Broken Halves

Chapter Forty-Seven

POV: Cole

Dropping from the sky, I stumble before regaining my footing against the cool grass. Surprisingly, I am not near the packhouse. Taking a moment to scan my surroundings, I almost release a chuckle when I recognize the human high school football field as my location. Taking a second to collect my bearings, I look down at my body.

When I was in the Holy Realm, I had my body, but I did not have a heartbeat. Hesitantly raising my fingers to check my pulse I am almost afraid to know the results. My hands begin to shake as my heartbeat accelerates. Even the idea that this could be a joke has me clamming up in fear.

Slowly I press my fingers against my jugular, releasing a cry as I feel the steady thumps of my pulse throbbing beneath my fingers. I'm alive. I did it. Choking back another sob I fight the urge to fall to my knees as I stumble away from the school's field.

If I remember correctly, the school is about twenty minute drive from the pack house. However, as I don't have a car, the walk will take me a few hours. I could shift into my wolf and cut down on my time significantly, but the walk will allow me time to mentally prepare myself for seeing Dani again.

I can only assume she has changed from the last time I have seen her. A sobering thought washes over me and I find myself shifting my course to head through town. I have no idea if time in the realm of the living runs the same as time in the Holy Realm. Running a hand through my hair, I groan frustrated when I realize that not only are my locks down to my shoulder, but I have a beard. Definitely need to make that pit stop in town.

Walking up to Lydia's salon, I walk through the doors causing many pack members to gasp and freeze when they see me. "Do not mindlink anyone." I say with authority, grateful that I see many head nods and heard many 'yes Alphas'. For the fifth time in the past twenty-four hours relief washes over me as I realize that they still honor my authority as their Alpha. Deciding that they need an explanation, I speak once again, "All will be explained to you in due time, but for now, I want to surprise my mate." Looks of unease filter across the faces of my pack members causing my heart to stop.

"Get back to business the lot of you. He doesn't need you to sit here staring at him!" The shrill voice of Lydia cuts through the crowd and I am thankful as the onlookers resume the tasks they were just doing before I walked in.

"Welcome home Alpha Cole." Lydia pops into view and I am thankful that despite her new pink hair, she appears to look exactly the same as when I left. "How about a shave and a trim in my office Alpha?" "Sounds perfect." I smile gratefully at my pack member and follow her as she leads me towards the back.

"Lydia, what is the date?" I ask the moment to door closes behind her. "February 17th, 2021." Her words cause me to choke as she lowers me into a salon chair and begins to cut my dreadfully long locks.

My heart settles some as Lydia begins to hum and I come to the conclusion that time ran exactly the same as it did in the Holy Realm. I grip the material of my jeans tighter as I think of all of the ways Dani could have changed in three months shy of four years. After a fret of worrying, in which Lydia had managed to successfully style my hair to the short buzz that it used to be and completely discard my horrendous beard, I come to the conclusion that no matter how much she has changed, the one thing that I am certain of is that her love for me would have remained untouched, the same as if I never died.

"There you go Alpha, you may borrow my car to drive back; I don't mind the run." Lydia tosses me a set of car keys that I am familiar with. Identical to mine, I am reminded of the once trivial fact that Lydia and I drove identical trucks. Both of us had a love for cars and as we are the same age, I remember driving into school with matching red Chevy Colorados with a smirk on my face.

"Thank you Lydia, I truly appreciate it." She smiles and pats my shoulder. "Go get her." With a final wink I once again remember back to a time when Lydia and I were close. Much like Rowan in the sense that she is jubilant, Lydia stood by my side for the majority of high school. She had a no bullshit kind of attitude like I do, and I was grateful for the years she spent by my side when Jorden couldn't be present due to our grade difference.

Pulling to a stop in the underground parking garage, my heart begins to race at the thought of seeing Dani soon. Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I come to the conclusion that the moment I see her, I am going to pull her into my arms and kiss her just how I have been imagining for the past almost four years. Thinking about this moment has been my solace while I was dead and now it is my reality. Pressing the button for the main floor in the elevator, I breathe deeply and try to calm my racing heart; I made it home.

Stepping off of the elevator doors, I am surprised to see the pack in a frenzy as they run around the main floor. The sight brings a smile to my face, and I fight back a chuckle when I notice that the pack members are so engrossed in their tasks that they don't notice my presence. Completely ok with this realization as I truly just want to see Dani, I begin to ascend the staircase towards our suite after concluding that the pack must be preparing for a birthday.

As I approach our floor, Dani's sweet voice floats through my ears causing my throat to close. She's here. She is so close I can feel her. Oh my goddess, she is almost in my line of vision.

Climbing the final few steps, my breath leaves me as I see Dani in our living room playing with a toddler. Assuming it is just a child from the pack I call out her name. Dani's head whips towards me as her eyes widen with a deer caught in the headlights look. "Cole?" Her voice shakes and my heart constricts as I am the reason that tears begin to fall down her beautiful face.

Just as I am about to cross the room and pull her into a never ending kiss, the child speaks, freezing my body as terror races through me. "Mama, who dis man?" Mama. Dani has a child. A smile takes over my features as I view the little boy as my own. He has my hair, and if I remember correctly, Dani has hidden a pregnancy from me in the past. Goddess bless you Memory. I think up to my daughter who I will never see again.

Dani doesn't respond to the child causing him to run towards our bedroom. Before I can cross the room to stand before the love of my life, the child emerges pulling Jorden by the hand. "What's the rush buddy? Mama told you that you can't open your presents until the party." Jorden chuckles quietly not yet sensing my presence in the room.

"Daddy who dis man?" The child asks causing my heart to break as Jorden's head snaps up to look at me. He speaks but his words fall on deaf ears as I crumble to my knees. Daddy. She didn't wait. She doesn't love me. She moved on. She has a child, with Jorden; my brother. Tears cloud my vision as my eyes close. Is this how my father felt when my mother died? Because I feel like my world has just ended. Everything I thought I knew has just crumbled around me leaving me gasping for breath surrounded by nothing but pain. Sharp, stinging, blinding pain that feels so much worse than dying ever did.

I am her mate

I understand she has moved on

I say she hasn't

I dreamed she didn't

I try to believe

I hope I am wrong

I am her mate... and living without her love is a life I cannot survive

I wish I stayed dead

That's the end of book two folks...do not fear, there will be a third. Dani and Cole's story is far from over. With that being said however, you will have to wait because Jorden's story is next (and mostly written--I just am having terrible writers block for the last ten chapters)

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