Page 76 of Savage Beast

We must return.

Not yet.

We are miles away and need to return so we can prepare for tonight.

Bex––.

I will not allow you to bear the burden, I will do what needs to be done and block you from the memory of it all.

Gratitude swells inside me.

I want to remember it all Bex, I just can’t be the one to deliver the final blow.

Are you certain?

I take a moment to think on it, because I’m a sucker for punishment and love to self-sabotage, I tell Bex I don’t want to be locked away when he does it. If Sky can sacrifice herself, the least I can do is be man enough to watch it happen. Bex takes us back, neither of us speak on the long trek back. By the time we break through the tree line, the sun is in the sky, I spot Creed and Belle on the porch steps with tired looks on their faces, Cole and Z are leaning against the house, the three Wilder brothers are at the other end of the porch and guilt gnaws at me that they waited out here all night. At the sound of me approaching they all turn tired eyes to me, once I’m at the base of the stairs Bex relinquishes control and I shift back. I take a few deep breaths whilst I’m on hands and knees naked, I try to ready myself for the onslaught of questions that they are going to ask me.

“We’ll give you guys some time alone.” I’m forever grateful to Creed in this moment, I hear their receding footsteps at the sound of the front door clicking shut, I finally stand. Belle has her hand outstretched with a pair of my sweats dangling from her hand. I thank her and quickly pull them on before I take a seat next to her. The silence between us isn’t uncomfortable, each of us are lost in our own thoughts. Rather than use words I use actions, I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her into my side placing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Whatever happened last night is between you and Sky, you don’t have to tell me.” My gratitude and love for her swells inside me, fate sure didn’t fuck up when they chose her as my mate. “I need to tell you something though.” I tense at the seriousness in her voice. “Last night, after you left Alexander made me a proposition.”

“What is it?” My voice is gruff.

“He offered to help me with my visions, as well as my…transition” I recoil away from her, she turns and faces me, the sadness in her eyes pisses me off.

“Don’t you think we should have discussed this? I mean it is my fucking baby too!” She flinches at the anger in my tone, but I’m to pissed off right now to care.

“I won’t survive the pregnancy if I don’t do this Cairo, I can’t shift because it will kill the baby, so that leaves me with one option.” I scoff.

“Leavesyouwith one option, right. I mean it was only my cum that made the baby, so why should I get a say right?” I stand and glare down at her. “Do what you gotta do Gabrielle, I mean you’re going to anyway right?” When she doesn’t answer I shout at her. “Right?” The front door slams open, and I’m not surprised to see it’s her brothers that come running to her defense.

“She didn’t make the decision lightly.” I snap my gaze to Cass and growl low in my throat in warning.

“And I’m sure the three of you were all to willing to help her make that choice, right? I mean after all; she will have to go with him, for well knowing that I can’t abandon my pack, so it’s a winwinfor everyone.” I turn back to Belle and my anger rises further when I see tears trailing down her cheeks. “You do this, and I will never forgive you.” She gasps but I’m done with this shit. I shoulder check Cassius on my way inside and head straight for my room so I can shower to try and get my head in the game in preparation for tonight.

I stare out the bedroom window watching the sun, in a few hours’ time, I’m about to do the unthinkable, and the one person I wish was here to comfort me, has betrayed me. How the fuck could she make such a huge decision without me? None of us even know if it will be safe for the baby if she transitions, I growl and launch my fist through the wall of the room. I curse at the hole in the wall and then begin to pace to try get my anger to simmer down.

“You’ll be paying for that.” I growl and glower at Creed, he closes the door and leans against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

“If you’re here to tell me she made the right choice, you can fuck off!” He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“You stupid bastard, me of all people would be the last to agree with what she is doing.” That causes me to pause my pacing. “I missed seeing my twins grow inside my wife, and I missed the birth of them, not to mention I missed ever getting the chance to meet my daughter.” Once again guilt eats away at me, I’m such a fuck up! “I don’t agree with her leaving with him and going to Romania, I know you can’t follow her because of your obligations to your pack. I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anyone, don’t get me wrong, I know I fucked up, but I didn’t deserve not to meet my daughter. That is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life.” Sadness laces each of his words, I know it kills him that he never got to meet Katie. That is why Jess being pregnant again is such a blessing for them, after her complications with the twins.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, I made my bed, and now I have to lay in it. Learn from my fuck ups Cairo, don’t miss this, because it will eat you alive from the inside out.”

“How the fuck am I supposed to do that? I can’t just up and leave my pack because my mate wants to run away with her daddy.” I can hear the bitterness in my own voice. “I mean, why the fuck do they have to go to Romania? Why can’t they just fucking stay here and who knows, I might even be able to help her.”

“Have you thought about this from her point of view?” I narrow my eyes at him.

“Nah, not really. Plotting the murder of my best friend has kind of taken over my train of thought at the moment.” He flinches.

“I know you are dealing––.”

“You don’t know shit!” I yell.

“Yeah, I fucking do! I was ready to kill my best friend if it meant getting to my mate, or did you forget that?”

---