After that first night of agony, the physical pain began to fade leaving me feeling hollow. My dad came and sat at the edge of my bed gently rubbing my back, but he didn't say anything. I got the feeling that he had no idea how to handle this situation so instead, he just let me be. Someone brought up breakfast and later lunch, but I didn't see who. It didn't matter.
Later that night Liv and Ava came up and sat with me on the bed. I listen to them talk about school for a while before they both lapsed back into silence. "How are you feeling?" Liv asked eventually.
"Empty," I said truthfully "I feel like I'm not really here just watching everything happening around me". In truth, I think I preferred the pain to this hollowness. At least then I knew I could feel something even if it was excruciating.
"I've heard that can happen," Ava said tentatively "I can't imagine the pain you must have felt". I saw her shudder out of the corner of my eye.
"I'll kill him if you want," Liv said and I got the sense she was only half-joking.
"If you don't my dad might," I said attempting to make a joke, but it sounded forced.
"Brittney" I heard Greyson call from outside. I looked at Ava and Liv who looked as startled as I did. We crept over to the window that overlooked the street careful to stay far enough back so that we wouldn't be seen.
Greyson looked as terrible as I felt. Dark circles hung under his eyes and his hair was pointing every which way and I couldn't help but think bitterly that he was still incredibly handsome even in this disheveled state. "Brittney please talk to me," he said in a strangled voice "I know you're in here". I saw him drop to his knees hands over his eyes. Despite everything, I still wanted to go to him and ease his pain.
Before I move though I saw my dad storm out of our house looking as fierce as I had ever seen him. "How dare you show your face here after what you did" he boomed. "The only reason I haven't killed you or at least banished you from the pack is that it's not up to me to decide what to do with your worthless hide" he growled.
"Please just let me see her," Greyson said not caring about my father "I need to see her". He sounded like a man lost in the desert asking for water.
I stood up compelled to go and see Greyson despite knowing that I shouldn't. "Honey you don't have to go talk to him if you don't want to," Liv said gently "I can go and get rid of him right now if you want".
"No this is something I have to do," I said firmly my voice hoarse from disuse.
"We can come with you" Ava offered, but I shook my head. This was something I had to do on my own.
"Please go inside," I said gently to my dad as I walked outside letting my bare feet feel the cool cement. He looked like he wanted to protest, but went inside anyway.
I looked up at Greyson who was staring at me with bloodshot eyes. "What did you come here to say?" I asked my heartbreaking slightly seeing him up close. It had been less than twenty-four hours since I had seen him last, but he looked so different. Despite everything, his face lit up when he saw me like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time.
He looked shocked that I wasn't screaming and attempting to rip his heart out. There was a small part of me that wanted to, but I couldn't summon the energy to right now. It was easier to embrace the empty calm that seemed to be consuming me.
"Brittney I don't know what came over me" He stammered as if he was trying to remember what he had come here to say. "One minute she was barging into my room and then the next thing I remember is you walking in on us...".
I laughed humorlessly at his pathetic excuse "That's not good enough". I don't know what I had thought coming out here would accomplish, but this wasn't it. Being close to him though confirmed my worst fears that after everything I still loved him. I was still drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
I turned to go back inside the house when he caught my arm. Suddenly the rage that he's expected flared up to life inside me. I glared at him and he shrank back slightly but didn't let go of my arm.
"Is that all you're going to say?" He asked "Please yell at me, scream and call me names. Tell me to go to hell, but don't shut me out. I messed up, but we can still fix this. I can make this right".
"How? Last night I felt you tear apart our bond and it felt like my soul was being shredded" I snapped "You want me to be mad. Fine, I'm mad. I've been through hell and back. I freaking killed someone and the only thing that kept me sane was you. You were supposed to be my rock. The one person that I never had to worry about betraying me, but it looks like you forgot that. You fucking broke my heart and now all you can say is sorry".
"So tell me what to do?" He begged.
"Just give me some space, because as much as I hate you right now I still feel the stupid mate pull. I can still feel what we could be and I need some time to think without that" I said hating that it was true. It was disgusting how good his skin felt against mine and how much I wanted to feel his lips against mine and how desperately I wanted him to take me in his arms and remark me as his.
"Are you banishing me from the pack?" he asked, "Because if that's what you want I'll do it in a heartbeat if it meant that I still had a chance to win you back".
"No you idiot" I sighed "Just stay away from me for the next couple weeks. I'm not saying that we can get back together then, but if you give me time on my own to think you might just have a chance".
He smiled brilliantly and it took everything in me to keep from changing my mind and taking him back on the spot. He kissed my cheek before heading back towards his house.
