The Pet🐾 (Completed)

Chapter 41

Sophia

I let Javiare inside, still feeling that ache in my chest, but his presence was a small comfort. He stepped into my room and stopped in his tracks, visibly surprised by the mess. "Looks like you were comfortable," he said with a raised eyebrow, a playful smirk on his face.

I couldn't help but smile at him. "Yeah, I kind of went overboard," I said, crossing my arms and looking down at the floor. "Whenever these kinds of things happen, I usually just sit in my room for a week, not talking or eating, until someone finds me and saves me."

Javiare looked at me sympathetically, then threw his arms out dramatically. "Well, consider me your knight in shining armor!" he said, his voice full of playful confidence.

I couldn't help it—I laughed. "Well, brave knight, how are you going to save me?" I asked, playing along.

He paused for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I could..." he started, then before I knew it, he scooped me up into his arms in a bridal carry.

I let out a surprised yelp, "What are you doing?" I laughed, trying to catch my breath from the sudden surprise.

"Being your knight," he retorted, his grin never fading. "Now, I don't have a white horse, and it's not sunset yet, so a wolf in the woods at 4 pm will have to do."

I leaned my head back and laughed harder. "Let me get some running clothes on, and I'll run with you," I said, feeling a burst of energy at his playful antics.

He gently set me down and I quickly darted into my closet, grabbing a pair of running shoes to match my shirt and jeans. When I came back out, I found Javiare had already made the bed and thrown away the ice cream. "Well, thank you," I said, surprised. I was going to do that when I came back.

"Of course," he said with a wink.

I grabbed my phone, stuffed it in my pocket, and we ran out the door together. We headed out the back, going a few feet into the woods. "Okay, you wait here, I'll be right back. I'm going to go shift, and I don't want to tear my favorite shirt," he said, before running off.

I waited for a while, listening to the sounds of the forest around me. Then I heard it—the unmistakable sound of bones cracking and a deep growl coming from behind a tree. A large, dark brown wolf emerged from the brush, carrying a pile of clothes in his mouth.

"Well, hello," I said, crouching down to greet him. I grabbed the clothes from his mouth and folded them into a neat pile.

I carried the clothes over to a nearby bush and set them down carefully, making sure they were tucked away neatly. "So, I'll follow you then," I said, looking down at him.

The wolf nodded, then took off running, looking back to make sure I was following. I easily kept up with him, my feet finding their rhythm as I ran. But after a while, I picked up speed, passing him with a playful grin. I glanced back and winked.

I pushed myself harder, sprinting ahead as I felt the weight of everything slip away, replaced by the rush of the wind in my hair. I heard Javiare's huff behind me as his steps quickened. The exhilaration of running felt like I was working out the pain in my chest—filling the hole, if only for a little while.

Ashley

Christine laughed at my question, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and mystery. "Well, that's because I have a spell on me that makes me not age," she explained, locking up her wagon. "But I still can die from normal things," she added, as if to remind me that her immortality wasn't all-encompassing.

We began walking toward the pack house, the evening air crisp around us. "So, how did you meet my mother?" I asked, my curiosity piqued, my hand entwined with Roman's.

Christine looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Well, your mother and I met when she started training with the same teacher I was working with. I had already been there for a year when she came. We were both young apprentices at the time," she explained, her voice filled with nostalgia. "Since our teacher only had the two of us as students, we got to know each other well—and became rivals," she added with a laugh.

"But your mother always beat me," Christine continued with a teasing smile. "Once we finished with that teacher, we moved on to a more well-known witch to train under. That's when the photo you saw was taken. Our new teacher had many more students, and we made a lot of friends—and many more rivals. When we finished our last year of training, I asked your mother if she wanted to travel with me." She paused, her expression softening. "But she said no. She said she had someone to protect, someone she needed to be with. At the time, I didn't question it, but now I'm sure it was your father."

Christine's voice wavered a bit as she recalled the past. "Then I got a letter in the beginning of spring last year saying your mother had died. But... I didn't know she had a child," she added, looking at me with a sad smile.

I was silent for a moment, reflecting on everything she had shared. "I never knew my mother was a witch either," I admitted quietly. "There were a lot of secrets she kept from both of us."

Roman squeezed my hand reassuringly, offering me a smile. "It's okay," he said softly.

We entered the pack house, the sounds of voices and laughter coming from the dining hall. Roman had mind-linked the others, letting them know we were on our way. He led Christine through the bustling hall, guiding her toward an empty chair next to his mother. The room fell silent as we entered, a few whispers spreading through the crowd.

Roman cleared his throat and stood tall, his presence commanding the room's attention. "Jasper has been banished from our lands on the charge of attempting to take my life," he said, his voice strong. There were audible gasps from the crowd. "And Christine here," he continued, turning to her with gratitude, "saved my life. I want you to treat her with respect. If I hear otherwise..." His voice lowered dangerously, "there will be consequences."

Christine and I exchanged a glance, her nerves palpable but her courage undeniable. Roman then led her to the chair right next to his mother. He came back to my side, taking my hand, and guided me over to the buffet table. We began filling our plates as people murmured among themselves, their surprise still lingering in the air.

I looked around the room, half-expecting to see Sophia, but there was no sign of her. I hoped she wasn't still holed up in her room, lost in her grief.

Roman turned to me, his voice softer. "Let's just focus on the moment. We'll deal with everything else later."

I nodded, grateful for his steady presence, and we continued to fill our plates together. Despite the tension in the air, I couldn't help but feel like we were on the right path, that with Roman by my side, everything would eventually fall into place.