Stay or Go

AGNES

Joel and I walked to his house in uncomfortable silence. Passersby glanced at us with open curiosity. A human woman at Wolf Creek, unbelievable! I could almost hear their thoughts.

It’s not that I expected Joel to welcome me back with open arms, but this—this coldness—it really stung. He had changed from the passionate man who declared his love for me in a whirlwind romance had become this hardened, closed off man. He could hardly look at me and when he did, I couldn’t bear to see the swirling hurt and distrust in his eyes. I did this. I made him this way.

I wanted so desperately to fix it. For all our sakes.

He held the door open for me, but didn't step inside himself. I called out his name, my voice trembling with hope and uncertainty. "Joel..."

"I have work to do," he replied, his voice devoid of warmth. He turned to leave, but I couldn't let him go so easily. I reached out and grabbed his arm, pleading with him. "Please, can we talk about it?" There was so much I needed him to know. I should have trusted him more. Our situation would have been different. There wouldn’t have been a Frank.

"Agnes, I've said what I needed to say. Nothing will change how I feel," he replied, gazing into the vast expanse of the clear blue sky. "Stay or go. Do whatever you want." He gently freed his arm from my grasp and walked away, leaving me staring at his back.

I watched him until he disappeared, the ache in my chest growing with every step he took. Then, with a heavy sigh, I retrieved my keys from my purse and made my way to the car. Our clothes remained in the trunk, along with the money I had taken from Frank.

I needed to hide the money to secure our future. Cassie didn’t know about it, and I had no intention of revealing it to her, or Joel. It was our insurance, our escape plan, if things went south with the pack. I wasn't willing to bet my life on being accepted, but as the alpha's mate, Cassie would have no trouble. The question remained - would she choose to stay if I had to leave? Only time would tell.

I took everything to the spare bedroom where Cassie and I slept. There were two twin beds in the room, and I shoved the black bag with the case filled with money underneath the one I slept on. Just temporarily until I could find a better hiding place.

Someone knocked at the door, a sharp, echoing sound that sent shivers down my spine. I clenched my teeth, fighting the fear, the urge to run. I immediately thought it was Frank, my heart racing at the possibility of him finding us. But then reason kicked in. It was impossible for him to track us down here. We were safe, at least for now.

Summoning my courage, I composed myself and made my way downstairs to confront whoever was outside. Two older men stood on the porch. They had that official look about them, the same look tax collectors had. I cautiously cracked the door open and peered out.

They greeted me politely, their voices calm and measured.

 "Unfortunately, Beta Joel isn't here at the moment," I said, attempting to mask my fear. But clearly, they sensed it, their piercing gazes seeing through my facade.

The younger man, with a gentle expression, reassured me, "It's alright, Ms. Browne. We would like to speak with you and your daughter. Please, we won’t harm you. May we come in?"

Reluctantly, I let them in, guiding them to the lounge where they settled themselves.

"I remember you, Ms. Browne," the one with the salt-and-pepper buzz cut remarked. "You and Joel have history, isn't that right? Where is your daughter? I would like to speak to her."

I took a deep breath and carefully worded my response. "I don’t see why that is any concern of yours, Mister..." I trailed off, waiting for him to provide his name.

"Elder Marcus," he stated, his voice laced with authority. "I assure you, it is our concern. Your daughter, is she Joel's?" His dark eyes bore into mine, searching for any sign of weakness.

Attempting to remain calm, I replied, "Yes, but I still don’t see how it concerns you. Alpha Connor is already aware. Cassandra needs to be here. She will be eighteen in a few months." There was no need to explain to him why she had to be here.

A condescending smile played on Elder Marcus' lips as he responded, "Did you honestly think you could just bring her back after eighteen years? There are consequences, Ms. Browne."

I felt a knot tighten in my chest, my breath growing shallow. "I understand that, Elder Marcus," I said, fighting to regulate my breathing. "If the pack doesn't want us, we can always leave."

The younger man leaned forward, his eyes filled with empathy. "If only it were that simple. I'm sure you know we cannot risk humans finding out about us."

Although his face was kind, his words sent a chill to my bones. “No one knows I am here. I won’t tell anyone about you.” I barked out a nervous laugh. “They wouldn’t believe me, anyway.” Would they go so far as getting rid of me? I’m betting they would.

“There is another solution, Ms. Browne. But we will have to discuss that with the alpha and Beta Joel.” The younger man glanced at Elder Marcus.

"Nicholas, surely you don't mean..." Elder Marcus frowned darkly at him, his voice filled with disbelief. I watched as the wrinkles on his forehead deepened, his eyes narrowing. “Alpha Troy would never condone it.”

“But Alpha Troy isn’t here now, Marcus,” Nicholas said. A look passed between them. I couldn’t figure out what it was, but there was a sudden shift in the older man’s demeanor.

“Of course he isn’t.” He furled his lip at me, which was supposed to be a smile, but it never reached his eyes. “Alright, Ms. Browne. Thank you for your time.” They rose from their seats, and I led them to the door. As they walked away, Marcus turned back and said, "We'll be in touch."

I closed the door firmly behind me. I took a deep breath against it, the weight of it all heavy on my chest. My mind raced. I was so unsure of what solution Nicholas had in mind.

If they involved Alpha Troy in their plans… I didn’t even want to think about it. He threatened once before that he would exile Joel. I couldn’t allow it. I loved him still and longed for his forgiveness. But I was prepared to leave him once more if it meant he would stay with his pack and his daughter.

No, the only way forward was to take my chances and leave. Even if it meant sneaking away in the dead of night. The thought sent a chill down my spine. I knew that if I did, the chances of Frank finding me would be greater. His connections to the Mafia were a constant reminder of the danger I was in.

I had known for a long time what Frank truly was, but fear had kept me by his side. I wanted Cassie to have a chance at a better life, to finish school and go to university. Once she was safely out of the house, I had planned to leave. Life had other plans, it seemed.

It was time to conquer my fear. I would take some of the money, just enough to start over somewhere far away. Leaving a note for Cassie, I would explain everything to her, ensuring her safety. Connor seemed kind, but I had learned the hard way that charm could hide a dark side.