The Note

THALIRA 

I read the note over and over again, my heart pounding so hard it hurts. 

"The next time we meet, you'll die"

My fingers trembled violently around the paper as I swallowed the heavy lump in my throat.

Is this some sick joke or what?

I swallowed hard and spun towards the door, scrambling to gather my clothes from the floor. Within seconds, I was done dressing.

Clutching my bag against my chest, I hurried to the door and pressed my eyes against the peephole.

I let out a harsh breath. The hallway was empty.

I slowly turned the handle and slipped out of the suite, pulling the door shut behind me.

The hall stretched endlessly before me; everywhere was dead silent except for the distant hum of the elevator.

I tightened my bag and hurried toward it, my heartbeat still pounding loudly, refusing to stop.

What if someone finds out that I didn't stay in my room last night?

The elevator door slid open almost immediately. I stepped inside and jabbed the button for the lobby.

We were supposed to leave for the Pack by 9am. I glanced at my wristwatch and swallowed. I was still on time.

I glanced up, my eyes pairing with those of a stranger on the mirrored wall.

My hair was a tangled mess, my lips swollen, and dark marks peeked above the neckline of my sweater.

I quickly pushed the shawl higher, covering my neck and the side of my face.

Why would he leave marks on my neck, of all places?

The door opened, and I swallowed before rushing out of the elevator and hurrying through the grand lobby.

Outside, the cool morning air struck my face. I let out a deep breath when I spotted the excursion bus still parked near the hotel entrance.

A few students were already inside the bus with a cup of coffee in their hands.

Relief washed over me; at least they hadn't left me.

Just as I started walking towards the bus, curiosity pulled at me.

My feet slowed as I slowly turned towards the hotel entrance.

Could I..... ask of him?

Maybe someone had seen him leave? Maybe he had another message for me? Maybe a name or something.

Swallowing, I walked towards the receptionist's desk. The receptionist smiled politely when she saw me, and I nodded my head.

"Good morning. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I..." The word caught in my throat. "The man who stayed in room 305."

The receptionist typed something into the computer, then looked up.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, we aren't permitted to disclose our guests' information."

"I don't need anything personal," I said quickly and forced a smile, my cheeks hurting. "I just..... did he leave already?"

She glanced at the computer screen again. "Yes."

My heart sank. I rubbed the back of my neck with my hand nervously and nodded my head.

"He checked out early this morning."

I took a step closer to her and swallowed. "Did he..... Did he leave a name?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that."

I nodded weakly and stepped away from the desk. "Thank you."

I walked back to the hotel entrance and slowly made my way toward the parked bus. As I stepped inside the bus, I saw Lora and Giovanni at the back, they sat side-by-side, her head resting on his shoulder as he read a book to her.

I bit my lower lip and quickly took a seat in the middle of the bus.

I shut my eyes briefly, hoping the pounding in my chest will finally settle.

It didn't.

The note kept flashing through my mind. My fingers curled tightly around the strap of my bag. 

Why? What have I done to him?

The bus engine rumbled to life, slowly, and it pulled away from the hotel, but my mind was still trapped in that suite.

I remembered the way his hand covered mine as he slid into me. The way the heat of his body melted away the tension I had been feeling.

There was no hesitation when his fingers brushed the scar everyone else avoided. Nothing about our night together had felt cruel, so why?

My throat tightened as I rested my forehead against the cool window.

••••••

Lora fell into mother's arms, hugging her tightly. "Mom, I've missed you." She grumbled.

"I've missed you, too," Mom responded, slowly patting her back.

I sighed and walked past, then towards the stairs.

"Thalira Whitmore, won't you greet your mother?" 

I stopped abruptly, my eyes focused on the stairs, and shrugged. "I didn't want to come between the mother and daughter catching up." I murmured, "Hi, Mom."

"Don't mind her, Mom, she must still be having a hard time," Lora said meekly as I started climbing the stairs.

Who told her to play defendant?

I shut my bedroom door behind me and leaned against it. 

I shut my eyes and breathe slowly. For the first time since leaving the hotel, I allowed myself to breathe.

My fingers drifted unconsciously to my neck, tracing the fading marks left behind from the night I gave myself to a man I didn't even know.

A man who held me as though I wasn't broken. A man who looked at me and not my scar.

I walked towards the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

Slowly, I peeled off my clothes from my body and stood before the mirror.

The bruises around my neck were already beginning to fade. Everything else looked.... Normal except for my aching nipples.

"We'll never meet again anyway," I whispered to my reflection. "Let's forget about him."

I wanted to believe those words, and I repeated them every day until they almost sounded true.

****

Two months passed, and the excursion became another memory buried beneath a hundred others that I tried desperately to forget.

We were on break and back to the Pack.

Life in Thunderfang Pack was normal...... it was at least normal for everyone else.

Lora and Giovanni became inseparable. Walking through the Pack hand in hand while everyone admired them as the perfect couple, the ones to succeed Thunderfang one day.

And I simply became Alpha Whitmore's forgotten daughter. Most days, nobody notices if I left my room or not.

I didn't hate it, at least I didn't have to constantly act as though I'm fine when I wasn't.

Everything was going well for everyone involved until Friday morning.

The dining table was covered with roasted meat, fresh bread, fruits, and steaming bowls of soup. Father had invited his Beta's family for breakfast.

As father was discussing Pack matters with his Beta Corvin, Mom, and Giovanni's Mom, Lora laughed at something Giovanni whispered in her ear.

I sighed softly as I picked up the spoon in front of me and scooped the soup with it. Before I could taste the soup, the smell of roasted lamb drifted across the table.

Suddenly, my body shook as my stomach lurched. The spoon in my hand shook until the contents splashed over my shirt and the table.

A wave of nausea rolled through me so violently that I dropped the spoon and slapped a hand over my mouth.

The room tilted. I pushed my chair back so abruptly that it scraped loudly across the floor.

"Thalira?" Mom frowned. I didn't answer her. How could I? I could.

I spun and ran.

The sound of my footsteps echoed through the hallway before I barely made it to the nearest bathroom.

I dropped to my knees beside the toilet just as everything in my stomach came back up.