Chapter Thirty-eight

You would think confronting the problem would somehow help fix things, but when it came to Zane and me, it only made things worse if not dead altogether.

Zane wouldn't look in my direction. He wouldn't walk anywhere near me. Literally, he would take the long way and be late for class instead of accidentally bumping into me.

I slumped over the back desk, taking the whole desk up. This was the class that I truly hated because it was the smallest class I had with Zane which made it close to impossible for me to not overhear their conversation.

"Told you it wouldn't work." Taylor’s loud voice boomed around the room when he entered.

"You're full of negative," Ebony scoffed behind him and following her was King Pin Head himself, Zane who was doing the gentleman thing of holding her books as well as his.

"He's not worth your time, Eb." Zane's voice had a softness to it, and I hated hearing it. Why did he have to be nice to her?

"I hate those Falcons," Ebony grunted before dropping herself in a chair and putting her feet up on the other. "If he thinks I'm going to be some puppet on a string, he is wrong."

"All jokes aside, but it is still assuming." Taylor smirked, taking a seat opposite of her.

"Oh, it is fan-fucking-tastic." She glared at him.

"At least Blake doesn't want to destroy your life." Zane's words sliced through my heart. I had never planned on it working out the way it did.

I wasn't the one fully to blame either, but of course, Zane wouldn't see it through my eyes.

"Just the girl I've been looking for." Chase wandered over to my table, grinning and being happy which was everything I wasn't.

"Why?"

"I needed my daily dose of depression and misery."

"Hilarious." I pulled my feet off the chair so he could sit down.

"Seriously though, Allie," he lowered his voice, "When is this going to stop? You can’t keep acting like a zombie."

"Drop it, Chase."

"Allie, come on, even Blake is worried about you and your mom.''

"And you think Art Theory is the best class to bring this up?'

I began to feel the anger creeping through my blood. I wasn't in the mood for a fight as I was mentally and physically exhausted.

"Allie, you aren't eating, you aren't sleeping, you have been changing, and the doc spoke to your mom about you losing control over your wolf. You're in a bad state, and you need help."

Furious was one word that came to mind, but it was the burning red pepper rage that blew the top off my calm expression.

"I don't care anymore. I don't care if I lose control of my wolf. Hell, I don't even care if that side of me dies because I feel like I am human anyway. If you really wanted to help, you would leave me alone."

I snatched my books off the table and stormed out, ignoring the teacher's rant about me leaving, and pretended I hadn't seen that worried look on Zane's face.

Why couldn't they just let me suffer in peace? Wasn't like I was ruining their life by not being a bubbly flying fairy. No-one could fully understand what I was feeling right now, and I think that came a bit down to myself; because I didn't really know how I felt about it either.

The only thing I knew without a doubt is that it hurt knowing Zane and I wouldn't ever have a friendship.

Who would have thought that would be something I would be upset about a few months ago?

If only I could turn back the clock.

 

***

One would think if you had a shit day at school when you came home, things would turn around or at least you could chill out. Instead, when I unlocked our front door, I was greeted by a nagging mother.

"Allie, we've been summoned." She waved an official piece of paper in my face. "You know what this means! This means they know! This means we are going to be killed or worse run out of town!"

"I don't see how being ran out of town is worse than dying." I personally wouldn't care if they kicked us out; well, at least that was what I wanted to think.

"Allie, go get changed and put a smile on that sad face of yours because we are going to have to convince them that we are worth keeping around."

I dragged my feet up the steps. There was no chance in hell I was putting any effort into impressing them.

 

***

I was bored within minutes of stepping into the 'meeting,' which surprisingly didn't involve Zane. I had expected him here cheering for me to be kicked out, or at least voice his opinion that I shouldn't be around here cause I didn’t care about his pack.

"Allie, are you even listening?" Mom snapped her fingers in my face, bringing me back to the boring boardroom which was filled with the elders and in all their wisdom, Alpha and Mrs. Alpha, and then there is mom who had been playing the crying poor-me card since we entered.

"What was the question?" I asked, trying to sound sorry for not listening, but I failed at it.

"You have disconnected from the pack, and it would be mandatory for you to remove that shield if we let you and your mother stay in the pack," Alpha Harris explained slowly. Do I look like a toddler learning to understand?

Anyway, they are the stupid ones.

"What block are you talking about? That old bracelet thing Jace clipped on me?" I glanced between mom and Alpha Harris, and he nodded his head.

"Yes, that blocking shield needs to be destroyed as we can't have you relaying information back to your father and brother, without us knowing. By you wearing that bracelet, you could be spying on us right now."

I held both my wrists up. "I'm not wearing a bracelet. I haven't been for weeks since I made Jace take it off. Are you telling me that is why all of you, including Zane, have been treating me like a…a… traitor!"

I wasn't angry, I wasn't furious, I was ready to kill. They had wasted my time.

"Then why can't we connect with you?" one of the elders asked.

"I don't know! You guys are the all-knowing, wise ones, figure it out."

"Allie, calm down." Mom pulled on my arm. They were just lucky my inner beast wasn't awake to be part of this argument. Actually, why wasn't she? We were under attack, and I was fighting by myself.

"I'm calling this meeting to a close," Alpha Harris announced and then turned to mom. "You and I need to speak. Allie, you are free to leave."

Everyone rushed off until I was the last one standing there, still thinking the same question. Why hadn't my wolf come to defend me? I knew we were disconnected but had it reached a different level now?

Suddenly I was given a whole new thing to keep me up all night to think about.

 

***

I hadn't brought my own car which meant I was stuck here until mom finished things up with Alpha Harris. I snuck out the side door and went to sit in my favorite garden. I had just reached the pond when I realized who was sitting next to it.

I was going to turn and sprint but once again was too late.

"You don't have to avoid me, Allie." Zane's voice floated through the stilled night air.

Turning back around, I continued on my path to the pond.

"Thought that was what you wanted."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Thought you hated me." He gave me a blank side expression. "But then you did show up to the meeting, so that's something."

"Don't see the connection."

"Dad wants your memory linked back with ours, so you showing up at least means you're considering it."

"Zane, I haven't been wearing that bracelet for weeks." I don't know why but my voice had come across softer and calmer - what this man does to me.

The frown on his forehead was tight until his expression slowly faded with understanding and sadness in his eyes.

"What is it?" I suddenly had to know what he was thinking right now. Darn, if my wolf were awake I would be able to read his mind.

"Did dad take your mom aside to talk to her?" Suddenly he was panicked and jumping to his feet.

"Yes, he said something about talking details," I said, watching him sprint away from me.

Why wouldn't anyone tell me what is going on?! Everyone else seemed to have put the pieces together but me! All I wanted was answers.