"Holy shit." I hear Andrew say and everyone else is frozen, their disbelieving stares stuck to me.

"Am I wasted or did she just talk?" Sym asks and I laugh. An actual laugh, no holding back for the first time in a long time. This seems to pull everyone out of their stupors as Rose pulls me into a bear hug, while Sym just starts swearing excitedly. I'm bounced from hug to hug till Im dizzy. By the time everyone's done passing me around like a Bop-It, I'm left catching my breath. I look to Daniel whos still just sitting there, his mouth slightly agape. It looks like he's dropped his drink, but his hand is still shaped like he's still holding it, and it looks like he's... Crying?

"Daniel?" I call, trying to pull him back to reality while also trying to get through everyone surrounding me. As soon as I get through, he stands and pulls me into a hug wordlessly, his mouth closed but hus face otherwise unchanging.

"Daniel? Why are you crying?" I ask but he just holds me tighter, his tears starting to wet my shoulders.

"It was all my fault. I thought I'd never hear your voice again and it was all my fault. Thank you Moon Goddess, thank you." He mutters into my shoulder as I struggle to understand.

"Daniel, hey, it's okay, you didn't do anything wrong." I pull away and wipe the tears from his face, giving him a comforting smile, which he tries to return.

"Now now Daniel, don't hog Dove all to yourself, I want her to touch my face too. And don't worry Dove, he's just happy." Andrew teasingly cuts in, punching Daniels arm. I laugh and start poking Andrews face, embarassed that I got so wrapped up over nothing.

"Is this what you wanted? Huh? Huh?!" I ask, pinching his cheeks.

"Ah! Not like that, devil woman! Symali! Save me!" Andrew pleads with Sym, trying to keep me away and only making me laugh harder.

"Nah man, you asked for it." Sym denies him, laughing from the sidelines with Mason.

"What about meee Dove?" Rose says surprisingly close to my ear, causing me to jump a good 10 feet in the air, which makes them both laugh so hard that Drew snorts.

"Ha ha. Very funny. Fine! You too!" I giggle with them as I poke and pull both of their cheeks. I look over and see a slightly drunk Daniel trying to keep his balance, but at least he's smiling. I give him a big ol grin when suddenly I'm lifted in the air.

"What the hell? Andrew!" I shout is Andrew runs with me over his head to the shore. How strong is this dude? Hes lifting me like I'm a bag of dog food.

"You took your eye off for a second! Retaliation!!" Rose yells, taking chase down the beach after us.

"Down with the tyrant!" Andrew yells with her as he runs into the water, tossing me in as soon as its deep enough to do so. I try not to scream as I go under the glacier like water, not wanting to put more strain on my voice than I already have. I resurface and splash them both. We end up having a splashing war and before long Mason joins us. I spot Daniel and Sym sitting by the shore, the sunset finishing behind them, bringing on the stars. I start making my way over.

"Hey! Come join us for a game of chicken!" I link as I get closer.

"Nah, I'll pass. I'm actually terrified of the ocean and Daniels keeping me company." Sym gives me a wide smile and I laugh at the contradiction.

"Terrified of the ocean, takes friends to the beach every summer. I will never understand you, Sym." I call as I walk backwards towards the group.

"Gotta keep you on your toes somehow!" She calls back to me after Ive already turned around, so I give her a smile over my shoulder. After a few games of me and Andrew getting our butts kicked by Rose and Mason, we head back to shore where we find Sym sitting alone.

"Hey, where's Daniel?" Mason asks, shaking water out of his ears.

"He was tired so he headed to bed first. He told me to say goodnight for him." Sym says cheerfully, getting up and dusting the sand off of her butt. I look towards the house, the image of him crying earlier flashing through my mind as I look at all the dark windows. I hope he made it up the stairs okay, he didn't seem to be holding his drinks so well earlier.

"He's okay Dove, I made sure he got to bed safe." Sym touches my shoulder and I grin.

"You were worried about him eating shit on his way up too?" I tease on our way up and she laughs, joining me on my log throne when we get back to the fire to dry off.

"So Andrew, what's your story? I don't think we've gotten to ask, or at least certainly I haven't." Sym pipes up after a few minutes of us all cuddling up next to the still raging fire.

