AFRAID OF THE DARK

CHAPTER 14

"Camilla open the door! I don't want to have to break it down!" Aidan yells again, but I ignore him and turn the volume to the television up.

Locus reaches between us for more popcorn. The pack members we stole it from were not too happy, but they were not going to stop their Luna and Beta female from taking it. Especially, when we looked like we were ready to tear heads off if they tried to stop us.

"Baby, it's for the best." That was Cedric, but Locus ignores her mate as well.

"I love this part." Locus points to the movie playing. "Watch. Wait for it. Wait for it. Booyah. Yes! The slut got what she deserved."

Our laughter is drowned out when we hear a bang at the door. We turn back towards the movie when the door doesn't open. We can hear Logan cursing in pain and the other guys laughing. I think he hurt himself more than the door.  If the doors are anything like the ones in the infirmary or like the windows, they are never getting through.

"We can't really break down the door. Idiot over here had all doors and windows attack proof to protect his future Luna." Cedric explains.

"It was a good idea at the time." Aidan groans. "Cam, please see reason."

I growl and finally had enough. I open the door and face my mate. The idiots with him are as surprised I've opened the door, but they are all smart to back up. I see Aidan physically gulp knowing he's about to get an earful.

"I'm not the one that needs to see reason. You and these idiots are. This plan of yours is ridiculous. Go back and try again." I slam the door and return to Aidan's bed laughing at a scene as if nothing happened just a bit ago.

A few hours ago the men had left the infirmary to discuss what they are going to do with the Dark wolf. Locus and I were left with Maisy glaring at each other. I had finally left the room to eavesdrop on the meeting and Locus followed. They have decided the safest place for us girls to be is back at Logan's pack. Aidan's plane is waiting to take us. They are going to search for the same creature that killed my parents and my grandmother while we are away. We've been locked in the room since.

"She didn't lock the door." Logan whispers. "Are you going to go in?"

There's quiet whispers until Cedric says, "A, it's your room. You should go in first."

The door creaks open an inch at a time, but stops when Lucas warns him to be careful. Locus is known to throw stuff when she's angry. Locus chuckles next to me, but we eat more popcorn and continue to watch the movie. Aidan peeks into the room slowly, but opens it fully when he sees us on the bed with no dangerous weapons in our hands. I can see that our mates have dared to enter. They are taking slow and careful steps as if not to provoke a wild animal attack. Aidan goes to grab my hand, but remembers the bandages from my burns after touching the silver bars when I pulled them apart to make our escape.

"Baby. Please, understand. It hurts me to have to be apart from you, but this thing wants you. I have to keep you safe and that means getting you as far away as we can, but still have the protection of a strong pack. Your uncle's pack and your grandfather's pack are too close." He wipes the tear I couldn't hold back. "We have four packs going after this thing, Cam. I promise we are not going to be apart for long."

"I'm scared, Aidan. I don't think this is a good idea. Mates are stronger when they are together. We should stay together." I sigh when I see that he's not going to budge with his decision. "So, you're okay with letting me go with Logan?"

"I have to be. Besides, he's pretty grossed out with the thought of mating you. I still don't know what happened while you guys were locked up together, but it did the opposite of what Alyssa had wanted." He smiles.

"Yeah, I don't even want to think about it. It's quite disturbing that we were ever mates." I make a face.

He chuckles, but turns serious. "I know you are still not okay with this, but I want you safe. Lucas said that thing will not give up now that he knows you are here."

"Fine. I'll leave, but I'm not happy about it. It's going to be a nightmare having to fly for five hours with your ex-mate." I growl, but picture her tied up with a paper bag of a funny face over her head. I wonder if I can find a bag before I leave.

"Uh, about that." He runs a hand through his already disheveled hair. "She's not going. She still has a lot of emotional healing and wants to stay here with her friends and family."

"What?" I raise my voice and ignore the people that run into the room to make sure I'm not killing my mate. "Let me get this straight. You are sending me away, but your ex-mate is staying. Do I have that right?"

"Well, yes and no. Cam, I promise you don't have anything to worry about. She's like a sister to me."

"Oh, but you're not like a brother to her. I see the way she looks at you. She wants you back and she hates that I'm in the way. Of course, she said she wouldn't go. She's going to try to mate you while I'm out of the picture." I pace. "I'm not going either."

"Cami." He groans and hits the back of the headboard when he leans back.

"No, Aidan. I'm not leaving you alone with a girl that still has a slight bond with you." I growl angrily and our spectators run out of the room.

"I'm going to show you something." He stands and pulls out the camcorder he had the other day. "Watch."

He changes the channel so that a video is now playing. The video is showing Aidan when he was younger. He's wrestling with a slightly older boy that I realize is his brother. Aidan rewinds the video until it shows a view of a field with lots of people. The cameraman is mostly focusing the video on the backsides of females. I look at Aidan, but he swears it wasn't him. He explains it was his brother's best friend, but he left the pack about a month ago in search of Aidan's brother.

I turn back into the video and for a second my heart slams into my chest when I see Aidan kissing another girl.  The images becomes out of focus and darkens, but when he moves back I see who he was kissing. My breath catches and I grab his arm. He holds me when I begin to cry. It wasn't just any girl that he was kissing. He was kissing me. He's the boy I gave my first and only kiss to. Aidan turns it off after his brother and Maisy tease him about getting caught. That's when she told him she loved him, but it was in a playful manner. She was holding onto Aidan's brother at the time.

"I was sure you were going to be my mate. So when I turned sixteen, I packed my bags and was going to look for you. That's when I found out Maisy was my mate. I ran into her when I was searching for my parents to let them know. We rejected each other, but hid it from my brother. He found out when it was time for my father to choose an Alpha. Maisy's best friend let everybody know she was my mate. I didn't want Maisy and I didn't want the position, but Jaivan insisted. I knew he wasn't coming back the day he ran after the rogues. He had a look in his eyes and when he looked back at me it was like he was saying goodbye."

"Do you think he's still alive?"

"We don't know, but we have hope he will come back home." He rubs his nose against my neck until he finds my mark and leaves a soft kiss.  "I knew it was you that day I found you and brought you into the infirmary. I couldn't believe it. Memories of that day came back. I had been cornered by your grandfather the day I kissed you. I told him you were going to be my mate. I was sure of it. He looked at me for a long time then he nodded and said you were going to be my mate. He told me I still had a long time to wait, but I would have to be patient. He explained that sometimes we are given a mate, but a true soulmate is the one that you have an immediate attraction to and would have a love so deep that it creates an unbreakable bond." He wraps his arms around me and places his forehead against mine. "I think your grandfather somehow knew you were going to be my second chance mate, but he was telling me what I now know as true. You are my true soulmate and this bond we have is strong."