There is only one place I know to go to.
It takes me almost an hour to get there, and I’m surprise when Francis or Lydia don’t show up behind me, demanding I come back to the pack house.
But within that hour I find myself stumbling down the road towards Lori and Serenity’s cabin.
Serenity is sitting outside, peaceful and serene as the wind grabs and tosses around her hair.
She stands though when she sees me.
“Layla?” She races down the steps, grabbing me as I fall into her arms.
“I’m sorry,” I’m more cohesive now, but the feel of her skin on mine has me drawing away.
“What’s wrong. Where’s Francis?”
Her eyes are glowing as she looks around, alert to any danger.
“He’s…” I hiccup, my throat lost in the folds of my sobs.
“Was the pack house attacked? Are you okay? Is Francis okay?”
Serenity’s is shaking me now, demanding an answer, “No no he’s fine. Fine. I just. I just.”
Serenity stops in her movements as she looks down at me.
“Please Layla,” her voice is thin and shaking as she bends down to be eye level with me, “Please tell me you did not run away.”
I stare into her deep blue eyes. The color is exactly the same as Francis’s. Exactly the same.
But those eyes close in silent sorrow, blocking out their blue for me to see.
“Oh Layla.”
Without another words she is pulling me up, helping me to the porch and into a chair.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I shake my head. This female was the last person I wanted to share my darkness with.
“Can I borrow your phone?”
She nods and silently hands me it.
I look at her, my silence speaking volumes as Serenity shrugs, “Even if I go in the house, I’ll still hear it.”
I nod and slowly type in the number.
Hank picks up on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“Hank,” I breath a sigh of relief when I hear his voice.
“Lay? Layla is that you?”
“Yes, I’m using a different phone.”
There is a pause on the other end as Hank takes a deep breath, “Lay what’s wrong?”
“I need you to come get me.”
Serenity’s gasp of surprise has me nervously glancing at her, but she stays silent, her eyes wide, but not leaving me as Hank’s panicked voice is heard from the other end.
“Why? What’s wrong, talk to me Lay. Did you tell him? Is that what happened? That bastard!”
I hear a crash as Hank’s anger gets the best of him.
“I didn’t tell him.”
There is silence again as Hank pauses, “I don’t understand.”
“Hank I can’t tell him. I already know he will…” I glance at Serenity and sigh, “I already know what he will do.”
“Has he hurt you?”
“No Hank.”
There is more silence on the phone.
“Okay. I’ll come. I needed to stop by at our pack anyway. The Alpha called me saying he wanted to talk- but as soon as I’m done with him, I’m on my way.”
“Thank you,” I breath out relief.
“Lay…are you sure?”
“Hank…he thinks…he….” I gulp back whatever tears were about to invade my throat as I roughly clear it, “He thinks I’m pure. He thinks I’m whole. He thinks I would never lie. That I have no secrets.”
I hear Serenity gasp again as she takes in my words.
“Oh Lay.”
I feel the sobs rise in my throat now, unable to be contained anymore.
“I’m coming. Hang on. I’m coming soon.”
He hangs up then, leaving me feeling disconnected as I turn to face Serenity’s full golden eyes.
“I won’t let you leave him.”
I shrink back within my chair.
“Francis has gone through to much. He went through losing his father. Losing me. I won’t make him suffer anymore and lose his mate also. The pain…”
Serenity grips her chest as she looks up at me.
“You are not leaving. I wasn’t able to do anything for Francis as a mother, but I can do this.”
I fall out of my chair, frantically backing away as she grabs me.
“Please Serenity, please let me explain.”
I shriek, tears falling down my face even more now as she grabs my hands and pulls me into the house.
“I’m sorry Layla,” her voice sounds pained. Pained and confused. She wants Francis’s approval. Needs it. But she knows this is wrong. Knows she will never forgive herself for it.
“You left Lori!” I yell the words out.
Serenity takes a shuddered breath, “and I regret that decision every day of my life.”
I go limp then. Limp as she takes rope and wraps me around, stuck and confined within a chair.
“I’m so sorry Layla,” she repeats her words again, her voice shaking.
We sit there in silence for an hour.
Serenity has called Lori and Francis each three times. Neither one picks up.
“Where are they?” Her voice is growing more frantic.
She sighs then though, letting her head hang down as she holds it there in her hands.
“What did he do wrong?”
I look down to meet her tear filled eyes.
“Please tell me what he did wrong and I’ll fix it. I’ll tell him and you won’t have to deal with that again.”
I smile then. It confuses her as she lifts her head to take in my raised lips.
But I smile because of the harsh reality.
“He did nothing wrong.”
Serenity’s eyebrows lower in confusing.
“It’s me. It’s what I did. What I did wrong.”
Our silence is broken by the sound of a truck racing down the drive.
The slamming of the door, and the roar of the voice into the night as he screams out my name.