The Blood Moon

Leaving

Raine

I’m staring up at Jared. His deep brown eyes are looking around the room nervously. His lips are in a thin line. Who is he looking for?

“Has Pierce been to see you yet?”

“He tried,” I whisper. “He was kicked out by the alpha regent.”

His eyes widen as he pulls me up to stand.

“Alpha regent is here? s**t this is worse than I thought,” he shakes his head slightly. “Can you walk ok? Should I carry you?”

“What are you doing, Jared?”

He shifts his weight and looks down at me.

“I can’t let him take you back to Harvest Moon. I'm afraid of what will happen to you, Raine. I’ve never seen him this way. He’s angry and sad. His emotions are all over the place and so much more intense than usual.”

I'm stunned. A Gamma going against his Alpha? For me? My mouth is hanging open and I'm just staring at him in shock.

“Raine? Come on Raine talk to me. My aunt said her pack in Montana can take you in for now. I know I should’ve stepped in sooner but he commanded us to stay out of it. My wolf is so loyal to him. I’ve been fighting him off for days now.”

We’re walking towards the door and out into the hallway. He is guiding me by my hand. I look around hoping to see Jasper one more time. I wanted to stay, but I knew he would reject me. I didn’t want to experience that pain.

He wasn’t in the hallway. He must’ve left after Alpha Pierce told him that lie. My heart sinks as my wolf cries in my head. She wants her mate.

Jared is still talking to me.

“I know the Strawberry Moon pack is even smaller than the Harvest Moon pack but I think it’s safer. There’s no way anyone will think to look for you there. Pierce doesn’t even know I have relatives there.”

We hit the elevators when I hear a nurse behind me.

“Ms. Alder?”

I turn around and look at her.

“Yes?”

“Did the doctors say you could leave?” She has a puzzled expression in her face as she flips through my chart, looking for something.

“Yeah they released her to me. I’m taking her home to Harvest Moon,” Jared cuts in. He clearly doesn’t want anyone to know where I’m really going.

“Ok, I just don’t see any discharge paperwork in your chart. Can you hang on a moment so I can grab that? I need you to sign out.” She smiles warmly at me as she turns around and heads toward the nurses station.

Jared pulls me into the elevator and closes the door.

“Jared! I need to sign out!” I whine as I try to stop the doors from closing.

He’s shaking his head.

“Pierce is here somewhere. Kyle just mind linked me and said he saw him getting on the elevators. We need to leave now.” He’s tapping his foot nervously.

The elevator doors open and he pulls me out and we run right into Talia.

“Raine?” She says. She’s clearly shocked to see me out of my room. “Raine, what are you doing down here? Why are you dressed? Where's Jasper? Wait, Jared?!” She squeals when she sees him and gives him a big hug.

“Hiya Tali!” He smiles. They haven’t seen each other in months. Talia is better than me at maintaining friendships. It seems they’ve kept in contact while she was away.

“What are you doing here?” She asks him as they part.

“I’m taking Raine back to Harvest Moon.”

I look up to him. Talia can’t even know where I’m going? Does he really think she’d blab?

“Uh, hah! No way. No, Jared!” She starts yelling at him. She’s grabbing my arm and trying to pull me away from Jared.

“Back off Talia,” he mutters. “I’m trying to help her.”

“BY TAKING HER BACK?!” She screams. Everyone in the hospital lobby is staring at us. I feel myself start to blush and I try to make myself as small as possible.

Talia is shaking her head and pulls out her phone. “I’m calling Bryce. You aren’t taking her back to that hell hole Jared. I won’t let you!”

“Jasper doesn’t want me, Tali.” I say to her, my lip trembling. “He’s my mate, and he doesn’t want me. Alpha Pierce told him he had mated with me. Now, Jasper wants nothing to do with me.”

She’s holding her phone away from her ear and staring at me. I can see the sadness in her eyes.

“Oh Raine,” she says softly. “Did he really do that to you?”

“Alpha Pierce isn’t even your mate?!” Jared is furious. “He lied to all of us?!” He’s cursing under his breath.

