The Forsaken Luna

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Elliot

Mackenzie leans into my side, her head resting against my shoulder. My arm is wrapped around her, keeping her close to me. I have my eyes closed, my ears straining for any kind of sound except her soft breathing.

We have been sitting in the living room for the past hour. I let her rest against me because she looks so weak and tired. My heart is breaking when I notice the exhaustion on her face and how pale she looks like. Is this because of her upcoming shift?

I open my eyes when I hear a car coming down the street. Kenzie picks up her head as well, turning to look at the window in the living room. The car stops in the driveway, waiting for the garage door to rattle open. Then the car drives into the garage and the door closes again. From the roar of the engine I can tell it's the sedan.

Kenzie glances up to me with a worried expression and I press my lips into a thin line. I give her a small nod of encouragement, before I hear the car doors closing. Two sets. Only two people came home.

Mackenzie sits up a little more, but she stays pressed up to my side. I tighten my grip on her, pulling her as close to me as possible. Right now, I'm going to need her calming presence by my side.

The door to the garage opens and I can hear voices. Thomas's figure appears in between the doorway, but he still doesn't see me and Kenzie on the sofa. My mate's older brother is turned away from us, cheerfully talking to whoever is behind him. Mackenzie tenses up against my body, watching her brother and his human mate enter the house.

"Oh, shut up." Natalie laughs at something Thomas said. Her eyes turn to look at the living room and the laughter dies in her throat immediately. She sees how my arm's wrapped around Mackenzie, which makes the human girl give us a confused look. Thomas notices the change of mood in his mate, which makes him turn to the living room as well.

I notice the anger that appears on his face and the way he clenches his jaw when our eyes meet. I tilt my head a little to the side, waiting to see if one of them is going to explode and yell at me or if they will just stand and watch us.

"Hey." Mackenzie is the first to speak up. Her body leans forward and my arm slips off of her shoulders. She stands up and turns to her brother and best friend, watching them. "Hey." Natalie sounds confused when she speaks, her eyes jumping from her to me. I stay silent, turning my eyes to my mate. She glances down at me for just a second before she turns back to the two.

"You have a second to talk?" She asks them, nudging her chin to the other sofa. Natalie glances to Thomas, unsure of what to say, but the male werewolf only has his eyes on me. He is fuming with anger already and I prepare myself if he's going to swing at me.

"Yeah." Natalie answers for the both of them and she reaches her small hand out for Thomas's. They lace their fingers together, which makes Thomas turn to look at his mate.

They head over to the empty sofa, while Mackenzie sits back down next to me. Her leg brushes against mine and I instinctively wrap my arm around her shoulders again. Thomas narrows his eyes at the movement, but he keeps silent about it.

"We... haven't seen you for some time now. You weren't picking up my calls." Natalie is careful when she speaks, her light brown eyes eyeing the way I hold my mate. "I'm sorry about that. I just... needed some time for myself." Kenzie apologizes and gives a small smile to Nat. Her best friend returns the smile before her eyes focus on me.

I keep quiet and avoid making eye contact with either of them. I turn my head to Mackenzie, which makes her look to me again. She breathes in heavily and nods a little, before her focus shifts back to her brother and her best friend.