Delicate

Chapter 22

I knew my parents well enough to know they didn't go back on their word and they wouldn't go back on this. Besides, even if I showed up, they wouldn't change their minds just because they needed me.

They wouldn't use me like that, I knew that much.

"Then at the very least, call them Damon." Mekhi protests with growing vigor in his tone. "The pack is suffering without your presence, but more importantly, your family is suffering without you. They miss you, Damon."

I close my eyes. Focusing on the rapid rising and falling of my chest as all the air comes flooding into my lungs, making things blur suddenly. I try to slow my breathing, trying to focus on something other than the way his words cut me open, draining me of all my anger and left me empty with only hope.

"They miss me?" I ask hesitantly, opening my eyes to see his face.

"Damon your family is falling apart without you," Mekhi reveals, mixing the hope with guilt to create something bitter within me. "Every single one of them is suffering without you. The pack barely sees Hagen or Josey, they've kept themselves locked inside of the house.
Peter doesn't even speak to me anymore, no matter what I do he won't talk and your brother Levi and his mate, they came back to look for you."

"Levi came home?" I ask taking a desperate step forward.

"He's refusing to leave until they find you, he searches every day with his mate."

My heart lurches, memories of Levi and I flickering through me, bring distant emotions to the surface to completely consume the anger. Memories of Levi taking care of me, fighting for me, looking after me... the knife he gave me. 

I press a hand over my chest, yearning for the erratic thumping to stop as it pushes against my fingers. Theo whines and howls, instincts reaching forth desperately with the need to be reacquainted with my home and my family. To fix all that I'd left shattered behind and make sure they were all okay again.

I just wanted them to be okay, to be happy.

But in all the pain there was joy, a sick twisted spec of joy that was relieved that they mourned my presence on noticed my absence. I knew it was wrong but it made everything, just a little bit easier.

"And my parents?" I press hopefully, hope that fades the moment his face drains with agony.

"You're parents aren't doing well Damon." He whispers gently as if sensing one wrong word could break me more than I already was. "The pack doesn't see them much anymore but each time we do is worse than the last."

"Worse?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting the answer but knowing I needed it.

"They're different now, different without you." He says with softening eyes. "Damon you're their firstborn child, they haven't heard from you in two months and they don't know where you are. Haven't you thought about how that would affect them?"

I hadn't.

I couldn't even imagine them missing me through the clouds of pain when the agony was raw and the anger was poignant. I hadn't contemplated a scenario where they felt a missing element without me, hadn't considered how my absence would hurt them.

But things were different now, being here with Will, with his light and affections had made the rage reticent and the misery I'd held onto within my heart, airy.

Will was mending me. 

Now, within clouds of enmity, I could see how it'd hurt them, my parents. I could see how my parents, who were so loving and protective, would feel heartbroken with my disappearance. I could imagine the tears and I could feel the pain, especially the one that would've festered within them at my parting words.