Chapter 16 - Goodbyes Are Temporary
I smiled weakly at Jenny as she began to tear up. Her blood red tears streamed down her face and she groaned. I hadn't seen a vampire cry before, but I always knew they cried blood. Seeing it in the flesh was kind of overwhelming.
Her skin stained from the blood, the tissue deep red from dabbing continuously at her face. She needed another one, badly.
I hugged Jenny tightly and she held onto me with a grip that made me question if I was going to make it out the cabin. Jenny held me for a few minutes before she finally let out of soft groan and pulled away. She forced a smile and wiped the blood tears from her cheeks.
She dabbed her face with her tissue and sniffled. I felt bad for her. I had only met her just recently and I was already leaving. We had just started getting close too.
But I had a strong gut feeling that I would be seeing her sooner than I thought.
"You sure you don't want to stay?" Jenny asked me. I nodded at her and sighed softly. Truthfully, I didn't ant to leave at all. I wanted to stay forever with Ezra and Jenny. I wanted to be with my new friends.
But I had to go.
"My pack will need me soon. I have to be there for them,” I said with a nod. Jenny let out a sob and then held the tissue to her eyes again.
Ezra appeared and slipped his arm around Jenny's waist. He pulled her close and kissed the side of her head. He had been acting weird all morning but Jenny had told me it was because he didn't want me to go either.
It seemed that everyone had to stop themselves from trying to stop me from going. It was relieving to know that they cared that much but also sad. I hated knowing that they'd miss me.
"I guess you're right or whatever," Jenny muttered as she stopped crying. I giggled at her and she forced a smile. I knew she was just upset to see me leave.
"I'll be back before you know it!" I told her with a knowing smile. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away from the place for too long. I'd grown attached to it.
Ezra kissed his mate's cheek again and she sucked in a deep breath. “I'm going to go grab another tissue. I'll meet you outside.”
Jenny left and Ezra just chuckled. I pulled open the door and sadly sighed as I saw people waiting. There were only two people from my pack who were deciding to stay. Tyler and another guy named John.
As soon as I stepped out the cabin, I noticed the air tense and seem to tighten. I felt Ezra stiffen from behind me and I felt all muscles in my body turn to jelly.
As I fell, I smelt it. The magnificent scent that made my mouth water. It smelt like seaweed, the ocean and salty water. I felt like I was at the beach, sitting on the sand. I could almost feel the sand between my toes. My head span as I had to remember that I wasn't at the beach and that I was at my cabin.
Arms caught me before I fell to the ground but I didn't know who it was. My mind was clouded with thoughts and emotions that made me question my sanity.
What the hell was happening to me?
I smelt something different. I smelt smoke, like a fire. Somehow, I could tell it wasn't a dangerous fire. It was one of the fires that people had in the fireplace in the living room. It was the smoke that came out the chimneys and it was the warmth that spread through my entire body at an alarming rate.
"Alison!" Someone called my name. But I could barely focus on anything that was happening. I felt like 1 was about to pass out, by I also felt like I could run for the rest of my life with the energy that was pulsing through my body.
I heard a loud growl. Then I felt the ground beneath my feet shudder and shake. I heard squawking from birds and the sound of them taking flight from the trees. I heard loud whispers and a million different voices inside my head.
Another different set of smells invaded my nose. This time, it wasn't anything I knew. But it was sweet. It was so sweet that my tongue tingled and my mouth watered yet again. My stomach twisted and then untwisted.
My beast was scratching at my mind and begging to be let out. She was howling with joy and going crazy inside my mind.
I knew what it was, but I didn't want it. I wasn't ready for it. I didn't need it.
My insides were screaming. Every part of my body felt got with passionate fire. It burned, but it didn't hurt. It felt good. It comforted me, the fire wrapped itself around every inch of me and made me feel at home.
But I couldn't help but be absolutely petrified.
"No fucking way," I heard chuckles as I felt myself being lifted from the ground. My feet were planted in one spot as everything slowly began to come back to me.
I knew what this was for sure. I knew exactly what was happening. I was about to meet my mate. Everything come back to me. Ezra was standing next to me, holding me up on my feet. People who were around were watching, eyeing me like I was crazy. I heard more whispers and then heard the growl come again.
It shook the trees and the ground. It shook me. I felt my knees want to give out yet again. I wanted to fall to the ground and curl up into a ball. I wanted to disappear off the face of the earth.
This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't be. I wasn't ready.
My whole body trembled with fear. I felt so scared that I wasn't sure if I could move. I didn't want to. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
I saw him come out from the trees. I knew it was him and I felt like crying; not because of who it was, but because of how damn perfect he looked. Part of me said to jump into his arms and kiss him senselessly, the other half told me to run far away.
