Page 128 of Raw

Fennec needed some time to heal too.

“Get in. And let your mother know we’re coming,” Jason suggested.

I nodded at him, and when we were inside the truck, I let Mama know we were on our way by texting her.

Only a few minutes later, she replied to inform me that Papa was home from the hospital, and that she’d be waiting on us there.

“She’s excited to see you again,” I told Fennec, smiling at him.

We were sitting in the backseat and let Sitka sit in the front with her owner, seeing as they had so much to tell each other after being apart for one whole night.

“Bullshit,” Fen spat. “She’s excited about being in control over me again.”

He didn’t seem too happy to go back, but he had promised me he would, and now he couldn’t back down.

38

There were moments on the drive to Fairbanks in which I wanted to jump out of the moving truck.

To run away and never having to face Mama, and everything she had planned for my arrival.

I knew damn well that the moment I would get home, she’d wanna talk to me about things she thought were best for me.

I couldn’t leave Vespyr behind though, and running away from her wouldn’t help me get better.

I needed her by my side, and no matter what would happen, she was the one person I couldn’t lose.

You don’t wanna get better.

Covering my eyes with my hand, I tried to get those voices out of my head before they could manipulate me, and when Vespyr’s hand touched my arm, I tensed and lifted my gaze to meet hers.

“Everything okay?” she whispered with worry on her face. “We’re home soon.”

We were already driving down the main street and toward our parents’ house, and the closer we got, the faster my heart started to beat.

Why the fuck was I so nervous all of a sudden?

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, trying to smile at her but failing miserably as a deep frown appeared between my brows.

“It’ll be okay. I know Mama and Papa are happy to see you again.”

“Papa hates me,” I told her.

“No, he doesn’t. Why would you say something like that? You were in shock when he fell. It wasn’t your fault.”

Oh, my sweet, naïve girl.

“Everything will be okay, Fennec.” She moved closer to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, propping her chin on my shoulder and keeping her eyes on me. “You’ll see. Papa’s foot will heal and we’ll go back to camp sooner than you think.”

No, we wouldn’t, but she didn’t understand that yet.

I pressed a kiss to her forehead and put an arm around her shoulders to keep her close, and when Jason finally pulled onto our street, I leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“I need you close,” I told her, kissing the soft spot underneath her ear gently.

“You know I’ll never leave your side,” she whispered back.

“I need you now more than ever, Ves. No matter what’s going to happen. Stay close.”

---