"Dess."

"Really not in the mood."

"C'mon, I didn't mean it." 

   She rolls her eyes, which she's an expert at since Dess has been dealing with Kris for around five years now. Walking into the school on her first day of senior year, she didn't notice the giant trailing after her like he usually does, or maybe she had just become so accustomed to it.

"Obviously you did."

   Previously the day before, Dess was working out in the garden when the arrogant alpha came around and picked a fight with her like he normally does. Not settling for the attitude he was giving, she ignored him and continued with her task. After calling her a 'nature freak' because of it she snapped and temporarily kicked him off the property, and he answered by making fun of her involuntary faded rainbow color hair. Which is why her phone has been blowing up not only from the tall bastard, but from the pack as well. 

"Why are you so sensitive?"

"Sensitive? Sensitive?" she almost yells, "You know I hate being called that! Yet you constantly will stand there and call me a...a-" she tries to say but it physically hurts to speak the word out loud. 

   The pit of her stomach coils as he goes to say something, opens his mouth, but then shuts it and continues walking down the hallway at her side, which irritates her even further.

"That hurt me Kris." she bites out.

   Immediately, he stops and turns her body so fast she's sure that she got whiplash. His dark eyes stare at her solemnly and she mentally kicks herself for being hypnotized by them. After locking gazes, he looks down and brushes his hand through his hair. If Dess was ever able to understand conversations by body language she's sure she would comprehend what Kris was trying to get out.

"Hey Dess!" Chanyeol says, practically popping out of god knows where, cutting off what the alpha was about to say.

   The boys continue walking into the school, except for Kai and Tao she notices. Besides Chanyeol, Chen was the only one who looked awake as he started shoving Baekhyun. Kris lets go of his thoughts of Dess as Chanyeol leans over and kisses her cheek while draping his arm over her shoulder. This is how it's been for the past couple years. Wolves crave contact like no other and it physically hurts them if they're away from someone in the pack for too long. The contact can be considered anything from light touches, to hugs, to cuddles, and to kissing. Although Kris hardly does any of those to her, which she finds extremely frustrating. It took her forever to be inside this pack and affection runs alongside appreciation, both of which Kris neglects her of.

   Since all the students in the school received their schedule a week before classes, she knows that she has Composition first hour with Yixing, Chanyeol, and Tao. Which is going to be quite interesting since she hates anything English-related with a burning passion hotter than a thousand suns, and the fact that it's the first thing in the morning with the two of the loudest boys in the pack. She silently whispers how lucky she is to have it with Yixing as well, one of the calmest of the bunch and the one she has declared as her year-long savior.

   As they all form a circle off to the side, she begs Lay to be her seat partner for first hour, which Chanyeol of course takes offense to. At this point Kris moves away from Dess and she chooses to ignore him as the school begins to fill. Every now and then he sends death glares to her which pisses her off, because like seriously? It's his fault. Even Luhan sees the tension and compliments her hair and that he's surprised it's stayed that way for the past week.

   Being a dryad is cool and all, but since dryad's have some sort of a sixth sense, everything about them is sensitive to the environment around them. So whenever something changes, her hair color will change. If it's something extreme then her eye color will change too.

   The boys decide to meet up after school at Kris' house and she declines, saying she had stuff to do. Which is true. After school ends, she has to go to work at the greenhouse for two hours, gather some mistletoe, go to the forest and check up on the spirits, and then pick her sons up from Suho's mom at his house (they call him Uncle Joon, she finds that really cute), and then come back home to cook, check on her mom, and do homework when her twins fall asleep.

 Yes, twins.

   When Dess was fifteen she fell in love with an older man. He was around twenty at the time and was currently in college trying to earn his business major. Even though it's basically against the law, he told Dess that he loved her and that the five years between them shouldn't matter. Sometimes he was a little possessive, and he admitted to having an unhealthy obsession with her, but she didn't care. She thought she was going to marry that man someday. However, she turned out to be wrong about that assumption, very wrong.

