Chapter Sixty-five

I had been tortured with Allie and Blake all week. I had canceled my training and practice and I didn’t show up to dad’s lessons. I knew the distraction would have done me good, but I felt physically drained. I just didn’t have the energy to do it.

Allie was having nightmares, and I was getting the pleasure of them as well. While she might want nothing to do with me, her body was thinking the complete opposite.

I was more connected to her than usual. I think it was because I was fighting the whole distance thing she wanted. I would make sure I showed up for every class we had together and get as much of a dose of her as I could get.

It was so bloody painful not being able to touch her, especially when I saw my mark on her neck. It surprised me she hadn’t once attempted to hide it.

She was even wearing her hair in a high ponytail, as if to torture me, by making me see it.

I was lying on my bed, and normally I didn’t smoke, but I did when I was stressed and right now, I was beyond stressed.

I couldn’t switch my brain off. Allie left for the festival today. She was hours away, with Blake doing drugs and probably each other.

I inhaled on the cigarette. Yep. I had lost her.

There was a banging on my door, and I sighed. Really not in the mood to deal with anyone.

Couldn’t people just let me drown in this depression?

Never been depressed in my life, but now I don’t think there was a word, apart from depressed, to describe me.

I was ignoring the door when the banging just got louder. Whoever it was, wasn’t pissing off.

I dragged myself off the bed and went to answer it.

Regretted answering it as soon as I opened it.

“We need to talk,” Ebony said, sounding panicked.

“Fuck off, Ebony.” It was her fault I was like this. It was her fault that Allie thought I had betrayed her trust. She said she didn’t trust people. I knew she didn’t trust many people and somehow, thanks to Ebony, I betrayed it.

I went to close the door and her hand sprung out, forcing it back open.

“Please, Zane; just let me speak and if you don’t like what I have to say, I’ll leave.”

I knew after what she had put me through, I shouldn’t be opening the door for her, but the look in her eyes, well, it had me. She used to be one of my best friends. She simply didn’t give a look of panic and terror off normally.

“Fine, Ebony. You have a minute. Literally.” I closed the door after her.

“You’re smoking?” She frowned, looking at the ashtray on the bed then back at me. Pity in her eyes.

“What do you expect. You cost me my mate.” I walked around her, picking up my lit cigarette.

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Why? To tell me all the reasons we should sleep together again? Because I might have been drunk last weekend, but I still remember them.”

“Earlier in the week, when I said we had sex on the weekend. I lied.”

I looked at her like she couldn’t be serious. “GET THE FUCK OUT, EBONY!” It was because of that stunt she pulled in class, that made Allie tell me she was leaving. She was begging me to let her go, and all because she thought I had been unfaithful to her again.

She put her hands up. “Let me explain.”

“No.”

“Please, Zane.”

I shook my head, really not interested in anything she had to say. She was a complete liar. How could she do that to me? I was meant to be her friend! A friend doesn’t make shit up like that! A friend doesn’t force their mate to leave them.

“I knew you were drunk, and I knew you wouldn’t remember and I just wanted Blake to think for a second that he was losing me,” she started explaining. “And yeah, at the time, I wanted to hurt Allie too, but I really didn’t want to hurt you.”

I scoffed, “You cost me her. You get that bit. You cost me, my mate. You cost this pack their future leader!” The lid on my temper was gone, and she cringed as I lashed out at her. Gripping her by the shoulders. “You cost me, my wife!” I was breathing fire at this point, forcing myself to let go of her. “You cost me my everything.” That fact I said quieter.

It was all true. I had lost Allie and now she wanted to leave. Nothing I could do would stop her.

I got her trust once and, considering my history with her, I was lucky to get it once. Now I knew I would never get it again. Never get the chance to kiss her again. Tell her I love her. Just to hold her.

I sunk down on the edge of the bed.

I think that depressed me the most. The fact I’d never hold her again, or see love for me in those blue eyes of hers.

“That’s why I’m here, Zane. I want to make it right. Fix it. With you and Allie.”

“There is no chance of that happening.”

“Zane. I just want my mate back. I want Blake. That’s all I want. I thought making him jealous would work, but it didn’t. It just made him turn to her more. I know I will never get Blake back as long as he has a shot with Allie which is why I need you to convince her to take you back.”

I laughed. “Ebony, she wants nothing to do with me! As for her and Blake, I don’t think she’s interested in it. She sees him as a friend and this weekend they might have sex, but I still think she is planning on leaving me by herself. She’s not taking your mate.”

“Blake won’t just let go. I know how much he cares for her.”

“You’re telling me.” I had been forced to watch it all week, how much he cared for her.

“Allie loves you. Once I tell her nothing happened between us, nothing will be stopping her from getting back together with you.”

I looked at her dryly. “Allie doesn’t give out second chances.”

“Well, you didn’t really blow your first one. I will make sure she knows that.” Ebony sounded more determined.

“Won’t matter anyway as, by the end of this long weekend, she would have let Blake have her.”

“Which is why we aren’t waiting to next week.”

I looked at her frowning. “They’ve gone to the festival, Ebony. I literally felt her leave town.”

“Taylor is downstairs in the car. We have tickets and we are all packed. All we are waiting on is you.” Ebony stepped in front of me, looking like she really did regret her actions. “It’s a three-hour drive, and they would have had to stop to get the Winnebago. The festival kicks off at ten tonight so we should get there just in time.”

“So, what’s your plan? Us going to the festival, to what? Watch our mates fuck each other?”

Her eyes hardened. “No. To stop that from happening. I tell Allie the truth, she takes you back, and Blake and I get back together. I still don’t know how I’m going to get him back, but getting him away from Allie is a start.”

“Why should I help you? Why should I do it?” She was the one that caused this situation to begin with. If she hadn’t got involved, Allie would still be with me. Allie had already turned Blake down. He was going back to her and if Ebony had been sleeping around, he wouldn’t have been turning to Allie to begin with.

“Because I know you need her. I know this is killing you so don’t do it for me, do it for her. Do it for you. Do it for the pack. Do it because she is meant to be the woman leading beside you.” Ebony stepped closer to me. “Do it because you love her.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Ok, but I can’t promise she will take me back. She is planning on leaving. The last thing she asked of me, was to let her go.”

Ebony smiled dimly. “I’m really sorry, Zane, but I promise by the end of this weekend we both will have our mates back.”

“Nothing saying they want that.”

“Blake wants me. I’m just going to remind him, I want him back.”

“You sure he wants you because he seems rather set on my mate.” On my Allie.

She nodded her head. “I’ll get him back.” I think she was saying that more to herself than to me. “Hurry up and pack a bag, Harris!” she snapped when I didn’t move.

“Yeah, righto.” I got up, putting my cigarette out. At the very least it meant I would see Allie this weekend. Even if she didn’t agree to get back together with me, I would see her. Maybe if I begged her, she would consider trusting me again.