Astrid

Chapter 10 - I am Alone, I thought

     Andrew had thought back to all the times he wished he could tell Astrid what they were. Like the time when she was in second grade and had made him a father's day card because it was the class activity. When he told her that he wasn't her father, she cried. He wanted to tell her then.

     He also wanted to tell her when she first learned of mates. She had begun her werewolf classes once she was of age, and she had come home that day with a million questions. When will I meet my mate? What if he doesn't like me? Where's your mate?

     That would have been an optimal time, but she was still young. He didn't want to worry her or place excess stress on her. Being a pack member was a huge responsibility, but being a Luna was even bigger. But now she knew, and at the moment he knew she didn't want either.

     After their conversation in Astrid's bedroom, Andrew had locked himself in his office and didn't come out until later that night. He had missed dinner but decided to check on Astrid first. She wasn't in her room as per usual. Sighing, he made his way downstairs and ate dinner alone.

     Alone.

     Now that he knew his mate didn't want him, Andrew had to force himself to grow used to this solitude. His heart ached and he felt like he was dying inside, yet he knew this was his new life. Maybe he'd start a novel, or become a better leader. He didn't want to think of other women yet. He knew that he needed an heir, but that would come later.

     You're getting older. The voice in his head taunted him. He was well into his 30s, so he knew later wasn't as long as he'd like it to be. He finished his dinner and did the dishes, deciding to stay up and wait for Astrid to ensure that she's safe. Into his second episode of Black Mirror, however, he took a "short" nap. Sometime during the nap he felt a blanket placed over his form. Suddenly, sparks erupted from his forehead which prompted him to fall into a deep sleep.

~~~{     }~~~

The next day, Andrew woke up and felt refreshed even after sleeping on the couch. His mate made him and his wolf happy. He had gone upstairs to his room and had taken a shower before heading downstairs for breakfast.

He was greeted with the sight of his pack, save for Astrid, but she hardly came to pack breakfast. Everyone around him was chatting about this and that, but Astrid's friend Jules had caught his eye. She had given him a look and pointed to the door.

How dare she demand an alpha.

She frantically began looking back and forth between Andrew and the door until she realized he wasn't getting it. She finally decided to mouth Astrid, which had Andrew out of his chair in an instant. Once they had gone outside, Jules had spoken.

"I'm worried about Astrid. She left pack grounds again today and she seemed a little off."

Andrew scrunched his eyebrows and looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean by off? And why is she leaving pack grounds?"

"She told me that she had to visit school, but I knew that was a lie. Plus she looked really groggy and had an odd scent to her."

     Andrew pondered this. He had been noticing a change in Astrid these past few years that he had attributed to her entering her teenage years. However, hearing Jules' concerns caused Andrew's to grow significantly.

     "Perhaps we could look into this. What do you think it is?"

     Jules' face fell when he mentioned it. She took a deep breath and wrung her hands, not sure if she could tell her alpha what she was speculating.

     "Honestly, I think it's drugs. I've seen her behavior with other kids in school. I don't want to jump to conclusions though. Maybe we could talk to her."

     Andrew groaned. Talking to her was a problem in and of itself. She wouldn't open up to anybody anymore. But, if she was taking drugs, he had to have a serious conversation with her. She couldn't let her life waste away like this. She couldn't hide whatever she was feeling from her pack, from her mate.

     "When she comes home later today I will have a conversation with her."

~~~{     }~~~

     It was late at night and Astrid still wasn't home, again. Andrew was worried, but he also was angry. Angry at the moon goddess for giving him a mate that didn't love him, angry at himself in his child raising skills, and even angry at Astrid for being such a handful. He decided that he wouldn't wait for Astrid any longer, so he decided to go upstairs.

     Once in bed, he tossed and turned for hours before falling to sleep. He was plagued with nightmares of Astrid. Her face pale as she lay unconscious on a hospital bed. Her heart beats slow and unsteady, her breath shallow. As hard as he tried, Andrew couldn't escape his dream. What seemed like hours later, Andrew woke up to a start when Astrid exhaled for the last time.

What the hell.

To say that Andrew was panicked was an understatement. He was scared of losing his mate forever, so he knew what he had to do.

Getting out of bed, he walked down the hall to Astrid's room knowing that she was still not home. He knew that this was an invasion of privacy, but something felt off.

Opening the door, he looked into her room and began to snoop around. There was nothing in her drawers, or her closet, or even under her bed. Andrew continued to search until he became frustrated.

Why can't I find out what's wrong with her?

Empty handed and dejected, Andrew made his way over to the door when he walked over a loose plank in the floor. He touched it with his foot a few times and realized that there was an empty space underneath it. Bending down, he loosened the floorboard to find a box.

Slowly, he opened the box to find a pictures of her parents of her and Andrew. He was so engrossed in the pictures that he almost ignored the bags still in the box. When he looked, however, hell broke loose.