   Maybe it was his deep voice, maybe it was his height, maybe it was the way he so profoundly claimed her as only his. She doesn't really remember, that's a period of time she would like to forget. She was childish, and she thought it would be okay to trust him. She had no idea what real passion or love was, only the delusions of life that he gave her. Yet again, she was wrong. They were laying in bed together around three years ago when a deep rumble echoed throughout the sky. This rumble was actually turning into the biggest storm that Terra has ever seen in the past decade. Automatically, her hair started to change color to a dark gray, her eyes to a royal blue, right in front of him.

   Let's just say he didn't take that too well.

   She thought he would understand, she thought he would care, but she was just a foolish teenager. She should know very well that love only exists in fairy tales, her parents were a prime example. Her father left when she was young, claiming that Dess wasn't his child. For this reason, her mother fell into a deep depression. So taking care of her mother has now been her job. 

   It's not that big of a deal really. All she has to do is check up on her, make sure she takes her medicine, and encourage her to make it to her therapy sessions. These many things avoid her from believing one of her deepest fears, becoming exactly like her mother.

   As she was slipping away in her thoughts, her pocket violently vibrates and she pulls it out of her shorts to see who is calling . Since werewolves have heightened senses, they all stopped talking and stared for hearing vibrations.

"Suho it's your mom." she says, slightly panicked.

"Are the boys okay?" Xiumin, Suho, and Lay all ask at the same time.

   Concerned to see that it's Mrs. Kim, she answers the call right away.

"Dessy?"

"Yes Mrs. Kim?"

"Hi honey, I was just calling to ask something about Phoenix and River."

   Loudly letting out a phew!, she excuses herself and walks a couple feet away from where she was standing, even though the boys could probably still hear everything.

"Sure what is it?" she asks, hearing the boys say 'Hi mommy!" in the background.

"Sorry about that, the phone is on speaker, they can hear you."

"No it's okay," she laughs, "Hi River! Hi Phoenix!" she calls out into the phone.

"I just wanted to know if they're allergic to anything and when their nap times are now since you're in school." 

"Oh, okay! I thought they were tearing up the house or something. Phoenix is allergic to nuts and River has regular seasonal allergies. The weather said there wasn't going to be too high of a pollen level so I didn't pack his Zyrtec in their bag."

   Dess faintly hears Suho's mom make "mhm" noises as she hears a scratching sound, like pencil on paper, along with mumbling that's most likely coming from her twins. Dess silently regrets not telling someone she considered a mother figure such vital information about her own children.

"... If there is ever an emergency, Phoenix has an epi pen and an inhaler. And since I won't be there until around seven, they can take their naps at two. Their lunch is usually at twelve-thirty and they wake up from their nap at around four. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course sweetie, babies need to stick to their schedule."

"Great! Thank you for understanding, I have to go to class now. Love you boys!"

   She hangs up the call and debates whether she should keep the ringer on, regardless of being in school. Instead, she keeps it on vibrate and places it back in her pocket.  She's met with staring eyes from Xiumin while the rest had carried on with their own conversations.

"Can't you tell when the pollen is going to be high? Why do you listen to the weather?"

"It's like practice. I wake up, feel, and check the weather to see if I'm correct. Sometimes it tells me if I'm sick or not; my...weather sensing ability I guess you could call it, can be thrown off if my predictions are wrong."

