He’d noticed she was there. With a grab of her hand and a pull forcing her arm and body closer, Dylan snuggled into her deeper. No matter how long this lasted physically, this feeling would last forever.
* * *
“Willow?”Flora called out, heading down the hall. The nerves were starting to eat at her. It was breakfast time,Packbreakfast time. The Enchanted Pack ate breakfast every morning together. This morning Willow, Luxe, and Flora were invited to join the morningPackactivity. More than invited, they were commanded by the alpha himself to be at the breakfast table with the rest of his Pack while they stayed at their house. For the sake of Flora’s ego, she’d pretend Jackson invited them instead of demanding them.
When she awoke, Dylan was gone, and the bed was cold. Flora saw the paper invitation sitting on his nightstand, informing her to be present at breakfast. That’s where Dylan must have been. Her brows furred together as she rolled her shoulders back, why didn’t he wake her up and take her with him? What the hell was up with that? Her panther was uneasy, shaking from within. She was pissed at being left alone too. Time was running at high-speed as she got ready for the day. Not only was she being forced into unknown territory of Pack life, Dylan also left her high, dry, and alone. Her wildcat was pissed.
So now here she was, getting Willow of all people to come down to breakfast. A faint call back came from the room Willow and Luxe were sleeping in. Hearing Willow’s voice, Flora quickened her steps, worry sitting heavy on her chest. Willow hadn’t come down for breakfast. No whisper, no hurried rush, nothing. The whole Pack (plus Luxe) sat at the table and waited. They actually waited for Willow to make her appearance before they would pick up their forks. It was the weirdest experience Flora had ever had. She couldn’t volunteer fast enough to go searching for the missing woman.
“Not to rush you.”But to rush you. “We’re waiting for you at the table for breakfast,” Flora said through the door. What she really wanted to do was to bust through the door and make sure her friend was okay. Willow was always on time. Always. So, for her to not show up on schedule, left an uncomfortable feeling in the air.
“I’ll be down in a minute. I’m so sorry,” Willow rushed out, her curls a mess and her face holding nothing. She was a blank slate. The glow she normally had was gone and her eyes looked sunken in.
“Wait.” Flora paused, grabbing her arm to stop her in the hallway. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll share at breakfast, I’m already late. Let’s go.” Willow took her hand and Flora just followed like a lost puppy. Willow was sad, something was tearing at her, so it was tearing at Flora too.
Taking their seats, everyone’s plates were still empty. Not a single crumb was found out of place or by anyone’s mouth. They really waited. Sitting next to Dylan, Flora's fingers followed the rim of her empty plate while she tried not to stare at Willow. Willow was taking short steps and her gaze was focused on the table as if she was in deep thought. Something was wrong with her best friend, and it sent chills down Flora’s spine. She’d never seen her like this.
“Are you okay, Willow?” Jackson asked from his spot at the head of the table. Concern was laced in his voice. He took the first serving, placing a single pancake he’d made onto his plate. Pack members followed his lead, beginning to grab pancakes and bacon, filling their plates and Flora soon followed their lead of grabbing food and placing it on her plate once she got the hint.
“I have an announcement to make if you don’t mind,” Willow said, glancing around at everyone.
24
FLORA
Flora placed a comforting hand on Willow’s thigh — this sudden need for an announcement was news to her as much as it was to everyone else. Luxe’s eyes pierced into Willow’s before they moved on to Flora’s. She also had no idea what this was about.
“Go ahead,” Jackson gestured to Willow that the space is open for her to continue.
“I have to leave,” Willow rushed out, looking at Flora, regret and a slimmer of something else in her gaze. Something that looked close to heartbreak. Although they had been friends for a while now, they didn’t dive into each other’s past, but now Flora was wishing they had.
“Why?” Flora whispered.
“Something…something important...has come up back home and I need to take care of it.” Willow took Flora’s hand from her thigh and held it in her hands, squeezing as she spoke.
“Now, you know that is not the most ideal option. If you leave, we can’t keep you safe from whatever Cassandra and Romeo have in the works,” Jackson said. He couldn’t order her to stay because he wasn’t her Alpha. Though Flora wasn’t sure if Jackson would do something like that, it seemed his Pack was free to make their own decisions. It was another stereotype the Enchanted Pack broke.
“I wouldn’t go if I didn’t have to,” Willow confirmed. “My family needs me.” There was no changing her mind about this; there was a resolve in her voice that Flora could read from a mile away. Whatever it was, it was serious, and she had to go. Flora could reason with that; she was coming back.
“Come back as fast as you can, please,” Flora mumbled. She stood to pull Willow into a hug. The heavy tension sitting in Flora’s chest became more and more unbearable. Why the hell was she so emotional? The tears she had to work like hell to hold back seemed obsessive.
Willow would come back.
“I will,” Willow confirmed.
“When are you leaving?” Eddie asked, his low, toneless voice filtering into the conversation. He looked almost as distressed as Flora. Worry bushed his eyebrows together. His freshly done braids contrasted with the wilting emotion he was exuding.
“Now, or after breakfast.”
“Are you going to tell us why you’re leaving?” Luxe blurted out, her brown narrowed eyes shooting to Willow. As independent as their little group was, they hadn’t been apart since they met five years prior. It was a foreign feeling to be left and Flora couldn’t stand it. This felt wrong. Something was wrong and it was up to Willow to share what was wrong.
“I’d prefer not to, not now anyways. Maybe someday.”
Damn, not only was she leaving, she wasn’t going to tell them why. It seemed like another blow to the gut.
“That’s okay, no pressure,” Flora mumbled out quickly, not feeling the assurance she meant to give. A large, warm, hand from the familiar man sitting beside her landed on her leg. He did nothing more than rest a hand on her lower thigh. No eye-contact. No fleeting moment, nothing. The hand lying on her thigh only lasted seconds. Cold air washed over her once warm leg, adding to the mountain of emotions she was feeling. What the hell was that?
