"Okay, let's get moving," Frankie announced, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I've got to meet with the Alpha soon."
"Once that's done, you'll come back to the pack house, right?" Kaitlyn asked, her eyes filled with concern.
"Of course," Frankie reassured her, giving her hand a quick squeeze under the table. "I just need to get through this meeting first. Alpha stuff, you know?"
"Maybe we can invite Gen to join us too," Kaitlyn suggested, knowing how much I missed my best friend. "She's always been there for Erica and it might help to have her around." Frankie hesitated before responding.
"I'd love to, but we can't invite her until she's been cleared by the Alpha as well. You know how it is, everyone needs to be checked out before they're allowed in."
"Right," Kaitlyn sighed, disappointment evident in her voice. "Well, hopefully it won't be too long then."
"Hopefully," I echoed, trying to push down the nagging feeling of dread that had taken root inside me.
We finished our breakfast and piled into Frankie's car, a sleek black vehicle that matched her rebellious personality. As we drove back to the pack house, I couldn't help but notice the way Frankie and Kaitlyn interacted. They had grown more touchy-feely over time, their fingers brushing against each other as they adjusted the radio or shared a private smile when they thought I wasn't looking. It warmed my heart to see them so happy together, even if it was tinged with sadness. They felt the need to hide their love from the world, and it made me ache for them. My own heart still lay shattered and bruised, but I could appreciate the beauty of theirs. As the car pulled up in front of the pack house, Frankie and Kaitlyn seemed to snap back into "friend" mode. Their touches ceased, their smiles dimmed, and they looked like two people who merely tolerated each other's presence.
"Alright, I'll see you girls later," Frankie said, a forced casualness in her voice. "Remember, if you need anything, just call me."
"Thanks, Frankie," I murmured, feeling the weight of my own troubles pressing down on me. As much as I wanted to be there for my friends, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was drowning, sinking deeper with every passing moment.
As Kaitlyn and I approached the front door of the pack house, my eyes fell upon Wes, one of the guards that I recognised from before. He stood there, his usually stoic expression marred with worry and sadness. I couldn't help but think of how he must be feeling, knowing that Verity, who had just told us that Wes was her fated mate but her dad was kicking off about it, was potentially missing and presumed a traitor.
"Hey, Wes," I said softly, forcing a small smile to my face despite the ache in my heart. "How are you holding up?"
"Erica," he replied, his voice strained as he tried to maintain his composure. "I'm... surviving." My chest tightened at the sight of his pain. "I'm so sorry about Verity," I whispered, feeling the weight of his loss. "If there's anything we can do..."
"Thank you," he said, nodding curtly. "I appreciate it." Kaitlyn and I exchanged worried glances, but there was little else we could say or do to console him. As we entered the pack house, I couldn't help but think of how fragile happiness seemed to be in our world, so easily snatched away by fate, leaving only shadows in its wake.
"Frankie will be back soon," Kaitlyn murmured as she held the door open for me. Her face was pale, her eyes shadowed with concern for both Wes and our other friends. Together, we climbed the stairs to the Alpha floor, the weight of our own troubles pressing down on us with each step. When we reached the living room, we found the Alpha, the Luna, and the Beta huddled together over several piles of papers, deep in discussion. Their faces were drawn and serious, hinting at the gravity of the situation that had befallen our pack. The moment the Luna noticed us, she sprang up from her seat, concern etched across her face. She reached me in an instant, wrapping her arms around me in a comforting embrace.
"Erica, honey, is there anything we can do to help?" I leaned into her warmth, my heart aching as I whispered, "I just need my friends, and maybe some rest."
"Of course, dear," she replied, giving me one last squeeze before releasing me. The Alpha, who had been watching our exchange, turned his attention back to the papers strewn about the table. He rifled through them with purpose, finally extracting one and handing it to Gregg, the Beta.
"Call in the Sinclairs straight away."
"Thank you, Alpha," I managed to choke out. My gratitude was genuine; he knew how much I needed Gen's support right now. As Gregg left to make the call, Kaitlyn seized the opportunity to ask about Verity.
"Dad, has there been any word on Verity or her family?" His features tightened, and I could sense his frustration.
"No news yet, Kaitlyn. It seems that all of them, except for Grayson, are confirmed missing." Kaitlyn nodded solemnly, but her eyes were clouded with worry. The Luna, sensing the heaviness settling in the room, attempted to steer the conversation toward more practical matters.
"Erica, we've prepared a guest room for you and moved some of your belongings in there. Of course, once we've cleaned up the broken furniture in yours and Liam's room, you're welcome to move back in." My chest tightened at the thought of returning to that shattered space, where fragments of my life with Liam lay strewn like wreckage after a storm.
"Thank you, Luna," I said, my voice barely audible, "but I think... I think I should stay in the guest room for now."
"Whatever you need, dear," she replied gently, her eyes filled with understanding.
With a heaviness in my chest, I excused myself from the Luna's comforting presence and retreated to the guest bedroom. The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt the weight of my emotions pulling me down like quicksand. Shadows seemed to creep from every corner of the room, their tendrils reaching out, whispering that I was unworthy and undeserving of love.
"Enough," I muttered, trying to dispel the dark thoughts swirling around me.I climbed into the bed, the cold sheets enveloping my body as if they were trying to shield me from the pain outside. My eyes stung with unshed tears that threatened to spill over, but somehow, I managed to drift off into a dreamless sleep.
The buzzing of my phone tore me from my slumber. Groggy, I blinked at the screen and saw Liam's name displayed. My heart leaped into my throat, choking me with fear and anticipation. Could he reject me over the phone? Would he? As the call rang off, I noticed eight other missed calls from him. My hands trembled, and just as I considered turning off the phone to silence its insistent demands, it started buzzing again. Liam's name taunted me from the screen, and something inside me snapped.
"Leave me alone!" I screamed, hurling the phone against the wall with all the force I could muster. It shattered into pieces, scattering across the floor like shards of my broken heart. Tears streamed down my face as I stared at the wreckage, my chest heaving with sobs that shook my entire body.
The bedroom door burst open, startling me from my thoughts, and Frankie came rushing in, her black hair flying wild around her face. Jacob followed close behind, looking concerned.
"Erica!" Frankie exclaimed, her eyes flicking between me and the shattered remnants of my phone on the floor. "What happened?" I couldn't speak, choked by the sobs that still racked my body, so I just pointed weakly at the broken mess. Jacob crouched down to examine the wreckage, his hazel eyes narrowing as he pieced together what had transpired.
