Don’t Go!

PATRICK

“I can’t tell you how good it feels to see you like this,” I said to Max.

We were holed up in my study, enjoying some quiet while the women and kids were outside, making the most of the day.

I’d given Max his space while he was with Estella, wanting him to savor every moment. But the truth was, I needed him around.

Usually, you’d hear an alpha say that about his mate or his beta. But for me, Max was more important than my beta (Eva and my kids, of course, were on a different level).

Don’t get me wrong, Warren is great. But Max… I’ve said it before. If he hadn’t been so set on becoming a doctor, he’d be my first choice.

But, honestly, he made the right call. He’s the most valuable guy in our pack. He can heal us and fight with us.

“You’ve started, and you’ve said it plenty of times. You’re going to jinx me,” he joked.

“Nothing can jinx you now.” I smirked. “But why haven’t you told her the truth yet?”

“I was going to,” Max replied. When I scoffed, he shot me a look of exasperation.

“I was,” he insisted. “I don’t know why you guys don’t believe me.”

“Because you’ve kept it from her for eighteen years,” I said, deadpan.

“Yeah, and I kept myself away from her too. But now that we’re together, I’ll tell her. I want to. I was about to, but she asked me to wait until she gets back from France.”

“Why?” I frowned.

“I think she’s scared something might go wrong. I can’t blame her after everything that’s happened between us, so I’ll wait.”

“And what if she doesn’t want to be marked and turn?”

To me and everyone else who knew her, there was no way Estella would reject Max as her mate. She’d be mad at him for hiding it, and I expect she’d be mad at us too.

We knew and didn’t prepare her. The hints we dropped here and there don’t count, and they shouldn’t. She’ll forgive us eventually, being the good person that she is, but still.

“Then I will.” He shrugged, and I almost did a double take.

“You’ll do what?” I demanded.

“Turn.”

“Into what?”

“A human.”

“No,” I said, shocked.

“Yes.”

“You don’t even know if that’s possible,” I argued.

“It’s possible.” Max smiled, and I stared at him in disbelief.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” I countered.

“I have. Remember that old couple from Greece I told you about?”

“The ones Estella visited last year?”

“Yeah. They were actually the last alpha and luna of their country.

“They sent the unmated members of their pack away and asked the Moon Goddess to take their wolves. If Estella doesn’t want to be marked, I can become a human with her.”

I don’t know why this sounded familiar, but I brushed it off. It wasn’t important right now.

“What about your wolf?” I asked. “What happens to him?”

“He gets transferred to another body.”

“You’re okay with that?”

“I care about Estella more.”

“Your wolf is part of who you are, Max. It’s part of your identity.”

“I’m tired of hearing that,” he scoffed. “We’ve been told that since we were born, but we should be able to choose.”

“Choose?”

“Whether we want that identity or not. We were taught that we were gifted, and maybe we are, but sometimes it’s too much.

“It bothers me that I have to work so hard to separate my thoughts from my wolf’s needs.”

“I get what you’re saying, but becoming a human seems extreme, don’t you think?”

“Is it any more extreme than expecting Estella to turn, Patrick?”

“No.” I shook my head. “She’ll be stronger. She’ll age slower. She might even stop needing glasses.”

“But her first shift could be dangerous, even for a born werewolf.”

“Have faith in her, man! She’s strong.”

“I know she is.” He smiled. “Sometimes I think she’s stronger than me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not worried. Plus, I’ve always wanted her to have freedom.”

“That goes against our nature,” I pointed out.

“It does. But since you did it too and even supported your mate in everything she wanted to do, you can’t tell me I’m wrong.”

“Touché.” I chuckled.

“Like I was saying, I’ve always wanted her to be free to do what she wants. I know it’s a paradox since she only wanted to be with me, but I wanted her to have other dreams too.

“I can’t force her into this now. It wouldn’t be fair to make her do it just because it’s what we do.”

I looked at him, really looked at him, and despite his unconventional werewolf ways, I felt a deep admiration for him.

I love my Eva, yes. I’d die for her. I’d kill for her. But Max… the way he loves Estella is… indescribable.

I might not always agree with his methods, but I can’t doubt his feelings for her.

I cleared my throat and shifted the conversation a bit.

“I’m sorry you can’t go with her now,” I said.

“Me too, but I’m needed here more, and she understands.”

“She’ll be back in a week.”

“Tops.”

“And you’ll tell her then?”

“I’ll tell her then.”

ESTELLA

I was already feeling low about leaving Max, even if it was just for a little while. But what happened the day before I left really threw me for a loop.

