The Forsaken Luna

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Jason

I barely slept last night. My mind wouldn't shut off like it usually did when I laid in bed, but last night it didn't. It kept on replaying the scene where my hand brushed against Max's. The surge that I felt through my body felt so... good. It scares me how strong the power of the mate bond is.

My body feels like it would weight a tone when I get out of bed. I didn't get a single minute of shut-eye the whole night. My mind was completely consumed by him. Max, Max, Max. That's all that it was repeating, like a broken record.

I head into the bathroom to wash my face and teeth. I need to wake myself up somehow. I need to stop thinking about him. I have to occupy my mind somehow. Do something. Anything that is going to stop him from invading the corners of my mind. Maybe I could talk to Mackenzie or Elliot about this. Or maybe not. I don't want to think more about him than I already did.

I pause while spitting out the foam from the toothpaste. I glance up to look at myself in the mirror. What happens when dad finds out?

The question scares me. The answer terrifies me. I don't want to know. Maybe I will never have to tell him. I mean, if I die while fighting with the hunters, all of my troubles are going to go away.

Morbid, Jason.

I shake my head and wash the toothpaste out of my mouth. How can you be this morbid so early in the morning? Thinking about your own death at eight in the morning on a Sunday. That must be a new record.

I head out of the bathroom and comb my fingers through my hair. I feel like something ran over me, but I push through the exhaustion. The last thing I need today is to stop and think about Max. I need to occupy myself. I need to keep moving, every second of the day, until I fall from exhaustion. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.

I come downstairs in the common area of the pack house. There are a few werewolves up and about already. They greet me with quiet 'good mornings' or just a casual nod. I nod back, heading to glance into the conference room to see if mom is in there. Maybe she could help me take my mind off Max. Or maybe I could actually talk to her about this.

No. No talking. No Max.

The conference room is empty, so I decide to head out of the pack house. It is resourceful that the pack house has spare rooms and bathrooms built on the second floor. At least I don't have to crash down in the den anymore. Can't say the whole Blood moon pack was that lucky. Some of our werewolves still sleep down there.

I head across the street, noticing Alec stepping out of his house. His eyes quickly notice me and he gives me a wave. I lift my hand up as a greeting and I change course, heading over to him instead of the Moore house. I pray to the Moon goddess that he won't mention anything about my mate.

"Hey. How are you?" Alec asks me as I reach his house. "Been better. You?" I ask, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my jeans. Alec tilts his head from one side and to the other. "Still wrecking my brain about yesterday." He tells me. I can't say I blame him. Mackenzie and Elliot threw a bombshell on us with their plan and the news about the hunters actually being in Beacon Hills.

I'm not usually the paranoid type of person, but I feel like they are here, watching us from the shadows of the woods. I don't feel safe coming out of the pack house and walking down the street. I should be, but I am not and that is what bothers me.

"Hey, I was just going to grab breakfast with the Moore's. Want to join us?" Alec looks down at me with his dark brown eyes. I contemplate if it is a good idea to be around everybody. The subject about Max will be inevitable if I go. Mackenzie and Samantha are probably worried sick about me and they are definitely going to ask how I'm doing. At least Alec was decent enough not to.