Chapter 27

Relief flooded me when I noticed that we were nearing the Alpha house. I was beyond exhausted,
since I had no idea how I could run that far on only three hours of sleep.

Niall woke up at five this morning, waking me too in the process since I found myself laying on top of
him. I protested against the idea, but he insisted that we should leave before sunrise, since we were
still very close to Rogue Burg, and I knew none of us were ready to be in another fight.

We ran back in wolf form, completely hungry, tired and clothes-less. In all honesty, I couldn't wait to get
home.

Valero left once we were at the border of Niall's pack, but we didn't exchange any verbal departure
words, since we don't have a link with him. I did, however, make a mental note to call him and thank
him again later.

As we neared the house, Asia and Jared emerged from the entrance with worried looks on their faces. I
could tell that they were mindlinking Niall, but I just kept quiet since I only had a link to Niall.

We stopped once we were at the base of the steps that led to the door, and I watched as they
communicated with focused looks on their faces.

If anyone should see the encounter, they would've thought that they were having a strange staring
contest. Being on the receiving end of watching people mindlink for once, it made me realise how weird
we really looked. No wonder we couldn't live with humans.

Asia's eyes momentarily darted to me for a second before she looked back to Niall, but they quickly
found me again only a millisecond after, as she eyed my neck area with raised eyebrows and an 'o'
shape forming on her lips.



At first, I got a tad defensive, thinking she was planning on shifting and biting into my neck to kill me,
but I then noticed that she wasn't actually staring at my neck, but the chain around my neck.

It was my shifter's bracelet that Ciara gave to me on my 18th birthday. When I am in wolf form, instead
of being destroyed like everything else, it transforms with me into a thin gold chain with the pendant still
in place. I am yet to understand the 'magic' behind it, but if we could shift into large wolves, who am I to
question a shifting bracelet?

She took two reluctant steps towards me as Niall and Jared continued their intense conversation. I
didn't even know why I was waiting for him to end. It's not like I needed him to walk with me inside.

Her eyes flickered from my amber ones to the necklace, silently asking a question. I still didn't like her
and very much didn't trust her, but I pushed the thought of her ripping it from around my neck to the
back of my mind, as I gave her a short nod.

She twisted it between her fingers for a while, momentarily pulling at my fur as she gazed at it in
amazement. I was shocked that she didn't look jealous, since that's her speciality.

"Is this a shifter's bracelet?" She asked, and I gave her another wolfy nod. This seemed to have
sparked her interest even more as she eyed it. I cocked my head to the side in question, letting out a
low bark in conversation.

"I have heard stories about these from my dad. But he said only special wolves ever get them."

'What kind of special wolf?', I wanted to ask, but of course, my human side was subdued.

My attention was drawn from her when Niall seemed to have finished his conversation. He nudged me
with his nose before giving me a wolfy kiss. My wolf, who obviously loved it, returned the gesture, and I
noticed Asia's eyes didn't hold the usual malice like they used to. She just looked deep in thought and
blank. However, I simply ignored her and followed Niall towards the back of the house.



We shifted once we were out of the sight of anyone else, and he wrapped a blanket around my bare
body from his stash that he kept at his back door for situations like these.

The minute I was through the backdoor and in the kitchen, I wasted no time in grabbing an apple from
the fruit basket. I was ravished, and Niall did the same as he laughed at me.

"What?" I mumbled through a mouth full of the juicy fruit. "I haven't eaten in over twelve hours."

"I didn't say anything, Love. Come on, let's go get cleaned up and I'll make breakfast for us," he offered
and I happily obliged once I remembered how dirty I was.

Once we were in our room, I grabbed clean clothes for us while he ran the water. I joined him in the
bathroom afterwards, dropping the blanket from my body in the process. His eyes trailed over my body
hungrily, but once he met my eyes again, they went back to normal after he remembered that it wasn't
the best time.

I stepped into the warm bath water, loving the feeling of home and vowing never to leave on an
adventure like that again. Niall eased himself behind me, which I happily let him.

I relaxed against him, feeling sleep dawn on me at how comfortable he felt. He trailed the bath sponge
over my shoulders soothingly as he rid it from all the dirt. I hummed in approval as I rested my head on
his shoulder.

I liked having him this way. And after not seeing him for two days, I couldn't help how much the relief
and love overshadowed the annoyance and anger I held towards him last night. I was still grieving
Clarissa, and she was all I thought about on the run home.

My wolf felt the loss more though. She was the one that held the bond with Clarissa, and though I still
didn't understand how it was possible, I knew it was really hard to get over.



I hated the void it left in me. It was like losing my dad all over again. After meeting and forming a bond
with someone that he not only knew, but raised, then to have it stripped away not even 24 hours later--
it was heart wrenching.