I’d thought that living near werewolves for most of my life meant I’d seen it all. But it turns out, there’s no end to the weirdness when you’re not entirely human.

I know this intro probably doesn’t make much sense, but bear with me. It’ll all become clear once I tell you about what happened the other night.

So, I was all packed and ready to go, and I decided to visit Eva, Patrick, and the kids. It wasn’t a goodbye visit or anything—I’d be back in about a week.

It started with Eva. She asked me if I could cancel my trip and just email my new bosses to let them know I’d be working remotely.

She tried to make it sound like a casual suggestion, but I could tell something was bothering her.

When I asked her about it, she gave me some vague answer that I can’t quite remember. But it felt off.

Then there was Luz. She freaked out when I told her I’d be gone for a few days.

“Don’t go,” she kept saying, clutching my dress.

“I’ll be back before you know it, pup,” I tried to reassure her, stroking her hair.

“No. Don’t go. Please, Estella.”

“I have to, Luz. I need to sort some things out before I can settle down here with Max.”

“Do it from here. Don’t go. Please.”

“Sweetie, I can’t. It wouldn’t look good to my new job,” I explained as patiently as I could. “Plus, I have some good friends there that I want to see.”

“Don’t go now, please. Not now. Go later with Max.”

“I will go with Max eventually, and my friends will come visit too. But Max can’t leave right now. So, I have to go alone this time, and I’ll be back in just a few days. I promise.”

“No,” she kept shaking her head, like she couldn’t understand what I was saying.

I’d never seen Luz so upset. I tried to calm her down, but every time I mentioned leaving, she got more upset. And then the weirdest thing happened.

In an instant—and I swear I’m not making this up—her hair turned a silvery white, and her eyes changed from their usual bright blue to a brown color, just like mine.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

“Don’t go,” she cried, rocking back and forth.

She wasn’t looking at me. She was staring at something beyond me. Something that clearly scared her.

“I’ll be back,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “I promise, honey. I’ll come back.”

“You don’t understand,” she whimpered.

“Then tell me.”

She didn’t. She just looked at me with tear-filled eyes until Eva took her away to her room.

I left soon after that, but I was shaken. I still am, a little.

EVA

They’re back.

The nightmares.

They started the night before, and then today Estella announced she was going back to France for a few days. If only Max had marked her, we wouldn’t have to worry.

But he hadn’t. Not yet. He told Patrick he’d do it after she came back to stay with him.

I wish he’d already done it. The feeling after the nightmares is awful, but it’s even worse seeing my child suffer.

She changed in front of Estella, and I saw her freak out for a moment. It was strange that Estella didn’t question what she was seeing, maybe because I took Luz upstairs almost immediately.

I stayed with her until she changed back and fell asleep. To make sure she wouldn’t have any more nightmares, I had to give her a sedative.

Not many things work on our kind, but after Lucia was born, my mother gave me a potion recipe and told me to use it if her visions became too much.

I don’t usually do this. She’s so young… too young to become dependent on the potion.

So, I haven’t told her anything about it, secretly hoping her powers won’t reveal themselves to her.

“Is she okay?” Patrick asked as soon as I walked into our room.

He knew better than to check on Luz when she was like this. Plus, it affected him too much.

“She is for now.” I sighed, climbing into bed and snuggling up to him.

“What’s wrong with our girl, Eva? Why does she get like this? What does she see?”

I paused and closed my eyes.

“She sees Estella’s future,” I said.

There, Aunt, I said it. And now a weight has been lifted off my chest.

MAX

I didn’t want her to go. She almost missed her flight because we got to the airport so late.

It’s not that we didn’t leave the house on time. I just had to pull over and kiss her and do a few other things before she left.

I knew she’d be back in a week. I knew I’d have her all to myself. I just didn’t want to let her go.

I’ll admit, what happened with Luz scared me when Estella told me about it. I didn’t have time to ask Eva about it, but it was unsettling.

I didn’t want to dismiss it, but I also wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it meant.

Maybe it was nothing. Maybe Luz was just reacting to Estella’s brief departure because she’s grown so fond of her, and her powers translated that into this transformation. Everything should be back to normal once my girl is back.

After I dropped her off, I stayed until I saw the plane flying overhead. I hated going back home without her. It felt empty.

The room was empty, but it still held her scent. Maybe that was why it felt so hollow. Breathing in her fragrance when she wasn't there made my heart ache.

I didn't have much time to sit with that feeling, though. Just moments after I got home, Patrick reached out to me through our mind-link.

~“Rohan’s pack is under attack. They've got him.”~