NOT DISCREET ENOUGH

VALERIE I can't swallow the drink after hearing Jasper's words. The drink gets clogged in my throat and I bend my head and cough continuously, gagging the drink out. Everyone's attention is on me while I cough continuously. I cover my mouth with my hands but still it's of no use. Shawn and Edith are beside me in a flash. Edith is rubbing my back while Shawn holds my arms. I look at the members of my Pack who are staring at me. They're all waiting for my reaction. 'Deny it!' I command in the link. "White wolves don't exist!" Oscar is the first one to speak. He stares at me with a look that says 'we-will-talk-about-this-later'. "Yeah, they are a stupid myth." Nathan says chuckling nervously. All of them are nervous and I can feel it. My coughing stops and I look at Edith who raises her eyebrows at me. "I saw a white wolf. It was very far, I couldn't catch the scent but I saw it running in the woods." Jasper argues. "Where is it now?" Ivan asks, laughing incredulously. "I couldn't catch a scent because I was in the cliff and the white wolf was in the woods. So I got down and went into the woods to trace it but by the time I reached the scent was already faint." Jasper says growling at Ivan. "Are you sure it was white?" I ask him when I finally get my voice back. "I know what I saw!" he snaps at me desperately and Shawn growls at him. "You saw it clearly?" Oscar asks. "Not clearly. Like I said it was very far and I only saw the body and tail." he replies. "I don't believe this crap. White wolves do not exist. It's impossible!" Oscar says and everyone from my Pack nods in unity. 'You told me no one saw you!' Evie says to me. 'I said I didn't think anyone saw me.' I say guiltily. I sprayed perfume on your trail. That is how he couldn't trace you.' Evie says and I stare at her in shock. 'You knew he was behind?' I ask curiously. 'I felt his wolf.' she says to me. 'This should not be repeated!' she says in a panicked voice. 'It will not.' I assure her. Before Jasper can argue, Ivan speaks. "You didn't see it clearly. How do you expect us to believe it?" I'm glad that my Pack is trying to twist Jasper's mind. "May be I didn't see the wolf clearly but I did see the colour of its fur, pure white. Do any of us have white in our fur?" Jasper argues. "True, we don't." Abed says. "But it's impossible. I mean a white wolf, it is strange!" Pamela says. "But there was one before, I don't know which Pack it belonged to but there is a story about a white wolf." My father says. "Waterfall!" I blurt out then shut my mouth when I see the glares coming from my Pack. 'We are trying to help you but you are not co-operating!' Nathan says to me through the link. 'Damn right!' Ivan agrees. "Yes, the waterfall. How do you know?" Idris asks me. "I have heard about it from their Alpha." I say while Shawn growls and wraps his arms around my waist. He has never liked Nelson ever since he came to know that he trained me. He grows extra possessive when he hears Nelson's name being mentioned! "You know it is created by the Goddess herself!" Pamela says in awe. "It is. It's a blessing to have a white wolf in the Pack." Idris says happily. There is so much pride and happiness in his tone at the topic of white wolf. In the past, he thought I was a curse to the Pack and now he thinks that white wolf is a blessing. "That precious, huh!?" I ask, chuckling humorlessly. "The Pack which has a white wolf doesn't need to worry about any filthy rogues. The goddess herself is in their Pack!" he adds. 'If only he knew how "safe" the Pack with a white wolf is from the rogues!' I think to myself. "White wolf isn't a goddess." I tell him, "It's only created by her." "You will never know the value of a white wolf. How will you? You are just a regular wolf." he spits to which Caroline laughs. "True Uncle Idris, what does a regular wolf know about a White wolf?" Caroline says smirking at me. I feel Shawn shaking with anger beside me. I look at him and notice that his eyes are completely dark. I interlace my fingers with his to calm him down. When his eyes are back to normal, he looks at me. He's about to say something to them but I stop him. "Don't. They are not worth it." I tell him. "Oh, so you do know the value of white wolf?" Evie asks my father amid gritted teeth. "Listen here young lady, white wolf must be respected. They are not something you mock at!" he says to Evie. "Believe me, I respect a white wolf more than you do!" Evie says through gritted teeth. 'I hate your father!' Evie says to me through the link. 'He is not my father!' I correct her. "As far as mocking is concerned, you are the one who is mocking the white wolf!" Oscar says to my father. "You speak as if you know the white wolf!" Caroline says to Oscar. "I don't. Even if I knew I would never tell you!" he retorts. "You know why? Because you are an unworthy 'Regular wolf'!" Oscar says using quotes for the regular wolf. Caroline growls at him but stops when Shawn roars "LEAVE NOW CAROLINE BEFORE I AM FORCED TO KILL YOU!" She has to surrender to her Alpha, so she bows and walks away. Shawn relaxes only when she's out of sight. "As far as you seeing a white wolf is concerned, I suppose it is from the neighboring Pack." I tell Jasper. "May be because no one here is a white wolf." Abed agrees and for the first time, I can't help but feel grateful for his reply. "What was it doing in our land?" Jasper asks. Urgh! Why can't he quit it? "Hunting." "Trespassing." "Sight-seeing." Those are the replies from Nathan, Oscar and Ivan respectively. "Yeah, Could be any of those or may be the poor wolf lost its way!" Evie says narrowing her eyes at me and I can't help but chuckle. 'Co-operate Valerie!' Nathan reminds me. "Yeah, seems like the wolf is a naughty one!" Oscar says while grinning discreetly. "I wonder which Pack it belongs to." Pamela says. "Whichever Pack it belongs to is a lucky one." My father says and I have to roll my eyes at that. 'I'm going to dance over his dead body!' Evie says through gritted teeth. "Whichever Pack it belongs to, I am sure the Pack members are very unhappy with its behavior." Donald says. Uh-oh! These are all the hints being given to me, to be prepared for the wrath later! "Oh! Poor white wolf!" I say pinching my lips together and look away when they glare again. I look at Shawn who haven't commented anything concerning the white wolf. Except for yelling at Caroline, he has been silent since the topic of the white wolf began "You don't believe in white wolf, do you?" I ask him. "Not until I see one for myself." he answers. "Ah-ha" I reply. He has not seen my white wolf but he has seen me. 'Why see a white wolf when I am standing in front?' I think proudly while my wolf rolls its eyes. Stupid animal. Jealous of me. 'We are same you idiot!' I can hear her telling me. The topic of the white wolf closes finally and the party resumes. My Pack doesn't ask any further questions to me but they keep giving me pointed looks. Jasper has a far away look in his face all the time.