"Whoa, cool."

~~~

"Iridessa Kwon?"

   She raises her hand.

"Just call me Dess."

"I'll take note." the teacher says with a bright smile, creeping her out just a little bit.

   For half of the period, the teacher did the introductions and all that jazz before introducing the first lesson, which , because like seriously? It's the first day of school. Most teachers just play an ice breaker game or do something useless. But no, here they are reviewing stuff she did last year, as if that wasn't torture enough.

   When walking into class, Lay went to sit down towards the back row, and before she could do anything Chanyeol went and took the spot next to him, earning a glare from Dess as Yixing only shook his head. So she ends up sitting in the seat in front of them.

   Forty minutes into class and obviously not paying attention, the teacher said something that made her think back on the previous year,  and she giggled when remembering that Kris, Chen, and Baekhyun had Algebra II with her and it was the funniest thing. One of those times people say that you had to be there for.

"Dess?" the teacher calls out, making her freeze in her spot.

"Yes teacher?"

"What do you find that is so hilarious with reviewing the calculus syllabus?

   She gulps and realizes that the whole class is staring at her. Glancing at Chanyeol, he clears his throat to come in and save her.

"Maybe it's all the hair dye fumes getting to her head." Chanyeol shrugged as the whole class erupted in laughter.

   The teacher laughs as well and turns back to the board. An invisible ocean of anger washes over her. The whole pack, herself included, know about all the rumors that goes on in school. Three years of 'freak this' and 'weirdo that' had become notorious, especially when it comes to her radical hair colors. Dess twists her body halfway in the chair and sends a death glare as he gives her a devious grin. Picking up her freshly unused notebook, she slaps Chanyeol across the face with it.

   Lay chokes on his bottle of water he was drinking and she quickly faces front before the teacher would turn back around, because she didn't think it all the way through that slapping someone with a notebook would create much noise. She hears muffled snickers across the room and smiles with victory.

   Not even five minutes later the classroom door swings open as a very familiar boy steps in frantic and panting. Looking around the room without saying anything to the teacher, Tao spots Dess and gives a toothy smile before jogging towards the desk next to hers and taking a seat.

"And you are?"

"Zitao." he answers the teacher.

   The math teacher looks at the four of them and shakes his head as if they are all going to be a huge boiling pot of trouble, which is going to be true. Sighing, the teacher faces the board once more and continues talking about grading percentage tables. Knowing that they were probably getting on the teacher's last nerve not even halfway through, Dess looks around before turning to Tao.

"Where were you?" she hisses.

"Me and Kai overslept."

"Of course you did." Dess replies.

"Miss Kwon! Stop talking!"

   Chanyeol and Yixing both start silently laughing behind her as Tao glances at her incredibly confused.

~~~

"Whoa, I like your hair like that. And are your eyes purple?" Anna asks.

   Dess just nods her head in response. Currently she was in Environmental Science, a class she was already starting to like. Anna continued on talking about her day as Dess walked alongside her in the school's greenhouse.

   Anna has been her best friend since their first year in school. Since she could speak, the dryad was usually very shy. However, Anna brought that out of her and taught her to have fun and relax every once in a while. Dess would always go to her house after school since her homelife wasn't always that great. It was there in her best friend's backyard where she found out what she actually was. After having her mom eventually verify it, she had no problem accepting herself. The real issue lies whether other people besides Anna and her wolves will ever accept her for who she is. 

   At the young age of ten her abilities had started to get out of control. That summer if she got too close to a plant it would flourish unnaturally, regardless of it's state. She had a jungle following her everywhere she went and it freaked her out. She started researching mythologies and various plant life books from the library before she could harness what she could do. It took two months to get it under control, and another year of zombie plant nightmares.

   However, things like this come with advantages, like working at a greenhouse. Which she just remembered that the shop was receiving new lillies and dahlia's today during her scheduled hours. Something halts her thoughts abruptly and makes her senses tingle.

   Swiftly stopping, which makes her accidentally bump into her best friend, she leans over and examines a baby deciduous tree. Becoming slightly irked to sense that it was wilting, she touches the little trunk.

   Immediately the tree straightens back up, healthy as ever. Anna jumps from being startled by the action (she's still not accustomed to trees unanticipatedly moving) and stands in front of the tree and her best friend so others won't take notice.

"Dess! What are you doing!" Anna whisper-shouts.

"It was dying! How do you neglect a tree?! A tree!" she whisper-shouts back.

