North Peak Shifters Box Set Page 6

  “Whatever,” says Cal.

  “He’s...somewhere,” Mikayla says, scanning the groups of family and friends. She must have lost Ethan in the post-ceremony chaos.

  “Well, is it serious with that guy?” asks Roger.

  “His name is Ethan. And no, Dad, it’s not serious,” Mikayla retorts.

  “It’s not?” says a voice from behind her. It’s Ethan, returning with drinks for each of them.

  “Oh, I just meant-,” Mikayla’s face turns bright red.

  “What did you mean, Mikayla?” says Jimmy.

  “Mikayla, can we go talk? Please?” Ethan asks.

  “Yeah, you better go talk,” says Jimmy.

  “No, right here is good. I want to stay here. With my family,” says Mikayla.

  “You must really not want to be alone with this guy if you’re pretending you like hanging around us,” Cal says.

  “We can all talk here, if you want,” says Mike, goating them for more drama.

  “Family chat! Family chat!” Cal chants obnoxiously.

  While Mikayla’s brothers are annoying troublemakers, she doesn’t get to see them that much. She is trying to appreciate that time spent with them today, despite all the crap they give her.

  “I’m actually just going to stay here for now with my family,” says Mikayla.

  “Men don’t like women who defy them, Mickey,” says Jimmy.

  “I really didn’t ask you, James,” Mikayla says harshly. She realizes she hasn’t sipped the drink that Ethan brought her. She starts to chug.

  “Take it easy there, you’re looking like your mother,” says Roger. Mikayla breathes in and out deeply, trying to stay calm despite all the men in her life driving her up a wall. Ethan cuts in.

  “Mikayla, please. I just don’t really know anyone. I was hoping you could introduce me to some people,” he pleads. It is a fair enough request.

  “Oh, we’re not good enough for you, Pretty Boy?” says Cal.

  “Leave him alone!” Mikayla demands.

  “If you want us to leave him alone, then go with him. Introduce him to Cousin Bob and Aunt Jean. It’ll be a blast!” Mike sarcastically says.

  “Just stop,” Mikayla quietly says. “I’m staying here,” Mikayla says, arms across her chest like a child. She practically stomps her foot in protest. There’s something about being around her brothers makes her youthful tendencies come out. Suddenly, they’re in grade school again, teasing her on the playground after school about her crush.

  “Mikayla, come with me. We can go say hi to some people,” Ethan says, clearly not interested in any further dialogue with Mikayla’s brothers. He can’t help but note how annoying they really are. He wonders if this is what being a “normal” guy is like. He decides he’d rather be the way he is than rude, arrogant, and gross.

  “I said NO,” Mikayla snaps. The hurt is apparent on Ethan’s face. He thinks he’s helping Mikayla by getting her away from her annoying brothers who find pleasure in harassing her. He realizes he must be wrong, and Mikayla really wants nothing to do with him. He turns around without a word as Mikayla’s brothers and father burst into laughter while Ethan walks away, humiliated.

  Chapter 21

  The party is in full swing now. Mikayla has lost track of how many drinks she’s downed at this point. She’s also lost track of Ethan, but she isn’t exactly rushing to find him. Mikayla is on the dance floor with her family, and for a moment she forgets just how terribly annoying they usually are. Turns out with a few drinks and some loud music, her family is capable of feigning normalcy. She sees Cat and William dancing together, staring into each other’s eyes like they’re only two people in the room (and on the planet).

  A pang in her chest reminds her how terribly she’s been treating Ethan throughout the day. But she can’t deny having him off of her back is a relief, even just for a few songs. She shrugs it off, continuing to dance with her brothers. Then, Mikayla’s heart stops.

  “Incoming,” Jimmy says, alerting the family to wait Mikayla had already seen. Her mother, Suzanne, has appeared. Suzanne makes her way towards the tent where the DJ booth blares a house remix of “Sweet Caroline.” Mikayla feels her stomach do somersaults. She wants to find Cat, give her a heads up that their mother has decided to make an appearance after all. Mikayla’s mind begins to race, going over all the ways that her mom could ruin this special day for Cat. Wherever her mom is, trouble seems to follow. Between her consistent drinking and her scummy boyfriend Tony, she tends to be a nightmare. Mikayla begins to wonder why her sister extended the invite at all.

