Accept Me

14: "Take care of it."

I stare at the swinging pendant, my mouth gone completely dry as the metal glints in the morning Sun. I don't take my eyes away from the compass as Tristan stares at me, his eyes tight at the edges as he stares at me. My mouth imitates that of a goldfish, no words forming in my brain and exiting my parched throat.

"Dylan." Tristan says softly, but it sounds like a shout in the thick silence. 

"How'd you get that?"

"Someone was doing laundry and found it in your trunks. Now, answer my question."

"I found it." Is the first thing that comes out. 

Something stops me from telling him about the old lady that gave it to me.

"What?" He breathes out, and I raise my eyes to look at him.

His eyes have glazed over slightly, and I can practically see the memory flashing behind them. I mean, his thoughts are technically right, but of course I can't let him know that. Not yet.

"I found it in the woods, stuck in a tree." I say, resisting the urge to fidget at the immense guilt that floods me.  

 He stays quiet for a while, but his eyes never leave me as he squints in thought. The minutes drag by as I wait for him to say or do something, my body tensing up the longer he stays silent. The tension finally gets to me and I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

"Is it yours?"

That seems to snap him out of whatever trance he was in because he jerks back slightly.

"No." Is his automatic response.

"Really? You seem attached to it." I say, glancing at the tight grip he has on the chain.

"It was an old friends'." He says quietly.

"Oh, well...can I have it back?" I ask quietly, even though I'm the one who found it first. 

He pauses for a long time, his brows furrowed once again as he thinks over his answer. I nearly scoff and settle for simply crossing my arms over my chest. He sighs heavily before slowly extending his arms towards me. I go to reach for the chain, but he pulls back slightly, waiting until I make eye contact to speak.

"Take care of it." He say roughly.

The words send a pang of pain directly to my heart, and I'm not exactly sure why. Is that distrust in his voice?

Am I really really fighting against a memory of myself?

I have to take extra care not to roll my eyes at him and snatch the necklace from his hand, not wanting to worsen the tense atmosphere. 

"I will." I grit out as I place the necklace back around my neck. 

We stay silent for a few tense seconds before I get off the bed and start to make my way out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Tristan asks from behind me, making me stop with my back to him.

"Home, I don't have anything to wear here." I say from over my shoulder before nearly sprinting out of the room.

I run out of the pack house and swiftly undress and place the pajamas in a nearby tree hollow, stuffing them roughly into the hole. I gently and quickly remove the necklace from over my neck and grip it between my teeth before shifting in my spot, sprinting off as soon as my front paws hit the ground.

I don't pay attention to where I'm going but make sure to stay within pack land, the forest blurry around me, and not just from the speed. Whimpers pass through my clenched jaw, the fur surrounding my eyes beginning to toughen as the wind dries my tears instantly. I don't take the effort to form thoughts, I just run and let my brain do whatever it wants, regretting it as foul thoughts and images float around in my head.