Hers Freely

47. The company of wolves

Ready to dart away, Jonah abruptly jumped to his feet, his body language switching to urgency in a flash. He took a quick step towards me, making it obvious that he wanted to try one more time to persuade my decision.

"Just let me in enough to show you that there is another way," he urged. "You don't have to keep fighting against the world alone," his tone was now gentle. "You're not just any person to me, Ella. You mean something." His gaze bore into mine, the amber and green swirling fiercely as if battling internally. The silence stretched between us, feeling the extent of his words.

"Stay with me," he said again, this time more pleading, "Just a while longer. Let me show you who I can be without all this... you don't have to decide anything." The way he spoke, so sure of himself that he could offer me inconceivable possibilities that I had never considered. I paused as I was left speechless. Over the years, I'd put up some pretty tall walls around my heart, so tall that I made sure no one could get through them. But then there was him... something about him was like looking into a mirror and seeing my own vulnerability in someone else, a kind of loneliness that just seemed to reach out to me. It made it easy to second-guess myself.

My mind was swirling with what if's and various outcomes. Was I being too harsh? Yet deep down, I understood what I needed to do, and I had to be strong.

I can't," I whispered my voice barely audible. "I have to see for myself what could be out there for me."

As he examined my face intently, his jaw tightened. "Fine" he stated finally surrendering, "If that's what you want, you'll be taken to the human village." His gaze filled with rejection and sadness made my chest tighten. "Maybe you'll get that freedom you're after," he said, his voice a low mumble.

He turned away, his shoulders drooping in defeat but before slipping away into the thick, shadowy woods, he instructed "Wait here" then soon disappeared into the trees. I stared at the spot he vanished from with my heart full of guilt. As I waited, I kept reassuring myself that we weren't meant to stay on the same path. Our lives, once so tightly woven together, were just out of circumstances. Now it's just a thin string coming apart bit by bit. Unfortunately, that's life, my life, even though the decision was crushing down on me.

Deep in thought, the tranquil woods had embraced me until a sharp crunch of leaves yanked me back to the real world. My breath caught in my throat as I spun around to see Liam coming back, wearing an odd expression from his usual smug look. It was a mix of concern and uncertainty, a silent question lingering in his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Liam gently broke the awkward silence that was thick in the air between us. "I see you made up your mind to leave for that village," he said with a comforting smile.

I wanted to respond, to tell him how I felt, but the words lodged in my throat. So I just nodded.

All of a sudden, as if he had sensed the change in our conversation, Finn came out from the woods. He glanced back and forth at us, his eyebrows knitting together in worry.

"What's up?" he asked, his tone laced with a touch of concern—Finn had typically been the more cautious member of the bunch.

"You ready for a little stroll to Lynx valley, we have the pleasure to accompany this little lady" Liam explained.

"You're leaving?" Finn's eyes widen with surprise. "Yeah," I murmured, inching forward hesitantly. "It's time for me to go. I need to be with my own people."

The atmosphere grew thick with unspoken emotions, and I could almost feel their eyes on me piercing through my soul. Finn's shock turned into worry, and Liam's face fell into a look of sadness.

"Seriously?" Finn spoke up, his voice laced with doubt. "You're just going to leave us like this?" You haven't even told anyone goodbye, Ella. And don't think they won't notice. There are so many who care about you, like my mom, Elliot, Aart... Moon! What about Rory? They'll be devastated that you didn't say anything to them."