Bloodbond

Chapter 10

The second I got to my apartment, I rushed upstairs and called Sara.

"Hey, Cas. What's up?" As soon as I heard her voice, I burst into tears. She was the only one I felt okay crying around and I'd been holding it in all day. I needed to get it out and I needed to hear her voice.

"Cas! Cas, what's wrong?" Sara's voice was filled with concern. I knew she was worried about me, but the tears just kept on coming. I couldn't seem to stop myself.

Sara waited a few minutes for me to calm down. When the sobs had died down and only the occasional hiccup could be heard, she tried again.

"Cassia, will you please tell me what's wrong?"

I wiped the tears from my face before answering her. "I can't, Sara. You'll never believe me." My words sounded hopeless. It was true, though. Even I had a hard time believing me and it was happening to me. It's not everyday that someone tells you werewolves were real and that you were involved in some near battle between two rival packs. I didn't really feel up to having that lovely conversation with her.

"That's not true. You know I'll always believe you," she pleaded.

"I just wish you were here."

"Do you need me to come back? Because I will in a heartbeat," she said in a rush.

"No! No, you and Michael deserve to spend some time together. I was just having a random break down. Things are just really stressful right now and I'm having a hard time dealing with it all."

She was silent a moment and, when she finally did speak, you could tell that she didn't quite believe me. Thankfully, she didn't push me on it. She knew me well.

"Alright. But if you need me to come, no matter where I am or what time it is, I will. Okay? I just want you to be okay."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "I know. That means a lot. I'll be fine. I'm sorry I interrupted your time with Michael. I know this wasn't really something you needed right now."

"Oh, hush. You know I'm always here for you," she scoffed.

"I love you, Sar-bear," I chirped, feeling somewhat lighter from my brief conversation with her. She could always make me feel better.

"I love you, too, Cas." We said our good byes and I hung up, feeling completely drained. I know it was only seven o'clock, but I literally had nothing left in me. All I wanted was to sleep, so I went up the stairs and climbed into my bed, curling into a little ball. I didn't care that I was still dressed. I fell asleep immediately.

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Two days had gone by and I'd heard nothing from Gabriel. Claire had called and texted me a few times, seeing how I was doing and letting me know what was going on. I was grateful she wanted to fill me in. Even though she had been completely understanding about my decision to go home, I was still worried that Gabriel would convince her I was being stupid. Even if he had tried, he apparently failed. Guess it worked out for me.

I'd gone to my parent's the day before, but I decided that I wanted to stay home today. I felt even less inclined to socialize than I normally do, and that's saying something. Going out only brought me anxiety and I had enough of that as it was.

 It was four in the afternoon before I heard a knock at the door. Dealing with all this werewolf stuff made me extra cautious and I knew that I wasn't expecting anyone. There were no packages that hadn't been delivered and the mail deliveryman had already come and gone that morning. I couldn't imagine who would be at the door now, but it was making me nervous. Okay, calm down now, Cassia. Let's be rational. What could possibly happen in the middle of the day, with all the world to see?