LandonTop of the morning to you, lover.When you get this note, I’ll be gone. I wish I could stay with you until I see those pretty eyes—those eyes I call mine—but you look so peaceful and sweet that I don’t want to disturb you. I fear I can wait no more, and how that saddens me. But on a bright note, I should be back home early.Please, eat your meals, take as much breathing space as you need, and rest. Mike will drop by later, as well as Alan. Maddie and Riley may be here too. I’m sorry I packed so many people around you, but if I’m not there to watch you, they will. And I trust them. I told them to give you space, though. When you ask for it, it’ll be yours.And try not to miss me too much.Laters, babe.Xoxo,Landon.I drop the note by her phone, where I’m certain she’ll see it immediately when she wakes up and doesn’t find me beside her.My gaze falls on her once more, and I feel my body slowly relaxing—though I’m certain it’ll tense right back up once she’s out of my sight. Her
Landon.I walk into my study and, as expected, everyone is there. Sighing, I cross over to my chair before sitting. Ignoring them all, I pick up one of the folders I brought from the pack office to study here, since I can’t be far from my mate. I take out one of the papers and switch on my system.All at once, I feel the holes their eyes are digging into my skin. It’s only a matter of time before they speak.I pick up my glasses and perch them on my face before starting my work. In the midst of signing, reading, and trying to catch errors, I begin to forget the people taking up space in my room.“You’re really not going to say anything?” Maddie —in her usual high-pitched voice— demands.It was only a matter of time. I look up from above my glasses. Her mouth hangs open in disbelief, and I roll my eyes at her dramatics. Why did her assignments end so soon?“She’s right, son,” Mother says, more softly. “You need to talk about this. We need to talk about this.”I pull off my glasses and
Brooklyn.I so badly want to know what he thinks about the fact that I committed murder—against his own people. But when he keeps staring at me, looking torn, I swallow and look away from him.“I’m starving.”Water threatens to swarm my eyes when I hear his relieved breath. He stands up, rushing into the closet and comes back out with just shorts on.“Let’s go feed you,” he smiles, beckoning me with his hand.The duvet pulls at my pelvic region as I crawl over to the edge of the bed. Legs out, I scramble out and put my hand in his. Landon gives it a squeeze, then leads us out of the room.To my surprise, the house isn’t empty. I freeze when I hear voices in the kitchen. A fear I don’t understand grips me, and I unknowingly take a step back.“Hey, hey,” Landon calls my attention, hands on my shoulders. Wide-eyed, I look up at him. Why am I scared?“It’s just family down there. My parents, younger sister, Billie, and Logan,” he says softly.“That’s a lot of people,” I breathe out.“I ca
Landon.She isn’t Brooklyn.She has changed.She isn’t my Brooklyn right now.What on earth happened there?Shutting my eyes, the way she came back home invades my thoughts. Her hair was strewn all over, splatters of blood and dried tears evident on her face, her lips blue, eyes sunken with bags under them, and her body lean and shivering. She had lost weight—she was a mess. What hit me harder was the blood on her clothes and hands. I prayed to the moon goddess, hoping it wasn’t hers. And it wasn’t. I had no idea what happened, but I was glad she was okay.I know I’m wrong.Brooklyn is far from okay.My eyes drink her in for the umpteenth time in the last few hours since she passed out in my arms again. I had to call my mum to come check her since she was once a healer, and she’s the only one I trust around my mate right now.I kiss her forehead once again before getting up from the bed. I don’t want to leave her all alone, but her last words haunt me, and people are asking questions
Brooklyn.This has to be the best sleep I’ve had in four days.If it were up to me, the days of sleep lost would be repaid first—but the food lost takes priority. Landon must have cleaned me up, because there’s no blood on me. And my hair is back to its natural state.What I do wish, however, is to go back home. I wish to see or speak to no one. I want to be alone. I’ve been starved for three nights—what’s one more morning?While brushing, my eyes catch my reflection. My eyes have lost their vibrant color and my cheeks have sunken. I’m not as chubby as I used to be—and I hate that. I hate how I look right now. Spitting out the foamy substance from my mouth, I brush my tongue, then rinse, gargle, and rinse again.I grip the counter, my knuckles turning white from how hard I’m holding onto it. My clavicles are prominent, and the spot where they meet is sunken. Gosh, I dislike how I look right now. With a sigh, I look away and step back from the mirror.Just as I take another step toward
Brooklyn.The night wind howls at me.My hands wrap around myself as I try to warm up from the harsh cold, but it’s hard to do so when you’re wearing a thin, short top. I truly curse my choice of clothing from three days ago.At least the attic was warmer than this.Soon, I reach the north she spoke of, and my heart beats louder when I see that it leads to a forest. There’s a clearing, but walking through it late at night…And I don’t even know what time it is. The moon is starting to come out, and the stars are fully out. It should be nearing 9 PM.You’ve killed three people in less than an hour—what is there to fear?I take a deep breath and propel my legs to move forward. The further I walk in, the clearer the clearing becomes.With no sense of direction, as the cold bites my skin and my feet threaten to break apart, I keep walking—because all that matters right now is my Landon.The more distance I leave behind, the more I begin to feel the pull. The mate pull. The pack pull. The