Costin heard Decebel say a few choice curse words under his breath, which only made his mate laugh harder. They seemed so happy, so right together.
Costin and Sally had been that way at one time, but, in the blink of an eye, all that happiness had been stolen from them. He turned in the opposite direction of his two friends, hurried down the stairs, and out the front door of the pack mansion. By the time he hit the edge of the forest, his wolf was salivating at the idea of going on a hunt. He needed to kill something. He shed his clothing and phased in less than a minute.
When he hit the ground on all fours, Costin threw back his head and let out a long, loud howl. He heard another howl in return and recognized it as his Alpha’s. Apparently, Vasile was out hunting as well. No doubt, now that he knew Costin was there, he’d be getting a visit from the ancient wolf. Knowing he was in no mood to talk rationally, Costin took off at a dead run, moving away from the direction of the echoing sound. He was also moving away from the mansion, where his Sally sat scared and alone. She was the only person he wanted to be near, but she was unreachable. He wished he knew how to get past her defenses, but he had no idea.
Chapter Two
“If I hear one more movie or television show tell a girl to follow her heart, I’m going to vomit up my Lucky Charms. Follow my heart? My heart is as finicky as a damn cat. If I let my heart lead me around, I’d be dry humping hot guys and stuffing my face with Dove ice cream bars one day and begging for Dec’s attention and affection the next. What they should be telling girls is to use the brain they were given and learn to suck it up when things get tough. Life is hard, and it won’t always be unicorn farts and Care Bear burps. But when things get tough, you dig in deep and say, ‘I’m sticking it out. I’m not happy right now, but I’m willing to do what it takes to make this work.’ Okay, so maybe that isn’t as pretty as ‘Follow your heart,’ but at least it won’t end in a string of broken relationships. Boom.” ~Jen
“Sally, open the damn door.” Jen growled. She’d given her friend space and time, but she was done being considerate. Sally was hurting, and Jen wasn’t going to sit by and do nothing. “And why do I feel like I’ve said that before?”
“Maybe try not yelling at her.” Jacque’s voice came out softer and more hesitant.
Sally was still sitting on the floor of the bathroom where she’d closed herself off about an hour ago. Costin had left. She’d felt him moving farther and farther away from her, but she still hadn’t been able to make herself move from the spot on the cold tile.
“Sally, please open the door,” Jen said again in a much lower voice. Less than half a minute later, her voice came through the door again. “See, not yelling didn’t get her gypsy butt out here. That means yelling and physical violence are the only options left.”
“No physical violence, Jennifer,” Jacque ordered.
“I’m not going to beat her with a stick. Damn, Red. I’m just going to rip the door down and drag her out by her ankles.”
“Oh, well, if that’s all, then by all means, go ahead,” Jacque said dryly.
Sally wanted to smile, but her face wouldn’t work. She wanted to laugh, but the emotions seemed just out of her reach. So, instead, she did the only thing of which she seemed capable. She laid down on the floor, pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. She buried her face in her knees, and she wept. She remembered how Peri, Jen, and Jacque had found her in Ocean Side and befriended her. At the time, Sally hadn’t recognized the women. But when she met them, Sally had felt as though they’d been friends forever. Deep down her soul knew them. Why had she forgotten them? Why did it feel like her mind was fractured? She kept trying to reconcile her time in Ocean Side with her real life, but it was so hard because everything that had happened when her brain had been wiped was real. It was a lie, but it was still so very real.
“Sally, sweetie.” Jacque’s voice came down through the bottom of the door where there was a small crack. Sally opened her eyes and could see her friend’s face through that gap. Jacque was laying on the floor with her cheek pressed to the floor. “I don’t know what you’re going through, but honey, you don’t have to go through it alone. Don’t shut us out. We won’t judge you. We won’t give our advice. We won’t say a word. But let us be there for you.”
Sally held Jacque’s stare as she responded. “It’s too much, Jacque. I thought I could handle it.” Her words sounded choked as she spoke through the tears. “But I can’t. I can’t live like this.” She paused as she tried to work through the chaotic thoughts. “I see Costin, but I hear Jericho’s voice.” A sob broke through. “How sick is that? I hear another man’s voice when my mate speaks. I know Costin’s hands are trying to touch me, but I feel Jericho. I feel his breath on my neck. I feel his eyes when I close my own. I remember everything—every whispered word, every laugh, every touch— and I can’t stand it. I can’t do this.” She breathed out as she lost control of the tears. Her body shook, and she no longer tried to stay quiet.
“I don’t want to live, not like this. I want to forget. I want to stop hurting Costin. I want to stop being a burden to you two. I just want it all to end.”
“Jacque, move.” Jen’s voice was no longer simply her own but was filled with the essence of the Alpha power that flowed inside of her. Sally knew Jacque would have to obey.
She heard the doorknob twist until it gave a loud pop, and then the door was pushed open. It stopped just short of smacking Sally in the forehead. She didn’t look up but simply closed her tear-filled eyes. Two sets of arms wrapped around her, cocooning her in their warmth. She felt both of her friends’ bodies tremble and knew they were crying with her, for her. They spoke no words of comfort, nor did they berate her for her morbid outburst. They simply held her, letting her know by their presence and touch they would be there for her no matter what. Every pat of their hand on her back or stroke down her hair was a reminder. We are here. You are loved. You aren’t alone.
Sally relaxed for the first time in days and allowed herself to slip into sleep. She was exhausted. She’d been holding everything inside, afraid to tell anyone what she was enduring and, finally, it wasn’t her burden to bear alone. For the first time in three days she slept without dreaming.
“Get Rachel, Alina, and Lilly,” Jen told her mate through their bond as she held her now-sleeping best friend. She and Jacque had been laying on the bathroom floor with Sally for over an hour. The gypsy had fallen asleep and seemed to be in a deep rest. They didn’t want to disturb her, so they simply laid there and held her.
“I didn’t know it was this bad,” Jacque whispered.
“She didn’t want us to know,” Jen said. “She said herself she thinks she’s a burden to us.”
“She said she didn’t want to live. Do you think she’s considered it?”
Jen frowned. “You mean taking her own life?”