Rejecting Him Back

26. Only Him

Today is the day I visit Tyler.

It's the third day after three very important things happened: Erin died; Tyler was infected; Cami found out she is pregnant.

The last occurrence is the reason why I'm only going to the care center now. My friend has been freaking out about her discovery, and I've been trying to help her process it. Having a baby young is scary enough. But getting pregnant while a virus is circulating, there is an impending war between packs, a freaking lockdown, and a still unknown lunatic carving on dead bodies... it's terrifying.

Besides all that, she's worried that she and Finn are not compatible enough to be able to form a mate bond. True mates, like Aiden and me, have an instant connection. We recognize each other as mates immediately. There is no one else.

The wolves who never meet their true mate, which is the most common scenario, don't immediately know if it's possible to build a mating bond. The process is similar to humans: the wolves date and discover if their connection is real and deep enough to commit to each other. It's something that takes time.

The way it's described, reaching the mating bond, varies. But for most, it's said to be like something clicks into place inside them and, suddenly, they can feel the other person as if they are one. Cami isn't sure she will reach the bond with her baby's father, which is messing with her head. She fears they may be too different.

I've been trying to make see that only time will tell if Finn is the right person for her. But, if he's not, that's okay. He will still be a great father and friend. And she will be free to find the love of her life; a baby doesn't change that. It only adds more love to the equation.

I really hope that we can discover who is behind spreading the virus at the school and end this lockdown soon; Cami needs her family. We all do.

The both of us have been staying at Aiden's cabin since she asked for some space from Finn. The poor guy has been trying his best to talk to her, but my friend just wants to be left alone for now.

"Who are you here to visit?"

The guard at the front of the care center is holding a list in his hand. I can vaguely see that it's not a short list, which makes my heart grow heavier. When we remain closed off in the cabins, it's easier to ignore the reality of what surrounds us. But, right here, where the victims of the virus are suffering its consequences, the truth becomes a hard slap to the face.

"Tyler Dagon."

"And what's your name?"

"Violet Knight."

He nods and shares that information through a walkie-talkie.

"This is the last day you can visit him. He's on the second floor, room 36. Someone will be there to give you the necessary instructions."

I nod and enter the building.

If this was once an ordinary campus building meant for students and faculty, it's now impossible to tell. The corridors are lined with guards and medical supplies, and each room that I pass has reinforced doors with safety warnings plastered on them.

As I use the stairs to go to Tyler's floor, I pass a crying girl. Her face is swollen red, and hiccups uncontrollably fall out of her. I gulp, knowing that someone she loves must be in bad condition...if they're not dead.

I want to sit next to her and comfort her, but time is precious in situations like this. And I don't know how Tyler is doing. So I do the unthinkable and ignore her.

This is what war and uncertainty do; they rip humanity out of us. Slowly, without us even noticing, we become colder. We adapt to the harsh environment around us.