Page 54 of Noah

"I just want to keep you safe," he insisted, frustration lacing his voice. "Why won’t you just?—"

"Because I’m not the helpless boy you knew thirteen years ago!" I snapped, my anger cresting again, spilling over before I could contain it. "I can fight my own battles, and maybe it’s time you learned to listen."

Jackson flinched like I’d struck him. He opened his mouth, but I didn’t wait for whatever excuse or explanation he had.

I decided I had enough. Lingering here any longer would push me into saying words I would regret later on.

My chest ached, my pulse hammering as I turned on my heel.

"I need time," I said, voice quieter but no less firm.

Time was good. I needed to cool my head, we both did.

I started walking. The dining hall blurred around me, the weight of Jackson’s stare burning into my back.

I heard him move, ready to follow, but I spun sharply, my voice cold and final. "If you follow me, we’re over."

Jackson froze. I saw the way his breath hitched, the way his face twisted in shock, in hurt.

I didn’t mean those words. They simply slipped out without warning but at that moment, I couldn’t tell him that.

I walked away, out of the dining hall, away from Jackson, away from the heavy weight of everyone’s stares.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides, my nails biting into my palms, but the sharp sting was nothing compared to the ache settling deep in my chest.

The last of my anger drained away, leaving a hollow, aching exhaustion in its place.

My body still thrummed with the remnants of adrenaline, but instead of fueling my rage, it only emphasized how empty I suddenly felt.

Could I have handled things differently?

Definitely.

But I wasn’t perfect. I never had been.

And right now, all I could think about was the raw hurt in Jackson’s eyes, the way his expression had cracked when I’d told him to stay away.

The image of him standing there, stunned and motionless as I walked away, was burned into my mind, looping over and over until I thought I’d go crazy from it.

My vision blurred, but I refused to wipe at my eyes. I wouldn’t let anyone see. Wouldn’t let anyone know just how much this moment had gutted me.

The dining hall was behind me now, the chatter of pack mates a dull hum in the distance.

I’d been so desperate to escape, but now that I was alone, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself.

The ringing in my head started to fade, but my wolf stirred restlessly inside me, pacing, growling, clawing at the edges of my control.

He wasn’t angry anymore. No, he was grieving.

And then, softly—too softly—I felt it. A howl, low and mournful, curling deep in my chest, wrapping around my ribs and squeezing tight.

What have you done?

My breath hitched.

I didn’t know.

But I was afraid—so afraid—that I’d just broken something I wouldn’t be able to fix.

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