He abandoned his inspection and sped through the settlement. Micah was still in the shadow of the trees, but his attention was somewhere behind him. And that scent.

It was fresher than the one he’d caught inside, but it was already burnt into his memory.

It was the witch.

Chapter 45

He couldn’t mean it.

Not after the time they had spent together.

It had been different. Jackson had been different. She had been so sure he reciprocated her feelings, so she’d been on cloud nine for two days. In her mind, she'd already seen herself making a life in the packhouse with him. Filling the house with his children and happy memories.

But those few words had brought her crashing down to earth quickly. She’d done her job? He no longer needed her?

She hadn’t thought anything could ever hurt that much after all the shit she had gone through. But Jackson had shattered her heart, and she felt the pain through every part of her body.

How could words bring physical pain?

And then there was the added pain of being separated from Jackson. It was too much.

Only a few people were out of their tents when she walked out of the packhouse, so she walked past them quickly. She was in no state to talk to anyone. There was a lump stuck in her throat, and everything she was holding inside was about to burst out.

The sun hadn’t yet risen and she was barefoot, but she didn't stop walking once she entered the woods. She was in too much pain to focus her senses so she could hear every sound, smell every scent, and see the tiniest detail. Feel every emotion.

It was crippling. She just needed to be away from it all.

The sounds of the camp finally died down and were replaced by the more peaceful sounds of the forest. But she still kept walking.

How could her heart still beat when she had been ripped apart inside? She could barely breathe.

She came across Jackson’s favourite place, the smooth rock on which he had made love to her for hours before everything had gone wrong. Her heart tore up again. This was going to be her life after she left. She would remember every detail, and it would torment her for the rest of her life. She was sure it would. It was too strong to ever die down.

She walked past the rock and went deeper into the forest. It seemed darker the further she walked down the uneven trail, but her eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly as she walked.

And she carried on walking.

Jackson was taking her away. Jackson had had enough of her.

Her feet stopped moving. The tears she had been holding back started to pour down her cheeks. She fell to her knees and let out a loud sob and then another. And when she started wailing, she lay on the forest floor and let it soak up her tears of blood.

She didn’t know how long she’d cried when her pain turned to anger.

Jackson had used her. He’d used her shamelessly, but she had let him. It was true that Jackson hadn’t promised her forever; he’d always said he would let her go once the baby was born. If that was the case, why had he made love to her that way? Why had he made her feel she would always be safe in his arms? In the beginning, the sex had been great, but they had never crossed that boundary.

Did he still think she wasn’t good enough?

Was she not enough for the high and mighty King of the werewolves?

Was he waiting for a more suitable woman to raise the baby with?

She sucked in a breath and sat up with a jolt. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? Was there already someone lined up to take her place?

“You will take my baby over my dead body, Jackson King,” she growled.

She placed her hand protectively over her stomach. What had she been thinking all this time? She could never abandon her child, no matter what hardships she would encounter along the way. If Jackson wanted an heir that bad, he could make another one.

“A king who can’t even protect his pack,” she muttered. “Why should I trust you with my flesh and blood? I’ll leave, Jackson, and you’ll never see me again.”