Chapter 18

I can't explain the feelings churning in my stomach. My heart tightens and I burst in tears. "Papa?"

"Elena!" he exclaims the moment he hears my voice. "Where are you?! Are you alright?!" He keeps asking questions. I can't help but chuckle brokenly into the phone. He's always the one worrying about me even if he's the one dying.

"Papa, I'm alright," I respond. "Don't worry about me. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me, Elena. The money you sent me is huge," he replies in amazement. "This is too much. You sent me a letter saying that Alpha Leo gave you a job?"

I look at Leo and he's staring at me, his face emotionless. "Papa.."

"It still upsets me you didn't say goodbye to me," he scolds. "You're gone suddenly. What am I supposed to do? You have no idea how worried I am! I was going insane! Why didn't you call any sooner?"

I sniffle, my tears pouring down my face uncontrollably. I take a bunch of tissue from the table and wipe my tears and runny nose. "I'm sorry, Papa."

I really want to tell him the truth. I want to tell him that I never wanted to part with him. That I miss him so much and I want to go back home. Just hearing his voice makes me homesick. But something with the way Leo is looking at me stops me from spilling the truth. It reminds me of his power over me. I know what he can do and if I disobey him now, I know he can put my father in great danger which is something I will never desire to see. It will break my heart.

"Don't worry about me, Papa," I speak to the phone. "Remember when I told you I want an adventure of my own? That's what I'm doing. I'm finding myself and when I do find who I am, I'll be back. I'll see you again." I forced my voice to be happy but in the end, my voice broke.

I hear him exhale a frustrated sigh. In my mind, I see him brushing a hand down his face and cupping his mouth. That's what he always did especially when he kept losing a battle of chess with me. But I've always known he was keeping it easy on me.

"Come back soon, alright, kid?" he asks hopefully.

"Yes," I mutter in a breath.

"I miss you," he states in a faint voice.

Tears run down my face. "I miss you, too," I respond and quickly end the call. Leo gives me a pile of tissue and I take it, wiping away my tears. "Thanks," I murmur.

I give his phone back and he returns it in his pocket. Sniffing, I look at him. "Papa said I've been gone for weeks," I state. "Is that true?" I've been only awake for a few days but how come I was gone for weeks? What happened?

He looks guilty. "After I took you, you fainted in my arms and you were asleep for days."

I bury my face in my hands. Ugh, why didn't he tell me? Papa must have been very sick by then and I wasn't even there to tend to him. He was sick. I lift my face and look at him. "What about the money?" I question. "I didn't send him any money." Hell, I don't have enough money.

"I told you I took care of it," he answers.

I purse my lips. I don't know what to think. All I can think to myself is wanting to go back home. Back to the city. Will he bring me back? Knowing him, probably not. Just thinking about him being merciless for once is enough to lose all the hope in me. He will never let me go. He will never give me a choice.

"All my life," I start to say, looking down at my hands, "I dedicated all my time and effort to my father. So that as long as he lives, he'll have a better life. That he'll be happy. But hearing that he's happy and doing fine, I just want to take my chance to be free and do the things I haven't done before."

"Is that what you want?" he asks, looking at me intently.

"I think.. It's what I've always wanted."

I break his gaze and turn my head, looking at the night sky. I stare at the moon for a while. The trees are gracefully dancing with the wind. I lay my head on my hand and yawn, feeling sleepy, feeling hopeless.

"Sleepy?" he asks.

I look at him and nod my head, my eyelids heavy. He stands up and rounds the table. He helps me off my seat and walks me out of the restaurant. The man from before thanks us, saying, "Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Black."

This time, I tell him, "We're not married." He quickly apologizes and Leo looks amused at this.

We head out of the restaurant and as soon as I step out of the doors, my feet feel jelly and I stumble a little. Leo catches me with a strong arm. With his back turned to me, he crouches down in front of me and pulls my legs around his waist. I gasp, "Leo."

"Hold onto me," he orders.

I grasp his shoulders and wrap my legs around his waist, pressing against his back. He stands up and lifts me up with him. He starts to walk into the woods. Feeling sleepy, I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes, hearing the leaves whispering and murmuring to each other.