The Blood-Book III

Chapter 2: Truths

"Have they ever?"

He shook his head. "I think Lucas may have tried before. There was one morning I remember I felt like someone was watching me, it was weird as hell. I had gotten up to use the bathroom and set my paper down. When I came back the paper was all picked apart; someone had dug around for the sports and comics section.

"Lucas used to do that all the time. It used to piss me the hell off. My paper would be out of order and he would be nose deep grumbling about the sports."

My body was slightly trembling as I held in the sobs; at this state of emotional rawness, seeing Levi like this–wistful and sad and scared while his beast whined out to them was like an icicle in my heart.

His arm wrapped around me and pulled me to him while I leaned against his shoulder, tears spilling down my face while the soft breeze rustled my hair. "I don't think I would have made it without them."

"You probably wouldn't have," he answered honestly. "Charlie girl, I love you, but girl, when Remi told me you were at that diner I thought he had lost his damn mind. Even now, even after knowing where you were–being drugged up like you were, exhausted, and a good night's run away–hell girl, it's a damn miracle you made it."

"I don't understand, how?"

He let out a shaky breath, his hand rubbing my arm while sobs would every now and then spill out of my mouth. "I think she knew I wouldn't be far behind you if something happened to you–Ethan too."

"Levi–"

"Charlotte," he broke in, his voice firm and his eyes staring directly at me. "We're not invincible girl, and there are more things than silver that can kill us. Your boy is strong, strong like his dad, but girl, he would walk himself right off a cliff if something happened to you and don't tell me you would do anything different."

I shook my head, my eyes burning from the salty tears and my heart twisting at the thought of Ethan ever harming himself; but what hurt me the most was knowing that deep down Levi was right. The thought of losing Ethan scared the hell out of me. My beast and I didn't have to ponder it, she knew there was life on the other side and if that's where he went then we would follow.

"I can't lose any more pups Charlotte, I can't light any more pyres like that–"

"But the pack–"

"Is a very lonely place without your family," he quickly replied. "As much as I am sure Eve was doing it for you, I am sure she and Margaret had other reasons as well. Eve was always such a good tracker, the best I've ever known besides Bowie.

"I wasn't hard for me to believe that little vampire, because I knew that you shouldn't have walked out of those woods in your condition without help–and don't take that the wrong way girl, even with Blake, I don't know if you would have made it. Hell, there are plenty of strong wolves including myself that would have needed help back. You've been out for two days and you still have wolfsbane and silver in your system, do you even realize how close you were to the other side?"

"I thought I had died," I murmured out. "When I saw them–I thought that I was dead. That whole night I thought I would die, I could hear wolves howling and it was like they were breathing on my neck."

Levi nodded then kissed my hair again. "I can't promise that nothing bad is every going to happen to you again. That's not how life works girl, you know that as well as I do; but I can promise you that I will never be very far behind you."

I met his gaze and knew there was no arguing with him. I couldn't really blame Levi, if I had lost Ethan and my own children, I would feel the same way; hell, I probably would have already walked to join them. How Levi was still standing, baffled my wolf and I.