Crown Of Shadows

Chapter 8 - Moving on Up

Kaleb found me a pack to join. They were based in Maine. It was a long flight to go from Southern California to Maine. But on the upside, I was looking forward to seeing snow. I packed the small number of clothes from the enormous amount the Elsie had wanted me to take. She sat on the bed and stared at me. She had something she wanted to say.

"Elsie I will never thrive here until I am strong enough, healed enough, to handle Kaleb." She picked at invisible lint on the sweater she was holding.

"He doesn't want you to go." I took a deep breath.

"This is what's best. For both of us, we just don't know it yet." She reached out and took my hand.

"Ember, please. Stay." She chewed on the inside of her cheek and I knew that she was doing this for her brother.

"I know that he put you up to this Elsie, and I know you know that I am right. This is going to be the right choice." Her eyes told me that I was right; about both sides.

"He will be impossible to handle while you are gone. It's not easy to handle an Alpha let alone an alpha that has a mate, and knows where she is....especially when she is outside of his sphere of control." I truly understood what she had meant, the day and a half that I had spent in the presence of Kaleb told me that he was overbearing and protective. But I needed to learn how to protect myself.

"I need to do this." She smiled at me softly.

"I know, and I will try to help him understand why. He just gets worried." I nodded and zipped my bag shut; I had butterflies. Good ones. For the first time in a long time, I was going to get to decide my own story with no interference. I wanted to seek him out, to explain my reasoning, my logic. But Nita reminded me it would be easier if it was a clean temporary break. I felt his presence in the doorway and my eyes look over. He was leaning against the doorframe, he really was drop-dead gorgeous. Elsie stood and left the room; he held a set of keys in his hand.

"Your flight leaves when we get to the tarmac." I picked up my bag and he bent down and swept it from my grip. The action brought him so close to my face, that I could see the hidden swirls of caramel in his eyes. He turned away from just quickly.

"Kaleb we need to talk about this before I leave."

"In the car." Was all he said, it was more of a grunt than actual words. I sighed and followed him out of the bedroom. I had been so excited to spend time in here, maybe in the future. Right now it wasn't mine to take. We got in the sleek black sports car and I sat quietly in the passenger seat. It took about five minutes before the silence to make me uncomfortable.

"Is there anything I can say that will make you stay?" I took a deep breath.

Stand your ground.

Right. I could do that.

"I'm leaving to make us stronger..."

"Us?" I looked out the window and ran my finger along the inside of the seam of my pants. The tarmac came into view, and I sighed. I guess it was all or nothing now.

"I am not your equal the way I am Kaleb, and as much as you want to deny it, both you and your animal spirit know it. That isn't wanting a mate is, I will not be your inferior. I am leaving to make myself strong. To heal what Alpha Fernish broke."

He opened his mouth to interrupt and I held up a hand.

"I know that I would heal here, but I would heal leaning on others, and I need to be able to stand on my own if I am going to be your equal. I cannot think about us being mates in any other way." He snapped his mouth shut and looked away. He put the car in park, and I hesitated to open the door. I took a deep breath to calm my heart rate. I opened my door and stepped out on the sleek asphalt. I shut my door and he exited the car shortly after me. I waited for him to pop the trunk. He stood at the back of the car with me.