could pity me over. I knew shifters began to drink early, our alcohol tolerance being incredibly high. It would take a lot of these to feel the effects of alcohol. What could one drink possibly do? A suppressed wolf is still a wolf afterall.

I sipped on the bubbly liquid, feeling my body go warm and fuzzy. I could taste the lingering sweetness of citrus and pine infused in the amber colored liquid on my tongue. It didn’t take long before Beta Jax had finished his beer, then another and another. I followed his lead, enjoying the warm tingly feeling enveloping my body. I felt so alive, so free, like the shackles that constrained me for far too long were finally shattered. For the first time in a long time, I felt like myself, even though I wasn’t quite sure what myself was. I swear I could even feel Anna purring and pushing forward.

The conversation flowed with ease with Mia and Beta Jax while we waited for our food and oh my Moon Goddess, the pizza tasted so much better than I remembered. The hot cheese against the top of my mouth and the feeling of the warmth of it travel down my stomach. There was something about their mere presence that ignited something from within me, like we had all been friends for years - not just a few days. I realized I’d never really had friends like this before.

I finished my pizza and pushed the glass up to my mouth, finishing the remaining liquid that I enjoyed a little too much in a single gulp. A smile crept onto my face as I turned to Beta Jax, “you know I’m really going to miss you guys. It feels nice to have real friends, oh wait, shit, we’re friends right?”

A smirk played on Beta Jax’s face as he placed his corded arm around my shoulders, “the very bestest of friends,” he mocked and chanted. I smiled, feeling relieved that they do think of me as a friend too.

Mia scrunched her nose and cocked her head at me, like she had just realized what I had said. “wait, miss us? Where are you going? You just got here,” she replied in a contagious laugh that also made me giggle.

Before I could muster a response, I couldn’t help but grip the table when I felt the room start to spin, I put it off to eating too fast in my mind. My face went flush and Beta Jax’s eyes widened when he saw how pale my skin had gone.

Mia burst into laughter, her eyes rimmed with water as she leaned forward and clenched her stomach, “Alpha Liam is going to kill you Jax! You got her drunk! Oh my Moon Goddess, this is the best day ever!” she choked out through her giggles.

“Shit - Lex, here drink some water,” he demanded, passing me his glass. “Please don’t tell me it’s the first time you’ve had booze,” he pleaded in an anxious tone.

I laughed and nodded. I didn’t care right now. It felt so good. I felt invincible. I sipped on the water he had handed me and watched as he gripped the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his index finger, sighing in frustration. “I’m dead,” he muttered as he shot daggers from his eyes at Mia who was still in a howling fit.