"Well, as you know, I had school with Daniel and Dove, but since I was a couple years older, once I hit middle school I had to move schools, but my parents thought we might as well move across the country during summer break instead of moving me a few months into my 6th grade year so I'd have an easier time making friends, which was pretty smart now that I look back on it but I hated them for making me miss summer vacation with my friends back then. Maine was cool and all but I missed the constant rain, and we were way too close to New Jersey and New York for me to be comfortable, all the big city attitude without being in the big city. So, I moved back when I graduated my junior year. Then I threw myself into my passion of tattooing and body piercing and got my license. I got my job at the parlor about a year ago and the rest is history pretty much. My story isn't nearly as cool as the stories you guys have. But, speaking of which, I actually wanted to thank you all properly for bringing me out here on this trip with you, my life has definitely gotten more interesting since I met you all." Andrew goes on and I smile, glad to have him back in my life.

"Hey, a story's a story man, and yours is pretty badass. You graduated high school and moved across the country on your own by the time you were seventeen. Not only that, but you put yourself through school and paid rent all on your own, not to mention how fucking rad it is that you work as an artist at a tattoo parlor. That's pretty dope." Sym gives him a thumbs up from across the firepit and he laughs.

"Don't give me too much credit, I had a lucky hand of cards. Landed an entry-level job that paid a bit more than minimum wage, and my parents had given me a few thousand dollars as a graduation gift since they knew I was moving back out here and they couldn't come with me, so I took the money and signed a two-year lease on my apartment with no rising rent, which was nice for getting through school till I got a better job." Andrew sheepishly rubs the back of his neck and she gives him a look.

"Take the credit, dammit. I don't give it out often." She warns and he laughs, pulling a giggle out of me.

"Fine, fine. I was just trying to keep from inflating my already gigantic ego." He teases, flexing his biceps and making everyone laugh. "So, how private is this beach?"

"That's a good question. Do we need to quiet down? Its like midnight." I add and Rose shakes her head.

"It's relatively private. There's a few houses down the way that belong to other packs, but it's still private enough that we can be loud as we want without disturbing anyone, and vice versa." Mason answers for us, making me feel better. I was worried about getting scolded by security or something.

"Okay, will I be okay even though I'm a human?" Wow, Andrew popping off with all the excellent questions tonight. Sym shrugs.

"Dunno."

"I'm guessing the worst that can happen is security catches your scent and comes to investigate." Rose cuts in and Sym nods in agreement.

"You're right. So, just make sure you have one of us who can vouch for you and you'll be fine." Sym adds on.

"Cool. I was just wondering because I like to go for walks before bed and didn't want to spook anyone."

"Yeah, no worries. I'm sure anyone would be willing to go with you." I smile and Mason yawns, almost as a response.

"Though that is true, all this talk about bed has me thinking we're gonna turn in. Rose can barely keep her eyes open." Mason says, yawning again halfway through his sentence. He stands, supporting a very sleepy Rose as we all say our goodnights.

"Well, either of you ladies willing to accompany me as I wind down?" Andrew offers as we watch Mason and Rose head towards the house.

"I can, but my voice is kind of tired so pardon me if I don't speak much." I type into my phone, the cold and robotic voice being especially grating on the ears after having my voice back all night.

"I would but Calum should be waking up soon so I want to wake him up with video call, plus I wanna make sure Mason and Rose make it up alright, sorry." Sym apologizes, not taking her eyes off of them as they start struggling up the stairs.

"Nah, that's a good idea, plus I think we'll head up to get changed real fast anyway." Andrew says, almost reading my mind exactly. Though my bikini is mega cute, it's getting kind of chilly out and walking in a wet bikini sounds like a recipe for a bad time. I throw on a pair of black shorts with a red and black tie-dye shirt with some black sandals which I dont really plan on wearing for the most part.

We get down to the beach and choose a direction before heading that way. I was kind of worried that I'd be holding back conversation because I'd have to type it all out, but Drew is quiet. The only sound between us for the past ten minutes or so has been the waves and the sound of the sand crunching beneath our toes.

"Hey, everything okay?" I ask through my app. He looks at me, slightly startled before giving me a warm smile.