I also felt terrible that her life was cut short because I asked her to follow me into a suicide mission that
never had to happen. I knew Niall said I shouldn't blame myself, but how could I not?

I just wished I had it in me to fulfil her dying wish and go to Emerald Pack to learn the truth. But I
couldn't. I won't.

"Hey what are you thinking about?" Niall's voice broke me from my thoughts as he asked. I sighed,
remembering that we had a link and he would feel my emotions if they got too intense.

"I was just thinking about Clarissa, my dad and everything," I mumbled as I splashed the water gently. I
held my head down as I heard him sighing.

"Zoey I'm- I'm so sorry for everything I've caused. I don't know what connection you had with Clarissa,
but I'm sorry I was the cause of it breaking."

I simply sighed, knowing I wasn't upset with him anymore, just relieved that he was actually okay. I was
also sad about the events of last night, and tired as ever.

"We... well- I am supposingly a 'special wolf'. We were able to form a bond by drinking each others'
blood. I still don't understand it fully, but she said I should- um- I should...It doesn't matter."

"Oh but it does Zoey. I think you should go to England," he added carefully, causing me to turn slightly
so that I was seeing his face. I gave him a stern look, which made him visibly gulp, obviously not
wanting to upset me further.



"Why?" I raised an eyebrow as I asked. "Didn't you see what the truth always does to me? I can live
without it," I ended firmly, my tone telling him that it wasn't up for discussion.

He sighed as he grabbed my shampoo in silence for a while. He gently squeezed some in his hands
before rubbing it all over my scalp and hair. He massaged it for a while, and I knew he was only doing it
to get me calm. I would be lying if I said it didn't work.

"Look baby, all I'm saying is that I think that you need to learn whatever Clarissa wanted you to know. I
know I didn't trust her at first, but my intuition is telling me that this is what you need."

"What I need, Niall, is peace. I can finally get that here."

"But you'll never have clarity," he argued back carefully, and I turned again so I could give him my best
glare.

My voice rose a little louder as I argued back. "Do you want me to be hurt again Niall? Don't you see
that I've had enough? Clarissa told me yesterday that what I learn will require me to make a huge
decision--one that YOU will probably not like. That alone gives me all the answers I need to know that
whatever 'truth' is lying in England will only bring me heartache again. I'm not going and that's Final"

"But-"

"And that's final Niall!" I cut him off before he could continue, giving him the look that told him I was
indeed done.

He sighed in defeat after a while of staring at each other. I knew it was bold challenging an Alpha like
that, but I needed him to know how serious I was.

I turned around once I realised I won the argument, and I relaxed against him once I didn't hear him
saying anything. I love him for wanting what he thought was best for me, but I knew what was best for



me too.

"I need you to know that I never want you to get hurt." I got defensive again, thinking he was going to
prolonged the argument. "But despite what I think, I will one hundred percent support your decision. I
don't want to see you hurt, ever. But just for future's sake, if something should ever come up, just know
that I will always be here for you. I won't ever leave you alone Zoey. You won't ever feel like you're
alone. " He ended, making my heart well up in love even more for him.

I spun so that I was sitting on his lap in a straddling position as I smiled slightly at him in gratitude.
"Thank you Niall. And it's okay. I'm not mad at you anymore. I understand that whatever you did was for
me, and I knew you had my best interest in heart. Though things didn't go as any of us planned, your
intentions were never to hurt me, but help me and that makes all the difference. I can't possibly be
upset with you about that. I do wish you would've told me though. That was where most of my anger
stemmed from; but I know now that things happen and even though it might be hard, I'll just have to
move on."

He wrapped his arms tighter around my waist as he gazed at me with those love filled eyes. They
always did so much to me. "I promise I will never do something like that again. I don't ever want to see
you hurt again."

Instead of answering, I dipped my head down to capture his lips with mine. Oh how I've missed this. It
has been too long. I pulled him impossibly closer as I enjoyed the feeling of having his soft, sweet lips
against mine once again. I rested my forehead on his once we broke apart, both of us breathing
heavily. It wasn't a kiss to ignite any sexual desire, but simply a kiss to show each other how we really
felt, and sealing the promise that we'd always be with each other.

"I love you my beautiful, sweet Zoey," he mumbled as he trailed his finger down my back, sending a
shiver through my body.



"I love you too Niall." I chuckled when my still very soapy hair fell in front of my eyes, as if reminding us
that it still needed to be tended to.

"Come on, let's finish cleaning up and then we can go down for breakfast." He quickly pecked my lips
as I nodded in agreement.

This was all I needed to be happy. Just me and my mate. I didn't need to know what ‘truth’ was in
England. This is my happiness.

I just know it.


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