Was it bad that I wanted to return to Terialta more than ever?
My mate was the most attractive man I had ever seen. He was tall, broad shouldered and tan. He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of black shorts. I ogled over his bare torso, his perfect six pack and toned arms. He had muscles, damn good ones too. But covering his body were scars; battle scars. He was a fighter.
He had the most beautiful face that I'd ever seen too. His eyes were brown, deep brown and caramel. They swirled like pools of honey in the sun; beautiful. He was dark haired, a brunette. I began to think about what it would feel like to run my hands through his hair.
My wolf whimpered. She already wanted this male so badly.
Our mate's lips were plump and a dark nude colour. They looked so kissable and I wondered if he thought the same about mine.
I shook the thoughts from my mind as he growled again. He rumbled as he made his way towards me. Ezra nudged my side gently.
"Ezra." I whimpered as I felt tears in my eyes. I had never wanted to cry more in my entire life. I wasn't ready for it at all. I knew I wasn't.
I didn't know what else to do, so I turned. I took off into the woods, running fast. I heard the whispers stop. I heard shouts from behind me.
"Wait! Let her go!" I heard Ezra's shouts. But clearly no one listened. I heard someone running after me but I ran faster. I pushed myself along the trail and twisted through the trees and plants to get away from all of this.
I wanted to run all the back way to Terialta. I wanted to see my brothers and tell them to never let me return back to Takiani again. I wanted to disappear of the face of the earth permanently. "Where the hell are you going?" I heard my mate's voice shout from behind me. I shivered as his voice sounded incredibly angelic. I felt my knees go weak again but I choked back a sob and pushed on. I had to get away.
I heard the low growl from behind me. It was him. He was getting angry. I could feel his beast. His veins hummed loud and clear. He was strong, one of the strongest Alphas I had ever come across. I wanted to choke.
I turned left and sprinted harder. My feet were hurting from running so hard and fast, but I didn't care. I only pushed myself harder.
Shit!
I came across some thick scrub and hoped that I would find myself lost on here eventually. I wanted my mate to give up and stop chasing me.
I took a sharp right and made my way through the scrub. The tree branches snipped at me, scratching all over me. When a branch whacked me in the face, I wanted to howl in pain. It stung and hurt bad.
"Stop running! What's wrong with you?” My mate yelled to me. I wanted to bite back some insult but I was afraid I would give into him if I did. I didn't want to be anywhere near him. I wanted to get away badly.
My beast growled out. She wanted to curl up in his arms and let him take us; put his mark on our neck. I wanted exactly the opposite.
I felt a hand grab my arm and I gasped as a shock fired through my body. It didn't hurt, it felt good. It pulsed through my body and under my skin.
I was yanked to a stop and the two hands held my arms and stopped me from running away. I felt the tears run down my cheeks as I faced my mate.
He was even more gorgeous up close. He was truly the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. But I was scared out of my mind by him.
He was pissed. Anger and heat rolled off him like a waterfall. He was angry and it was obvious. I was scared; scared of what was going to happen.
He stared at me with a hard glare before he looked down at me. I was shaking badly, like a sick dog. I probably looked stupid, shuddering and crying because I had finally met my mate.
My mate huffed angrily and then released how hard and tight he was holding me. He released me and I took a step away from him. My wolf wanted me to touch him again. We longed for the sparks that came when we touched.
But I stayed away. I was more scared than I wanted to be. I felt like disappearing.
"Liam, go. Run it off,” Ezra appeared by my side suddenly. He held the back of my arm to keep me from running away again. He was smart, because I would have run
“But—"
"Liam! Go!" Ezra repeated more sternly. Liam, my mate, turned with a growl and sped off, shifting into his wolf and disappearing from sight.
I shuddered as he got further and further away. The pull longed for us to be close and it made me feel slightly bad about practically running away from him.
Ezra sighed softly and pulled me into a tight hug. He held me close for a little while before he lead me back to the pack where we moved into the cabin. Both Jenny and Ezra tried to talk to me, but I didn't want to hear anything they had to say.
"Sweetheart, we should talk about this. It's very important,” Jenny said as I made my way towards the hallway. I shook my head at her. I didn't want to talk about my mate or anything else.
I disappeared down the hallway and into my bedroom. I shut the door behind me and slumped onto my bed as I realised that I would have no choice but to stay in Takiani. The female always went wherever their mate did.
I cried silently into my pillow. I clutched at it almost violently and covered my body with my blankets. I never wanted to leave my bed again.
I didn't understand. How could this be happening to me? I was supposed to be leaving! But of course, the moment I go to leave, my mate shows up. When I'm not ready and when I finally grew enough courage to return home.
Of freaking course.
I fell asleep quickly that night. I couldn't help but dream about the attractive male that was now my mate.