65

My heart almost jumped out of my chest with pain as I saw Chiara's pained face as she entered the cabin with Jayden, clutching his arm tightly. "She's gone from us," breathed the dark blonde and it must have cost her all her strength not to burst into tears.

Ludwig was the first to take his arm protectively and offer his condolences while Jayden quietly greeted his sister and Chace. It was difficult for me to think straight, I was completely overwhelmed with this situation and had never been able to deal with something like this before, so I let go of my mate's hand, stood up and ran quickly towards the door to see this hut of the to leave sadness.

Only when I ran a few steps in the dark and arrived between the tall trees did my lungs fill up with oxygen again and I was finally able to breathe deeply again. "Hey," my mate whispered and hugged me from behind to rest her head on my back. "I'm really sorry for the loss of you all," she breathed, and as soon as she said those words, the first warm tears ran unintentionally down my cheeks, while my hands started to tremble at the thought of ever losing her . She was my only support and I never wanted to end up like Lisbeth, even if that sounded pretty selfish.

"I need you to do me a favor," I pleaded, turning to face her. "No matter how scared you are of something, never run away again. Talk to me about your thoughts and never let me down again." She gently stroked my hair and looked deep into my eyes so that I lost myself briefly in hers. "You and me against the world," she smiled, snuggling tight against my chest.

I pulled myself together and tried to swallow the sadness. I succeeded, but it didn't stop the pain in my heart. "I will always protect you," I whispered to her, laying my head on her shoulder to take in the scent of her hair, which managed to calm me down a bit.

"Jayden needs you," I then heard Ludwig say, who was just coming towards us. I wanted to take my mate with me, but Ludwig grabbed my arm and shook his head. "What do you want from her?" I hissed at him, stepping right in front of him, but this arrogant handsome just smiled stupidly like he always did with women.

"I just want to talk Ethan, are you scared of competition?" "You're not a competitor!" I growled at him and wanted to push Jo behind me, but she suddenly broke away from me and stared at Ludwig in surprise. "I know someone like you. You are a guardian angel!", she marveled and stepped so close to the angel that I growled even more menacingly.

"Shut up, Ethan," she whispered, taking Ludwig's hands. I thought I'm not seeing right or that I was in the wrong movie when she then put his hand on her stomach, just inches from the waistband of her pants. "Have you lost your mind?" I asked her and noticed how the two looked deep into each other's eyes.

I didn't get an answer and for a moment I considered just biting his throat, but what would Jo think of me then. "Ethan, go to Jayden!" my mate ordered and I really had trouble not turning into an unstoppable wolf. "I'm not going anywhere-" "Just trust me," she cut me off, looking into my eyes. I wanted to tear up everything around me, starting with that prat, but I had promised myself to love and honor her, so I accepted her wish and ran back to the cabin with anger in my stomach.

The thought of what the two would do between the trees tore me up and I was about to turn back when the door of the cabin opened and Jayden came running to me. Without saying a word, he threw himself into my arms, seeking comfort from me while I trembled with jealousy. What a shitty situation again. Old Ethan would have cursed or freaked out, but I took a few deep breaths and then focused on my best friend, who was sobbing in my arms.

I stroked his back, trying to give him strength, and listened to the gentle breeze, hoping to hear what this pervert was up to with my girlfriend.

"You can heal me, can't you? Please say yes!" I begged the blonde, who looked sympathetically into my eyes and pressed his hand tightly to my abdomen. It felt wrong to bring it up with him in a situation like this, but who knew if he wouldn't disappear just as quickly as the woman I met.

"I can't," he said soothingly, yet seriously, and it broke my heart again, but it was just that little spark of hope that made me make one last attempt.

He withdrew his hand and ran a hand through his hair with his eyes closed, as if contemplating if it was somehow possible, but I just looked into the darkness and began to accept. "I'm really sorry," he whispered, and I gave him a nod of thanks because at least he tried.

I preceded him back to the cabin where Jayden was about to collapse in Ethan's arms. My mate met my eyes over the big man's shoulders and I saw the satisfaction and relief on his face. I gave him a sympathetic smile and didn't really know what to do when Ludwig came up next to me.

"Let's give them both a little rest" he said and walked past them with me to enter the hut.

Chiara lay on the couch, her head on Lou's lap, staring into space while Chace sat next to Lou, leaning on her shoulder. You could tell she was Jayden's sister because this picture reminded me of the situation in the trailer where Ethan and Chiara were snuggled up to Jayden.

"Would you like something else to drink?" Ludwig asked and Lou nodded in agreement, while I felt completely superfluous again. I didn't belong, just being there, and it made me so uncomfortable that I followed my natural instincts and fled the situation.

Barely opening the door, I stepped out and looked at Ethan, who was still standing with Jayden, albeit not as close together as before.

"I should give you all rest. You should be on your own." Jayden turned to me and threw the trailer key at me, which I deftly caught.

"He's not far from here," he said, briefly pointing in the direction I would find him. I nodded to him, gave my mate a loving look and then disappeared through the darkness.

It really didn't take long before I got to the road and saw the trailer further along the roadside, but the Wialtrama looked so inviting with its lights it drew me in like a moth to a light.

I took a few steps forward and was just about to cross the street when I realized that I hadn't even pocketed a cent. Frustrated, I ran to the trailer I knew and piled the blankets on the floor before snuggling up in them and thinking about everything that had happened.

How miserable they were all and how welcoming they were despite everything. They really were all loving and accommodating people. I still couldn't believe that Jayden and Ethan were really mean at one point. Unthinkable.

I turned on my side and yawned for a long time, only to let my eyes drop in exhaustion. It took me a while to fall asleep, but I didn't sleep long either, because then I felt my mate's warm body on my back, pulling me lovingly into his chest.

His breathing on the back of my neck, his trembling hand on my stomach and the almost imperceptible beating of his heart. I noticed all this and turned carefully to him in his arms so that I could look at him and be there for him.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked him quietly, stroking his cheek while he looked into my eyes and breathed heavily. "You're doing enough just being with me," he breathed, sliding down a bit to cuddle in my arms like a baby. I stroked his back soothingly and closed my eyes. How I would love to help him process it all, but you had to go through this alone because the loss of a loved one was never easier to make. It just needed time and that would give him.