"We had to live in hiding because of me."
"Hey, hey," Liam soothed, his hands rubbing circles on my back as he attempted to calm my hysteria.
"Tell me what happened in your dream. Maybe it'll help you understand why you're feeling this way." With Liam's gentle reassurance, I managed to piece together the horrifying details of my dream. As I recounted the events that unfolded in the standing stones, I saw Liam's expression darken.
When I mentioned about Alpha Trenton had been killed in an accident, he went quiet.
"Is something wrong?" I demanded, my eyes searching his face for answers.
"Erica..." Liam hesitated, clearly unsure of how to proceed. "Alpha Trenton didn't die in an accident. He was tortured and killed." My stomach churned at his words, and I couldn't hold back the horrified gasp that escaped my lips. This new information only served to confirm my deepest fears: I was a magnet for pain and suffering, and everyone around me would pay the price.
"God, this just proves it," I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Maybe I'm just poisonous," I whispered, my voice hoarse from crying. "Everyone I love seems to get hurt or killed because of me."
"Baby, you can't think like that," he insisted, his warm brown eyes filled with concern. He pulled me closer into his embrace, and I felt the steady rhythm of his heart against my cheek.
"You're not responsible for what happened." But the guilt weighed heavily on me, settling deep in my chest like a stone. The deaths of my parents, Alpha Trenton, and who knows how many others – it was all connected to me somehow. My inability to shift, the hidden power inside me... It was too much.
"Who's Christian?" Liam asked softly, breaking through my thoughts.
"Christian..." I choked out, fresh tears springing to my eyes. "He was Alpha Trenton's and Luna Becca's firstborn. He was supposed to be the Alpha heir of Moon Key pack." I paused, my breath hitching as memories of Christian flooded my mind.
"He died right in front of me, trying to protect me from the leader of the pack that attacked us." Liam's arms tightened around me, offering comfort as sorrow washed over me again.
"I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't know."
"Every time I think about him, I can't help but cry," I confessed, my body shaking with sobs. "He was so brave, and he didn't deserve what happened to him."
"Hey," Liam murmured, tucking a strand of my light red hair behind my ear. "It's okay to grieve. But you can't let this guilt consume you. We'll figure this out together, alright?" I nodded, my vision blurry with tears. Despite the overwhelming grief and guilt coursing through me, I couldn't deny the sense of warmth and security that Liam provided.
"Wait a second," Liam said, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. "Christian... was he the blond-haired lad with piercing blue eyes?"
"Y-yes," I stuttered, shocked that Liam would know him. "How do you know Christian?" A smile tugged at the corner of Liam's mouth as he looked at me warmly.
"We met before, when you were just a little girl." His brown eyes sparkled with nostalgia. "I used to call you 'kitten' back then. You'd follow me around everywhere, your light red hair bouncing as you tried to keep up." My eyes widened in realisation. I remembered the boy who called me 'kitten,' but I never knew it was Liam. How could I not have recognised him?
A flood of memories rushed back, filling me with warmth and longing for simpler times.
"Maybe we were always fated to be together," Liam continued, his voice soft and tender. "Even if we didn't know it yet." His words hung in the air between us, making my heart race.
"Erica?" Liam asked, concern etching his features as I pulled away from his embrace. "What's wrong?"
"I..." My voice trembled as I tried to find the right words. "I need to go back to my place. I need time to think."
"Think about what?" Liam's expression shifted to one of confusion, hurt flickering in his eyes. "About everything," I replied, barely managing to hold back tears.
I grabbed my duffel bag, hastily stuffing clothes and personal items inside as I tried to ignore Liam's gaze on me. It felt like a thousand needles pressing into my skin, each one pricking at my already fragile heart.
"How long will you need?" he finally asked, his voice strained.
"I don't know," I admitted with a heavy sigh, the weight of uncertainty crushing me.
"Are you going to your room, or... are you leaving me?" The hurt in his voice was almost too much for me to bear.
Unable to look him in the eye, I whispered, "I don't know that either." Gathering the last of my belongings, I pulled the zipper shut on my bag with a soft click. The sound seemed to reverberate through the room, echoing the finality of my decision.
"Sorry," I managed to choke out before slipping out the door, not daring to look back.
The moment I was outside Liam's room, I leaned against the wall, tears streaming down my face as if someone had opened a floodgate within me. All I wanted was to run back into his arms and tell him how much I loved him, but I couldn't. Not until I knew if our bond was real, and if he was safe around me. My mind raced with thoughts and doubts, spinning in circles like a whirlwind threatening to tear me apart. Was this fated bond genuine, or was it just an Alpha attraction? Did Liam truly love me, or was it my power that drew him in? As I stood there, my heart ached with longing and fear.