  “Great,” Mikayla says under her breath. She’s glad she’s pounded back a few drinks. “I’m going to go tell Cat,” says Mikayla, disappearing through the crowd, out of her mother’s view.

  “Cat,” Mikayla says, nearly out of breath by the time she darts across the dancefloor. “I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but mom is here,” Mikayla says nervously.

  “That’s okay, Mikayla,” Cat says. She’s in complete bliss, like nothing can bring her down. The newlyweds are practically floating, holding each other close and moving slowly to music that begs for twerking.

  “But, Mom tends to ruin parties. Remember your sweet 16? My college graduation?”

  “Nothing can ruin this day, Mikayla. It’s fine. Avoid her if you want. Whatever makes you comfortable,” says Cat calmly.

  Mikayla’s face begins to feel hot. It could be the alcohol, or maybe her nerves. The sight of her mother fills her with unspeakable anger. There are so many unresolved issues that Mikayla can never feel quite comfortable playing nice with her mom, and especially Tony. She begins to make her way back to where her brothers are dancing. Suzanne has already approached her sons and her ex-husband. Mikayla notices her father storm away, not even trying to pretend he has the patience to deal with his ex-wife. The drama makes Mikayla laugh. Both of her parents can be pretty awful, so it’s funny to watch them interact with each other...funny in the saddest way. Sad in a way that can only be managed if she laughs at her misfortune. Mikayla scans the room, wishing for the first time in a while that Ethan would appear. She wonders how long she can keep the chaos at a minimum before she breaks and needs someone to lean on.

  Chapter 22

  “Mikayla, sweetie. You look beautiful,” says Suzanne. Tony stands by her side, silently. He isn’t even attempting to play nice because he is well-aware of the venom Mikayla is ready to spit at him.

  “Mom,” Mikayla says. “Nice to see you,” she lies politely. Mikayla isn’t mad at her mom about one thing specifically, but about all the ways she’s failed her as a parent. There’s nothing to talk out, no therapy session that can fix their fractured relationship. Even when they tried family therapy, Mikayla and Suzanne talked in circles, failing to see eye to eye. Mikayla longs for the mother-daughter relationship she sees in movies and T.V. shows, like Gilmore Girls.

  “You don’t answer my texts,” Suzanne says. Mikayla is close enough to smell the booze on her mother’s breath. It’s a wedding, so it should be fine, but Suzanne doesn’t know her limits. Mikayla assumes she’s been drinking all day. Her life is a constant pre-game.

  “I don’t have much to say,” Mikayla says. She scans the room, thinking how she could really use a rescue from Ethan right about now, but he’s nowhere to be found. She hopes he’s enjoying himself somewhere and not getting into any trouble. Mikayla also hopes he’s in his human form. Should she be keeping an eye on him? That’s not her responsibility, but she still feels like maybe she should be paying more attention to her date.

  “You should respect your mom and text her back,” Tony chimes in.

  “Fuck off,” Mikayla says under her breath. She has no qualms about speaking her mind to Tony. He’s enabled her mother’s behavior and drinking, and treats her poorly. Mikayla still cares about her mom, enough to wish she at least had a partner who respected her. But, as Mikayla’s been grappling with for years, her mom is a capable of making her own choices. She
’s an adult, even if it doesn’t always seem that way.

  Mikayla glances over at her sister, who is still on Cloud 9. She smiles, relieved that her sister is having such a wonderful day. She can only hope that Cat and William have a family that’s not so loaded with drama and emotional turmoil. Mikayla imagines what it would be like to be an aunt, and decides she’ll be a great fit for the role.

  “I’m going to congratulate the newlyweds,” Suzanne says as she begins to make her way over to William and Cat.

  “Don’t,” Mikayla tries to protest. She doesn’t want her mom to ruin Cat’s day.

  “Don’t tell your mother what to do,” Tony says, grabbing Mikayla’s arm. His breath reeks of cigarettes and whiskey.

