Chapter 119: Mind Of Yours
Meredith ran and ran. She didn't stop, not even for a moment. She didn't slow down when Damien called from behind her. She didn't even breathe, despite her lungs screaming for her to do so.
She sprinted through the door, her feet barely touching the wooden floor as she rushed down the grand staircase. Her heart pounded in her chest. Sweat trickled down her temples. But still, she ignored the burning in her lungs.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as memories of her time with Damien flooded her mind.
She heard Xavier and Magnus call her name behind her, but they didn't stop her. Because they knew. They knew that nothing they said could hold her together now. Not after what she had just seen. Not after what she had just lost.
The moment she burst through the packhouse doors, the afternoon sun blinded her. But it was nothing compared to the fire inside her chest. Her legs trembled beneath her. She had nowhere to go, but she still ran away. She clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms, trying to anchor herself to the present.
The world around her seemed to tilt, the faces of those she passed becoming indistinct figures in her blurry vision.
And then, she froze.
Standing just a few feet away, waiting at the bottom of the stone steps, was Nicholas Caldwell. His handsome features had aged. His usually towering posture seemed smaller, as though time itself had begun weighing him down heavily.
His shoulders drooped, and the lines on his face had deepened. His once-bright eyes were now clouded with grief that seemed to have seeped into his very soul.
And when his weary eyes met hers, Meredith felt her entire being shiver. All the emotions swirled there, buried within his gaze.
Meredith's breath hitched. Her lips parted, but the words got stuck in her throat. She couldn't speak. She could barely move. She knew exactly why he was there.
Because of her. Because of what she had done.
Her hands trembled at her sides. Her knees almost buckled. Her mind raced with memories of her time with Catarina, the trust she had shattered. Every memory was a dagger, twisting deeper into her heart.
But somehow, she found her voice. "I'm sorry..."
It was barely above a whisper, but Nicholas heard it. His face didn't change. Meredith felt her chest tighten painfully.
"I'm so sorry…" A sob tore through her throat. “I... I should have never left.” Her hands fisted at her sides. “If I had stayed... If I had been—” Her voice cracked, her shoulders shaking violently. “She would still be alive.”
Nicholas inhaled slowly, deeply. His gaze remained steady. And then, without a word, he moved forward.
Meredith flinched, expecting him to hurt her, but instead, Nicholas wrapped his arms around her firmly. As if he had been holding himself together for years and had finally let go.
Meredith's lips quivered, and then she broke, collapsing against him. Her fingers gripped his shirt. She trembled as she sobbed against his chest.
Nicholas didn't say anything. He didn't push her away. His own shoulders shook. His chin rested atop her head, and for the first time since she had seen him, she heard his quiet sobs.
They stood there, holding each other, crying for the woman they had both lost. For the mother Meredith had failed. For the mate Nicholas would never see again. For the love that had been stolen from them both.
And as the wind whispered through the trees, Meredith realized something.
Grief never truly fades... It just lingers like a shadow. A reminder of what once was. And what will never be again.
Meredith's chest rose and fell rapidly as they pulled away from each other.
Behind her, heavy footsteps approached. She felt them right away. Xavier and Magnus had followed her. They always did. They had never let her go.
She turned slightly, her tear-streaked face catching the setting sun. She saw Xavier cautiously step forward. His gaze quickly snapped toward his father.
"What are you doing here?" Xavier's voice was soft this time.
Nicholas Caldwell stood silent, staring straight at Meredith, and that made her chest tighten painfully.
“I just wanted to see her...” Nicholas finally said.
Xavier stiffened. “Why, Dad?”
Nicholas inhaled deeply before looking at his son. "Because it's time, Xavier," he said. "Time to tell everyone the truth..."
Meredith's pulse pounded violently in her ears. The truth...
Xavier's brows furrowed, his lips parting slightly as if to ask what it was. But Meredith couldn't stay to hear it. She couldn't. She didn't want them to know. What did it matter now? Nothing could change what had already been lost.
Before Xavier could demand more answers, before Nicholas could say more, before Magnus could reach for her, Meredith turned and ran once more into the nearby forest.
"Little Wolf!" Magnus's shout echoed through the woods.
Meredith's legs moved on their own, her bare feet pounding against the ground. The trees blurred past her. Branches scraped against her skin, but she barely felt anything. Because there was only one thought consuming her right now.
Run. Run, because she couldn't face it. Run, because she didn't want to hear it. Because whatever truth Nicholas had, it was too late.
Too damn late to change anything.
I've already lost Damien, she thought. I've already ruined everything...
Her lungs burned, but she pushed forward.
I just have to go—
Muscular arms caught her from behind.
She screamed, thrashing violently, but she couldn't free herself.
