Chapter 59: Fifty-nine.

Colt was sat cross legged, on the bed in the room that had been her home, for the last three months. She was going over everything she had learned about herself. She just would never in her wildest dreams have thought, that this would happen. That this is the decision she would have made. She was in utter shock, tracing over every conceivable option she had, and everything she knew about herself. But still, she could have never of expected this.

When Maeve had finally revealed, just how they would circumvent her own special survival failsafe, Colt felt as though her world had bottomed out. It was as if she had been electrocuted and doused with ice cold water at the same time. The mere thought alone of losing Elijah, and what that would mean for them both, took her breath away, and she wasn't one hundred percent convinced she had fully recovered it yet.

She had just stood there in shock and disbelief. For months she had been feeling the need to go home, and specifically, home to him. It had driven her, fuelled her to chase her need to shift faster, and harder. But now? She wanted to shift, it was an ache so deeply ingrained within her, that Colt didn't know who she would be without that very desire. But to lose Elijah in the process?

Her head was is a mess, because although Colt would now advocate for herself, that didn't mean she would selfishly hurt someone else. Especially someone she loved, in that process. That just wasn't a part of herself she was willing to change.

No, Colt wouldn't force her mate to lose his bond, and his sanity, just so she could shift. In truth, her work with Maeve had made her realise that she wasn't the broken specimen of a person, she had always secretly thought she was, and although she wanted to shift, she didn't need it to feel whole anymore.

It was strange, once she had gathered her thoughts by the fire, she didn't argue or protest at the unfairness of it all. Instead she just said "You can't do that to us, Maeve. I won't let you take him from me." Suprising both Maeve and herself really, as she turned and exited the cavern they were in. Then, she retraced her path through the woods, following the scent trail they laid when entering, but not wholly paying attention to the world around her this time.

Colt breathed the air in deeply with a new sense of purpose, and it felt good. There had been a strange pressure on her shoulders, and she hadn't really understood the cause of it. But, with the decision made, now it was gone, and she noted with a smile, that it was because she was going home.

She was homesick, for her family, for her resort and the people within it, for Solaris, but most of all, Colt missed Elijah dreadfully. She had to focus so much on herself, that she had buried her needs for her loved ones. But now, she was delving deep, able to fully acknowledge them, and it felt good to miss them in a way, good to love them, to love her life, and to love herself.

Home was where she needed to be.

Colt was still sat evaluating everything when Maeve joined her in the small room, carrying with her two cups of chamomile tea, laced with honey. It had become a ritual of theirs: chamomile tea when things were hard, with a generous dollop of honey, from Maeves beehives, stirred in.

"You know, you didn't have to walk off. I won't force anything on you." Maeve began, handing Colt one of the cups of tea in her hand.

"Thank you, and I know. I'm sorry, I just needed to be on my own to think." Colt replied moving over to allow Maeve to sit down as well.

"It's alright. It is a big step, and one which is completely your choice. But, I understand, he is your true soul mate not just a life partner you have bonded with. Although... no, never mind." She said shrugging off that thought. "Just be careful Colt." she warned worriedly.

"What do you mean?" Colt asked.

"I just have a feeling, and it tells me you will shift, and soon. I'm worried, that I wont be there to help you." Maeve sighed.

"Alright. Well if something does happen, how about I call you first? I will make sure everyone close to me has your cell, sorry I mean the emergencies only mobile number you have, and give them the same instruction." Colt stated with a smile, "Does that help?"

"Marginally." Maeve responded, evidently dissatisfied, before she let out a big sigh. "I will miss you Colt, and that is most unlike me, but I find I will regret losing your company."

"You will have to come visit, then. I will introduce you to Solaris." She winked, "And Elijah, I suppose." She added with a playful roll of the eye.

They both laughed heartily, breaking the tension that had built.

"I will miss you too Maeve." Colt added, draining her tea.

"Well I suppose, I will have to visit you after all then. I think the gods will be keeping an eye as well personally, you have piqued their interest it seems." She smiled, "Anyway, I think I like the sound of your mountain lake for a swim. It's truly deserted, yes?" Maeve asked.

"It can be arranged to be, yes." Colt affirmed, before asking, "Why don't you want to be seen? And yes, I'm ignoring the creepy the gods are stalking you statement." She laughed, making Maeve smirk momentarily.

Maeve then studied Colt for a second, before responding. "It is best that way. The last time I swam in public, aside from your rescue obviously, was on holiday in Scotland, in 1934. Some human photographed me and let's just say, the highland tourism board owes me a lot! Cheeky beggars! How dare they call me a monster!" She laughed, mocking offence.

"No. Freaking. Way!" Colt shrieked, jumping to her knees on the bed, her empty tea cup forgotten. "You mean Nessie, right?! Oh my God! Maeve!!" She beamed from ear to ear! "Please tell me you're not joking!" Colt begged.

Maeve shook her head, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Saddly no, I'm not." She sighed, "But if you ever call me Nessie again, I will hurt you Colt Merrier!" she warned wagging her pointer finger.

Colt laughed loudly again before zipping her mouth with her finger. "Your secret is safe with me, Maeve."

