Chapter 5

It was chaos again. It was that moment when all the high-rank bonds were broken. I could no longer hear thoughts or feel any connection with Jack as he was my Alpha. Or that he used to be. “Athena, what are we going to do?” Jack’s voice had interrupted my racing thoughts. Why was he asking me? I was a stripper and that’s all I was. I turned around to look at them and we were all just as stunned. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know anything anymore. I just pissed the Moon Goddess off and I am a stripper. Nothing more than a stripper.” Jack came over to embrace me but I just pushed him off. I didn’t want to be held, because I was angry and wanted to hit someone. “She is going to torture me, and I know she is going to keep me away from everyone including Ryn.” I tried to choke back the tears knowing I had to walk away from my family to fix things. Things weren’t okay. I wasn’t okay. “Jack, I need you to take the kids and leave.” He reached for me again but I walked away to avoid the touch. “What are you talking about? We are not leaving you.” I felt Vincent’s eyes boring into me like he had no words to say. “Jack, this is the hardest thing I have to do. But she will stop at nothing and I can’t put the kids through this. They need to get used to it.” Now the tears were coming hard. I needed to rip the bandaid off. “Athena, babe, please.” I was choking back my tears. Once I had to say goodbye to someone I love. “Jack, leave. Take girls and go far away. Things won’t end until I put an end to things. And you all have the freedom to do things. So please go. So they don’t have to see their mom naked on a pole as a slave.” We both stared at each other teary-eyed until he put his head down in submission. He knew deep down that I was right, but he held onto us for so long. He took a step forward before he stopped himself from embracing me. He inhaled and exhaled as he turned around. “Jack,” I called out which caused him to stop. “If I stop responding. I want you to move on, and not be worried about me. And when Ryn gets older, I want you to tell her I loved her with every bone in my body.” I thought he would have walked away but he made his way to me and planted a very passionate kiss on me. If this was a goodbye kiss, I never wanted it to end. But it did. I pulled him off and his forehead leaned against mine. “You make sure you come back. I know my brother will keep you alive. I love you Athena, but I am letting you go for now. We both know waiting won’t do us justice. If and when this stops and we still feel the same way. We will find our back.

He pulled away from me before he walked towards Vincent. “Take care of her. I don’t want to lose any of you.” Vincent had pulled Jack into an embrace of sadness with a clap to the back that tore me up then him saying goodbye to me. “Don’t worry, okay. I will see you after hell freeze over.” They disconnected from each other giving each other one last glance. We watched Jack walk away until he wasn’t in distance anymore. I knew saying goodbye would be hard for the kids and me. So I didn’t. I waited on top of the roof and watched as he loaded the kids in the car. An arm kept me from breaking down. But tomorrow I start being everyone’s little toy and I was scared for that. I was scared that I will die trying and never get to see my daughter and sister again. But Jack will take care of them.