Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

SEREN

P ulling another square of toilet paper from my bag, I sniffle and blow into it, the damp tissue a stark contrast to the dryness in my eyes. I think I’ve cried enough for a whole lifetime.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for any inconvenience, but United Airlines flight 3472 from Bishop to New York LaGuardia has been delayed by approximately one hour. The new departure time is three thirty.”

The loud announcement in the background feels suffocating. Another knot tightens around my stomach as I slump into the plastic chair. The phone is still pressed to my ear, the call ringing.

Maybe this is a sign that I shouldn’t run away.

I inhale another deep breath, a trace of the cold mountain air lingering under the stale scent of the airport. I close my eyes at the chill, and Titan’s face pops up in my head. His intense black eyes stare at me: questioning, devastated.

How could you ?

My head feels heavy, thinking about the one love who has always been mine alone.

And you still rejected him?

But he is attached to Theron, who has betrayed me a thousand times! I want to scream.

A wave of nausea washes over me again.

“ Hello !” Jane’s sharp voice slices through my misery. “Are you there?”

I try to speak, but my voice cracks. Tears gather in my eyes again. “Jane, hi, um, are you at home?”

“Right now? Yeah. Wanna switch to video?”

I take a deep breath and clear my throat. “No. Actually, I’m coming to New York and was wondering if I could stay at your place. Just for a day or two?”

“No way! When are you coming?” She yells in the background, “Gunny, get ready to fork out a hundred because my girl is coming over!”

I hear muffled laughter and voices before Jane’s attention returns to me. “When?”

Her excitement takes away some of the heaviness, but I hesitate. “Tonight?”

“Are you serious?” There’s a pause, and then her voice softens. “Of course. My home is your home. But are you okay? Did something happen?”

“I...we’ll talk once I get there.” While she knows bits and pieces about Theron, I just can’t do this over a call.

“Got it. I’ll see you at the airport,” she immediately offers.

“No, don’t be silly. ”

“Shut up! I’m coming.”

I smile, my first genuine one in a while.

“Get here safe, okay? And text me your flight details.”

I nod, even though she can’t see it, the tightness in my chest easing a bit. “I will. See you soon.”

As I’m putting the phone away, I notice a text from Ella and let out a slow, long breath before looking at the doors leading out to the passenger drop-off curb.

When I step outside the mostly deserted airport, I notice Ella right away, wheeling my two bags with a small smile on her face.

For a few minutes, no words are exchanged. We hug, cry, and comfort each other.

“Thanks, Ella,” I whisper as we pull apart. My voice trembles slightly. “I thought you’d send it over with Max or one of his friends.”

Ella rubs my back, chuckling. “And miss seeing you before you leave? Not on my watch.” Her tone is light, but there’s an underlying firmness.

I shake my head, feeling guilty. “I don’t want you getting in trouble for lying for me.”

Ella pauses, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “Well, I can promise I won’t lie, but I’ll be very...selective with the truth,” she says with a wink. “Why don’t you check in your baggage and then we can get some coffee?”

I nod, a flicker of worry twisting my stomach as I think about the potential consequences for Ella. She’s been working for the Blackwoods for years. I don’t want to jeopardize her position .

Twenty minutes later, we’re seated at a small, round table in the airport’s quiet coffee shop. Each of us has a paper cup in hand, our huckleberry Danishes are untouched as they rest on paper napkins, and the two of us stare at the snow-covered mountains through the window.

“This isn’t because of a job in New York, is it? It’s about leaving this place,” Ella says, her voice firm. She leans back in her chair, eyeing me closely.

I let my gaze drift around the small café, avoiding her piercing look. Except for those three years of college, I’ve always been a homebody, so now convincing her otherwise would be tough. And she knows me inside and out.

“Will you at least tell me why?” Ella asks, taking a sip from her coffee.

I pick at the edge of my Danish, crumbling it between my fingers. “This was never my home anyway,” I try with a smile. “I’m not even a wolf. I don’t know why…”

“He’s your mate, isn’t he?” she suddenly asks, her voice low but insistent. The reminder sends a sharp pain through my chest.

“Not anymore,” I answer softly, a lump forming in my throat. I swallow hard, willing the tears back.

Ella gasps, her eyes widening in shock before she looks away, exhaling a sharp breath. She’s probably disappointed with me.

“A man who can’t honor his mate should not be alpha,” she hisses, her eyes narrowed with determination. “I’m going to talk to Alpha Dan about this.”

My eyes well up with tears as her words sink in. “Ella, please,” I plead, my voice trembling. “Don’t involve anyone else. I just want to escape all this. And honestly, I’ve never understood the whole ‘mate’ thing. Being forced into something with someone you don’t connect with—it’s wrong.”

She leans in, her hand warm on mine, her expression softening. “It’s not about being forced, Seren. The bond is a deep connection, a pull. It’s meant to be a beautiful thing. We’re paired with the one who can help us be the best version of ourselves.”

I smile. I guess my being human switched things up for Theron.

“He’ll come to his senses one day and look for you, I can guarantee that.” She gives me a reassuring smile, her fingers gently squeezing mine.

“There’s nothing in this world that can make me come back here.” I turn my gaze out the window, watching as a plane lands. Hopefully, that’s my flight.

