Dirty Secret

Chapter 24

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***

I got the sudden feeling to smack his amused face. Had he any idea how much hell I'd endured since the last time I had seen him?

"You certainly deserve it," I masked my relief with annoyance," where the hell have you been?"

"Texas."

"Texas?"

"Yes, Texas."

"Why did you go back to Texas?" and why didn't you take me with you?

"To get us some answers, and I definitely got 'em."

"Well, I'm all ears," I took a seat on one of the parking pillars and waited for his explanation.

"I went to get answers from my pack's Wise Seven, about how I can take you with me without putting your wolf in danger since your mate is here."

"Who's the Wise Seven?"

"The Wise Seven are usually members that form something like a council for rogue packs. Kind of like how the usual packs have a council, it's usually the eldest seven members."

"And what did they say?"

"Leaving your mate, or even rejecting them can harm your wolf enough so that it wouldn't want to ever shift, you risk being permanently in your human form."

My heart dropped. The only light to this misery had been when I was able to shift and course through the trees undetected and undisturbed.

"I can't do that, that can't happen-"

"That's only going to happen after your away from your mate long term, unless-"

"Unless what?"I was already on the verge of panic. Was I so unlovable that Brett would rather never shift again than to be with me?

"Unless you do this thing called Forfeiting your Mate."

I recognized that term immediately. It was the title of Brett's book.

"There's this dude from this pack down south, I think his name was Rob-"

"Robert Moretti from the Red Moon Pack," I mumbled, staring ahead.

Jeremy seemed taken back," Um yes, how did you know that? You know what, it doesn't matter. What he discovered was if you perform the mating ceremony under a Blood Moon, you can mate with someone else, someone who isn't your soulmate."

"A blood moon? Like a Lunar Eclipse?"

"Yes, exactly."

"But those only happen like twice or three times a year, and one has already passed-"

"But the next one is October twenty 23'rd."

My chest dropped again," that's in two days"

Jeremy was smiling from ear to ear," if we leave tomorrow, we'll make it to Texas in time. The Wise Seven already agreed to do the ceremony."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, if we leave at around noon we should make it in time. Do you think that's enough time to pack all your stuff? Oh, and don't worry about school, they have a great high school in town, with rogue kids just like us."

My head was spinning. This was far too much information to take in. I had always dreamt about running away, about being rescued by a mysterious man and taken to a place where I felt like I belonged. So how come I felt paralyzed now, like I couldn't go anywhere?

I felt my wolf stir and peaked back inside of the school. Through the back windows I could see that Brett was watching us. I wondered how long he'd been there and if he had heard anything? Surely, he was too far and I would have sensed his arrival way sooner.

"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked and I realized that he had not yet sensed Brett. The only reason I had been able to was because we were still mates. I could see that Brett had bared his teeth, I could almost smell the jealousy,  I could reflect his fury and possessiveness. His growls could have been right by my ears how I could hear them.

"Nothing," I mumbled and stood up," its enough time. Where do you wanna meet?"

"How about Deadmans Cave?" It was very obvious by the look on his face that Jeremy was over the moon. I only wished that I shared that same enthusiasm.

I faked an unbothered smirk,"perfect."

I had begun packing that night. I hated to admit that I was anxious, hated the pathetic glances I took at the window every few minutes. I wanted to be more relieved, but the truth is, I was in a state of panic. Brett would surely be performing the mating ceremony as well during the Lunar Eclipse in two days. I still was unsure of what it all meant. Would my feelings for Brett magically disappear and would the bond finally be broken? It seemed like tragedy that was for the better.

I wondered what would happen, if I were to mate with Jeremy and he were to discover his soulmate afterwards? I hadn't asked him that. It seemed like something too important not to ask. The last thing I needed was to be rejected and alone all over again.

I could not sleep knowing that tomorrow at noon we would begin our departure for Texas. I fled my bed and tiptoed down the stairs and outside. The fresh air felt like a trigger to better my breathing. I ran towards the pitch black shadows of the trees and shifted.

I ran for an hour until destiny brought me back to Deadman's Cave like it always did. I shifted, I was completely naked now, walking towards the moonlit waters. I caught sight of a man who was seated next to the edge. He was waiting for me.