An Idol for the Omega

Chapter 36: Time

Braden

"His plane's gone, Braden."

I nod blankly to the Luna's words, still in wolf form, sitting out behind the clinic. I've been here for several hours, even after dark fell. I didn't accompany Jae to the airport. More accurately, he didn't let me.

"It... would be bad," Jae had told me haltingly. He must have been worried that I would make a scene. Entirely plausible.

It was a too short time from Jae's manager calling him home and Jae leaving for the airport, a matter of just half a day. Apparently Jae was supposed to be back already, and he wasn't surprised when his manager had called, a flight already arranged.

I tried to say good-bye, really I did. Each time I opened my mouth to speak, I felt completely choked up. All I could do was watch as Jae stoically packed his things.

Dejectedly, I followed behind as Jae said goodbye to the pack, even stopping in to say a last good-bye to Virginia and the pups. I watched miserably as he exchanged hugs and smiles to the pack members that came up to bid farewell.

Last was saying good-bye to the Alpha and Luna as they walked us to the front of the pack house. Even after the Beta pulled up with a vehicle to escort Jae to the airport, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. It was like a hole had started in my chest and all my thoughts and breathe were leaking out, leaving a hollow shell.

I couldn't even look at Jae, too afraid to say good-bye, wondering if this was forever.

"Braden." Jae had grabbed my shoulders. "Look at me." In the end, I dragged my gaze to him, his beautiful, deep brown eyes watching me earnestly. "I need to go back. I have to handle things. You... understand?"

Yes, I understood. I was using borrowed time with Jae. A lot of people are counting on him. He has a life and commitments far away. All things that don't include me.

I broke down then, reaching out and clinging, pleading with indecipherable words between sobs. For one more glorious moment, Jae held me, his hand tangled in my curls pressing me close to his chest. I clung to his shirt, staining it with tears and breathing my last breath of his scent.

Then... it was over. He set me back a step, his eyes briefly closing. After that, he got in the car and all I could do was watch it drive off. Leaving me.

There was nowhere to run from the pain, though I tried. Shifting and taking off into the trees. Jae's scent was still embedded in my room, haunting me. The woods where he played with me mocked me. Even the clinic held memories, when Jae helped with the clean-up and I deceived myself that Jae fit into the pack, that he could belong here.

Self-deception, that's all it had been. Jae had felt the mate pull, but it wasn't enough.

I wasn't enough.

I can sense the Luna leaning in the back doorway of the clinic, his worried gaze a heavy shawl on my shoulders.

I couldn't keep him. He's an idol after all. Even to myself, my voice over the pack link sounds lifeless.

After a while, I heard the Luna murmur to himself.

"Yeah. He's an idol after all."

The first thing I do upon waking up is check my phone. Its been just over a week since Jae left. I'm forcing myself to only check for pictures and updates in the mornings, trying desperately to go back to the days before Jae showed up in person. Even with the pack's support, it's still a struggle to get through my days without breaking down.