   Anna glances around the area to make sure no one seen her before yanking her by the wrist.

~~~ 

   Later that hour, her teacher assigns the class their first homework assignment. It was simple really, just go outside your house and find ten different types of plant life, draw it, then label each functioning part. Something she can do without even stepping outside. Matter of fact, she decided that she would do it in study hall the next day before class. Students groaned putting their papers into their backpacks while Anna mouthed a 'help me?' from her desk. Thankfully the teacher let the students assign themselves on where they wanted to sit. So naturally she and Anna sat next to each other. Her best friend scolded her again over the incident and she didn't really have anything to argue with in response, it's just she couldn't sit there and do nothing. 

   Checking her phone every now and then, Suho's mom told her that the boys had sandwiches and fruits for lunch and that they were taking their nap now. Relieved that River and Phoenix had behaved well, she decided that this weekend they should all go do something nice, like maybe have a picnic or something. Mrs. Kim is one of the sweetest women Dess has ever met and she plans on doing something for her as well. 

"Hell-o, earth to Dess?" Anna said while snapping at her face.

   She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the bell going off to signal for school to end. Getting her stuff together, she told her teacher good-bye and walked out with her best friend.

"How are the boys?" Anna asks while walking to their lockers.

"Mrs. Kim said they were good, which is nice because I wouldn't know who else to ask to take care of them."

"Maybe I should stop by and see them this weekend." she added while smiling.

   At first when Anna found out Dess was pregnant, she was shocked to say the least. However, she told her that she would stand by her side and help her when needed. Anna was the first one at the hospital while Dess went through labor (which was god awful) and she stayed overnight with her as well as some of the wolf pack. Whenever she can, she helps Dess and it helped their friendship become even stronger. It wouldn't be unusual for Anna to show up and ask to take the boys to the park or to take everyone out for dinner. 

"You should. I'm planning on taking them out for a picnic and they would love to see their Auntie Anna." Dess smiled back.

   They parted their ways to go to their lockers. Walking around the corner she ran straight into a wall. Of human. Well not really.

"Holy are you made of bricks or something?" she said while rubbing her forehead and looking up at her alpha.

   Kris was standing there along with Suho, Lay, and Luhan, which made her kind of nervous. Except Xiumin, these four were the calmest of the pack, which means the rest must be somewhere else most likely causing trouble. Usually when the quiet ones are surrounding Kris, it's because he's angry and they're the only ones to turn to so they can calm him down. His eyes seemed a little darker than normal when he looked at her and she scoffed and pushed past him to get to her locker, which left the other three wolves standing there with guilty looks because they knew. Because she knew. A wolf can sense vital signs like a heart beat or breathing, especially if they're in the same pack, which means he ran into her on purpose and that they were most likely finding her.

"Dess, come back." Kris called out to her as she created more distance between them and walked even further.

   Dess ignored him, and she knows he hates that. She knows that if she was mad at him he would rather have her yell than give him the cold shoulder. Dess doesn't know why, but Kris can't stand it if he doesn't have a conversation with her after an intense argument.

"I. Said. Come. Back." he snarled.

   Even from down the hall it seemed as if he was right next to her. Kris is one of those people who has a voice that carries. She doesn't know if it's because his voice is so low that when he speaks it's almost a bellow or if he just has extremely strong vocal cords. Either way, it angers her that he's the one that gets angry about this. It's his fault.

   Approaching her locker, she set her bag on the ground and started working the combination. Less than two seconds later Kris was by her side when he was just originally fifty feet from her.

Freaking wolves.

   Flinging open her locker, she reaches to grab her textbook before Kris slams the door shut, barely missing her hand. Pissed off, she shoves him by the shoulders, which does absolutely nothing, and pouts. He glares at her, or rather continues to glare at her, as the other three caught up to them apprehensively.

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" he asked, which sounded more like an order.

"Stop with the alpha Kris. You don't scare me." she says working her combination again.

"Answer me!" he roars. Quite literally.

   Aggravated, Kris punches the locker next to hers, denting it and making Dess jump back and drop her textbook. The dryad looks around to make sure no one is around to see them. Kicking the book out of her way, she faces him and points her finger to his face.

"Just what in the actual do you think you're doing Kris? There are cameras in school you ! Quit acting like a toddler and start acting like a ing alpha!"

"You just said to stop acting like an alpha!"

"Jesus ing christ! My boys throw less tantrums than you!" she yells, throwing her hands up in desperation.

   Luhan picks up her book and and sets it on top of the locker bay. Both Dess and her alpha are breathing heavily, staring each other down. Suho clasps his hand on Kris' shoulder, finally making him snap out of it as she tries to open her locker for the third time.

"Just leave me alone, you're going to make me late for work and I have to pick up River and Phoenix tonight." she huffs.

"I can pick them up." Kris says.

"No."

"They probably miss me."

"They do, they ask about you. But I'm not going to let you around them if all we're going to do is fight. They don't need to see that."

"They ask about me?"

"Is that seriously what you got from all that?"

"I don't want to fight."

"Well you're doing a swell job on preventing that." she retorts.

   Dess notices him grit his teeth like he's about to say something. Instead he turns around and walks in the opposite direction from her to leave. Groaning, she puts some of her school supplies away before slamming the locker door shut.

"He'll get better with his attitude, he just needs to know how to apologize." Luhan said quietly.

"Yeah, you're telling me."

"Anyways, how are the boys?" Suho interrupts.

"Good. Your mom texted me earlier saying that they're taking a nap." she says calmly as they walk out of the school.

"I can drop them off tonight Dess, it's no big deal." he offers as Luhan drapes his arm across her shoulders.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. They're kinda at my house, so it's fine." he laughed.