  “Get your damn hands off of me,” Mikayla says, shoving him away. She can’t help but feel isolated, and a little intimidated. Her brothers make it seem like they’re so protective by taunting the men in her life enough to sometimes scare them away. But when it comes to Tony, they are absent. They won’t look at him, talk to him, or acknowledge that he exists. It’s times like these, when Tony dares to lay a hand on her, that she wishes her brothers would show up to defend her. Then again, Mikayla knows that she can’t depend on men to take care of her. Ironically as Mikayla thinks of his face, Ethan appears.

  Chapter 23

  His clothing is tattered. Mikayla immediately panics.

  “Do we have a problem?” Ethan says to Tony. All Tony can do is stare at the ripped up rags of clothing barely hanging onto Ethan’s towering frame. Tony seems so small compared to Ethan.

  “Ethan, let’s go. We need to find you something to wear,” says Mikayla. A sense of urgency overcomes her, knowing she has no good explanation for why her date looks like he’d gone through a paper shredder before rolling around in some dirt.

  “Is this homeless guy your date, Mikayla?” Tony says with a smirk.

  “Yeah, clearly I get my taste in men from my mother,” Mikayla fires back. “Let’s go, Ethan,” says Mikayla, trying to figure out how she’s going to get Ethan a change of clothes before anyone notices.

  “Come with me,” says Mikayla, dragging Ethan back into the building, away from the lights and the dancing. She finds the room where she met with her sister earlier that day.

  “What happened?” asks Mikayla. She’s equal parts angry and concerned.

  “I...I don’t know. I got really upset. It just kind of…happened,” says Ethan.

  “What made you upset? Did someone try to fight you? What is it?” says Mikayla, wondering if whatever set him off would interfere with the wedding celebration.

  “It’s not like that. At all,” he says. His green eyes are sad. He looks away from her.

  “What then?”

  “It’s you, Mikayla. You upset me. I’m not blaming you for my...shift. That’s not your fault. But I am hurt by the way you’ve been ignoring me all day. I thought you wanted me here… I’m just having trouble figuring out what you want,” says Ethan. Mikayla feels like she’s about to burst into tears.

  “I...I’m sure William has some extra clothes with him,” she says, avoiding the confrontation as long as possible. “I’ll be right back.”

  Mikayla runs out, wiping away tears, feeling too many emotions to try and reconile them. She feels terrible about the way she’s treating Ethan, but she didn’t mean to hurt him this badly. She wishes she’d shown a little more backbone and didn’t try to seem “cool” in front of her brothers.

  She walks back to the reception and sees Cat, William, and her brothers all dancing in a group.

  “I need a change of clothes. For Ethan” Mikayla says frantically to Wiliam.

  “Oh, no, did he shit his pants?” says Cal. The boys all laugh. Cat even laughs.

  “Just a bad spill,” says Mikayla. “Clothes? Please. William?”

  Cat interjects. “He brought an extra button down and pants, they’re with my stuff. Where I was getting ready.”

  Of course, Mikayla says to herself, about to run back to Ethan.

  “Better get back to the baby!” Mike calls out.

  “Dude, shut UP,” Mikayla whips her head, about to harnass her anger and confusion to finally defend herself.

  “I mean, he does seem a little bit needy, don’t you think?” Cat asks. She doesn’t say it to be mean spirited. She’s just offering her sincere concerns.

  “He’s all over you. Seems like a real clingy dude,” says Jimmy.

  “Yeah,” Mikayla says under her breath. She supposes he is.

  “But, if he makes you happy, that’s okay,” Cat says when she sees her sisters tortured face.

  “He does,” Mikayla says. She really wants to believe it. But she can’t help but think any other date would not be having her running around looking for a change of clothes. He’s been practically breathing down her neck all night, and she only missed him when she felt like she needed protection. She realizes how unfair that is to him. Mikayla can’t help but hate herself for getting involved in this wild situation.

  ` “Sure sounds like it,” Roger adds with a sneer.

  “We don’t approve!” says Cal.

  “Yeah, he’s some sort of manchild. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you can do better,” says Mike.

  “Thanks for the input, assholes,” says Mikayla. She’s had enough of other people’s opinions, and flees back to help Ethan.

  Chapter 24

  “Here,” says Mikayla, tossing some clothes from a suitcase at Ethan. “You got lucky,” she adds. “Maybe you should consider keeping a spare outfit on you for when...this happens,” she says.

