AFRAID OF THE DARK

CHAPTER 22

My blue eyes turn menacing as I bare my teeth and growl viciously. My skin is beginning to tingle where my fur wants to sprout out in a shift. The tips of my fingers are aching from my claws wanting to be released. I think of a dozen different ways to rip his hands off as he attempts to growl back just as angrily, but in his human voice. I get creative with ways I'm going to shove his hand down his throat if he doesn't let go of the plate. Another plate is placed in front of our faces and I feel as if my wolf had perked up. I become silent mid-growl and let go of the plate to grab the one offered with the bigger slice of cake.

"This is no fair. I want a bigger one." Jaivan complains childishly.

"I bet you say that often." I wink and gain the laughter of those in the room.

"Ha ha." He sits down with his plate and pouts over his smaller slice. "You guys weren't kidding about her food aggression. I thought I had it bad. I can't wait to get my hands on Alyssa for everything she has done to all of us. I'm going to wring her neck with my own two hands."

I only look up for a second when his silverware clinks loudly on the china, but go back to finishing my slice of cake and regretting eating so quickly. I wish I would have savored every sweet taste. I sigh and lean back in my chair. Logan smiles towards me when my eyes reach his. I just now notice he doesn't have a cake plate in front of him. He had given up his piece to give to me. I whisper out a thank you and he nods.

"Anything for you, babe." He winks and excuses himself from the dining room.

Jaivan lets out a low displeasing grunt and everybody at the table looks his way. His hands have tightened around the table as if he is holding himself down. His heated eyes are still facing the door Logan had left. Uncle Reggie sighs and shakes his head also showing displeasure. Adam frowns towards me and Mindy's eyes are wide. Beau raises a confused brow, but sits back feeling stuffed from overeating.

"What's wrong?" I ask knowing something had displeased them.

"He's still in love with you." Jaivan snarls. "I don't care much for my brother, but he's Alpha of my pack and my family. He's staying strong for you. I don't want you going behind his back and placing all of them in danger because you play hanky panky with another Alpha."

"With Logan." I cough. "He's like a brother to me."

"You have a bond with him." He barks out.

"Yes, but it's not like that with us. I only feel love with Aidan." I try to explain and it makes him angrier. He really hates his brother.

"I see the way he looks at you as well, Camilla. I don't think he sees you as a sister. He's been staring at you with longing all day. Are you sure the love you feel is only coming from Aidan?" Uncle Reggie asks.

"I..." I search my bond and feel what they could be talking about. I quickly cut off the emotions.

"Told you." Jaivan drops his fork and crosses his arms.

"I'm going to go for a walk." I tell them and stop Adam when he tries to stand up to walk with me. "No. I want to be alone. I'm going to try to connect with Aidan again to see if I can get through."

I excuse myself and walk out of the house running my hands through my long blonde hair. The sunset is giving my whitish strands a more golden tone. I drop my hands from my hair and find a tree to hide behind as I remove my clothes. My wolf is grateful for a shift and trots around the area with the clothes in her mouth until she finds a nice rock to lay upon and watch the sunset. We watch a group of men playing football and others still enjoying their dinner in the picnic area. I know my wolf had been itching for a run, but now neither of us feel up to it. We miss our mate.

"Hey, sweetie." Uncle Reggie shakes me slightly and wakes my wolf. We must have fallen asleep. "You've been gone for a couple hours. Are you okay?"

My wolf whines something incomprehensible, but he seems to understand her words of yearning. We pick up my clothes and I take them to shift back and dress behind another tree. I come out with tears in my eyes.

I sit next to my uncle on the rock and lay my head on his shoulder. "Something is off and I don't know what it is. I've been trying to talk to Aidan, but I only feel the connection with his wolf. If they had given him wolfsbane, wouldn't I be able to feel a connection with Aidan and not his wolf? I feel like disconnected with him in some way. We've been together for a few months, but throughout all of that time, we've hardly been together at all. I'm worried our love isn't strong enough for him not to be under their control. What if he's already under the Dark wolf's spell?"

He hugs me to him and kisses the top of my head. I wonder if this is what it would have been like to have a father. "Mate bonds are strong. As long as you believe, it will stay strong and you will once again be back in each other's arms. You still have his mark. He hasn't mated Maisy. You'll have your mate again."

"I hope so." I wipe my tears. "I'm trying to stay strong. I've been pushing back my anger of him sending me away. The longer we are apart, the angrier I become. I find myself blaming him for placing our pack in danger. Little Rosie must be so scared. I don't know if we will be able to fight back if I don't have the strength of our bond."

He exhales deeply. "Your aunt and I weren't together for the first few months after we met."

"What?" I sit up with surprise. "Why not?"

He becomes quiet in thought before telling me. "She was still in love with another man. She didn't reject me, but she ran away when we first met. She thought I would reject her when I found out. The mate bond is what had told me. I knew they weren't together, but she had loved him. I had been angry, but my wolf loved her. We had ran into each other again during a barbecue at another Alpha's pack. I saw the fear and regret in her eyes. The mate bond had been strong enough to fix what had been broken and it had been like love at first sight."

"I didn't know that. Grandpa always told me the good about finding mates. Now I know it's not always like that." I bring in my legs. "I didn't see Auntie. How is she?"

I feel bad for taking Uncle from her when she needed him. She had just learned her daughter is under the Dark's spell and now her mate is away in search of that man. His brother. I can't imagine what she is going through right now.

He looks away. "I didn't know how to tell you. I think Rachel had taken her to the Dark. She's been missing and the bond we have is gone. I know there are several reasons for it happening, but I fear the worst."

"Y-you think..." I hug him and we both shed tears together.

"Is everything okay?" Logan interrupts with his worry.

"The Dark has taken my aunt." I cry.

"I'm going to go in. Don't stay out too long. It's becoming darker." Uncle Reggie kisses the top of my head goodnight.

Logan shifts uncomfortably when Uncle gives him a narrowed staredown before leaving us. I curl my legs in towards my body once again and gesture for him to sit. We sit in silence with a tension between us. He runs his hands through his hair and I can see him struggling with his words.

"I know you feel it now. I've tried to fight it, but I can't. I'm in love with you, Cami. I made a lot of mistakes and I don't want me not telling you how I feel to be one of them. When the mate bond I tried having with Rachel had been rejected, I thought it was because I was still in love with you." He looks at me with a hope that I feel the same.

"Logan." I begin, but he stops me and grabs my hand.

"I'll help you save Aidan and the pack, but I can't fight my feelings. I can't. Everything inside me is telling me to fight for you, but I care about how you feel also. Like I had said, I made mistakes. I don't blame you for wanting Aidan more, but I had to tell you how I feel about you. If we're going to face the Dark, then I'm not going to keep my feelings hidden." He wipes my tears. "Please, give me a chance to prove I've changed and can be a better mate to you."