Chapter Forty

TAYLOR

"Pack meeting on a Thursday? I wonder who has caused trouble this time," I complained to Ebony as we pulled into the pack house parking lot.

"Well, it can't be Zane, as he is too hell bent on that Winters chick."

"Her name is Allie."

"Her name is Trouble." Ebony didn't hide her distaste for Allie. "Can't you see what she is doing to him?"

I wasn't stupid. I knew Allie was causing his pain. "Well, maybe it's time we stepped up and forced him to talk to her."

She scoffed.

"For someone who is struggling to deal with her own mate, you sure are being cold-hearted about this," I gave her a pointed slap of reality as surely she could see the similarities between the two.

Her eyes instantly narrowed. "Don't bring him into this."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, don't be such a bitch about Zane and Allie, and then I won't have to."

I unclipped my seat belt, but she had already slammed the door and left, not waiting for me. I swear that woman had become more hormonal since she found her mate.

I slowly dragged my way up to the pack house. A compulsory meeting never meant anything exciting.

 

***

I didn't know what to say.

I didn't know how to bring it up, so I just sat beside him, staring aimlessly at the lake. I hadn't ever seen him this withdrawn. Hearing Allie was dying must be killing him. Here we were all expecting a boring compulsory pack meeting, and it was all about Allie and how we were now under new orders to never mention what we were.

There is even a scripture that is read when a pack member is to be forgotten. Once said, you couldn’t talk to that person regarding anything to do with our werewolf side.

Apparently, her memory was being wiped tonight, and as of tomorrow, she will only see us as people she goes to high school with.

She will still know our names, but that's about it.

I swallowed sharply, trying to break the silence. "It's not your fault this happened, Zane." I gave him a sideways glance. I knew he would be beating himself up about this. Blaming himself.

"I've lost her," he mumbled under his breath as small teardrops slid down his cheeks.

"Look at the bright side, at least you didn't mark her then this would be a hell of a lot harder."

As soon as the words came out, I knew I had said the wrong thing.

His expression and eyes darkened.

"Zane, I didn't mean it like that." I planted a hand on his shoulder. "All I wanted you to know, was I am here for you."

The anger didn't drain from his eyes, but something told me the anger he was holding onto was directed at himself.

 

***

"Is it just me, or does the air smell better today? The grass is greener and the sky brighter." Ebony smiled broadly walking beside me, taking deep breaths in soaking in the 'better air.'

"Get it out of your system before you see him." I pulled her to a stop. "I mean it, Ebony, Zane won't be able to take it so reel that shit in and keep it to yourself."

Letting go of her arm, I walked off on her. I swore I heard her mutter ‘if only she were as lucky.’

Scanning the front yard, I couldn't spot him anywhere. Maybe he was going to give the first day a miss. That would be a good idea. Just as I thought that, my eyes landed on him.

"Hey, Zane!" I called out and jogged to catch up to him.

He looked better than last night; although you could tell the man hadn't slept.

"Can't deal with Ebony's crap today," he muttered while taking long strides. "My parents told me it would be best for me to not see the year out."

That meant they didn't trust him to stay away from her. If there was one quality everyone knew about Zane, it was he prided himself on keeping his word. If his parents thought that he couldn't stay away from Allie, Zane was probably thinking the same thing.

"Come on, man. It's a big school, so doubt you will even spot her today." I slapped him on the back while holding the door open for him, and that was when everything I just said meant nothing.

A flushed and stumbling Allie slams right into Zane. Her books slapping and spreading across the hall, and of course, she had to have been drinking a can of orange which went all over Zane's white unit t-shirt.

FUCK was the first word that bounced into my mind, followed quickly by, holy fuck!

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" she stuttered, not caring about her books; nope, her full attention was on the mess on Zane's chest. She took off her cardigan and started to dab it dry.

Zane was frozen to the spot while my mouth just hung open in shock.

"Seriously, I'm sorry. I think I, um, it’s…" She stopped and looked up at him, only to see his cold expression. Hell, at least the man was keeping up the frozen exterior well. "Ruined," she muttered softly, you could hear the regret in her voice.

Zane's eyes locked on her, then without saying anything, he stepped around her and continued walking up the hall, leaving her there embarrassed with her books splattered across the floor, not to mention the mess of orange soda.

I heard her groan and, feeling sorry for her, I dropped down and helped collect her things.

"Don't stress too much about it. He'll get over it," I said, handing her books.

She tossed the cardigan she had attempted to rescue his top with in the bin; knowing the stains weren't coming out of the white wool.

"Thanks," she mumbled. "I'm Allie by the way." She smiled out of embarrassment. "I think we've had a few classes together."

And we've fake dated, you've slapped me multiple times, and I couldn't count how many insults you have sprayed at me. "Yeah, I think we have. I'm Taylor." I smoothly smiled at her. "Hope your day gets better," I said, then left her standing there.

 

***

ALLIE

There are moments in life where you wish you could just wipe it from your mind completely. As I walked away from the crime scene where I had just stained the hottest guy in school’s t-shirt, if he didn't know I existed before, he sure as hell did now.

As the girl that ruined his top and stumbled out words.

I groaned.

I should have just stayed home today. Seriously, even mom encouraged it for some reason. I dragged my feet to Art Theory. It didn't help Blake nor Chase were in this class, which meant I would have to sit by myself.

I was already running late for it too, thanks to sticky hands.

The bell rang just as I stepped into the classroom. Score! No way could the teacher give me an earful for being late now. I was too busy smirking about that to notice how full the class was.

I gulped sharply.

Oh no.

Please God NO!

The only empty seat was next to Zane. This just couldn't be happening. I scanned the room four more times before I finally dragged myself to the back of the classroom.

For some strange reason, I felt like I had to ask to sit next to him. Maybe it was due to him being so bloody hot, and the most popular guy in school.

"Um, do you mind if I sit next to you?" I stared down at the table not able to meet his eyes. "I promise I will, um, keep to my side."

"Miss Winters, unless you want to spend the rest of the class standing, will you please take a seat now!" the teacher's voice boomed through the classroom.

I immediately dropped into the plastic chair next to him.

Well, this just made it even more awkward.