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21
“I’m eating,” I said.
The mood at the table around me shifted. It was like I could feel the tension in the air and I was pretty sure my companions were holding their breath.
“This can’t wait,” he said.
“It’s going to have to wait,” I countered.
He growled.
“Lola…” Sheila elbowed me.
“Unless someone is dying, I am going to finish my dinner.” I wanted to speak to Alec, but his actions weren’t giving me confidence that he was going to react any better to me than he had earlier.
I took a bite of my hamburger. After my last experience leaving Wolf Creek and going without food for several days, I wasn’t about to waste a good meal.
To my surprise, Alec sat down on the bench next to Sheila. Tension hung thick in the air but I went back to my dinner, pretending I wasn’t bothered by him.
“I’m sorry,” Alec said.
All heads turned to him, then I felt their eyes on me. My cheeks burned. “You’re sorry?”
“I had no right,” he said.
I wasn’t expecting an apology. Sure, I sort of hoped he’d see how much of a dick he’d been, but I didn’t think he’d admit to it. Let alone do it in front of other people.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Are we okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I wasn’t sure that was true, but I wasn’t in a place to work through my emotions right now.
He nodded, then rose from the table. “I’ll come by tomorrow morning. You should get some sleep tonight.”
“Alright,” I said.
Without another word, Alec left us sitting there in silence. I looked down at my food but my appetite was long gone.Dammit, Alec. He ruined a perfectly good hamburger.
“Who wants pie?” Mario asked, breaking the long silence.
“I definitely want pie and if she’s not having any, I’ll take hers,” Sheila said.
“Pie sounds great.” I forced myself to eat the rest of my food, knowing it was going to be a long day tomorrow. I wasn’t sure if breakfast was part of our preparation for breaking into my old home and eliminating a mating bond.
I managed to participate in casual conversation, but my head and heart weren’t in it. As soon as it was socially acceptable to say goodnight, I excused myself from the group.
Tomorrow I was going to return home. It felt surreal to consider voluntarily going back to Wolf Creek. Greta had been clear, though. I had to face my past and figure out what I really wanted. I think going back was the only way I could move forward.
The worst part of the whole thing was that I had to trust Alec. I had no clue as to how we were going to get in and out undetected. He’d mentioned that I needed to be close to Tyler, but I didn’t know what that meant. At least he’d be there with me.
Despite everything with Alec, he had stood up and helped me every time I needed it. Things were different between us now, and while I wasn’t sure what was coming next, I supposed I did trust that he would help keep me safe.
If only I had managed to figure out how to shift before going back. I’d feel a little better if I could be more on par with the strength of the others. Alec was going to have to be enough.
I knew I needed to sleep, but I was still awake when Sheila crept into the tent. I kept my eyes closed and pretended I was asleep. Soon, I heard her slow breathing.
Crickets chirped and a breeze rustled the canvas sides of the tent. The calming sounds of the night should have lulled me to sleep, but I was far too restless.