"Well, I'm walking down an absolutely gorgeous beach with a good friend of mine, who just so happens to be a beautiful young lady, on an all-paid trip with a bunch of other really good friends of mine, so yeah, I'm doing awesome. Why do you ask?" Andrew says and I punch his arm lightly but we're both grinning.

"You're just being uncharacteristically quiet." I point out.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just reflecting, is all. I typically take this time to come to terms with the day and all of the mishaps that may have come with it." He explains and I nod.

"So, what you're telling me is you're basically a Zen God and the most well-adjusted person on the planet?" I tease and he shoves my shoulder lightly, laughter breaking out between us melodically.

"That's not true." He laughs, "I'm just trying to do damage control is all." He must have seen the slightly confused look I gave him because he goes on to explain further.

"I'm just like everyone else. I have things that keep me up at night, and mortifying memories I'd much rather forget. SO, I figured I might as well deal with it all as it happens so that my brain doesn't get a chance to twist already bad experiences into something much worse later. it's like meditation, but I'm way too fidgety to just sit there so I walk aimlessly instead." He picks up a rather large stick that must've washed as ashore and drags it behind him, leaving a trail of parted sand in our wake.

"I guess that makes sense... Does it work?"

"Most of the time, try it!" He encourages me and we go quiet. Where would I even start? I start thinking back to what happened to me and immediately felt anxiety start to set in. I have to work through it at some point, I can't just let what happened rule my life. I think over the day from beginning to end, and before long I'm trembling so hard I can hardly walk. I grabbed Andrews hand to study myself as I lurch forward.

"Woah! Dove, are you okay?" Andrew asks, the concern apparent in his voice and written all over his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Just touched a nerve is all." I try to play it off but my hands are shaking too hard for me to type and my voice isnt exactly convincing.

"Looks like more than just a nerve. Take it slow, okay? Even I have memories I can't touch quite yet." He holds me up while rubbing my back in a comforting motion.

"Really? I wonder what could make the ever so mighty Andrew crumble." I tease, chuckling as I try to focus on taking big breaths. He pulls me into a hug and rubs my hair but I can still feel his smile radiating from above me.

"That's a story for another time, right now just focus on calming down. You'll be okay."

"What if they come to hurt me again?" I ask quietly, not quite sure where the thought came from but it strikes fear into my heart nontheless.

"You're okay Dove, no one will ever hurt you again, not while I'm still breathing. I'll make sure of it." Andrew kisses the top of my head and I melt further into him. I try to redirect my thoughts from what happened to how grateful I am for the life I'm living now. I have my family now, and I'm loving every second we're together. After a few minutes I pull away from Andrew, giving him a grateful smile. He wipes my cheek, just below my eye, wiping away a tear I didn't know I had.

"You okay?" He studies my face as he asks, like he's looking for any reason to keep me here until I'm all better.

"Yeah, I am now.. Thank you." I thank him and he just rubs the top of my head with a smile, but the moment is shortly ruined.

"Hoy!" We here someone call and look towards the voice. A group of four guys are headed our way, one of them with his hand in the air.

"Security?" Andrew asks and I shrug. I don't know who security at this beach is, and it's not like they're wearing a guard's uniform. Andrew just puts on his winning smile and waves back, taking steps towards the quickly approaching men, but his grip on my hand tells me he's a lot more nervous than he's showing. "Okay, follow my lead."

"Hey! How's it going?" The main guy asks once we meet in the middle. All the guys are pretty intimidating, but this one is on a whole other level. He's tall, and built like a body builder. He's wearing a white tank covered in ash with black torn jeans and boots. His arms are covered in scars, and I can just see under his faded blonde hair that he's missing a part of his ear. Not only that, but there's something about his light brown eyes that chills me to my core. Even though he's acting casually, and has the perfect smile on his face, I can feel the waves of dominance coming off of him. I hope this is security, otherwise were potentially in a lot of danger. I squeeze Andrews hand.

"It's going alright, how's your night treating you?" Andrew counters, standing up straighter and coolly staring the man in the face.