We both stay quiet for a while. I break a piece off the Danish, chewing slowly and looking around, suddenly feeling low. This was my home.

Ella eventually digs into her handbag and pulls out a notepad and pen, pushing them toward me across the table.

“You should leave a note behind so no one can suggest putting in pack resources to look for you. If you leave under your own free will, they can’t come after you.” Her voice is gentle, and her words make sense.

Ella watches me intently as I scribble down a few words, crumple the paper, and toss it aside. I start again, my mind racing. What should I write? A simple goodbye? An explanation for leaving? Should I address it to Theron, or Luna Marie and Alpha Dan ?

After what feels like an eternity, I hand her the third attempt. She gives me an envelope and I seal it carefully. Done.

Placing the envelope in her bag, she gets up. “I should head back before anyone gets suspicious and thinks to follow me.”

Slowly, I nod, rising to my feet. A heaviness settles in my stomach. “I don’t know if we’ll meet again, Ella, but...”

She pulls me into a tight hug. “I know we’ll meet again. I just don’t know when. Maybe Max and I can come visit you for a weekend.”

My throat is so tight I can’t speak, so I just hug her as hard as I can.

“Take care of yourself,” she whispers, stepping back and handing me a business card. “My cousin lives in Boston. Call her if you need anything.”

I watch her walk away, feeling my last bond with Mammoth Lakes breaking.

I send a text to Jane once I’ve boarded before switching off my phone.

For the next five hours, I try to sleep, but I can’t shake the feeling of leaving a part of myself behind. I always thought of Blackwood Estate as my anchor, a place where I could belong if I just tried hard enough. But as we reach ten thousand feet above ground, I finally accept it was never my home. The Blackwoods might have been a family to each other and their pack, but they never even bothered to try to be my family.

I was never included in holidays or major events. My life was managed by their housekeeper—clothes, books, everything. My career, my education, my existence…they were never discussed. I was invisible .

The child the Blackwoods took in was just a charity project who was always set aside because she didn’t have a wolf, and their son picked me up and then abandoned me in the same way ten years later.

But Theron was worse. He gave me hope and scraps of affection, made false promises, and made me cling to something unreal with zero intentions of following through.

I’m done humbling myself for anyone. I have to rein in this need for family. Maybe being by myself will be good for me.

With my resolve strengthening with every minute, I feel some of the weight lifting off my shoulders.

As the sky darkens, I drift off to sleep.

“Miss. Miss.” A sharp prod jolts me awake. I blink, disoriented. A flight attendant stands over me, eyeing me with a terse smile.

“Excuse me, ma’am. We’ve arrived in New York.”

I glance around. The cabin is nearly empty, and a rush of adrenaline jolts me fully awake. Fumbling with my seatbelt, I mumble a quick “Sorry” to her.

As I step outside, the full impact of my arrival hits me. People rush past me, constant announcements drone on in the background, and the scent of coffee and fast food is heavy. Even the air feels different.

I peel off my jacket like I’m shedding my skin and smile.

I can’t believe I left this five weeks ago, and it feels like it’s been five years.

As I wait for my baggage, I start making mental lists. First: get a job. Second: find the cheapest apartment around.

“Seren! ”

I spot Jane almost instantly, her face lit up with a welcoming smile.

“I knew you’d be back,” she says as we hug. “Gunner and I had a bet going. I said six months and he bet a year.”

I smile. I would’ve bet a lifetime, but I was a different person a few weeks ago.

“Let’s get some food before we pick up the car,” Jane suggests as we approach a long row of fast food kiosks.

“Tacos look good,” I agree. Since I skipped lunch again on the plane, I’m starving.

Over two platters of tacos and a pitcher of lemonade, I tell her about my last few weeks. Jane is livid. She’s glad I got my passport and all my other important documents, along with the other essentials I managed to pack.

As we walk back to the parking lot, my phone rings. It’s an unknown number, so I ignore it. It rings three more times, and I get a creeping feeling it’s someone from the packhouse.

“Give me your phone.” Jane suddenly turns to me.

I blink at her.

“Hurry.”

As I’m taking it out of my bag, she snatches it from my hand.

“Hey—” I begin to protest, but Jane’s eyes are determined.

“Trust me,” she says softly, glancing around to make sure no one is watching. “Here’s the first step to your fresh start.”

Before I can react, she hurls my phone into the back of a nearby ten-wheeler truck. The phone lands with a soft thud, disappearing among other discarded items .

“What—” I start, but Jane places a calming hand on my shoulder.

“This is for you, Seren. It’s time to let go of the past and move forward. Now you don’t have any more ties to the life you’re leaving behind.”

I take a deep breath, the truth in her words sinking in. “I still have my laptop in my bag. What about that? And my bank accounts?”

She laughs, and there’s a lightness in her voice that eases my tension. “Every problem has a solution. I’m just glad you’re in a place where you’re looking out for yourself.”

As we get into her car, I believe her words. Out with the old, in with the new.

Soon we’re driving into the city center, with bright buildings shining all around us. But at every nook and every corner, every other person has one familiar face—Theron’s.

I’m not sure moving away from someone you love is easy. But Theron will have it easier than me, since he never loved me, and that knowledge keeps me moving forward.