Finding Her Way Back

Chapter 8

*************

ETHAN

Sitting in my study with the glass of whiskey I had just poured, my mind wandered to the afternoon's events. The smell of rain and wildflowers suddenly seemed to fill the room, as if that girl from the vendor stand were here. Her green eyes, and loose brown hair swam in my thoughts, who was she? where did she go? Questions filled me, and I promised myself, and my wolf, we would find her.

Just as I was about to take a swig of my drink, my phone chimed, picking it up off the desk, I watched the screen light up and Abby's name flash across my screen.

" I am sorry for how things went between us earlier. I just do not understand, I thought things were going well. This just all seems sudden and took me by surprise, but I understand. Our friendship means everything to me, I hope we can still keep that."

Her message bright across the phone's display. I pinched the bridge of my nose as those green eyes left my mind and the encounter with Abby replaced them.

*****I felt someone touch my shoulder and before I even turned around I knew it was Abby. I used to enjoy her touch, but now, as she ran her hand down my arm I felt disgusted and had to fight the urge to recoil. I couldn't allow this to continue any further than this.

"Listen Abby" I said as I moved her hand from my arm. The look of confusion crossed her face mixed with fear and hurt. She knew what I was about to say before I said it. "I don't understand? Why? I thought things were going well!" She half sobbed, half screamed at me. Something about the tone of her voice grated my nerves.

"I wont lie, things were good, I agree, but this just isn't what I want with you. I value our friendship and I feel that is where we should remain. I don't have the words to explain it to you, I just know, we are not meant to be together." I tried to be as gentle as I could, dear friend or otherwise, she didn't know my secret so I couldn't exactly tell her I found my mate.

"THIS IS NOT FAIR, YOU SAID WE WOULD GIVE IT A TRY! ITS BEEN 2 WEEKS! WHAT BULLSHIT ATTEMPT IS THAT?" She screamed in my face than reached for my arm again but I pulled back.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to yell, please Ethan, don't do this to me. Give us a real shot. I know we can be great and we can have a beautiful future." Abby began to beg and I just shook my head. "You're a good person Abby, and we will always have our friendship if you allow it. You will find your right person one day, but I--" her hand came across my face before I could finish my sentence, she spun around and stormed off *****

My hand once again went to my face as the memory of earlier lingered on my mind. Felix agreed to forgive her for her actions, because we had caused her pain, but he wasn't willing to continue entertaining her tantrum. So, to make the night a little more relaxing for us both, I shut my phone off and turned back to the untouched whiskey. Just as the glass touched my mouth, I began to feel uneasy and light-headed. The glass dropped to the floor as it slipped from my hand and my body being too sluggish to grab it, it shattered.

"Something is wrong, something is very wrong" Felix huffed, as if struggling to keep consciousness, but no sooner did he say those words, did he drop to his belly and fall into a sleep. Panic gripped me as I tried to clear the fog from my head to figure out what was going on, the dull burn in my hand that I had already came accustom to flared up in a rage and realization hit me. My mate. Something is wrong with my mate.

**********

SARAH

I could hear arguing before I could open my eyes. I couldn't quite make out the words but I could tell they were angry. "It sounds like Nick and his grandmother" Nyla whispered. I curled into her and ran my fingers threw her walnut colored fur and choked back a sob. "I am so glad your okay!" my voice dry and thick with sleep. I did not want to open my eyes yet, so I laid by my creek with Nyla as we assessed and tried to form a plan.

Even without opening my eyes I was aware of the uncomfortable position I was in. I was sitting on a hard surface, my hands in my lap and my legs awkwardly in front of me, it didn't feel like my hands were tied but I did feel the presence of something on my neck. It certainly held some weight, if I had to guess, I would say it is a chain of some sort. My arm felt like it was on fire but I didn't feel any injury to it.

I heard foot steps coming towards me, they were light and slow. "Grandma" Nyla growled. My eyes slowly opened as I heard her getting closer. As she stopped in front of me, I noticed she held something in her hand. Her face was sad as she sighed and reach out to hand me the black rock in her hand. "Charcoal" she said flatly. "Don't let Nick see it, it will help flush the silver from your system. Once you are able to stand and he is not around, I can take that collar off you" She said with a small smile. I stared at her with my mouth gaping. She nudged the charcoal towards me and I reached up to take it, turning it around in my hand.

Nyla was on edge, she didn't trust this and I wasn't sure I did either, but the look on the woman's face told me, even if I didn't trust her, to trust she wanted me out of here. "Why?" was all I could say. Her eyes flashed a brilliant blue and her voice was not her own as she answered. "We do not want this, but we are just too old to fight him about it, we never thought he would find another so have always turned a blind eye to the silver." Her eyes flashed back to the brown they were and she tried to smile through the sadness painted on her face. "Eat it girl, quickly" with that, she turned and made her way out of the room.