Born To Fly

Eighteen--Broken

Eighteen

I stood there until night fall, waiting for him to come back. Soon my mother came out to get me and she called for my father. He picked me up and carried me to my room and just laid me on my bed. My mother came in a few hours later with a tray of food.

"Alice? Are you awake?"

"Yes." She sat the food down on my desk and came over to the bed and she touched my shoulder. I wasn't crying, I was beyond that point, everything was hopeless; nothing mattered to me without him.

"Mom?" She looked at me with sad eyes.

"Will he come back?" And she looked away and that was answer enough.

"For your sake I hope he does, but for his? I pray not."

"Why?'

"One because your father is nearly ready to go track him down and kill him for hurting his baby girl; and two because of his own father getting ready for the fight you promised him." I had forgotten about that part. I had been so stuck in my own little world that I had forgotten about my duties.

"I need to call the pack together."

"Your father is having a meeting now; they all understand why you are not there. They don't expect you to be; just rest for now. Gather your heart and try to fit it back together before he comes back." She pressed a kiss to my temple and got up to leave. Her perfum was so relaxing it made the pain lessen.

"Mom?" She stopped at the door and I rolled over; and I felt the tears come finally.

"Will you lay with me for a little bit? Just until I fall asleep." She smiled so sadly at me and walked back to the bed. She laid down and wrapped her arms around my shoulders and I hid my face in her shoulder and I just cried myself to sleep.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

I woke and I was alone in bed, and the house felt cold. Even though the heat was on. I walked downstairs and everyone was still here. They were all asleep; but still at the house. I got something to eat and I just looked out the window. The snow would be coming back soon; and the sun would leave for awhile. Today was the day it was supposed to happen. This was the day that the rouge pack began to fear my name like they should. I couldn't hold my head high just yet; but by the time we had to meet them I would be fine. With my parents there....but Joel wouldn't be. He wouldn't be there to support me. How as I supposed to do this without him? He was the one person who gave me the strenght I needed and then if I didn't have it he was there to pick up the pieces of whatever was damaged. My mother was the next person awake she came over and stood next to me looking out over the frosted ground.

"We will be right beside you no matter what happens. I promise." She kissed my head and walked to the stove and started breakfast. I walked upstairs and sat down at my desk chair and just looked at myself in the mirror that hung above the desk. My face was clear, and my skin aorund my eyes didn't look puffy at all, but my eyes themselves appeared dead. There was no light; not curiousity of any kind. My father walked in and he looked at me.

"Bailey?"

"Yes daddy?" I turned and looked at him. He knelt in front of me and touched my face.

"He'll come back."

"Mom said that you would kill him."

"Not kill him; just hurt him really bad." I managed a small smile for him and he kissed my forehead the way I always wished my father would.

"Come on, we need to wake the rest of the pack up and go to the meeting." I smiled and nodded. He left and I got dressed. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and walked downstairs. The boys were devouring the food my mother had made and I grabbed an orange and leaned against the counter. And Ally was watching me; her eyes were concerned, but I waved it away and started to peel my orange. I didn't know how I knew where we would meet; but I knew. The only meadow in these woods. It would give us the privacy we needed for whatever happened. It wasn't far from the house, I could walk it in human form. After I was finished everyone's attitude changed and I wasn't ready. I looked to my parents, and they gave me as much support as they could; but they weren't Joel. I needed Joel for this. I walked outside and they followed me. They were there for me. None of them would leave me. We walked to the meadow and I stopped at the woodline. I nodded for everyone to change and I stepped forward. And the alpha male of their pack stepped forward.