Howler

Chapter XIV

Almost are sometimes as thrilling as the actual thing. I was giddy with the idea that Harry almost kissed me. I was practically waltzing around my room in joy. "So this this is love, this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of..."

"Are you singing the love song from Cinderella?" I turned to see Ric laughing at the door frame. "I can't help it Ric... I'm happy" I was blushing hard as I sat back down on my bed. "Oh Abby...this is about the mate isn't it?" I was so giddy and excited that I just nodded. "Abby... I, I can't let you get your hopes up because this is serious, I heard what mum told you, that woman she died!"
"Oh Godric please don't worry..."
"ABIGAIL YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND !" He quickly walked of the room and after a few pause he was back this time holding a piece of paper.

"This is from when mum was young, now read it." He handed me a report one from the offical documents that my grandfather had kept. At first I thought it was fake but then I saw his signature : His Royal Majesty Hickery Gilbert and the royal seal. "An official death report for Imogen Laurel Gray?"

I kept skimming and almost cried at the words : On the 3rd of April at 11:00am Miss Imogen L. Gray was found dead in her pack home. Miss Gray had recently discovered her mate was human and at the recovery of her body was found with no visible wounds and had seemingly passed away from a heart attack. Miss Gray worked as a secretary under their majesties Hickery and Melissa Gilbert and had met Mr Matthew Monroe at a bakery while running errands and her heart attack is believed to be induced by the rejection of Mr Monroes affections...

The rest was just technical things I didn't understand but what got me was the picture of her, a beautiful girl wearing a bright red dress with matching hair and I couldn't help but see her happiness and I couldn't bare to think I could end up just a file and a cautionary tale. "I can't..."
"Just think about what your getting yourself into Abby..." and with that he walked out of the room his footsteps eventually fading.

And with that I promptly burst into tears.

---

After school the next afternoon I had made a decision and one I knew I would regret. Last night I had googled Imogen Gray's younger sister. She happened to work as a waitress a few towns over but I was crossing into a new packs territory. The drive was only a 30 minutes one and she lived near the border so it would hardly take anytime.

I told my parents I requested in the next pack over by Queen Creda and I would be home soon. Thankfully my parents didn't question as I visited the other packs a lot. I checked the address and pulled up out the front of the house. Walking up the stairs I tapped on the door and a forty something woman knocked on the door. "Bryza Gray?"
"It's Herrera actually and you are?"
"I'm Abigail Gilbert and I wanted to talk to you about your sister?" I watched Bryza eye me and then opened the door wider as she let me in.

Inside I saw photos of Bryza and her husband who I remembered was Kale Herrera. "Now Miss Gilbert what do you need to know about my sister?"
"I know she feel in love with a human and well..."
"Let me guess your in the same predicament." Bryza gestured for me to sit down and I did.

"What's his name?"
"Harrison Grace but he's dating someone else..."
"Just like with Imogen... Matthew was engaged when they met. It was so sad she waited months before she found her mate and worked as a secretary to pay for college but then he went ahead and rejected her..." I had to stop her there. "How does that kill you?" And the strangest thing happened she laughed. "Oh my Dear" she got out between laughs "your type is a passionate bread and you know soulmates exist but humans they don't have that and their skepcism is their flaw and because of that your body is thinking your being ignored so you begin to reach a state of where you affections and there's are all coupes into one body so everything you would feel is now amplified" it was everything I had already thought and more.

"It hurts me when he and that other girl kiss...is that normal?"
"Yes in this circumstance because your registering it as that he is choosing her over yourself and because all these feeling are copped up and they naturally respond with anger and hurt and you feel that a hundred times over because.." she stopped and looked down. "Because what?" Bryza sighed and stared at me dead in the eye.

"Because Abigail it's your heart literally breaking and if he..." I wish she'd stop doing that "what!?"
"If he consummates his relationship with her, you might not survive because you will be basically torn inside out from your emotions... you could die"

And that hit me harder than anything is ever heard or felt in my whole life.

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So there we go. If Harry has sex with Tia, Abigail will feel more pain than when she did with a kiss. Also the backstory of that other human and werewolf match is revealed which is what Hayley remembered.