Inescapable Love

Chapter Eighteen: Visions

"Why did you run?" I asked, understanding that she was probably nervous. But why did she look so scared?

"I-I don't know. Adam explained to me that he hates Chris' pack, and that means he probably hates you, too. If I let him turn me, I'd be in his pack. He wouldn't let me talk to you at all. And you're the only other person who knows about Adam and Chris and what they are and... What you are, and I just can't take being alone." She sobbed, her body still shaking. I sighed and closed my eyes briefly.

"Do you want to be with Adam forever?" I asked softly, knowing her answer before she said it. He was her mate... Of course she did.

"More than anything." She whispered, attempting to dry her tears. I nodded and clenched my jaw.

"Then you should. Let him turn you if it's what you want. Don't think about how it will affect our friendship. It doesn't matter since Chris hates Adam just as much as Adam hates Chris." I said reassuringly. She just nodded.

"I'll tell him that. I hope he's not too upset." She mumbled. I awkwardly patted her shoulder before I stood up, preparing to go to class. She smiled at me and wiped away the rest of her tears before she walked quickly down the hallway and out of sight. I took a deep breath and as I was letting it out a strong arm grabbed me around my waist, hauling me back into a rock hard chest. I inhaled and froze. If I was in wolf form my ears would be flattened, my tail would be tucked between my legs, and I would be shaking from fear.

"Miranda, I'm gonna give you one chance to explain." His voice said, and I could tell it was an effort for him to sound even remotely calm. He was furious.

"I had to do it." I whispered.

"Had to?! No you didn't! The only thing you have to do is listen to me!" He shouted, his voice echoing in the empty hallway. I whimpered slightly, my fear increasing as I felt his body trembling. He was seconds away from phasing, but he was trying to keep it under control. I knew I shouldn't have disobeyed him. He was the alpha of the pack, and that meant he gave the orders. His orders were meant to be followed, not broken.

"Listen to me." He growled through clenched teeth, pressing his lips to my ear as he spoke in a threatening tone.

"This is your last warning. Don't do anything to help them, ever again." He growled, his sharpened canines brushing against my skin.

"Okay. I promise I won't. I swear." I said quickly, mispronouncing a few words as my tongue struggled to spit out my sentence.

"Good. But I'm not letting you out of my sight until I trust you again." He assured me, his hand trailing down to grasp my arm as he hauled me out of the school.

Once we were in the woods he turned and pressed me up against the nearest tree. His eyes were glowing brightly.

"Do you understand what it means that I'm the alpha? Or did you just forget that?" He scoffed. I shook my head.

"I'll take that into consideration more often." I assured him. He nodded and then looked away.

"Just because you're my mate doesn't give you special privileges. Now follow me." He demanded, shifting into wolf form and sprinting into the woods. I sighed and let my form shimmer, and in the next moment I was on the ground, digging my paws into the earth and running as fast as I could to catch up to him. I hated myself right now, because my mind wouldn't let me hate him. I still loved him. Ugh, it just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.

As I ran beside Chris, I felt horrible and unwanted. I wanted him to forgive me. I nipped at his ear playfully, but he just growled and snapped at me in warning. I whined and dropped my head in shame. I couldn't believe I had broken the most important rule of the pack.

You're not going to school tomorrow. He growled.

Why? I thought you said I didn't need to be there when Mark and Jordan woke up. I replied, confused.

Now since I have to babysit you, you have to go everywhere I go. Get used to it. He snapped in an aggravated tone. I nodded quickly, not wanting to upset him any further. He was already pissed enough as it was.

When we arrived home Chris phased and threw open the door, storming angrily into the house. He was still shaking slightly, but not as much as he had been at the school. He stood at the counter, his back facing me. I reached out and touched his arm lightly.

"Chris." I said softly. He jerked his arm away and turned to face me.

"What?" He snapped, his jaw clenching.

"I-I'm sorry." I mumbled, hoping he wouldn't stay mad forever.

"It doesn't change what you did." He growled, turning back towards the counter and ignoring me. Pain filled me at his obvious rejection, and I walked over to the couch, sinking down onto the cushions and holding my head in my hands. I let the tears flow silently at first, but after a few minutes I couldn't control my soft sobs. I tried to muffle them, but I was sure Chris could still hear.

"Miranda." His voice said from directly behind me.

"What?" I sniffled, not looking at him.

"I'm sorry." He said, his hands resting on my shoulders. His touch was warm and comforting, but at this moment I told myself that I didn't want it. I ignored him and I heard him sigh before he sat down next to me. He took me in his arms, wrapping them around my trembling body and holding me close to his chest.

"Please look at me." He whispered into my hair. I shook my head and he tucked his face into the crook of my neck. I felt his soft lips on my neck as he kissed it lightly.

"Please." He repeated, his breath tickling my skin. I clenched my hands into fists against his chest before I blinked away some of my tears and hesitantly looked up at him. He leaned forward and kissed me softly.

"I'm sorry I made you cry." He said sincerely. I didn't respond, I just stared at him. He smiled hesitantly, but I couldn't return the smile.

"You won't let me talk to her." I said, my voice cracking. His hold on me tightened, and I could see he was struggling to keep his composure.

"No. I can't let you do that." He said firmly.

"Why?" I asked, my voice trembling as the tears threatened to spill over again.

"She's part of his pack now. We don't interact with them unless we're in battle." He reminded me.

"But she's been my friend for years." I sobbed.

"I know." He whispered, resting his head on top of mine as he let me snuggle further into his warm embrace.

"She needs to talk to me. No one else would understand." I mumbled into the warmth of his chest.

"She can talk to Adam about her problems then." Chris suggested as I continued to listen to his steady heartbeat.

"She can't talk to him about everything. Just like I can't talk to you about everything." I said, instantly blushing after I said it. He must understand that I needed to talk to another girl about some things. He couldn't be my only consoler.

"What can't you talk to me about?" He asked, his lips brushing against my ear as he spoke the words.

"Just some things that I would rather talk about with my best friend. And I'm sure she feels the same way. Just because we're in different packs doesn't mean we have to be sworn enemies." I complained.

"But it does." He persisted, the warmth of his arms suddenly becoming too much for me. I pulled away from him and sat huddled on the couch with my knees pulled up to my chest.

"It shouldn't be like that." I said softly. A plan was forming in my head. Well, it was more like a vision than a plan. A vision of two packs brought together, sharing the same land, hunting side by side. Adam's pack and Chris' pack. Only in this vision, they weren't two separate packs. They were one whole pack, united.

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Ugh I know this is a really short chapter :( but my mom is throwing a fit because of my sister =_= and also I have to do homework, so I wanted to update now instead of later. Hope you like the chapter, and comment your thoughts on Miranda. Do you think she will follow Chris' rules, or try to communicate with Katherine even though it's forbidden?