If I Were Allowed To Love You

Forty-Two

When the landline rang, Melissa began to panic, thinking it was the hunters alarm in the kitchen. But as she ran to the kitchen, she noticed it was the landline in the living room. She exhaled, relieved, and answered the call. "Carmichael Residence."

"Hi, ma'am, is Ryan Carmichael available?" the woman on the line questioned.

"No, he left a while ago. Can I take a message for you?"

"Oh, okay. This is Pup's United, and we'll just call back at a later time."

Melissa hung up the phone and ran the name through her head. Pup's United. She could have sworn she'd heard the name somewhere before. Where it was from, she wasn't sure. Pulling out her phone, she searched the name, gasping when she saw it was a werewolf adoption agency.

When did Ryan start thinking about adopting? she wondered. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind that Ryan would make an excellent father. He was always so caring to her that she could see him doing the same for a child. She was curious as to how long he had been debating over it. What prompted him into wanting to be a father? More importantly, how soon until he would become a father?

She was excited for him. If this was something he wanted, she was going to be there to support him. Though it didn't seem like the right time. Hunters were on the rise, and bringing a baby into the house would make him a larger target than usual. She hated the idea of putting a baby into the middle of all that, but it could have also been for protection. Maybe with less werewolf babies in one spot, the hunters wouldn't have as big of a target to attack, which would have prompted the werewolves to be closer to extinction.

A flashing light distracted Melissa as she shut the fridge. Her heart stopped beating. She ran to the alarm system, finding a message of a hunter's attack displayed without the alarm sounding. As she clicked on the message, the alarm quickly blared, and she slammed her hands over her ears. Hissing, she shut the alarm off and checked the time. The attack happened forty minutes prior. Ryan left an hour ago. She knew Ryan was there.

Why the sound alarm didn't blare, she wasn't sure. The alarm could have been sent to his phone since he was on the road. She wasn't sure how long an attack normally took. The last one lasted for roughly twenty minutes, so this one was either longer or someone died. Someone always seemed to die during an attack, whether it was a hunter (more often than not) or a mythical.

Feeling the air catch in her throat, unable to breathe at all, Melissa collapsed against the counter. With shaking hands, she dialed Ryan's number. She heard his phone ring upstairs. Did he come back without her realizing? She dashed up the stairs and burst into his bedroom. His phone remained plugged in the charger. He wasn't home. She didn't know why the alarm didn't blare or how Ryan knew about the attack, but she was absolutely certain that he was there.

Sinking down to lean against the doorframe, her fear of Ryan being dead grew stronger and stronger. There was no doubt that he would sacrifice himself for the mythical greater good, but she hated to think of a world without him. She loved him so much, cared about him greatly. Living without him was insufferable.

She buried her face in her knees as she sobbed, covering her head with her hands. Only the worst of thoughts remained in her mind. Until she saw he was alive and well, she could only assume he was dead. While most people would find it to be an absurd thought, there was no guarantee with the mythical community. So long as hunters were out after werewolves, all she could do was panic.

Hands gently eased her arms off her head and lifted her chin. Through teary eyes, she could make out Ryan. Throwing herself into his arms, she blubbered in relief. "Oh, thank God! I thought you were dead."