CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 25: BROKEN TRUST

"I’m gonna leave ’coz I don’t feel comfortable here. I’ll be back before sunset," I say, my voice trembling.

Alpha Torrin nods dismissively without glancing at me, his gaze still drifted toward the sky.

I leave the hotel and meet Harper at a nearby coffee shop. The moment we sit at a table in the corner, tears gush down my eyes and soft sobs escape my lips.

Harper holds my hand tightly. "Do you still wanna fight for Alpha Torrin? Or should we just leave him, all of them, and live peacefully like we’ve always planned?"

The second option may be the best one at this point. But I’m not that selfish to abandon Alpha Torrin when he needs me the most, especially when I’m the main reason why Damian has gone desperate and turned him into what he is now.

"I’ll get through this. Don’t worry," I say with a shaky smile.

"What are you gonna do if, after Alpha Torrin manages to take back his pack, he still doesn’t remember you or his bond with you?" she asks.

A strained sigh slips from me.

I’ve never truly thought about that, because deep down, I’m still optimistic that everything will work out in our favor for as long as we don’t give up.

My silence prompts Harper not to pressure me anymore.

To lighten my mood, Harper changes the topic and talks about her new work and how much she enjoys it. She even promises to treat me once she receives her first salary.

This small chat warms me up, making me set aside all of my problems for the time being.

After our coffee break, we go to a park to enjoy the fine weather. We sit on the swings and watch the children with their parents playing and guffawing.

I remember our parents and our home before they were brutally taken away from us. We weren’t rich nor poor, but we were well-fed, happy, and most importantly, complete.

For so long, I’ve tried my best not to revisit my childhood memories because they only make me sadder. They make me compare how good my life once was to how terrible it is now.

I wonder: will I be happy and at peace if the Shadowfang Pack still exists?

Probably.

Will I be in a better situation if I don’t have a mate?

More likely, since my problems always start with having a mate.

It’s crazy to think that Harper and I were once associated with the Dunebourne and Frostveil Packs, two of the many packs that united to annihilate ours. That’s obviously the reason why I can’t be truly happy or at peace.

With newfound courage, I hold Harper’s hand and say, "After I help Alpha Torrin get back his pack, and if he still refuses to trust me or tries to fix our bond, let’s leave far away from them. That’s a promise."

Harper smiles, tears of joy glistening in her eyes. "I’ll wait until that day comes."

She may not say it out loud, but I’m starting to realize she’s always been against me having mates. Perhaps she’s jealous that I can’t be there for her all the time because of them, or maybe she’s simply being protective since they’re wolves from powerful and greedy packs. Either way, I’ll make her my priority again once I’ve accomplished what I promised to accomplish.

Suddenly, a call pulls me out of the moment.

When I pick up my phone, Eric’s worried voice echoes, "Ms. Hale, just wanna let you know that Atticus and Damian just had a meeting to find you and Alpha Torrin no matter what. They’ll make sure they’ll successfully get rid of Alpha Torrin this time. Atticus also wants you punished for betraying him, but Damian is against it. Please be careful, as I, together with many others, am hoping that you’ll come back for us. Just tell us when; we’re ready whenever you are."

"Thank you. Please buy me some more time," I reply.

I frantically glance around, paranoid that Atticus’ lapdogs may be watching us from the shadows.

But,...

Instead of pale-haired werewolves, I notice brunette-haired ones with the Dunebourne sigil attached to the chest area of their clothes.

Harper and I sprint and crouch behind the big, helical slide. We hug each other, our hands pressed over our mouths to avoid making even the slightest noise.

Two of them close in on us.

"If our intel is correct, then we’ll definitely find those Shadowfang girls soon," one says.

"I’m not sure if we should trust the new Frostveil Alpha or not," the other one says. "But I understand why Alpha Philip and Luna Lavinia agree with his proposal of experimenting on those Shadowfang wolves. I mean it’s tempting. Imagine giving both packs’ militaries the power that the world once feared."

A soft gasp escapes Harper, prompting the Dunebourne wolves to look around.

Just as I ready myself to wolf out, a third Dunebourne werewolf calls to them, "We’re done searching around. No one seems to recognize them, so they’re most likely not here."

Harper and I release a simultaneous breath of relief when they disappear from our sights.

"Harleigh, you and Alpha Torrin aren’t safe here. Come with me to the Dingle Valley. The wolves there won’t surrender us to our enemies. It’s part of their ideology not to let any pack’s greed and politics defy their peaceful way of life."

Without hesitation, I agree.

Harper and I hurry back to the hotel where Alpha Torrin is preparing dinner.

He looks down after a few seconds of meeting my eyes. "I’m not sure what you want for dinner, so I just cooked what’s available to buy in the hypermarket on the ground floor."

"Thank you. But we gotta go now. We can’t stay here for too long," I say, then explain what Harper and I found out.

Though dubious, he doesn’t argue nor ask a question and just comes with us.

But,...

As we wait for a taxi a block away from the hotel, a voice rumbles through the air, "There they are!"

Chills squirm through me, making me quiver in fear.

The tree Dunebourne we’ve seen earlier wolves out, baring their canines at us.

I force my books into Harper’s arms and point her toward a motorcycle parked nearby.

"You go first. We’ll follow as soon as we can," I say.

Harper hesitates. "I’m not that good at driving that."

"But you’re also not that good at fighting these wolves without having your own wolf yet," I remind her.

With that, she rushes to the motorcycle and speeds away.

The owner chases after her, yelling in anger, but when he realizes how desperate the situation is, he flees to avoid getting entangled with us.

Alpha Torrin still seems hesitant, even though I’ve already explained everything that needed to be explained.

"I understand that you’re still doubtful and still don’t have the will to do what’s necessary. But whether you like it or not, you have to fight if you wanna survive," I hiss in frustration.

I wolf out, then lunge at the Dunebourne wolves just as they all charge toward us at once.

My claws slice their skin as I dodge their attacks. One wolf crashes against the pavement, another recoils from my strike. But the third slams into my side, knocking the breath out of me.

My strength falters. Claws tear through my shoulder, canines graze my ribs, and warm blood drips down my black fur.

I stagger back, panting, my vision spinning. All the while, Alpha Torrin just watches in horror.

Is he just gonna watch me get killed?

Then I remember my dream a few days back, when I was begging for his help, but he turned his back on me and left.

Is that dream really a warning like I fearfully thought it was?

As the fight continues, I plod on the ground, my limbs shaking.

One of the Dunebourne wolves targets my throat with his canines, making me hiss in pain. But before he can fatally sink them through my jugular veins, Alpha Torrin finally wolfs out and comes to my rescue.

The Dunebourne wolf jerks back in surprise as Alpha Torrin charges forward with a furious roar. He slams into him with force strong enough to crack bones.

Relief floods me, mixing with exhaustion.

Alpha Torrin continues to attack with savage precision, his claws ripping through the first wolf’s throat in one swift strike. The second leaps at him, but he twists, sinking his canines into her neck and snapping it with brutal force. The third tries to flee, but Alpha Torrin pins him down, tearing through his chest until he stops moving.

Blood stains Alpha Torrin’s white, silvery fur, his breaths sharp and wild.

He then shifts into his human form, lifts me carefully into his arms, and whispers, "I don’t wanna die without fully remembering why I’m targeted to die. Your stories about me aren’t enough to help, but your actions may be. Make me remember everything... including my bond with you. I don’t care anymore how you wanna do it."

"But,..."

"If it fails, then we’ll have to go our separate ways to protect ourselves. I don’t wanna get involved with your issues, and vice versa."