I turn my attention back to Talia and shake my head. “We never slept together. At least, as far as I remember. I always fought him off when he tried,” I’m choking on my tears now as I remember his advances and how badly I paid for refusing. “Jared isn’t taking me back to Harvest Moon. But he is taking me somewhere safe. Somewhere Alpha Pierce will never look for me.”

She’s looking back and forth between Jared and me. I can tell she’s torn. I know she had offered me safe haven with her new pack. But Alpha Pierce already knew I was here.

“Ok Raine,” she seems unsure about the entire situation. “Are you sure Jasper doesn’t want you? Are you sure this is what you want?”

I slowly nod my head. Really, I wasn’t sure. My heart was broken. I wanted Jasper. I wanted Alpha Pierce to have never said those things to him.

She nods at me and takes my hand.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t intervene sooner Raine,” she pulls me in for a hug.

“I know Talia. I know.”

We are booth weeping as we say our goodbye. Who knows how long I will be gone? I may never be able to leave the Strawberry Moon pack. I may never see her again.

Jared pulls my arm gently.

“I’m sorry ladies but Pierce is here somewhere. We have to go. Now.”

He’s upset too. He knows how close Talia and I are. I know he feels guilty about taking me away but he’s right. It’s the safest thing for me. Well, second safest thing. The safest thing would be to be with my mate. But I know he doesn’t want me. No one wants someone else’s leftovers.

Jasper

I snap my head up. Something is wrong. I can’t smell Raine as strongly as before.

I quickly get to my feet and run to her room.

She’s gone.

I feel my heart start to race and my breathing gets shallower.

She’s gone.

Bryce is quick to follow me and stands behind me in the doorway.

“Nurse!” He bellows down the hallway. I hear footsteps scurrying down the hallway.

“Yes, Alpha Bryce?”

“Where is Raine Alder? Did she get taken for a test or something?”

“No alpha, she left. She told me she had been discharged and the gentleman with her said he was taking her back to her pack. But I can’t find discharge paperwork anywhere and the doctor swears he never said she could leave.”

My head snaps to meet her eyes.

“She was with a man? What did he look like?”

“Well thankfully it wasn’t that awful man who was up here looking for her earlier.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. At least Pierce hadn’t taken her.

Bryce’s phone rings in his pocket. He answers but he doesn’t say anything else. He suddenly switches it to the speaker phone. I hear my sweet mate's voice through the receiver.

“…never slept together. At least, as far as I remember. I always fought him off when he tried. Jared isn’t taking me back to Harvest Moon. But he is taking me somewhere safe. Somewhere Alpha Pierce will never look for me.”

Talia’s voice answers: “Ok Raine,” she seems unsure about the entire situation. “Are you sure Jasper doesn’t want you? Are you sure this is what you want?”

There’s a pause. My heart is breaking. Raine thinks I don’t want her? Is that why she’s leaving? She must’ve woken up during the commotion earlier. Why would she think I don’t want her?

“I’m so sorry I didn’t intervene sooner Raine,” I can tell Talia is crying. Which means Raine is crying too. The thought of it makes me feel like breaking down.

A man's voice that I don’t recognize breaks the silence.

“I’m sorry ladies but Pierce is here somewhere. We have to go. Now.”

Bryce locks eyes with me. He sees me falling apart. He starts shouting into the phone at Talia, trying to get her attention.

A few moments later I hear her gasp as she realizes she was on a call for the entire conversation.

“Bryce? Did you hear all that?”

“Why did you let her go, Talia?” I’m visibly shaking. My mate is leaving. I don’t know where she is going. And it doesn’t sound like she is ever coming back.

I feel my knees hit the floor. The farther away she gets the more my heart breaks. I know she has to be feeling this too.

Bryce switches the phone off of speaker and puts it up to his ear.

“Talia, stop them. Do not let them leave.” He pauses. “Of course Jasper wants her! She’s his mate! He doesn’t give a f**k about purity bull s**t. That’s small pack nonsense I —“ he pauses again, this time blushing. “You’re right baby I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”

It makes me smile a little. My werebear of a friend is so whipped.

“You know there is nowhere safer for her than with Jasper,” he pauses. He looks at me and gives me a thumbs up. He’s silent for a few minutes. Then his face falls. “What do you mean they’re gone?”