Absolute Obedience

Chapter Twenty-Four

There was so much commotion, so many voices. It took me a few moments but eventually, I was able to open my eyes.

What happened?

My wolf was pacing, his eagerness to run and hide was strong.

Looking around the first people I noticed were Tessa and Ellis. They were standing next to an elderly female and speaking lowly. The woman wore a black robe that enclosed her entire figure and her hair was pinned into a tight low laying bun.

I slowly started to sit up, my head throbbed and I could still hear ringing. Shaking it, I tried to get rid of the noise.

The room went quiet the moment they noticed I was awake. My eyes traveled to everyone in the room. Kain stood by the door, arms crossed over his chest, staring at me. His gaze was unnerving, his body tense. Pierce was seated on the couch with Ben standing close by, Basil and Levi were by the window. The room was crowded. Too crowded. The atmosphere was strained. My hands fisted in the blankets, the nervous habit taking control.

Why were they all here?

I looked back at Pierce and as our eyes locked it all came back to me.

His words.

Immediately my hand rose to my stomach and I felt sick.

The elderly woman watched me and took a step forward with her hands in the air. "Toby, I'm Avalon. I come from Kain's pack, I'm one of the packs Elders. I'm here to have a look at you." My stomach did a flip and I felt fear grip me. An Elder? This was my first meeting with one. My former pack didn't have Elders. I remember Alpha saying that his father had done away with them. I wasn't sure why but the pack had known that Alpha wouldn't have done it without reason. Alpha did things to ensure the pack thrived. Questioning the actions of an Alpha was unheard of.

It wasn't this woman though, who scared me. It was the very real possibility that I was housing his pup. That I had once again made another mistake.

My skin crawled.

I felt my wolf growl at me but I ignored him. I didn't know it was possible. I hadn't known that I could bare a pup after one coupling. I was ignorant.

Was that an excuse though?

I didn't want this.

"Toby, I need you to lay down." I heard the words but I was too busy panicking.

"I—I didn't know." I was chanting, my words barely audible as I pleaded. My hands flew up and gripped fistfuls of my hair and the closed feeling that I hated, came over me. My world titled and my lungs tried to fill with air.

"Toby..." His familiar voice. It's who I had been so desperate to see, who I'd begged for. I disobeyed him. I left the safety of his home. I gave myself to that wolf. I put myself into this situation. I didn't even apologize to him properly. He got injured while I ran into his arms. I was disgusting, a disgrace.

"Shh, Toby listen to me, breathe." Arms wrapped around me. Arms that had so gently held me a few nights ago. Arms that rocked me. I was in his embrace once more, my head resting on his chest. He breathed slowly trying to get me to mimic his breaths.

I didn't deserve his kindness.

I cried. Moving my hands from my hair I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried my head into his chest, trying my hardest to even out my breathing.

"That's it, you fucking idiot." His voice was light, teasing. He buried his nose into my hair and I clung onto him tighter. "Why did you leave?" His whisper hit me hard.