The Alpha Instinct

Chapter Sixteen: Hanging by a Thread

Silver P.O.V 

Sweat poured off of me as I continued to attack the punching bag trying to work out some of my bottled aggression. The look in Graces eyes when I had walked away from her had seared itself onto my soul and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't forget it.

'I need you' She looked to me with vulnerability.

Left Punch. Smack!

Right Punch. Smack!

Left Punch. Smack!

'I wish that I hadn't marked you.' I hated myself as I watched her recoil from me like I'd hit her.

I slammed my fist in the punching bag with a growl of frustration, "Damn it!"

"I thought I might find you here." Valerie's voice echoed through the gym. I reached out and steadied the swinging material before glancing over my shoulder. She was looking around the room with curious eyes obviously avoiding eye contact with me. I let out a sigh, "If you came here to lecture me, save it. I'm not in the mood."  

"You're never in the mood to hear them and I'm never in the mood to give them..." She comments flatly, "But I still give them and you still listen."

"Not today Valerie!" I snap at her.

"Why? Because you're fighting with your little lovebird?" She taunts with a sneer, "Get over yourself—this is more important than a silly fight. Your father is coming for you Silver—time is running out and you're sitting here trying to play house."  

My wolf lunges toward the surface and I reach out grabbing onto Valerie's shirt. I yank her towards me so that our faces are only inches apart, "You will not speak to me like that. I am not your pack mate, I'm your superior and it would be wise of you to remember that in the future." I released her with a small shove to create distance between us again. 

She fixed me with a glare as she straightened out her shirt, "My apologies. I did not mean to offend." I ran my tongue over my teeth in annoyance as I turned away from her back to the punching bag. She had been right, even though I hadn't wanted to hear it. I was ignoring the fact that my father would send his berserkers afters me if I didn't go back. The longer I stayed the more danger I was putting everyone in.

Right Punch. Smack!

Left Punch. Right Punch. Smack! Smack!

"We should leave." Valerie says in a soft voice.

I clench my teeth together in frustration and my wolf snarls viciously at the thought of leaving Grace behind. I let out a growl as the hopeless feeling seeps through my entire being. It's a feeling that I've become well acquainted with throughout my life. I give the punching bag one hard hit and it breaks free from the chain, flying halfway across the room before hitting the ground with a loud thud. I drop to my knees as I try to catch my breath. 

A small hand grips my shoulder, "I know what I'm saying. I know what I'm asking you to do is hard, probably the hardest thing you will ever have to do. Sometimes though what is right isn't what is easy." I shrug her hand off of my shoulder and pull myself up off the ground. My eyes focused on the downed punching bag across the room. 

"If you stay here with Grace—with the pack, you are sentencing them to death. They would never leave you even if it meant they would die. You do understand that right?" She pressed, "I know you don't want that—I don't want that. They're strong but in this they have no idea what to expect, and no way to win." 

I tilted my face up towards the ceiling, "We have to leave."

"We do." She replied with a gentle tone. I squeezed my eyes shut as imagines of Grace flooded my mind. She was everything that I hadn't even known I needed. She was fearless and compassionate, even though I knew she'd suffered at the hands of others. She would most certainly become a great alpha, an alpha that a pack deserved—not like me. I had been undeserving from the very beginning and I would never be deserving. 

"I'll meet you out front in an hour. Make sure that the others don't see you leaving." I say with a flat tone before I turn on my heels and head out of the room without looking back. My body feels as though someone had filled it with lead as I make my way back to the main house. 

I wasn't sure what the hell I was doing but I had to see her one last time before I disappeared from her life. I didn't care if she hated me—I just had to look at her one last time and then I would leave without anymore struggling. I knew she wouldn't understand, that she would think that I didn't want her but nothing could be farther from truth. Everything that I was doing was for her. I was willing to make these sacrifices because I cared. I didn't give two shits about whether I lived or died but she deserved more than a meaningless death over something as stupid as bloodlines. 

It didn't take long for me to find her room but like an idiot I stood outside of her door debating over whether to enter or not. I lifted my hand hesitantly to the door knob, inhaling deeply before I turned it. There was a soft click and the door creaked open reveling a darkened room. I squeezed in through the small crack I'd created and let my eyes adjust to the darkness. 

I found my eye locking on the darkened mass huddled on the bed. I moved closer focusing on the soft breaths that told me she was sound asleep. I found myself smiling as I stood over her watching her subtle movements. Her hair was fanned out across the pillow begging for me to run my fingers through it. I clenched my hands into tight fists to keep myself from giving into the maddening desire to reach out an touch her. 

Her eyebrows were drawn together as if she was scowling in her sleep as if she could sense that I was nearby. I could see a faint flush on her cheeks and her lips quivered slightly as if she were mumbling something silently to herself. I bent forward bringing our faces closer together, remembering the brief kiss I had given her—she'd looked so surprised and innocent.

"Perfect..." I whispered in the darkness. 

I pulled myself back away from her before I could steal another kiss . As I turned to leave a pained whimpered escaped from her chest. I froze and looked back over my shoulder to see that she was tossing and turning, tangling herself up in the bed covers. I furrowed my brows as I watched her intently. Another whimper passed between her parted lips causing my heart to clench tightly in my chest. 

I needed to leave before I lost all my willpower to do so. I turned my face away quickly and took large strides towards the cracked door. Her whimper turned into a full fledged cry of anguish and I found myself frozen unable to leave and unable to turn back to her for a moment. Before I could even register what I was doing my feet were carrying me back to her bedside. I sat myself on the edge of her bed and leaned my body over her, "Grace..."

There were tears spilling from her eyes as her head tossed back and forth. The sight made my heart feel as though it was being torn in two, "Grace, wake up for me baby." I reached up and placed my hand on her shoulder firmly, "Wake up Grace." 

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Song: 'Broken (Feat. Amy Lee)' -Seether 

A/N: DON'T HATE ME!!! Mommy knows what she's doing okay? You just have to trust me--everything is going according to plan. I'm making this a double update because I know you're all freaking out over this--I can see you biting your nails and pulling out your hair. 

Breathe in. Breathe out. 

We will get through this together.