Apart.

9.

Recap:

"Rest up, Hayden. You're gonna need the strength for the 23hour trip tomorrow."

I sighed exasperatedly and flopped back onto my bed, falling into a deep sleep.

•••

It was 6am when Axel came crashing into my room, throwing open the blinds after setting down a tray of breakfast.

"No time to waste, bud." He was far too cheery for so early in the morning. I sat up sleepily as he continued, "Big day ahead of us."

In my hazy state I suddenly remembered why I had this bumbling idiot flailing about my room.
I was going to see Jake.

I groaned and flopped back into my bed. Axel sighed.

"Oi, come on, H. Let's go show that mate of yours the damage he's done and really play into that guilt card, ay?"

Sometimes I thought Axel would make a great psychopath.

Groaning in protest again, I sat up. My body hardly felt any different from the day before. Everything hurt.

Axel looked at me expectantly.

"Ok. Yep. Fine, I'm coming." I said reluctantly, while grabbing the tray from beside me and slowing chewing my food.

"I feel like I'm watching a fucking sloth." Axel rolled his eyes, "Hurry up, pack, and I'll be back in about an hour to help you downstairs. Pack enough for about a week."

With that he disappeared out the door, to do Goddess knows what.

•••

It felt like days before I had finally chewed through all of my food, freshened up and packed everything into the small backpack I kept under my bed.

I fiddled with my hands and glanced at the clock.

In my still weak and seemingly delusional state, it appeared to glare the red numbers right at me.

6:51am it read.

I figured I had time for a quick 10minute nap before Axel dragged me to my doom.

Boy, was I wrong.

Apparently my brain decided it would be the perfect time to start thinking about all the horrible things that could happen when I finally see Jake again.

I lay, face up, in bed. Disgustingly wide awake for this time in the morning and chewing my bottom lip out of anxiousness.

I was so caught up in my own head that I didn't hear the door open.

"Dude," Axel pulled me away from the storm raging inside of me, "I know you're worried, and stressed, and anxious, and scared. But I need you to know, I'm here. You can talk to me. Anytime. You can rely on me. It's what best friends are for."

I smiled in thanks at Axel. The action not quite reaching my eyes. I grabbed the backpack I had impossibly smothered everything into and we made our way downstairs.

•••

When we were finally out the front door and packing our two bags onto Axel's wolf from, my family arrived to say goodbye.

Chelsea hugged me like a vice, causing me to force a cough out to conceal my groan of pain.

"Don't worry Chels, I'll be back before you know it. And I'll call. I promise."

She looked up at me with teary eyes and my heart broke more than it already had, "You promise?" I nodded my head, "Ok. I love you loads and loads and loads to the moon and back."

I chuckled, "And I love you even more than that."

Next was Alice and Trent, then my parents. Mum looked torn between upset and elated.

She hugged me, "Now Axel, you look after my boy, ok? I'm trusting you with this."

Axel's wolf, Zane, gulped and nodded his head.

Dad approached me. He shook my hand without any words. Mum frowned and glanced at me apologetically. Dad had never been a huge fan of my sexual orientation - he had a traditional sort of mind set - but he loved me and supported me. I think he just wished I was straight.

As Alice helped me up onto Zane, our Alpha appeared from the doorway of the pack house.

"Alpha." We all said in greeting, bowing as we did. Or as well as I could from atop a wolf and in constant pain.

He smiled, walking over to Zane and I. "Zane, Axel," he nodded in greeting towards the wolf before his eyes flicked to mine, "Hayden."

"Alpha," I said again. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm only here to wish you luck on your journey. I want you to know that your pack supports you and hope everything goes as well as it can do. We've called ahead at the Red Moon pack to request two rooms. They don't know who you are yet." He smiled. "I really do hope everything goes well, Hayden."

"Thank you, Alpha. Your support means a lot to me." I wasn't kidding. Gaining my Alpha's approval, it lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.

I said one last goodbye to the family that had gathered before Zane jumped into action and we raced into the forest...

... to my inevitable doom. Ha.

•••

I AM LEGIT SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG
i've been so stressed lately, a lot of stuff happening at home and at uni. i really appreciate the support. i'm not gonna lie, it probably will be a bit of a wait for the next chapter but i don't plan for the wait to be as long as it was for this chapter. thank you to anyone who actually reads this 💖💓🤩🤧