"Here's to the ones that we got. Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not. Cause the drinks bring back all the memories of everything we've been through."

~Maroon 5, 'Memories'

~~~

*Landon's POV*

How did I get here?

How did I let myself get here?

It's not too late. I can always leave. No one has seen me yet, besides the guards at the gate. Imagine my surprise to find out this isn't one big prank, and the guards actually had my name listed as an allowed guest. I haven't stepped foot on pack grounds in five years, and now here I am, staring at the doors to the pack house.

House is a stupid description. Mansion, more like. White pillars stand out front, tall and proud, guarding the white mansion with accents of gold. At six stories tall, the building towers over the other homes in the pack. It's gaudy and intimidating, but only from the outside.

On the inside, everything is different.

The first floor is practically a lobby. The room you first walk into has marble floorings, a few couches, a low table, and a desk where a member of the pack greets visitors. The second floor and third floors are mostly offices for the higher ranking wolves.

The fourth floor, where the coronation is to be held, is an open ballroom. This floor is used for various events; parties, coronations.... memorial services. Kinda bleak to crown the next Alpha in the same room they bid the previous one goodbye, right? On this floor is also the Hall of Alphas. It's where all the formal portraits of the pack Alphas, dead and alive, are displayed. They put them on the same floor so the guests can marvel at the portraits when they come for events.

The top two floors are where the head family lives. The fifth floor has the large living room and kitchen, while the sixth floor is comprised of the many bedrooms. About half of them are guest rooms, seeing as the head family isn't big enough to fill all the rooms.

But it's nice. The home is giant, yes, but inviting. Cozy. The sound of laughter bouncing off the walls; the smell of home cooked meals wafting through the air.

I would know. I lived here for two years.

My heart clenches at the thought that this house is no longer like that. The possibility that Silas doesn't laugh with Leon about stupid yet endearing jokes, or that Celeste can't stand the thought of cooking without Easton by her side. The two always shared a love for culinary art.

I'm not even inside the house yet, and already I feel myself falling apart.

So the question still stands:

How the hell did I get here?

| TWO WEEKS AGO |

"No," I answered firmly. "No fucking way."

"Language!" Mom scolded me from across the table. Her green eyes were wide with shock, as if she hasn't heard me curse a million times before. I wanted to remind her that I'm a 25-year-old grown-ass man; therefore, too old to be scolded by my mother for cursing. But instead, I settled for a simple eye roll.

"I think that pretty much sums it up," Lia agreed with me. "Why the hell would he want to go back to the pack? I thought it was stupid to even tell you about it in the first place," she tacked on, leaning over the table towards me.

"We told him because it's his choice to make," mom defended. "Not telling him about the invitation would be dishonest."

"Do you honestly think returning is a good idea for him? Last time he was there, they stripped him of his title as Luna and kicked him out on his ass. Now, you want him to sit there while they announce the new Luna; the one that's taking his rightful place. That's bullshit!"

"Adults have to face tough things sometimes. It's all a part of growing up."

"I don't think Landon needs to grow up. I think he needs to stay the hell away from the pack."

"I'm sorry, but I have to disagree."

"Can you stop talking about me like I'm not sitting right next to you?" I interjected through clenched teeth, tightly clutching my silverware in my grasp. They both gave me apologetic looks. "I'm not going. There's no way I'm going. And that's final. If you'll excuse me, I've lost my appetite."

The chair scraped loudly on the floor when I abruptly stood up. I left some money on the table for my food and storm away, ignoring the pleas for me to stay from my mother and siblings. I barely made it to my car before a heavy hand grabs my arm.

"Landon," my dad said gently. I ground my teeth together and stopped moving, but I didn't turn around. "I'm not going to tell you whether or not you should go. But I do think you should think more on it. This pack was your home for your entire life. You grew up there. And yes, your banishment was a horrendous mistake made by Silas. But it seems like the next Luna wants to correct that mistake. She wouldn't have personally invited you if she didn't truly want you there. This could be a good time to make a fresh start with the pack. Promise me you'll think about it."

I curtly nodded, my breathing feeling heavy and painful. My dad accepted that and released my arm. I didn't look back at him before getting in my car and driving away.

A fresh start? Why would I want a fresh start with them?

Well....

Like my dad said, the pack was my home for my entire life. My whole family lives there. Being on the outside means I don't get to see my family as much, and I don't often hear about what's going on inside the pack. Maybe it could be a good idea to go, to start over again...

| PRESENT DAY |

Oh right.

That's how.

I let my dad get into my head with his stupid logic.

I need to leave. I have to. I cannot stay here. It would be crazy to stay, right? In the place that I used to call home, and is now just the home of the ones who scorned me and threw me out. No longer are the members of this family ones that I hold dear. The love I held from them is gone, and in its place is a fiery resentment. They lost their son, and that was extremely painful for them. You wanna know how I know that? Because I fucking lost him too! He was my mate, for goddess' sake! So I should turn around and leave, right? That would be the sane thing to do. Leave, and forget this night ever happened.

....Except I can't bring myself to do it.

There's an invisible force pulling on me, like a rope tied to my chest, leading me inside. Something in that house isn't letting me leave, but I have no idea what.

Taking a deep breath, I straighten my dark grey tie against my light button up shirt before pushing the front doors open. The pack member sitting at reception looks up and does a double-take when she sees me. She blinks in shock, her mouth gaping open like a trout out of water.

"Landon," she looks at me with wide brown eyes, nervously tucking a strand of her chestnut hair behind her ear. "I heard you were invited but I... I didn't know if you were actually coming."

"Nice to see you too, Cami," I fib dryly. "If you're done stating the painfully obvious, I'm gonna head upstairs."

Cami's face flushes and she nods her head while mumbling something under her breath. I could've used my enhanced sense of hearing to hear what she said, but honestly I didn't care enough to. I stride past her towards the elevator and hit the button.