Running Free [COMPLETE]

8. The Answer

The drive to the road closest to the clearing was uneventful. Eliza chatted ceaselessly about everything Debbie had told her on the phone. Debbie had apparently got herself a new boyfriend and Eliza had received a full retelling of their first date. Liam tried to listen, but his mind kept getting stuck on that never ending revolving door of thoughts. Lucky for him, she didn’t seem to notice and continued on with her chatting.

Her tone and demeanor changed as soon as Liam parked the car on the dirt road that was near the clearing. She was quieter, sensing that Liam was up to something.

“What do you have up your sleeve, Liam Clearwater,” she asked, jumping over the fence meant to keep people out.

“Let’s get to your spot and I’ll tell you there,” He jumped the fence and took her hand, leading her towards the clearing hidden in the woods. She was a bit surprised by the feel of his rough hand. He had never held her hand before and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She had never had romantic feelings about Liam. Actually, she didn’t really have romantic feelings towards anyone. Sure, she had her lustful moments, but lust and love are two completely different animals. And, to Eliza, neither animal came to roost when it involved Liam.

They finally reached the clearing and it was as beautiful as she had left it last. Late Spring flowers had blossomed and were sprinkled throughout. The sun was setting behind them and the moon was rising in front, a fingernail sliver in the sky.

Liam stopped in the center and turned to Eliza. Her brows knit together, unsure of what was happening.

“Eliza,” he spoke softly, “how would you feel about one day becoming the Clearwater pack’s Luna?”

“The Clearwater pack already HAS a Luna, your mom, Liam.” Eliza didn’t understand what he was getting at.

“No. I know… What I mean,” he continued, “could you see yourself as my Mate?”

HOLY COW, screamed Eliza in her head. What is he getting at with this question?

“Wait, you want ME as your Mate? But we’re just friends.”

“Yeah. We’re really close friends, but hear me out before you totally shoot down the idea.” She c****d an eyebrow up dubiously. “Look, there’s no guarantee that I’ll even find a Mate the way my parents found each other. There seems to be fewer Mated pairs each passing year and our pack is low. We have had no new births in ten years. I don’t know if you have noticed that there are no small children in the pack?”

“When did you find this out? That things were so bad?” Eliza thought back to the faces and people she knew the belonged to Clearwater and confirmed that the youngest had to be about ten or eleven in age.

“About a year ago other packs began speaking with my father on the state of their numbers, which lead us to really notice our own decline, but since you’re not an official pack member, I couldn’t share with you.”

“Why share with me now?”

“So you’ll understand why I’m asking you to be my Mate. I know what I am asking you is probably a hard pill to swallow. I’m asking you to sacrifice ever finding your own Mate but as the next Alpha, I have to think about my pack’s future as well.”

Eliza chewed on her bottom lip as she let his words sink in.

“Besides,” he added, “if you are my Mate, there is no way that you can stay a guest. You’ll be a pack member. You’ll be the next Luna.” Eliza didn’t care about titles, she just wanted to be in the pack. She had wanted that more than anything. Everyone in Clearwater had made room for her in the pack, even when they didn’t have to. She felt like she was at home and it hurt to know that she was still only a guest, even after all these years. Had she not proved herself enough?

Eliza looked up into Liam’s gray eyes and for the smallest moment, could see herself leaning up until her lips brushed against his. She could see him laying her in the soft grass below and touching her petal-soft skin. She could see him marking her with the moon as their witness and going back to the pack to make the announcement. She could see herself in a few years, being Luna and giving Liam pups. Then she saw Liam’s true Mate come into the picture. She could see his pain and torture at having to choose between love and obligation.

“Liam…” Her throat felt so dry.

“Please, Eliza, think about it some more, if you have to,” he pleaded.

“I can give you an answer now.” His eyes were hopeful at her statement. “I can’t.”