Chapter 55: Breaking Point

Day two in the motel. I barely slept. Barely ate.

The mate bond hurt worse. Like someone pulling my heart out slow.

Cole was in pain. I felt it. His confusion. His anger. His sadness.

He thought I left him. Didn't want him anymore.

That hurt worse than anything.

Around noon, someone knocked.

I froze. Was it Erica? The pack?

"Room service." A woman's voice. Old. Tired.

I opened the door a crack. An old lady with a cleaning cart.

"Don't need cleaning."

"Wasn't asking. Boss says I clean every room. Every day." She pushed past me. Started cleaning.

I sat on the bed. Watched her.

She looked at me. Really looked. "You okay, honey? You look bad."

"I'm fine."

"Sure. And I'm the queen." She kept cleaning. "Running from something?"

"It's complicated."

"Always is." She changed the sheets. "But let me tell you. Running never works. Whatever you're scared of follows you."

"Not this time."

"No?" She stopped. Looked at me with kind eyes. "Then why do you look like you're dying?"

I didn't answer.

"Thought so." She finished. Went to the door. Stopped. "There's a diner two blocks north. Good food. Cheap. Get a meal. You need it."

She left.

I sat there. Thought about her words.

Maybe she was right. Maybe I should eat.

I grabbed the phone. Went out.

The diner was where she said. Small. Clean. Smelled like coffee and bacon.

I sat in a corner. Ordered eggs and toast. Coffee.

The TV above the bar was on. News.

"Breaking news. Gym owner Cole Hartman reports girlfriend missing. Lita Dillard, eighteen, last seen two days ago. Police asking for information."

My photo on screen. From my license. I looked so young.

"No evidence of foul play. Her car is missing. They believe she left on her own but family and friends are worried."

The waitress came with food. Saw the TV. Looked at me. Then the screen.

"That you?" she asked quiet.

I thought about lying.

"Yeah."

"You in trouble?"

"Something like that."

She set the food down. Looked around. Leaned close. "Bathroom. Two minutes. Meet me."

She walked away.

I ate fast. Then went to the bathroom.

The waitress was waiting. "I don't know your situation. But that man on TV? He looks destroyed."

"I know."

"So why'd you leave?"

"To protect him. To protect everyone."

"From what?"

I couldn't tell her. Couldn't explain wolves and threats.

"I can't say."

"Then listen. Whatever you're protecting them from? Not worth losing yourself." She touched my shoulder. "I ran once. From bad stuff. Thought I was protecting my family. Know what happened? They fell apart. And I fell apart alone."

"What did you do?"

"Went back. Faced it. Together. And we survived." She smiled sad. "Running is easy. Fighting is hard. But fighting together matters."

She left.

I stood there. Her words hitting me.

Was I protecting them? Or just running scared?

I went back. Finished eating. Paid.

The news still on. Now showing the gym. Cole outside. Talking to reporters.

"Lita, if you're watching, please come home. Whatever's wrong, we can fix it. I love you. Just come home."

His voice broke.

I couldn't watch. Left the diner. Walked back to the motel.

My phone rang. Erica.

"Saw the news. Your boy is making a scene."

"Let me call him. Tell him I'm okay."

"No. He needs to believe you left. Really left. That's how this works."

"Why? What's the point? I'm gone like you wanted."

"Not yet. One more day. Then I tell you the real plan." She laughed. "You didn't think this was just about getting you to leave, did you?"

My blood went cold. "What's step two?"

"You'll find out tomorrow. For now, sit tight."

She hung up.

I sat on the bed. Shaking.

This wasn't just about me leaving. This was bigger.

Erica was planning something. Using me.

But what?

The mate bond pulled. Hard. Cole was close. Looking maybe.

If I reached back, could he find me?

But if he did, Erica would know. Would kill everyone.

I was trapped.

My phone buzzed. Unknown number.

"Stop thinking about the bond. I'll know. And if you reach back, I don't just kill Stacey. I kill them all. Every pack member. Test me."

A photo. The gym. From inside. Today. Showing the pack. Worried.

Erica was still there. Still watching. Still ready.

I turned the phone off. Threw it.

Then I did something I hadn't done in years.

I prayed. To the moon goddess. To James. To anyone.

"Please. Help me. I don't know what to do. I can't save them alone. I need help."

Silence. Just me and the empty room.

No answer. Nothing.

I was alone.

That night, I dreamed of James. He stood in the room. Looking real.

"You're not praying right," he said.

"What?"

"You're asking for help. But you already have help. You just don't see it." He smiled. "You're Luna Alpha. You have power. Use it."

"I don't understand."

"The bond. With Cole. With the pack. It goes both ways." He pointed at my chest. "They're trying to reach you. But you're blocking them. Stop blocking. Let them in."

"But Erica said..."

"Erica's scared. That's why she's threatening. Because if you and Cole work together, she loses." James touched my face. "Fight. Like I taught you. Stop running. Start fighting."

He faded.

I woke up.

Just a dream. But it felt real.

James was right. I was blocking the bond. Pushing Cole away.

What if I stopped? What if I let him in?

Would Erica know? Or was she lying?

Only one way to find out.

I closed my eyes. Reached for the mate bond. The golden thread to Cole.

I grabbed it. Pulled.

And screamed.

"Cole! I need you! Find me!"

Far away, I felt him jolt. Felt him grab back.

"Lita? Where are you?"

"I don't know. A motel. Somewhere north. Two hours from gym maybe."

"I'm coming. Hold on."

"Cole, Erica threatened..."

"Don't care. I'm coming. Nothing stops me."

The bond got stronger. Warmer. He was tracking me. Following it.

My phone rang. Erica.

I didn't answer.

She called again. And again.

Finally, I picked up.

"You stupid girl. You just killed them all." Her voice was rage.

"No. You're going to lose. Because I'm not alone anymore."

"We'll see." She hung up.

I waited. Heart pounding.

This was it. The real fight. Finally.