Rightfully Hers

XXIX

"I'm infamous for my recovery time," I snickered. "Anything I should do from here, Doc?"

"I want you to take these once a day." He handed me a prescribed bottle of pills. "Your body will be significantly colder than it is used to because of the influx in wolf temperature, and this should help keep you stabilized. You can stop taking them after 21 days."

"Thanks, Fisher."

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Warren. Don't be afraid to stop by whenever, you know Jett adores you."

Jett was Dorian's year old little boy and I adored him as much as he did me. I hadn't seen him in forever, but the little boy was absolutely adorable. The mere thought of him reminded me of the two little girls who were at my parents' house.

I got up immediately, shook Dorian's hand, and left. Julian followed behind quickly, not bothering to ask questions, just flanking me. When we reached his car, we both climbed in, and I noticed he was speeding ever so slightly, probably to appease me.

When we arrived at the house, I went inside, feeling better when Julian circled the car and clasped his hand in my own. When I walked into the house, what surprised me was seeing Rowan and his wife, Reece, standing in the living room. When they heard me enter, they both looked up, and Rowan wasted no time in rushing over and throwing his arms around me.

"If I ever get a call from Mom telling me you've collapsed again, I'll kill you myself, understood?" He whispered harshly into my ear.

I hugged him back, enjoying the brief embrace from my brother as I whispered back my agreement, feeling my heart fill with warmth.

Reece hugged me next, more soft than her husband's, and smiled at me gently when she stepped away. She tilted her head upstairs and I nodded at her gratefully. "Your parents are out grocery shopping, I'll let them know you're at home," she said softly.

"Thank you," I murmured, and then made my way upstairs, even faster than before.

I opened the door to the girls' room. Upon seeing me, Arabelle squeezed out from between Isabelle's arms and ran across the room at an impeccable speed. "Mommy!" She cried, and I squatted down to catch her in my arms. "Mommy, I thought you died!" She exclaimed, "I just got a second mommy, I don't want to lose you!"

Despite the bond being broken with Isabelle, I still loved this little girl immensely. I tightened my grip around her and kissed the top of her head, an uncomfortable feeling settling into my stomach.

Her little hands rubbed along my back and she squeezed me even tighter. "I love you."

I was in that same squatting position for several minutes, squeezing the absolute life out of the little girl, while she hugged me back equally as tightly. When I finally pulled away, she grinned her familiar childish grin at me.

I stood up once again and made my way to Charlie's bassinet, where she was awake and gurgling in. I reached in pulled her into my arms, feeling a sob build in my chest. Seeing her familiar teddy bear eyes and watching her tiny fists pull on my hair made my heart swell even more than it already had.

"I love you, Charlie," I whispered through tears, "so much, baby." Holding her in my arms, saying the things I was saying, it felt like a goodbye.

She giggled and let out a strangled gargling noise, blinking up at me with childish innocence. I put her back in her bassinet and then turned to face Isabelle.

She was crying silently. Tears were streaming down her porcelain cheeks quickly as she watched me. She inhaled deeply, and then whispered, "Can we speak in the other room, please?"

Nodding silently, I ruffled Arabelle's hair as I walked by and followed Isabelle into the next room. I could still feel her presence, but not in the way I had before, not in an almost supernatural way.

"The bond is gone," she uttered out, standing a good ten feet away from me, almost as if she were shielding herself. I nodded silently. With a strangled sob, she covered her mouth with her hand and shook. I stepped forward to comfort her, almost subconsciously, but she lifted her free hand up and shook her head.

"So that's it," she nodded, her voice cracking at the end. "I'll take the girls back to Hawaii tomorrow, you don't have to feel obligated to visit or anything... But I can make arrangements if you do."

I froze. "You're leaving?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Jada. I'm so sorry, but I can't be around you. I can't do this anymore."

She didn't want me? That was it. Without the mate bond between us, she didn't want to be with me anymore. I let my expression tighten into stone, as if that would somehow protect me from my chest collapsing within itself.

The tears continued to fall down her cheeks, her eyes glossy, and the bottom lip was quivering slightly. This time, I didn't make a move to comfort her, know it wouldn't be of much help in this situation.

"I'd still like to visit the girls, if that's okay," I managed to whisper. "I... I'll have to fly back as well to grab my things, as well as Julian's. I won't stay long."

My response caused another round of tears from the woman across from me. Her sobs had stopped, but her expression was tight, twisted as though she didn't want to make another sound, though the tears continued.

It didn't make sense for her to cry. She wanted to leave. Perhaps it was because goodbyes were always difficult, to an extent. Because we had created a home and it was crumbling in front of us.

She began to sob again. She sat on the edge of the bed in the room we were in and clasped a hand over her mouth, though it didn't do a very good job in covering her

"Okay," she whispered after a while. "I'll pack up our things tonight and I'll take the girls back home tomorrow morning. Will you be coming?"

"No, I'll have someone from the Institute go and pick up our things." It took everything in me to keep my voice from cracking. I couldn't even bear to look at her - it hurt too much. The thought of a twelve hour plane ride beside her was almost physically unbearable.

I had used such a formal business tone with her without even realizing it. It was like a second nature to me. She looked pained by it, of course she noticed it, but she remained quiet and simply stood up and left the room. She had nothing else to say to me.

When I entered Julian's room a few minutes later, I knew he had heard everything, and he was lying against the headboard of his bed, his arms open. I stepped forward and rested beside him, his arms curling around me.

"Are you okay, Jay?" He mumbled, but he didn't look at me, instead his eyes were closed. He had always been calm and collected, weirdly so.

"I-I-" and then I began to shake as my cries overcame my strength, and I let myself sob into his shirt. So that was it? Isabelle didn't want to be with me because we were no longer mates? Did she think she had another mate? Someone else to come home to? I didn't understand!

His arms tightened around me, his hand pressing into the small of my back, and he kissed the top of my head. It caused me to sob even harder. It was almost a subconscious move, and when I peered up to look at him through tears, his eyes were still closed.

"I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you," he promised me. "Everything will be okay eventually. Do you not suppose the two of you have some sort of... miscommunication?"

"How could we?" I whimpered into him. "She told me she was leaving. That she didn't want to do this anymore."

Silence fell between the both of us, and another round of tears washed over me. "Why would she do this to me?" I practically wailed, "she's the only woman I've ever truly felt for. It hurts so bad..."

I fell asleep later on, knowing the woman I was still in love with was just down the hall, packed and ready to leave me behind, taking with her two little girls whom I adored. I cried myself to sleep that night, unable to comprehend how much I was truly losing.