Chapter 35 35
POV EZQUIEL
He was sitting on my bed. I walked past him and pulled the suitcase out from under it.
Maybe I wouldn’t be coming back here. Maybe… I wouldn’t return at all. I wanted to run, escape, say nothing, talk to no one, and run—run until I felt like I disappeared.
The pain in my chest kept growing, but I couldn’t sit down and give in to it, let it consume me. I couldn’t.
I couldn’t pay attention to it, even with the howls of pain my wolf released when Lois accepted my rejection.
I wanted to disappear somewhere quiet so I could lick my wounds and suffer far away from everyone.
He accepted my rejection.
It was what he had to do, but…
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Emmanuel asked.
“Take care of her. Make sure she comes to live here—don’t let her be alone, away from you. Remember that all of this is new for her, not just the place. The least you can do is make sure she’s close. Keep trying, until you manage it. I don’t see the point in you being separated.”
“Ezequiel, you can talk to me. You know I’m not referring to Lois.”
No.
He was referring to the fact that it was me—and it would always be me—who had to sacrifice himself for Emmanuel.
“It’s only my duty, Emma. I was stupid to… accept Lois. I guess I got a little blinded. And to think I wanted her to believe there wouldn’t be consequences. I feel like a fool, Emma.”
“But you’re not a fool.”
He stood from the bed and pulled my hands away from the suitcase, placing them over his.
“You’re not a fool. I’m so sorry you’re the one who has to step aside, I’m so sorry you have to leave now and… leave us. I hope that someday everything will be resolved, that when I become Alpha many things can change.”
He hugged me. I moved my arms to hug him back, letting my head rest on his shoulder.
“I’ll miss you.”
“And we’ll miss you. As soon as we can, we’ll visit you. Lois has to know our city and everything there—that’ll be the perfect moment for the three of us to see each other again.”
“I’m…”
I clung to his back, burying my face in his neck.
Emma hugged me tighter, and my words couldn’t make it out because my tears formed a massive knot in my throat.
“I know, Eze. I know—and she knows too. We’ll find a way, I promise.”
“I don’t want to leave… I didn’t want to reject her… I don’t want to leave! I want to be close to Lois, I need to be close to her.”
I let go, and the pain began taking over me. Emma helped me sit down, and I felt my body starting to tense up; the more I thought about Lois, the worse it got.
A scream tore out of me, and my brother held me down on the bed when my body started moving uncontrollably. Soon it became so intense I felt like I couldn’t bear it.
I pressed my hands against my legs, my body jolting violently. I felt my nails lengthening and a harsh tremor ran through me.
I screamed in pain when my legs snapped as they stretched.
“Hold on, Ezequiel!” Emma grabbed my face, pressing his forehead to mine.
“Please… hold on. I need you to hold on.”
“I don’t want to leave.”
The more I thought about everything, the more control I lost over my body. My wolf wanted to come out—violently.
“What is happening here?!”
It was my father’s voice.
I felt my mother’s hands on my face. She placed a kiss on my forehead and leaned over me.
Her fingers pressed on my chest, sliding down to my stomach, and there she pressed harder—until she knocked the air out of me.
My mouth opened searching for air, but she covered it with her hand. My eyes shot open, and I looked at Emma for help. Father held my arms down, preventing me from doing anything. Emma froze.
He watched what they were doing to me.
I shook my head—I needed to breathe, I needed to move.
My mother’s hand kept pressing, and my body filled with tremors.
My vision started blurring from lack of oxygen, but because of that my body stopped stretching, and my wolf sank back. I closed my eyes and let go, feeling Emma’s hand holding me firmly.
“I’ll always be with you.”
Those were the last words I heard from Emma before I lost consciousness.