Little witch

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Adeline

The bar was dimly lit, the stale scent of spilled beer and smoke filling the air as I sat at the far end, staring into my drink. Five months. Five endless, excruciating months since I'd left South Carolina, since I'd left *him.* Every day felt heavier than the last, the bond between us still there, pulling at my heart, refusing to let me forget.

The spell I'd used to disappear had drained my magic, leaving me weak and vulnerable. But it wasn't just the magic—it was leaving Titus, leaving Blaze. It had ripped something out of me that couldn't be replaced. No matter how far I ran or how many states I crossed, the hollow ache followed, a constant reminder of the life I'd left behind.

I thought running would protect him, protect the pack. I thought I was doing the right thing. But the emptiness inside told me otherwise. My nights were filled with tears, and my days were a blur of exhaustion, working odd jobs just to survive, to keep moving, to stay hidden. It was like I was punishing myself, as if the pain was the price I had to pay for leaving him.

Tonight was no different. The bar buzzed with chatter and laughter, but it all felt distant, like I was stuck in a world where the noise couldn't reach me. I took a sip of my drink, wishing the alcohol would dull the pain for a little while longer.

And then I saw him.

Gray. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, his sharp eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. My heart clenched, panic rising in my throat. He was here to take me back—I knew it the moment I saw him.

But I couldn't go back. Not while the threat of Aspen still hung over Titus and the pack. I had left to protect them, and going back now would undo everything I had sacrificed.

I slipped off the barstool, heart racing, trying to leave before Gray reached me. But before I could make it to the door, two men stepped into my path. They weren't strangers—they were wolves, pack members. Titus's wolves.

One of them, tall with dark eyes, smirked down at me. "Going somewhere, Luna?"

My chest tightened at the word—*Luna.* I hadn't been called that in months, and hearing it now cut deeper than I thought possible.

"I'm not going back," I said, my voice trembling. "Tell Gray to leave. I'm not coming with you."

The other man, a blond with a scar down his cheek, stepped forward, his voice softer than his companion's. "We're under orders to bring you home. You know you can't run forever."

"I'm not going back," I repeated, trying to sound stronger, though my resolve was crumbling.

Gray approached then, his expression unreadable. He looked me over, his eyes hard but tinged with something like understanding.

"Adeline," he said calmly, his voice firm but not unkind. "You think running is protecting us, but it's not. Titus is... broken without you. The pack isn't the same. *He's* not the same."

The mention of Titus, of how he was suffering because of me, shattered the fragile walls I'd been holding up. I felt my chest tighten as tears welled up in my eyes. I had tried so hard to protect him, to keep him safe from Aspen, from me, but all I'd done was hurt him. The bond between us tugged painfully, and I realized how much I had been fighting my own heart.

"I—" My voice broke. "I was just trying to keep him safe."

Gray's expression softened, and he took a step closer. "Aspen isn't a problem anymore."

I blinked, confusion swirling through me. "What?"

"We found his base. Took care of him. He won't hurt you or anyone else again."

The relief that washed over me was immediate, but it was quickly swallowed by guilt. I'd left them, left *him*, thinking I was protecting them, and they had faced the danger without me. Titus had fought alone while I ran.

"Adeline," Gray said, his voice steady but carrying the weight of the truth. "Please. Come home."

That was it. The dam broke. Tears streamed down my face, and I couldn't hold it back any longer. Sobs wracked my chest as I crumbled right there in the middle of the bar.

"Please," I whispered, my voice raw and broken. "Please take me to Titus. I need him. I need Blaze."

Gray's eyes softened, and he nodded, his hand gently resting on my shoulder. "We'll get you home."

"I can't—" I choked on my sobs. "I can't do this without him. I thought I could protect him by leaving, but I was wrong. I need him. I need them both. Please, Gray. Please take me back to them."

Gray's expression was full of understanding as he reached for me, pulling me into a comforting embrace. "We'll take you home," he repeated, his voice a quiet promise.

I clung to him, sobbing into his chest. The months of running, of hiding, all the pain and loneliness crashed over me like a tidal wave, and I couldn't stop it. But for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to hope. To believe that maybe, just maybe, I could go back. That I could fix the hurt I had caused.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered between sobs. "I'm so sorry I left."

Gray didn't say anything for a moment, just held me as I cried. "Titus will understand. Blaze will too. You're their mate. They've been waiting for you."

I nodded, even though the guilt still gnawed at me. But now there was something else, something stronger than the guilt or the pain—determination.

I was going back. To Titus. To Blaze. To where I belonged.

And I wasn't going to run anymore.