Instead of heading back into the house I began to wander around the neighborhood. I needed some time before coming back because I knew that they would have questions and I need time to figure out how I felt before I could describe it to other people.
I wandered out back into the woods which probably wasn't the smartest idea, but if I did get lost it wouldn't be long before someone found me. I needed to figure out what I wanted to do about Greyson. Despite the pull I felt towards him I wasn't ready to forgive him. Despite looking horrible he had done nothing to prove that he wouldn't do it again. I was also only seventeen and I wasn't ready to jump into something that serious again. I still had a lot to figure out about myself before I would be ready to recommit myself to Greyson. I wanted to be normal for once, or at least as normal as I could be when you lived with werewolves and normal seventeen-year-old girls casually dated boys and hung out with their friends. If Greyson was really committed to making things right between us then he would have to accept that. Smiling I turned to go back home pleased to have come to a resolution.
My celebration was short-lived though. "It was foolish of you to come out here alone sister," a voice said behind me. I saw Bran leaning casually against a tree as if he had been waiting there for me.
"Seriously. You've got to be kidding me" I said to no one in particular "Look Bran I get it. You want to kill me, but can we just not today? I'm not in the mood".
"I'm sorry little sister. I wish things were different, but you now pose a threat to me. I've managed to amass my own army of rogues and I can't have you opposing me. I heard about how you took out Bastien by the way" he smiled and I shivered at how much it looked like the smile Bran used to give me after I'd done something he was proud of. "For that, I will make this quick and painless. I promise I will see you again in the next life".
"Please Bran I don't want to hurt you," I said softly feeling the elements reacting around me.
"You forget sister when you fought Bastien he didn't want to hurt you and that gave you an advantage. But I know you like I know the back of my hand. I know every move you'll make before you make it" He laughed.
"I used to think I knew you, but you're not the brother I loved anymore," I said sadly.
"And whose fault is that" he snapped "You were my chosen pack for the longest time. When you left to join our fathers pack you made me this".
"I didn't leave," I said desperately "I wanted to stay with you, but I didn't have a choice. Do you really think Pierre would have let me leave and go back and live with a bunch of rogues?".
"I hate to interrupt this little family drama, but we really must be going Brittney," A Mason said from behind me.
Laughing humorlessly I glanced around as if I was looking for something. "What the hell are you doing?" Brandon asked me confused.
"Oh I'm just looking for Bastien because that's the only thing that's missing from this nightmare of a day," I said breezily and I heard Mason chuckle.
"Enough," Brandon said clearly pissed off "Let's finish this".
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that I'm afraid," Mason said stepping in front of me protectively.
"And I suppose you're going to stop me?" Brandon growled to Mason.
"Don't be foolish" Mason responded cooly "you may have declared yourself king of the rogues, but you can't defeat me by yourself pup".
"Maybe not yet," Bran said evenly "But the day will come and I promise you it will come soon". With that, he ran off disappearing quickly into the darkness.
With one disaster temporarily averted I turned to Mason "What are you doing here?".
"I want you to come live with me love" Mason smiled genuinely at me.
"Ok first no second why should I believe that and third no" I said testily.
"If I wanted you dead I would have let your brother finish you off" he replied evenly.
"Ok I still don't want to go with you," I said nervously.
"Why not love? What have any of them done for you? Your father tore you away from the only family you had without an explanation and your so-called soul mate cheated on you" He said sympathetically "They all have been using you since the day you first came to Virginia. I'm offering you a chance to be free from all of that".
"How do you know all of this?" I asked confused "And what's in it for you? I know you're not doing this out of the goodness of your heart".
"Who says I'm not" He stepped closer "I've been watching you for some time. I can't really explain it, but you're special to me. Besides if you come with me I can keep you safe and then I won't have to worry about you getting yourself into trouble. It's your choice though".
I looked at him skeptically, but I couldn't deny the appeal of his offer. Besides, I couldn't describe it, but there was something about Mason that drew me to him. And he was the one guy who actually seemed to be concerned with what I wanted. I thought about all the people I would be leaving behind, but Mason was right. My father had kidnapped me without explanation ripping me away from Brandon, Greyson had cheated on me and even Liv and Ava were probably only nice to me because I was their alpha's daughter.
"Ok," I said taking Mason's hand "I'll go with you".
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Authors Note: Hey guys thanks so much for reading! Please comment with your thoughts about the chapter and be sure to vote. Right now I'm leaning towards a more vampire based storyline so let me know if you guys would rather see more vampire and learn more about Mason or if you would rather have a plotline about Brandon and the rogues :) Shout outs to @smudge5, @Unicornsaremylife23, and @Nekee9! For your chance at a shout out comment and vote :)