Kayleb and Vanessa (5th in werewolf series)

Chapter Twenty-One

Kayleb walked into Vanessa's room the next morning to find her packing her things into a bag. He had seen Faith's things sitting by the front door and had known something was wrong.

"What are you doing?" he asked cautiously. Vanessa didn't look up from the clothes she was stuffing into the bag.

"I'm leaving, Kayleb." she said, fighting hard to hold back her tears. "Faith and I are going home."

"You and Faith are already home." Kayleb replied gently.

"No. We're leaving." she said again. Kayleb felt fear fill him. He couldn't lose Faith and Vanessa... His life would be over without them.

Vanessa turned and walked out of the room with the bag in her hands and he followed her down the stairs to the living room.

"Can I ask why you're leaving?" Kayleb asked.

"Because we aren't going to work." Vanessa replied.

"What in the hell do you mean we aren't going to work?" Kayleb demanded, his hurt and fear coming out as anger. "I love you and you love me, what's not going to work about that?" Vanessa turned to face him and her green eyes were swollen and red and her cheeks were wet with tears.

"We can't be together, Kayleb. I can't be immortal with you and watch my daughter grow old and die." Kayleb nodded and reached out for her but she pulled away.

"That's fine, Vanessa, you don't have to be immortal with me. Just don't leave me... I want to spend every day of the rest of your life with you." Neither of them realized they had an audience as the family heard the argument and came into the room.

"Don't' you understand, Kayleb?" Vanessa exclaimed as she wiped her face. "I'm doing what's best for everyone."

"Bull shit! You are not." Kayleb replied as tears filled his own eyes. "I love you and I can't lose you. You can't just walk away from me."

"You don't really love me." Vanessa replied, even though she knew he did. "It's just because I'm your mate, that's why this is so hard." Kayleb growled with anger and slammed his fist into the back of the couch.

"To hell with all this mate business! If that's all this was then I'd tell your ass to hit the road. After what I went through to get you back and now you're ready to leave me again! This is much more than just pain at losing my mate, Vanessa." he said putting his hand over his breaking heart. "I love you and I love that little girl and you cannot leave me." Vanessa felt her knees try to buckle beneath her as she sobbed.

"I have to." she gasped. "I've lost one child, Kayleb. I can't watch another one die...."

"Then don't." Kayleb said earnestly as he walked toward her and she backed away to avoid his touch. If he touched her she would give in and in her heart she knew that she was doing what she had to do. "We can be together for the rest of your life, Vanessa, and I will do everything I can to make the next sixty years or so as amazing as I can for you."

"I can't do that to you. It's not fair of me to ask you to watch Faith and I die in front of your eyes... Not when you love us so much."

"But it's fair to rip my damn heart out and throw it on the ground like it's nothing?" Kayleb demanded as tears poured down his face.

"Kayleb, please don't.... I will always love you but we don't fit together. I can't be immortal with you when my daughter is mortal and I can't ask you to tie yourself down to a woman who is going to grow old and waste away in front of you. This is what's best." Kayleb was silent a long while as he stared at her and finally he wiped his face and nodded.