~~~

   Dess gets out of her car and walks into work, apron and gloves already on. Just in case the twins woke up and caused trouble she held her phone on vibrate and it was sitting in her back pocket.

   Her two hours went by fast since the new shipment of flowers and seed spread came in. She spent most of her time stocking and maintaining the greenhouse while Suho and his mom would text her pictures of the boys sleeping every now and then. Often, she finds it relaxing to not use her abilities and get lost in the moment of unassisted normal human work. It totally slipped her mind that the rest of the wolves were together at the alpha's house hanging out.

   After 'fixing' a wilted plant or two (she couldn't help it!), she walked out of the greenhouse and pulled open her trunk. Pulling off her 'work clothes' she stuffed them in the back along with her backpack and shut the top. Starting the car, she checks her phone to see a picture of a selfie with a smiling Suho and her sleepy-eyed twins. Giggling, she texts Suho back teasing, asking if he woke them up purposely. Her mood has improved since she left work and it was nice. Dess doesn't want to waste her time being mad all day long. Anything nature or life related soothes her beyond any anger or frustration.

   Checking to make sure her potted lavender would stay put in the car without falling over, she drives to her house with the radio blaring.  To Lana Del Rey to be exact, which isn't uncommon at all.

"I'm feelin' electric tonight

Cruising down the coast, goin' 'bout ninety-nine

Got my bad baby by my heavenly side

I know if I'll go, I'll die happy tonight.

 

Oh, my God, I feel it in the air

Telephone wires above are sizzling like a snare

Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere

Nothing scares me anymore."

 

   No shame whatsoever, the windows are rolled down and she sings her heart out. It was one of those days where the sunshine reflected on everything and made every color flourish, Dess even took interest in a little auburn colored squirrel sprinting up a tree. Driving down the street, the music cuts out as a ringtone chimes throughout the car. Dess presses the green button on her phone as the windows roll back up. 

"Iridessa?"

   She slams on the brakes at the stop sign that is just a couple feet in front of her.

"Mom? Are you okay? What's going on?"

   Dess's hands start to shake. The last time her mentally unstable mother picked up the phone Phoenix was going into anaphylactic shock after getting into the cabinet and discovering peanut butter. She only calls in times of bad news and when something is wrong.

"Yes, everyone's fine. You should...um...you need to come home and see this."

"See what? I have been on my way home, I'm a couple blocks away." she says into the car that is currently acting as a speaker.

"Just get home. I can't explain this."

   Dess hears her mother hang up the phone as she continues on driving on. Curiosity gets the best of her as she tries to understand what's going on. What can't she explain over the phone? Is it something she really needs to see in order to comprehend? Her mother sounded shaky and although she doesn't like to, she has to take in account on whether she took her medicine or not. If not, then something totally different is going on with her. She could be having hallucinations, panic or anxiety issues, manic episodes, practically anything. Dess doesn't pay attention to the rest of the music as she flies down those last couple of blocks to get home.

"Think I'll miss you forever

Like the stars miss the morning sun in the sky

Later's better than never

Even if you're gone, I'm gonna drive"