"Stop it!" Magnus thundered in her ear. "Damn it, Little Wolf!"
His arms were like steel, pinning her against him. She twisted, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"Let me go!" she screamed.
"Meredith!" Xavier snapped from nowhere, stepping in front of her. His hands immediately gripped her shoulders, forcing her to face him. "You promised! You fucking promised you wouldn't run away!"
Meredith fought harder, struggling against Magnus's grip, but to no avail.
"You don't understand!" she cried.
"Then make us understand!" Xavier roared back. "Just tell us everything inside that mind of yours..."
Meredith quickly went still. Her chest heaved.
For the first time in years, she felt how much it hurt them. To see her like this and not be able to do anything.
Her knees buckled, and Magnus immediately softened his hold, catching her before she collapsed.
She let out a choked sob. "I just wanted to be happy..." she whispered. "But why..."
Magnus’s arms tightened around her, steadying her as she shook violently in his hold.
Xavier's face twisted, his jaw clenching so tightly it looked like it might break.
Meredith felt like she was falling apart, unraveling before them. The weight of everything was crushing her.
Xavier scoffed, shaking his head. His hands clenched at his sides. "Happy?! Meredith, do you even fucking hear yourself?"
She flinched, but he wasn't done. He exhaled shakily, rubbing a hand over his face before muttering, "We're so tired of all this shit, Meredith..."
Xavier lifted his gaze to hers. "We're tired of chasing you," he said. "I'm tired of waiting for you to stop running, tired of holding onto someone who doesn't even want to be held anymore."
Meredith opened her mouth, but no words came.
Xavier let out a breath of laughter. "If you really want to go… then just fucking go, Meredith."
Meredith's breath hitched. Behind her, Magnus went still.
For a moment, the only sound was the wind rustling the trees.
Then, slowly, Magnus’s arms around her loosened. "If this is what you really want," he murmured, "then go, Little Wolf..."
Meredith's breath shuddered. This was her moment.
I should just run again, right? she asked herself. It's just easier to leave everything behind. My past. My mistakes. Them.
Her legs tensed. She could do it. But then, she shook her head, and everything inside her shattered.
"No," she whispered.
Xavier's eyes narrowed slightly. Magnus stiffened.
"I don't…" she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't want to leave you. Not again. Not ever."
Xavier's eyes flickered, but he didn't move.
Meredith turned to Magnus, gripping the front of his shirt. "I... I know I messed up. I know I hurt all of you. I know I'm crazy. But…" She sucked in a sharp breath. "I don't want to run anymore."
A tense silence fell.
Then, without a word, Magnus exhaled through his nose and tugged her forward into his arms, burying his face in her shoulder.
Meredith held onto him desperately.
Xavier cursed under his breath. "You're such a fucking mess," he muttered hoarsely. His hands trembled as they ran through his hair. "But I love you so much more because of it."
Meredith let out a choked laugh between her tears.
Then, without warning, Xavier grabbed her wrist and yanked her against him. His forehead pressed against hers.
"You better not fucking regret this," he whispered.
Meredith smiled through her tears. "I won't."
She wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, inhaling shakily. Her heart still pounded against her ribs. She lifted her gaze to Magnus and Xavier, who watched her so intently.
"Do you truly trust me?" she whispered out of nowhere.
Magnus and Xavier exchanged glances. Their eyes darkened slightly, but they didn't hesitate and just nodded right away.
She cleared her throat. "Then come with me..."
Xavier exhaled through his nose, crossing his arms. “You don't even have to ask.”
Magnus grunted. “We've followed you through hell and back anyway.”
Xavier's lips curled into a small smirk, though his eyes held something softer. “Just take us wherever you go. That's all we want in this world. To always be beside you, Meredith...”
Meredith's chest tightened as warmth bloomed deep inside her. They meant it. Even after everything.
Slowly, a shaky smile formed on her lips. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Magnus’s eyes narrowed slightly. Xavier tilted his head. “Who?”
Meredith hesitated. Her fingers curled into fists.
This was it. This was the moment everything would change for the best.
She took a deep breath and whispered, "You'll see..."
Xavier raised a brow but sighed dramatically. "Fine, but if this is some elaborate way to finally dump us, I'm going to be really pissed—"
Magnus elbowed him sharply.
Xavier groaned. “Damn, Magnus! That was my rib—”
Magnus rolled his eyes but then turned back to Meredith.
“Lead the way, Little Wolf,” he murmured. “Wherever you go, we go...”
Meredith's throat tightened. She swallowed hard, then turned toward the path leading back into the world she had left behind.
And for the first time, she wasn't afraid to face it.
Because now, she wasn't doing it alone.
Finally, she told herself. They will get to meet their sons...