Howling At The Moon

Homecoming

A/N: And this my darlings is the finale of Howling at the Moon.

Please make sure you read the A/N at the end of this for information on the sequel.

She left on Saturday morning. It's Monday morning now. 48 hours had passed and I had no idea where my imprint was. She had told Rachel where she was going and Rachel assumed that she was safe. She knew where Kaia was, and she said that she would be safe. But how could I know that? She said Kaia would be fine, but I could feel that she wasn't. She was confused. She was hurting, and because of that, so was I.

It was Monday, so my mother said I had to go back to school. She was sympathetic, but she said she didn't want me wallowing around the house. I couldn't help but wallow. The most important part of my life was missing and if I wanted to wallow, then I would wallow dammit.

To give them credit, Brady and Collin did whatever they could to keep my mind off the gaping void in my life. I knew they were worried about her disappearance as well, but she was my imprint and they understood how her absence would affect me. And like the brothers they were to me, they put me before their own feelings.

By the time I got to school, I looked like I had been on a drinking binge the entire weekend. Even Lester had nothing to say to me. Just his usual customary glare. I couldn't bring myself to waste my energy on a glare in return. I felt blank. It was horrible really. This feeling of emptiness.

It sucked.

I got to my first class of the day and the empty seat next to me seemed to mock me. Where could she be?

I had phased yesterday to try and see if I could pick up her scent, but Leah was still wolf at the time and she damn near tore my hind-leg off for even thinking of violating Kaia's request.

My head pounded like the worst kind of migraine.

Each throb sounded like her name.

I couldn't blame Jake for ordering me not to phase for a couple of days, the few minutes I had been wolf yesterday was enough to convince the others that the kind of pain I was in was not something they wanted to deal with, even second-hand.

The tightness in my chest refused to let up and I knew it had to do with the fact that I was separated from my reason for living.

I knew that it would continue until she got back, which was why I was ecstatic when I suddenly felt it lighten up Monday night, but when I rushed over to Rachel's, Kaia wasn't there and all Rach could tell me, was that I would see her soon.

How soon was soon?

Tuesday morning, and the only thing keeping me from phasing and staying that way until Kaia got back, was Jake's order. He knew that if I went wolf I might just keep running to avoid the pain, and La Push was where I needed to be when Kaia returned.

A pessimistic side of my head added a cynical, "If she returns," and I was too tired to shut it up.

Collin and Brady had caught a ride with me to school today; they took turns driving my truck so that I wouldn't end up wrapped around a tree, for all the attention I paid when I was driving.

We pulled into the parking lot and all 3 of us came to a screeching halt on our way out of the lot.

Midnight blue Camaro.

Parked.

Right in our lot.

I could smell the lingering scent of ocean and citrus that I knew was Kaia.

She was back!

I raced to our first class. The twins were hot on my heels even though they weren't in this class with us.