He Will Be Mine

Chapter 36: Officially Over

I place the key on her dresser where the ring was and then leave, making my way through her apartment, dodging the onslaught of verbal and physical attacks as if she doesn't even exist. Once I reach the door, I open it and step into the hall, closing it in her face. She is, of course, not happy about that and tries to keep following me for a distance but seems to give up once I reach the door to outside. She's not wearing enough clothes to come after me, and I say a silent thanks to the universe for that.

Once I'm outside, I feel this bizarre mix of grief and relief hit me like a ton of bricks. I make sure I'm far enough from her apartment that she won't be able to see me before dropping to the ground and letting it all out. I don't even care that the snow is soaking through my jeans, or that my ass is frozen as soon as it touches the ground.

After my meltdown is finally over, and I've cried so much that it feels like I'm out of tears, I make it back to my apartment to find that no one is there. I check my phone to find not only concerned texts from Aly from last night, but also a text from her to let me know that they went to breakfast and invite me to join. I appreciate her care and concern more than she could ever understand, but I'm not feeling very social this morning, or very hungry, so I politely decline.

The timing of this whole thing with Jess is horrible. I still have a paper to write today and was hoping to get in some studying for my exams tomorrow, but now my brain is stuck in grief mode and I'm not sure if I'll be able to focus on any of it. I decide to pack up my bag anyway just in case I get over myself in time to get some work done at the library, but in the meantime, I'll be at the nature park. If there's any place that can restore my peace and sanity, it's there.

*** Alyssa's POV ***

When we get back from breakfast, Matt is still gone. My gut is telling me he's at the nature park because that's where he goes when he needs space or privacy. Part of me wants to give him that space and focus on finishing up my final papers, but mostly I can't handle the idea of leaving him alone when he's upset. He may think he wants space, but that's because he doesn't know I can help comfort him.

"Just go," Tyler interrupts my thoughts.

I'm sitting on his bed supposed to be listening to him, but my head and my heart are with Matt right now. He needs me more, and Mari is restless with wanting for our mate.

"Go?" I ask, wondering if I heard him right and what he meant by it.

"Yeah. I have a feeling you know where Matt is and want to be with him, so go. He needs you."

Not only has he read my mind, but he doesn't seem upset about it. He's been just as concerned about Matt as I have, same as Trevor and Meredith. Matt was pretty much all we talked about over breakfast.

"You're amazing, Tyler," I tell him for probably the hundredth time. I crawl over him and give him a kiss, then hurriedly collect my things and head out to find Matt.

"I know!" he calls after me.

I toss my overnight bag in the backseat next to the backpack I brought "just in case" I had time to tend to my schoolwork, but I never touched it. I've always been the sort of student who treats homework as more of an afterthought, low on the list of priorities. My grades have never really suffered from it, so I have no motivation to change my habits anytime soon. At least with it in the car, it remains an option wherever I go.

Matt's van is parked in the lot at the nature park, as I expected. I pull in next to where he is parked and notice that he isn't in there. He must be out walking around already. I get out and take a good sniff to catch his scent, Mari chiding me about how she would be better at this. True, but terrifying him with a big black wolf doesn't seem like the best way to soothe him.