AFRAID OF THE DARK

CHAPTER 15

Aidan holds my hand tightly as we walk to the waiting car. His brown hair is a mess, a sexy mess, from both of our fingers running through it. He runs his fingers yet again and creates more waves in his hair where his fingers had traveled. I know he's frustrated. It seems every time we are alone somebody interrupts us. We were leaning in for a kiss, but we were interrupted by mention of rogues in the area. One of his men had sighted the thing we call Dark. He's lurking around the pack border, but does not cross. Aidan wants me to leave the pack territory before the Dark wolf dares to enter.

I look up at Aidan feeling slightly guilty. If I didn't lock myself in the room then we would have had more time together. I know he wanted to mate. If we would have mated, I would be less worried about leaving him with Maisy. Our bond would be stronger than it is now, but that is not how it should be. Mating shouldn't be rushed. It shouldn't happen because of fear or jealousy. Leaving him in the state he is in now is not helping. He still has our near kiss heavily on his mind and it is affecting his, uh, lower genitalia. I hate that he's sending me away when his body is reacting heavily from a vision of something that didn't happen. Maisy may take advantage of it. Nobody notices the way Maisy is looking at him, but I do. She's going to try to seduce him. I know she is.

"Hey." Aidan looks at me when I growl. "I know what you're thinking. I promise I'm not going to touch her. This problem I have will go away once my thoughts go to worrying about your safety and not about how my body reacts having you so close to me."

"I trust you, Aidan. I don't trust her." I growl towards Maisy again. "She's going to seduce you to become her mate."

Right now she is playing the victim and gaining the sympathy of the pack members. Several of them are already giving me narrowed eyes. She was the one that had been kidnapped, tortured, and raped by rogues. Her mate had marked and is now in love with another. Me having the fake-rabies beaten out of me is a thing of the past. Now I'm the girl trying to take Maisy's mate and position of Luna.

"Baby, I promise. I'm not going to do anything to break your heart." He places his hand against my tear-stained cheek.

"Aidan, you're breaking my heart now by sending me away. This is a mistake. Mates are stronger when they are together. It's in about every werewolf book out there. Don't do this. Please." Tears fall and he closes his eyes feeling the ache from my words.

"It's also written that an Alpha can't concentrate if he's worried about his mate. I need to concentrate on catching that beast. Your safety is my top priority." He exhales a breath when I turn away from him. "Cam, this is for the best."

"No, it's not. It seems every time I'm with you something is keeping us apart. I don't want to leave you again." He wraps his arms around me as I cry. "Nothing good had happened when we were apart. I have trouble thinking this isn't any different. I'm worried something bad is going to happen. I can feel it."

"Sir, it's time for you to go. They gained sight of the Dark and he's distracted by something else. We don't know how long we have before he returns." Adam interrupts, but gives me a look of sympathy.

Aidan whimpers and holds me tighter. "We'll see each other soon."

I don't know if he's telling himself or telling me. The tears fall from my eyes as we say our goodbyes. Little Rosie runs up to me before I get into the car and begs me not to leave. I bend down to give her a hug. Her wet tears are breaking my heart more. I let her know I'll see her again soon. Her mom walks up to us and pulls Rose out of my arms with narrowed eyes. Aidan growls at her, but being Cedric's older sister, she's like an older sister to Aidan as well. She scolds him for growling at her and walks away.

Aidan rubs his forehead with an oncoming headache. "I don't have time for this."

This time I know he was talking to himself. I don't think he's blind to what is going on. We both ignore it, because he's right. He has more to think about right now. I touch his cheek and tell him to be safe. He frowns and tells me the same. I turn my head when he leans down to give me a kiss. I don't know uf it is my anger or the fact that I don't want our first kiss as mates to be a goodbye kiss. We say our final goodbye and I enter the car next to Locus. Once the door closes I cry and feel as if my heart is going to burst. I'm going to be apart from my mate. Again.

"This sucks." Locus sniffles next to me.

"Tell me about it. There's no room for my legs in here." Logan complains next to Locus and we give him heated stares. "Oh, you're talking about...yeah. Sorry."

I look out the window and now see Aidan's wolf running with other wolves from the pack. He stops and turns back to look at the cars driving away. I hear his words of love through my mind. Locus rubs my back when I cry out in pain as we drive away from him. It becomes worse when he's no longer in sight.

The drive to the small airport outside of the pack territory seems like it had lasted forever, but it was actually only a twenty minute drive after leaving the territory. Three of the pack cars drive several feet from a large white personal jet plane. Logan climbs out first and holds the door open for Locus. The driver hops out and opens the door for me. I see Adam climb out of another car with three other strong pack fighters of Aidan's. I know they had to have been crowded with their large frames. The men walk to the third car and begin pulling out luggage. I frown when I realize I still don't have anything.

"Mom packed a few of your things for Lucas to bring with him. The rest of your items will be sent to Silver Creek when the rogues are not a problem." Locas informs me and I nod. "The guys also gave us their credit cards to spend how we wish. Adam promised to take us shopping. Right, Grizzly."

Adam only groans and we laugh through our misery. Locus and I look at each other knowing we are going to have him hold our purses just to mess with him. Adam groans again. He can already picture what we are planning. Logan wraps his arm around mine and talks about how happy, but worried he is to be going home. The pack members weren't very happy with him before he left in search of me. Now he's bringing me back as a sister and not a mate. Added to that, I'm marked by another Alpha. Oh boy. This is going to be interesting.

"Cedric said to treat it like a vacation." Locus wraps her arm around my free arm. "They're going to be okay. We will be back in no time."