  “Mikayla,” he says. “What am I doing wrong?”

  “It’s not you,” Mikayla says.She knows this is only partly true. Her own issues with dependency made her wary about Ethan from the beginning. Yet, to some degree, it is about him. She can’t push it out of her mind, despite how much he cares about her and how great he is in bed. It’s not enough, and somehow too much. Mikayla feels dizzy, and like she might be sick.

  “Hey, hey,” he says in a calm and comforting voice, as usual. He’s dressed again. “We can talk later. Forget I said anything…forget anything happened. Let’s just go try to have fun,” he says. This is a plan Mikayla can get behind: putting off the important discussions for as long as possible.

  “You’re right,” she says. “Let’s go have fun. Come on,” she says, grabbing his hand. They leave the room, head down the corridor, only to be met face to face with Tony. He’s clearly hammered and practically falling over himself. Suzanne is nowhere to be found.

  “Hey, you,” Tony slurs, stumbling towards Mikayla. “Your mom misses you. When are you going to give her a chance?”

  “Stay out of this. Leave me alone,” she says, trying to move past him. He blocks the door that leads to the celebration. Mikayla can feel the vibrations of the dance music.

  “No. No. I won’t stay out of this. The way you treat your mother is deplorable,” he manages.

  “Impressive word use,” Mikayla says. No matter the situation, her snarkiness cannot be contained.

  “That attitude is going to get you in big trouble someday, missy,” he responds.

  “Hey, we don’t have a problem here, do we?” Ethan steps in.

  “Oh, the valiant savior. How….valiant,” he seethes. “Mikayla barely even likes you. I heard the whole family talking. None of them like you, did you know that?” Tony asks, his voice dripping with malice. Mikayla’s sweating. Her need to vomit becomes too much to hold back. She wretches, vomit splashing all over Tony’s sneakers.

  “Shit. Shit. I’m sorry,” says Mikayla. She looks up to see Tony towering over her, with an angry vein popping out of his forehead.

  “You dumb bitch,” says Tony.

  “Don’t you dare talk to her like that,” says Ethan. Mikayla can feel a change in the air as Ethan’s anger rises. She has to figure out a way to calm him down before he loses control for the second time today.

  “It’s oka
y, I’m okay,” says Mikayla.

  “Well, I’m not okay,” says Ethan. “I will not stand by and let this scumbag treat you this way.”

  “What are you gonna do about it, tough guy?” says Tony. Mikayla backs away, realizing things are about to get physical. The men puff out their chests and get in each other’s faces so close their noses almost touch.

  “Come on. Hit me, I dare you,” says Tony.

  “I won’t do that.”

  “Then I’ll be the one to get this party started,” he says, then raises a fist and swings at Ethan. He lands the punch on Ethan’s nose. With that, Ethan can no longer hold back his rage.

  “Ethan, no!” says Mikayla, but it’s too late. His body swells and evolves until a brown grizzly bear stands tall and terrifying. Tony begins to cower.

  “Leave, Mikayla,” growls the beast. “Just go,” he says.

  “What the f-” Tony begins, but his voice is cut off when the bear snatches the back of his shirt with his mighty teeth. The bear flings Tony across the hall. Tony screams in pain and fear.

  “Stop! Stop it!” Mikayla pleads. She can’t watch this. She wants to disappear.

  “GO!” the bear says angrily. Mikayla heads back to the tent, and turns around to see the large bear headed out a side door, with Tony dangling in his mouth. He’s alive, but Mikayla isn’t sure for how long.

  Mikayla makes a run for it, returning to the dance floor. She isn’t sure how she’s going to explain Ethan’s absence again. She’s relieved to find that no one is actively seeking Tony, except maybe Suzanne. But that will be her problem. Mikayla has her own problems to deal with, and her own man to track down.

  Chapter 25

  The party is dying down, and the goodbye’s begin.

  “Thank you for making my perfect wedding happen,” Cat says over and over to her guests, shaking hands and exchanging hugs as they file out toward the cars waiting to drive them back to various hotels.

  Mikayla migrates with her brothers and father towards the newlyweds.