Gusty Emotions on Wet Roads

Ch. 9 - 2nd meeting

It had been another bad day. She had felt so withdrawn and lethargic. She had wanted to cry so many times, but she held it back. Evelyn had just kept telling herself that she would have time to truly feel it all when she was alone.

But - she could never find the time to be alone until after dinner.

She had taken off into the dark forest to let it all out at the cove. It had become her safe place. The only place away from pack where she could fall apart and no burden them. She couldn't get there fast enough.

Evelyn almost immediately broke down when she finally reached the cove, collapsing between the large roots. Evelyn bawled as she curled in on herself. She felt empty and so hollow as she cried out her pain. Her dominance and magic swirling around her as she broke down.

Why had he done THAT to her? Had she not been enough?!

She howled out, and it felt like something had been violently ripped from her. Evelyn curled further in on herself.

It hurt too much. It felt like she was falling apart – bleeding out. Something important had been ripped from her, and she was just grasping at the empty air, desperate to have it back.

He left – he left – he left.

Why had he strung her along? Was she not even good enough to end it with? Clearly not since he decided to play dating with some dominant she-wolf from his pack. She wasn't even good enough for that.

She wasn't good enough.

She wasn't.

She howled out again, hugging herself hard. But it wasn't enough to make her feel secure enough. It was never enough. Ever.

Evelyn felt drained as the last tears dried. Her limbs felt heavy. She had to hull herself around. Yet the moment she moved everything went too far as if it was lighter than she anticipated.

She hated this. She hated it so damn much. This should be over with!

But it wasn't.

She was here - exhausted and cracked - and not back at the pack house doing whatever she could to ease her pack's hardships.

Evelyn berated herself. She should get back, but first she had to pick up the pieces. And that required a quick trip back to grab her father's dirty shirt. A run was in order.

It wasn't an hour later that she ran – hard - along the border, weaving between trees and hopping over roots. She was hoping to get rid of her frustrations as she reinforced the scent marking once more. It was only four days after her last run, and usually these runs helped her through at least two weeks. However, the Clarks' foreclosure and the confirmation that Hechter and Thelka Schmidt and their children could not move back out of the den have made her more anxious.

Not to mention dealing with the aftermath of Lucas' infidelity. Her heart ached even though she still felt so numb to it.

Her father always does this run Sunday night, reinforcing the scent marker and wolf magic with his own fresh scent and magic. It was only a Tuesday. The scent markers along their border were going to be very strong for a while. It would easily ward off all those who weren't in their pack. Rogues stayed away from pack lines that reeked of an Alpha. The thought helped her relax.

Her paws pounded against the forest floor as she a weaved along the border. It always felt good to strain her tense muscles with this run. She was doing something to protect her pack, but she wasn't constantly reminded just how much she was a failure at it. And it was a great distraction from her personal problems that she tried to stay away from. Evelyn moved deeper into her territory as she smelt a Redwood patrol ahead of her.