The Song Of The Wolf (Unedited)

Chapter Nine

She watched him, searching his face for an answer. Seconds ticked by and he remained silent, looking anywhere but her.

"Why?" She emphasised.

Still, he refused to look at her.

"Either explain or leave." She said, her face now painted with two streams of angry tears which she wiped away.

The statement appeared to be efficient though, as Bear raised his eyes. Taking notice of her damp cheeks, he moved forward, his face settling into a look of regret. But as he did, she staggered back.

"I'm so disappointed in you. But most of all, I'm disappointed in myself for putting my heart on the line for someone who can't even be honest with me." Maebh said.

Bear's mouth twisted into a pained grimace. "I can't tell you. You'll leave me if I do."

"Then don't. Mutual affection is as important as mutual respect, which our so-called relationship obviously lacks."

"Respect? What does this have to do with respect?"

"You're filling in the blanks for me, already deciding what I'll do before you've even told me! You're taking decisions for me again. And if you respected me enough, you would leave the choice up to me, whether that worked to your advantage or not."

His mouth opened and then closed. Maebh had made a solid point, and they both knew it.

"I'll still babysit Logan," she continued. "But I won't let you string me along. It's for the best if we call it quits."

She spoke in a hollow tone of voice. No longer did she stand slumped against the wall, but straight and confident. Her body language supported the words fleeing from her mouth. It alarmed him.

"You're seriously going to ruin our relationship over this?" Bear asked.

"You should ask yourself that question. Please just— just go."

He sighed. "If that's what you want."

"It is."

Bear nodded and walked to the front door. Before exiting, he turned back once more. Their eyes locked.

"I left a present for you on the table. Happy birthday, Maebh."

She gazed at the door, even after the sound of his car had faded into the distance. To confirm what she already knew, Maebh looked at the calendar and searched for the day's date.

The 25th of October.

Somehow she'd forgotten she was going to be 20. She stared at the number, wondering how he had found out it was her birthday. He had never asked, nor had she ever mentioned it. Her gaze fell to the table where a plate of pastries laid accompanied by a glass of orange juice. A parcel wrapped in red ribbon captured her attention. Maebh brushed aside the pang of guilt that tugged at her heart's strings and held a hand to her forehead.

"I need chocolate."

Perhaps she should have waited until after her period to throw herself into a weighty conversation. It would have spared her the dramatics.

On a quiet Thursday afternoon, Maebh spotted the mysterious man roaming around the town centre for the umpteenth time. She gawked at him, never able to resist the temptation. Without fail, the now familiar pricks and tingles announced their presence. By then, she had grown used to the sensation —even fond of it. With a stoic expression, the man raised his eyebrows and Maebh looked away, cheeks tinting crimson.

The electrically charged waves that accompanied his presence made it impossible to erase him from her mind. It was not long before visions of him consumed her and he began showing up in her dreams. The fact she kept running into him all over Haines Junction did not help the cause. Truth be told, she looked forward to each encounter. Which wasn't typical for a person who suspected they might have a stalker.