Freya
A knock on my door told me I'd fallen asleep without realizing it.
I went to open it, and I saw it was my grandma.
"Good morning. I'm just checking to see if you're up and ready for school," she said.
In grief, my head lowered.
"Are you okay?" she asked with worry.
My attention was brought back to her.
"Can I skip school? I'm not feeling too well," I told her.
"What is wrong?"
"I feel the need to be here today instead of at school," I explained.
Thankfully, my grandmother agreed, assuming I was in a terrible mood because of Mom.
Breakfast was brought to me while I was still in my room. Momentarily, my grandma informed me that she and Zira had to complete an errand and would return in an hour.
From my window, I watched them drive away.
I had only an hour to make a daring attempt to see whether Jurius was fine. So, I grabbed my jacket and went downstairs.
As I closed the door behind me, I ran to the back of the house and into the forest.
I wish I'd known where his pack home was; I could have driven. Instead, I had to return to the place where we were last night to somehow figure out where his father had carried him.
I stood where I had held Jurius in my arms while he bled from the hole in his left chest, and I was greeted by somber memories. Tears flooded my eyes as I stooped down and held a dried leaf blotted with his blood.
I realized more leaves were speckled with his blood and could lead me to him. I followed until there weren't any more. I was at a loss for what to do next, and I searched around till I noticed a trail of trampled wild plants. It led me out of the woods and onto an unfamiliar land with a large white home.
I peered at the strange home without having any doubt, accepting it was Jurius's home until I felt I'd gathered enough will to approach it.
I rapidly walked to the house and stood on the porch. I took deep breaths before knocking on the door.
From the inside, I heard footsteps approaching the door. My heart pounded in my chest, and I swiftly stepped away from the door. After meeting the alpha last night, I wasn't prepared to meet him again.
The door swung open, and I stung with relief to see it was a blonde instead.
I looked into her eyes, and I could tell she wasn't pleased to see me. Her expression was more of a surprise. But there was something about her eyes that reminded me of Jurius's radiant, dark brown eyes.
"Are you Jurius's mom? I asked, assuming she was.
"Yes, I am." She quickly answered my question, and as she did, she pulled the door behind her shut.
"We weren't expecting any visitors. Why are you here?" she asked inquisitively.
My eyes welled up with tears, and I couldn't keep them back any longer. I was desperate to know if Jurius was fine.
Jurius's mom takes hold of my shoulder and drags me inside. I was carried into the kitchen.
I took notice of its huge space, and a knife stabbed into the belly of a plump raw chicken on a cutting board made me feel unsafe.
"Why did you come here, human?" she asked.
Not hearing my response right away, she grasped me by the shoulder and started shaking me.
I shoved myself away from her.
"I need to know if the love of my life is okay!" I yelled.
As she glanced at me, she froze, and her pupils dilated. Her body shook in protest.
"Our kind cannot be with your kind," she said.
"Please let me know if he's fine," I implored.
"He's gone," she said.
A single hand covered my mouth in tears.
"You should leave before his father returns," she then urges me.
Jurius's mom towed me from the house.
"I'm sorry about your loss," I stopped at the front door before she could force me out.
"You need to leave before Jurius's dying wish to grant you life doesn't fulfill itself," she threatened me.
She opened the door and shoved me outside. As she did, I saw Jurius exiting his father's car.
He looked well and pain-free in spite of last night.
"Jurius!" I called him and ran to him.
His arms swathed around me the moment I attached myself to his towering, sturdy body.
I thought I'd lost you forever." I wept into his arms.
"I'm here," his reassuring words comforted me.
Unexpectedly, I felt my body being yanked away from his by the alpha.
"Get off my property and stay away from my son," he warned me.
"I will not lose my son because of you," he then snarled.
Jurius dashed before me and immediately used his body to barricade his bad-tempered dad.
From behind, I watched frantically as Jurius and his dad peered into each other's eyes gravely, as if they were about to have a showdown.
Jurius swerved around and held me by the hand, and we both stepped away from the house. I glanced behind me as we did, and I noticed his parents were watching us.
Jurius said not a word as we walked back to my house, nor did he look at me. His head was kept forward, as it was on the day we first met. The day he rescued me in the forest
My grandmother and Zira weren't home yet. So Jurius and I went through the front door, and we went straight upstairs into my room.
As he shut the door behind us, I couldn't help but wonder whether this was the end of us.
I went to sit on the edge of the bed, and the bed sank as he joined me.
He was silent once more, and his gaze was fixed on the floor.
I decided to break the silence between us.
"So are you going to leave me?" I asked tearfully.
His hand rested on his legs as he slouched his back.
Immediately, I got out of bed, already knowing the answer.
Jurius caught my hand and tugged me back to him.
We were now both standing close in each other's arms and gazing into each other's eyes.
One of his hands reached under my eyes, wiping away my tears, and I held it, desperate, desiring for us not to end.
"Please don't leave me," I implored.
In a low and husky voice, Jurius spoke to me.
"I can't risk losing you if the council finds out that a human knows about our kind," he said.
My head burrowed into his chest as I wept like a child.
I'd finally found the look I'd been longing for, and now he was leaving me.
I squeezed his shoulder and kept pleading with him not to leave me. Jurius's arms wrapped tightly around me.
I felt a trickle on my forehead. I lifted my head, and I saw it was Jurius's tears.
Weepingly, we both looked into each other's eyes, and shortly, his lips were carried to mine, kissing me.
I shut my eyes, and my fingers dug into his skin, relishing his kiss.
Momentarily, his mouth left mine.
"We cannot see each other again," he said, fleeing through the window.
I tried to catch him by his shirt, but he was too fast.
I fell to my knees, shattered.