Chapter 8

"Are you insane? What are you going to do?" She hissed. "How are you going to control your urge?"

Even I didn't have an answer to that. I had no idea how I was going to shun away the desire to look in his eyes. It felt like the whole scenario was mocking me. God! Nothing was more annoying than my half-witted self.

I peeked up from the man's shoulder to see my mate greeting and shaking the birthday boy's hand. He was graciously smiling as he passed a square box wrapped with a blue colour shining gift wrapper to the boy.

I frantically ducked my head down when Alpha Lucas glanced my way. I felt no less than a thief as if I wasn't a guest from the start.

"Be careful! We don't want Alpha Lucas looking our way, now do we?" Skylar chided.

How badly I wanted to blame this on her.

"Now, listen to me carefully," she said, marginally bending so it doesn't look like we are planning to become terrorists for a while. "There is a back door right behind us, carefully follow my lead and don't look suspicious for god's sake, you really have a strong tendency to write your emotions on your face."

I shot a look at her on that.

Look who's talking.

"One second." She zoomed to the nearest table and came back with the same speed with a tissue paper in her hand. "Take this and cover your face, it might help you till you're out of here. From there you need to walk yourself to your car, I can't come with you. Jace will feel my absence."

I didn't need to be told twice as I swiftly grabbed it, hiding my eyes behind the paper.

"Now, follow me," she ordered and I nodded, ready to follow her.

Once out I wholeheartedly huffed in peace when Skylar closed the back door. She turned to me while fake pushing a sweat on her forehead.

"Now, go." She said softly with an encouraging push on my shoulder.

I turned to look at her, my heart twisting sadly as I perceived the reality that it was time to bid farewell. I was too habituated to her that it felt almost impossible to say bye. The nights we used to spend together watching movies, talking about our past, gossiping, sharing how our days went and cooking something special when it was our time to actually sleep. It all just ended within the snap of a finger. I wondered if she felt it, she had no idea how many times I lived in that nostalgia with tears.

I wondered if it would be like this forever. I feared the day when I would have to completely forget her and move on with my life in search of new people. However, I would never find someone like her.

I couldn't hold it as I walked to her, embracing tightly to me. I closed my eyes marking every moment of us in my memory. I was happy to be someone special to her

I sensed her chest vibrate as she chuckled bemusedly. "Heaven, what are you doing?"

I released her, shaking my head as I pushed her hair behind her shoulder.

"Why are your eyes teary?" She asked.

I chuckled while pushing away a lone tear. "It's nothing. I'm going then."

She smiled. "Be careful. Alpha Lucas goes for the night patrol during this time."

"You too, be safe."

***

"I've been searching for you everywhere, where were you?" Jace worriedly asked as he touched his mate's cheek tenderly.

People started vacating the room as they headed towards the dining hall. Skylar slowly took his hand in hers as she softly ran her thumb on his skin.

"I just went to see Heaven off," She said as Jace intertwined their hands pulling her with him to the dining hall.

"Why so early?"

Skylar dismissed it with a simple shrug. "She was just feeling very tired."

Jace didn't question further, although he knew that Skylar was lying. Werewolves had sharp senses and knew when humans lied, they could tell it very easily, it was as simple as speaking lies. But Jace knew better than to poke his nose in friends' matters.

They both found themselves chairs to the table occupied with various types of dishes. The feast drew many people's attention as they wasted no time and began stuffing their plates. Alpha Lucas sat at the head of the table watching his people with great joy, everyone had smiles on their faces. Relishing the one night without any worries about border patrol, rogues or business. But not everyone was lucky there were still wolves out there doing their regular jobs irrespective of other wolves who were here feeling safe under their hard work.

Lucas turned to his beta. "You take care of here, I'll go out for a round."

"Sure Alpha, I'll join you after dinner." Jace bowed his head in respect as Lucas nodded, patting his shoulder with a smile.

***

My foot pressed on the accelerator as the car sped over the bituminous road of the pack lands, my fingers tightening its hold on the steering wheel and my brain was dead set on vanishing me from the pack lands.

The pathway was lit by the white street lights giving me a little courage, the fear of the beast jumping in the middle of the road scared the daylights out of me and the forest around me didn't help either.

I shouldn't have come here when I knew something like this would happen, I shouldn't have considered Crystal's advice, I shouldn't have listened to Skylar's pleading, I shouldn't have given myself the thought of enjoying this party. I had reminded myself millions of times that everything would go alright, I was wrong and I regretted it. I pushed away the brewing fear and came here like an idiot.

Regretting would never help the situation either, Heaven. We just have to overcome it.

I took a shaky long breath and changed the gear to three, glancing now and then in the rearview in fear I turned on the radio as some random English pop song played through the speakers. Everything was going alright up until now, I was almost near the pack gates.

Just when I thought I would make it out safely I abruptly pushed my leg on the brakes, the sudden action had jerked me forward as my head hit the steering wheel but not enough to knock me out.

My ragged breaths were only the thing I could hear as I warily lifted my head up. The road ahead of me was blocked with dry broken logs, the headlights of the car giving me a clear view.

Great, just great!

I ran a hand through my hair, I could've taken the root which I took while coming if I knew about this situation. I thought this short-cut would help me faster to reach home, but by the looks of it I would've to deal with it myself and it was gonna waste a lot of my time. I couldn't even choose the option of going back.

I let out a tearless cry.

"Why does it have to be me!? My life already sucks. Why do you have to make it more difficult!!?" I yelled out angrily at no one particular, my fist clashed on the horn as the car squealed at the blow.

"Oh, God. This is driving me crazy!"

I opened the door harshly, closing it again with the same intensity. The breaths I exhaled appeared like a small white fog due to winter. I rubbed my bare arms for some heat, without bothering to check the dangers looming my purlieu, I flounced down the road towards the big broken dry logs. They weren't too big so it was easy for a normal human being to lift it.

"Ah!" I winced not because they were heavy, but because the dry edges prickled my palms. Holding in the pain I bit my bottom lip, I succeeded in throwing the log on the muddy surface of the forest.

It took me quite a good time as I threw the logs one by one, my chest puffed up and down as the result of my work gave me a temporary holiday from the cool weather. My hand reached out for a small log only to have it freeze in the midway when I noticed the red ruby on my right ring finger glowing at its brightest stage. My body failed to move for a moment when I realized something that I feared the whole way. I blinked several times giving the ring several chances to take back what it was showing. It only meant one thing.

He was very near. Very near.