Chapter 31

Flora’s P.O.V

I slept with my head on Clay’s shoulders, the soft picnic blanket under me and a light cover thrown over our naked bodies. Clay was staring up at the evening sky quietly while his hand traced lines on my sides, the gesture almost unmindful. My palm was spread over his heart as I listened to the steady beat, happy to be engulfed in the warmth of his body, but even I could feel the strain in his shoulders, the stiffness of his muscles.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, patting him on the chest lightly. “You’re unusually quiet.”

Clay turned to me with a small smile and kissed my forehead lightly. “It’s nothing, just thinking.”

“Your birthday is in a week,” I said quietly, sinking deeper into him to feel his warmth. I don’t know if it was the night air or the chilling realization that we were almost out of time that had me feeling numb all over, but my bet was on the later. It helped that Clay was a furnace of a being, but deep inside, I feared that everyone was right, that my instincts were right. I wasn't Clay’s mate and in a week’s time, he’d be wrapped around someone else, loving someone else like he had done with me...and I’d be a broken shell of the person I am now.

“Let’s not think about it right now, okay?” Clay told me as he sat up and pulled me up with him. “Let’s enjoy the view and have a good time.”

Nodding, I pressed a kiss to his cheek as we got up and got dressed. Clay’s pendant sat on the curve of my neck and I touched it lightly with my fingers as a reassurance that what he had told me was true. Clay loved me, just as I loved him. It still felt surreal to believe that we confessed to each other…but was it too late?

“Flora…look.”

Turning to where Clay was pointing, I saw what he had meant earlier, when he’d told me that the place looked even better at night.

All the lights were lit up in the town and it made for a spectacular view. What made it even better was the bright moon in the sky. It wasn’t a full moon yet, a little bigger than a half-moon, but it looked gorgeous. The light from the moon illuminated the grassland and lightened the path for thousands of fireflies.

The fireflies swarmed all over the place, especially in the denser parts of the woods and their glow, combined with the lights from the town made it seem as we were standing at the centre of the universe, surrounded by thousands of stars.

Clay came to stand next to me after he’d put all our leftovers into the picnic basket and stood to enjoy the view with me.

I looked up at the moon once again, admiring its beauty. The wolf part of me wanted to break free, howl at the top of my voice. But something in me made me pause…look at the moon more carefully.

Was it me or did the moon suddenly appear ominous? Why did I get a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach?

“Clay…do you think the moon looks different?” I asked him, still not taking my eyes off the moon.

“Huh?” Clay looked at the moon too with his eyes narrowed as I observed him. “Hmmm…I think you’re right.”

“Really?” I blinked back my surprise. “What do you see?”

“I think the moon is missing...” he looked back down at me and a grin spread on his face. “Ah! There it is! My moon is right here beside me.”

Startled into a laugh at his cheesiness, I hit his shoulders lightly. “Oh, stop it. I was being serious!”

Clay laughed along with me before snaking his arm around my waist. “Nope. Everything seems just fine.”

Smiling, I looked back at the moon but Clay was right, that ominous feeling was gone and everything seemed to be just fine. “Let’s head back home before Riley sends a search party.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s getting late.” He took out his cell phone to look at the time before putting it back.

We headed back to pack as night set in, but as I stared out the window at the woods, that gut feeling was back again…like something bad was about to happen

One week; I thought. Our time was almost up and I should mentally prepare myself for the worst case scenario.

Even after being together for nine months, there was no bond that indicated we could become anything more than that of lovers. I could only hope that his mate wasn’t from our pack. And if she was…then what?

What could I do to ease the pain? What could I do to help me forget these nine amazing months of my life? Right from the very beginning, I’d been drawn to Clay like a moth to the flames. There had to be a reason for this connection we shared. So if we weren’t mates…then what was this connection for? This gut-feeling that kept telling me we belonged together.

“You’re awfully quiet. Is something wrong?” Clay’s voice startled me out of my thoughts, so I shook my head and gave him a weak smile.

“It’s nothing.” I told him. “I’m just tired and I still have homework to get through.”

“Oh?” Clay smiled. “Someone’s been naughty.”

I wanted to laugh at his grin, but I decided to admire his face instead. I’d always known him to be the brooding, serious man. But this Clay right beside me was different. He was more open and free and his smile could instantly light up my world. I hadn’t seen him be this open with anyone else and I was glad that I was the only one who got to witness this side of him.

We reached our pack a few minutes later, but I had already taken my phone out and sent a text to a person I didn’t think I’d be seeking help from again. But something told me that I should be ready and this was just an option…just in case.

“Thank you for today.” I told him as I got out of his car. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drop you off at your house?” Clay asked sceptically. “Everyone in the pack is aware of us being together now.”

“I know,” I smiled. “I just need to get something from a classmate’s house for my homework. I’ll be done in a few minutes and then I’ll head straight home.”

“I can wait for you here.” Clay insisted but I shook my head.

“It’s really alright, Clay.” I assured him. “I’ll call you as soon as I reach home. Promise.”

“Alright.” He smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” My smile widened to hear him say it. Our feelings were finally clear to us and it was mutual.

Then why was I hiding this from him? My conscience asked. Why was I about to take such a drastic measure?

The simple answer was: to protect my heart.

I waved goodbye as Clay drove away and started walking in the wrong direction purposely to evade suspicion, since I knew he would be looking at me through his rear view mirror. After I was sure he was out of sight, I took off running in the opposite direction, heading straight for the woods.

The meeting spot was only a few steps away and he was already waiting for me when I arrived at the spot.

“You’re late.” His voice was gruff, like he had been waiting for some time now.

“I know and I’m sorry.” I told him. “I couldn’t let Clay know I was meeting up with you.”

“Your boyfriend is extremely territorial.” Garrick sighed. “When we found you after the attack and the stunt you pulled, he wouldn’t even let us near you, especially me.”

“I guess Clay is possessive about me…we both are.” I told him after I remembered my reaction to him kissing our Principal.

“So?” Garrick asked, putting his hands inside his jeans pocket. “What can I do for you?”

It was now or never.

Taking a deep breath, I told him what I had been planning the entire trip back from the hiking spot.

“I need a ride to Lindersay.”