Broken Chains

Part 18

Chapter 18

I looked up hopefully as the door of my room swung opened. I lifted my noise and sniffed I was a little disappointed but not at all surprised when it was confirmed to be Carl.

"Hey." I said thickly waving to indicate my bond which much to my annoyance I hadn't been able to remove my wrist from. I had only succeeded in giving myself a deep raw welt there. Carl gave me a consolidatory sort of smile.

"Comfy down their Darling." I shrugged

"It's not so bad. Where the fuck were you? You look like shit."

"I love you too." He said crouching down swiftly drawing a small key out of his pocket,

"What happened to your hand?" I asked seeing his skinned bleeding knuckles. He smiled,

"I broke it on Derek's face." I smiled,

"Does he look as beautiful as you?" I asked rubbing his bruised cheek; he also had a split lip and a rapidly forming black eye,

"Nah that's not in my power to inflict."

"So do the two of you feel better now?" Carl nodded moving away from my fingers,

"Yeah there was a lot of frustration there I think it needed venting."

"So what happened with him?" I asked as Carl freed both my wrists from their bonds. Carl smiled,

"Well he made a very convincing case my love so we're going home." I felt my heart break,

"We're giving up."

"No we did what we set do. You convinced him that he doesn't belong with them as if he didn't know that already. He's leaving."

"You believe him?"

"Yeah I do."

"You think they'll let him out."

"I don't think it's like that, it's not the pack."

"This doesn't seem better." I mumbled, Carl shook his head.

"I know." He said softly,

"Shouldn't I feel different?" Carl shook his head,

"no because the two of us didn't deal with loosing Derek we just ran off and started chasing him, now that's done we actually have to deal with him being gone. Because he may have embraced life as a nice little rogue now but that doesn't mean he's back he's still a rogue and were still in the pack. So were still going home and we won't see him again. He'll still be eternally out of reach."

"But alive."

"Dead to us." I nodded glad that I wasn't crying but Carl still reached out and wrapped his arms around me pulling me in close to him and I was enveloped in his warm comforting body. "Shhhh" he whispered rubbing my hair gently and kissing the top of my head. I snuggled into Carl's warm body, allowing tears to slide down my cheeks and into Carl's shirt which under my fingertips was crusted with dried blood. His blood? Derek's blood? I didn't know, but did it really matter.

"Derek s just planning on getting himself a car and getting fine enough away from them. so I figure we will contact Bryce and let him know where they are and whats going on as soon as I figure out if our skip will make it back to the den."

"Okay," I said gently easing myself out of Carl's strong arms, "but you need a shower first." I said gently "you look like crap."

"And you look beautiful." He said running a hand through my loose hair. He jumped up and held a hand out to me I reached up and took his hand and he yanked me up with such force that I was pulled up off my feet. He looked at me expectantly but I didn't understand so I just smiled at him.