"Oh, can't complain. Are ya'll lost?" The stranger asks, the friendly question having undertones that raises the hair on the back of my neck. He pulls a pack of smokes out of his pocket, grabbing one out before offering it to us. I shake my head with a smile, but Andrew takes one.

"No, just going for a walk before bed is all." Andrew grabs a lighter out of his pocket and offers it to the man. The man lights his smoke, taking a drag. I noticed Andrew put the lighter back in his pocket, ignoring the cigarette of his own.

"Thanks. Sounds nice. Well, we're just here to make sure everything's alright. Are you aware this is a private beach?"

"We are. We have a house just down the way." I speak up.

"Ah, then miss you are fully aware of our policy or who does or does not get to stay here." The strange man shifts his gaze to me, his warm colored eyes somehow freezing. Suddenly Andrew puts his arm around my shoulder before the man's eyes could freeze me to my core.

"You can speak freely. I know." Andrew spouts off and the man chuckles, a low chuckle that sends my body into high alert. I notice the other men are tensed and ready, eyeing us both.

"A human knowing our secret? And who are you to know, boy?" The stranger snarls and I start to panic. I have to break the tension before they try to kill us. I put my arm around Andrews waist in a fashion that I hope was casual.

"He's my mate, he has the right." I challenge and he chuckles.

"Well, why didn't you say so? Have a good night you two, and no screwing on the beach or we'll be back, plus it's not good for the baby." The man gives us a wink before waving on his guys and they keep moving down the beach.

"Mates, huh?" Andrew asks once they're out of earshot. I feel my face start to burn.

"I panicked, okay? He was gonna hurt you if I didn't just save your bacon!" I spit out sheepishly as we continue walking.

"Annnd that's why you're still holding on to me, right? For appearances?" He points out and I rip my arm away from his waist, embarrassed.

"Shut up!" I go to shove him away but I realize he still has his arm around my shoulders, "I don't see you letting go either!"

"Because I don't want to." He pops off, his eyes locking with mine, "At least I'm honest with my wants." I make the sound equivalent to smashing keys on a keyboard, my protest more sounds than words as I blush heavily, covering my face with my hands.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll let go." Andrew removes his and we spend the rest of the walk back to the house in silence.

"You know, you really tease too much. You scold Daniel for being confusing yet here you are." I say quietly as we go up the stairs. Andrew opens his mouth to say something, but closes it. Instead we make it up the stairs and he gives me a light hug.

"Goodnight, Dove." Is all I hear before he disappears into the house. I follow him in, confused as ever, but by the time I'm inside he's already up the stairs and out of sight. I sigh, rubbing my head before heading up as well. I get into my room and start taking off my shirt to get changed.

"Woah!" Someone shouts from behind me and I jump, dropping my shirt back over me in the process. I spin around to see Daniel turned away from me on the other bed, his arm over both his eyes. "Are you clothed?"

"Yes! Jesus, you scared me. What are you doing in my room with the lights out?!" I ask, more startled than angry.

"Ah, sorry, it's also my room. My names on the door. Sorry." He apologizes, putting his arm down and turning back towards me, sitting with his legs crossed underneath him.

"Okay, and you were sitting here in the dark becaaauuuse?" I sit down on my bed, also crossing my legs under me.

"I was sleeping, you woke me when you turned on the light. I said hi but I dont think you heard me. Please don't be mad." He ruffles his hair anxiously and I sigh, shaking my head.

"I'm not mad, I've just had a long night and you scared the shit out of me." I reach over and grab his hand from out of his hair. "I'm sorry."

"You dont need to apologize! It's odd for us to be sharing a room anyways."

"Yeah." I agree, dropping his hand when I realize Im still holding it and silence falls over us, "Well, I'm going to go get changed."

"Oh, I can go downstairs." He offers hastily.

"No! It's okay, really." I insist, not wanting him to have to get up. I give him a slight smile and close the door.

Wow. That was awkward.

I lean against the door and sigh. That was awkward. Why? Is what happened with Andrew still affecting me? I ponder why things are so weird while I walk to the bathroom. All's well anyway, I should probably rinse off any sand that I might have on me off. That reminds me, we should probably go grocery shopping tomorrow, all the food we have in the cupboards is just snacks and stuff.