Reaching out to embrace Colt in a warm hug, Maeve stated, "I know, Dear, I know. Now, let's get you packed shall we? You have a flight to catch."

-----

Colt had been buzzing with excitement, the whole flight home, her body was literally vibrating with it so much she could barely sit still. Now that she was in her the little blue hire car, driving the roads in Georgia she felt utterly elated, she was coming home.

She had guiltily decided not to tell her family she was coming home until she was here, they would only have insisted they all meet her at the airport. Undoubtedly, with an embarrassing fanfare and that included giant baby pictures on signs waving above their heads, by the whole clan. However, her main reason was, she wanted some alone time with Elijah first, and it was him she was on her way to surprise. Hoping that the lateness of the evening meant that even if Nora was visiting this time, she would be tucked up in bed, and s

Colt could then have Elijah all to herself.

Now, though with her dead cell phone finally charged and connected to the bluetooth system on the car, she felt a pang of guilt. It had been three months. She should probably call, before it got complety too late in the evening.

Ignoring the multitude of voicemail message notifications, she pulled up her Mom's number and hit dial. It only took two rings before Isla's emotional voice could be heard on the other side of the line. Now, Colt had enjoyed being away from the technological world at Maeve's. Hell, there wasn't even a radio, never mind a television, but in this moment where she heard her mother's voice, for what felt like the first time in forever, she had never been so grateful for cellphones in all her life.

"Colt? Colt, is that you?" Isla asked, her voice breaking with emotion.

Instantly Colt regretted not calling sooner. Till she thought of the baby pictures that is.

"Hi, Mom." she smiled, feeling her chest tighten at her Mom's familiar accent.

"Oh, My Girl! It's really you." came Isla's response before she emitted a loud shriek. "Kalvin! Kalvin! It's Colt! She's on the phone. Get your backside in here now!"

Colt laughed as she envisioned the craziness going on with her parents, wherever they were, especially when she heard her father cuss out about stubbing his toe on the way to her Mom and the phone.

"I'm on speaker now, aren't I?" Colt asked, amused.

"Damn it! That hurt." Kalvin groaned, before remembering himself. "Princess, are you okay? Where are you? Do you want me to come get you?" He rambled, his fatherly instincts going into over drive.

"Now, is your toe alright Dad? Was it the door frame or Mom's mean dining table this time?" She laughed.

Isla yowled with laughter, and even Kalvin smiled at Colt's joke. They were just so relieved to hear her voice and that she was sounding happy.

Colt had slowed her driving, deciding to pull over since she was just a few miles from Elijah's house now. She needed some time to talk to her Mom and Dad.

"Where are you, Princess? Do you need me to come get you? Its no trouble. " Kalvin asked again, as Isla was becoming too emotional to talk now.

Colt sighed deeply, breathing in her parents, familiar attitudes as they spoke. "I arrived back in the United States a few hours ago. I'm in Georgia, on my way to see Mr. Lupus. Not that he knows yet." She began, but paused feeling a tension rising up through the phone.

The shift in her parent's mood was completely obvious at this comment, and Colt instantly knew she had missed something.

"We are on our way." Her Mom said, suddenly, her tears gone and her voice edged with determination.

"Mom, what's going on?" Colt asked, concerned, noticing the headlights of multiple vehicles, coming down the road behind her, the car in front swerving slightly before righting itself.

The other end of the line was silent for just that fraction too long, pulling Colts attention back to the conversation where she could feel something was really very wrong.

"Dad, what dont I know? " She tried again, feeling herself beginning to panic. Something was wrong, badly wrong, and Colt was completely out of the loop. "Is it Elijah? Is he okay?" She asked her panic becoming obvious to her parents, when it made he voice waver.

"No, Princess, no. Elijah is fine." Came her Dad's automatic response. Too automatic, he was hiding something.

"Well, that's debatable." Isla muttered in the background, freaking Colt out further.

"What, Mom?" Colt went on, not feeling any better, from their minimal revelation. "Is it Marcus then?" She asked, desperate to know what she had missed.

"No, Sweetie, Marcus and Marissa are fine. Its.. its.." Isla broke off, unable to continue.

"Damn it!" Colt swore, "What's happened?" She demanded, her own worry getting the better of her.

"Princess, you should pull over." Her Dad instructed steadily, trying to take control of the situation, while simultaneously find the right words.

"I already have. Now, tell me what is going on, please." Colt begged.

Kalvin sighed, "About eight weeks ago, Colt, there was a terror attack by a group of extreme human supremacists on a school." Kalvin gulped. "They killed eighteen shifter children, five human children, and three teachers. Before turning their weapons on themselves, like the cowards they were." He spoke in a monotone voice.

Colt stopped breathing, she knew it was coming. She could feel it in the very marrow of her bones. How could it not be, they were so cagey when she mentioned Elijah. If everything was alright, they would have just spat it out, in the first place. No, if everything was alright, then this information could have waited and they would be discussing anything else. Her eyes were already brimming with tears, and she could feel the bile rising in the back of her throat, both just waiting for complete confirmation to be released, all before her father continued.

"Colt, Nora was one of those children, she was killed in the attack."

Author's Note: Full disclosure, I have seriously struggled with this decision, but it is for the best of the story. Hope you liked the chapter..