Surrender (Werewolf)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I didn’t waste any time making my way to Kieran and Wyatt’s office. Walking through the large house took me a few minutes to reach my destination. A million thoughts were whirling around in my head as I reached the door.

How was Jennifer? Was she okay? Did she run into any problems on the way here? Did her parents or anyone from the pack know she was coming? Do they know my location?

Seconds later I decided to put all those thoughts to rest and discuss them further with her. It felt like it had been so long since I last saw her that I was anxious to see and speak to her again. I missed her.

Placing my hand on the handle I pushed open the heavy door and the room slowly came into view. After it was completely open, I instantly spotted my best friend standing in front of Kieran’s desk examining what few pictures he had sitting upon it.

Her head snapped to the door upon my entry. When her teary, tired eyes met mine I let out a breath of air I was holding and ran to her. I quickly embraced her in a tight, and probably suffocating, hug.

“Oh, Jen. What is it? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

She responded with the nod of her head and embraced me just as tight as I held her. Seeing her here felt like home. She reminded me of my old life, my job, my parents, Daniel. He was the one bitter thought that came to mind. The thought of him didn’t bother me as much as it used to though. The stinging pain whenever my mind wondered to him was gone, hidden just beneath the surface. Only Kieran could banish him completely from my head.

“I’m…getting there,” she responded.

She pulled away and our eyes met once again.

“Is this your mate?” she asked softly picking up a picture of him and Keely next to the one of them and their parents together.

I nodded my head.

She smiled and placed it back down on the hard surface it previous occupied and then turned and examined the rest of the room.

“You have a nice place here,” she smiled weakly.

I knew what she was doing. She was trying her best to avoid the inevitable, answering the many questions I had. But I needed the answers and she knew she’d have to give them to me eventually.

Jennifer slowly walked over to the couch against the farthest wall and took a seat on it. I followed her to it and sat next to her. It was only then that I really got a chance to examine her and I nearly gasped.

Her normally perfectly styled hair hung loose and messily by her face. She looked like she hadn’t cleaned up in quite some time. She wore a loose sweater that completely swallowed her up, as did her worn out jeans. I couldn’t tell if was just her attire that made her look so frail and skinny or if she really was just that.

She nervously tugged on the sleeves of her gray sweater and pulled them over her hands then reached up and tucked some hair behind her right ear. I quickly noted she wore no make-up which was even weirder for her.

This was not the Jennifer I knew. She wasn’t well kept and overly made- up and confident person like I remembered her being. No, the person who was sitting in front of me now felt like a complete stranger. She seemed more like an endangered species who might bolt at any minute if there were any sudden movements than my friend. She was utterly broken.

I felt tears starting to form in my eyes for my troubled friend. I reached over to her and gently gripped her hand in mine.

“Jen, who did this to you?” I asked her carefully.