𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤

16. "The world is cruel, ugly and pitiful."

16. "The world is cruel, ugly and pitiful."

☆:*'¨'*:..:*'¨'*:.☆

Disconcerted - it was the only word I could think of to describe how I felt.

I learnt that the driver was Sera's brother, Manuel. He acts as a supplier for the pack and must confine himself to the human realm to do so.

I snorted to myself at the thought of my momentary fear from before. I knew I was overly apprehensive, but I couldn't help it. Maybe it was my instincts, or perhaps just my nature.

It wasn't Manuel making me nervous anymore. I had grown comfortable enough around him during the thirty-minute car ride. But the ache in my stomach remained - I now had a name for it.

Uncertainty.

I was unsure of what exactly was going on. Why were we in a human town? Why is he forced to live here? I didn't like being out of the loop, but I was too nervous to ask questions.

But even more nervous about the answers I would get.

With a small sigh of frustration, I rolled my head towards the window, watching the scenery fly by, a diorama of dark green trees, gentle wisps of white fog and heavy grey clouds up above.

The darkening sky threatened to cover the light of the crescent moon. I struggled to fix my focus on its crescent shape, which kept playing peek-a-boo between the clouds. Regardless, I kept staring until my eyes hurt.

But my focus wasn't on the moon at all. My focus was on him.

Don't think about him.

Don't think about him.

Don't think about him.

My stomach clenched as I struggled to control my thoughts. My body ached for him against my will. My wolf missed him. She missed him so much, I felt tears struggling to break free from the corner of my eyes.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered if he felt the same. But I quickly relinquished that thought.

I glanced back to the front for a distraction and froze as two brown eyes stared back at me through the rearview mirror.

Manuel was undoubtedly handsome with an angular face and dark wavy hair, but his eyes held me in place.

His eyes were careful, as he watched me.

Although I was his Alpha's mate, I knew he was yet to trust me, to see me as pack. I didn't blame him for it. I never thought of them as pack either. Sure, Sera was nice, and Raphael was somewhat welcoming, but it did not feel the same as my pack, with Journey and Johnny and all my other friends.

It didn't feel like a family.

And I doubted it ever will.

We stopped in a sketchy neighbourhood. I tipped my head back and followed the ascent of the building up to the night sky sheltered within the clouds. The windows were all covered in plywood, I assumed from street violence. The surrounding buildings were in no better shape.

The sensory input was so overwhelming that it made me stagger back as I exited the car. The sounds of cars, shouts, loud crashes, the smell of exhaust mixed with food and alcohol, and the frantic flow of cars wildly passing as by had me momentarily paralysed.