WOLVES OF LOST LOVE

Chapter 3

Joyce.

"Joyce, what happened?"Where is Elena?" Alpha Jackson's voice pierced the atmosphere, freezing me as I stood on the pack house's edge.

Everyone was watching me as I escorted Elena to her unidentified location after returning, and they could all see something wasn't right as soon as I walked in.

The pack was waiting for me to explain, their eyes full of sorrow, but I was unable to talk since my head was heavy and still absorbing everything.

"Joyce, tell me where you're coming from." Jackson stepped forward, his face composed yet solemn. "Where is Elena? I'm not thinking hope."

I lowered my head and tried to find the strength to respond, regretting every word I had said to Elena and realising it was too late now that she was gone.

"I assumed you didn't care about her, so why ask her when you rejected her?"

"How do you question me, Joyce?”. His anguish intensified but he paused for a minute and took a big breath. “I never care about her, just asking to be sure she's no longer in this pack" .

Finally, in a tremulous voice, I said, "I thought you loved her, but now I see you care not, you left her with her burden." "I..I blamed you, Jackson."

"What kind of load do you mean?Curiously, he enquired.

"The weight of rejection and her departure from the pack."

Whispers rippled through the throng as they gasped, and although everyone's features showed their disbelief, nobody dared to speak yet.

Do you know where she went? "Thank the moon goddess, she left because she's not of my standard." Jackson's voice was low, almost like a growl, and his gaze flashed with a mix of surprise and laughter.

"I don't” I responded hastily, my voice quivering. “I tried asking her but she never told me, she left in tears, the rejection, the stares, the whisper…. everything became too much for her" .

Jackson's jaw tightened as he squeezed his fist. He stepped back as though he was attempting to take in the information. His normally composed expression broke, and I could see the anguish in his eyes.

"Joyce, please understand that I never hurt her and that my rejection wasn't the reason she left the pack; she did so on her own, without telling anyone but you."

My voice hardened as I continued, "Jackson, you did hurt her." "You rejected Elena because she didn't live up to your expectations, even though she loved you." And now that she's gone, she's by herself.

The group, oblivious to what was happening, stared in quiet as he turned away, his hand frantically raking through his hair, unsure of what to say or do.

Although nobody wanted to enrage the Alpha, they were all aware that Jackson and Elena's relationship had alienated them.

Jackson exhaled deeply as the issue weighed heavily on his shoulders. The pack was silent for a while, loving Elena despite the Alpha's rejection of her; she had been a member of the pack since birth.

However, why did she depart?". One of the pack members breaks into silence. “She should have waited and worked things out here" .

I noticed the worried expression in the woman's eyes as she spoke. I gently said, "Elena needs to get away from the pain that has tormented her, and the longer she stays, the more rest it creates; she needs space to heal." "It's better she left, because staying creates more pain for her."

Another voice in the crowd countered, "Her healing could have been found here, with us."

"No, not here," I said, shaking my head. "You people act like you care, especially now that she's gone."

With an enigmatic expression, Jackson turned to the pack and said, "You all just stopped the argument about her. I made a choice, although it wasn't an easy one and I never regretted my actions."

Everyone knew that the mate-to-mate link was precious and that rejecting one mate was a painful decision for one party, so his word struck home, and the pack whispered to one another.

Another member enquired in private, "So, what do we do now? Do we go after her?"

"We can't force her to return; she made her own decisions; let her face the consequences; she deserves to find peace, but I will never find her," Jackson replied firmly, shaking his head.

With my voice shaking under the stress of the circumstances, I said, "How will you make things right, and where will you find your mate? I guess she's the only Luna on ground." "Do you think you can later fix this, after all what has happened?" I questioned.

Jackson's eyes, full of resolve, locked with mine. "I don't know but I’ll seek advice from the moon goddess and she will sort out things" .

I remained where I was, my heavy heart accepting its guilt, while the pack gradually started to disperse. I ought to have done more. I ought to have resisted Harder's attempts to keep Elena here because of her justifications.

I looked up to see Jackson's solemn visage as his voice called out to me once more, "Joyce."

"Thank you for being honest with me, but I need to know one thing. Let's see how things work out if she returns here."

"What is it?I asked, hardly raising my voice above a whisper.

I wasn't prepared for the vulnerability with which he asked, "Did she say anything about..us? About me? I want to know if she complains about the pack."

“She said she couldn’t stay because every time she looked at you, it reminded her of her pain, and she didn’t blame you entirely, but she couldn’t live in your shadow anymore,” I added, hesitating for a second as I recalled my previous talk with Elena.

Jackson nodded slowly, his face tightening with pain as he considered what I had said. He gave me a sceptical glance before turning to go.

As I stood there, I had a lot of questions: will Jackson ever find Elena, and even if he does, will she be open to returning after everything that has transpired?