You're Leaving!

**Avery pov**

We were playing "every man for themselves" just throwing and dodging balls as they came at us. We were all laughing, trying to outmaneuver each other, but it didn't take long before we were all worn out, collapsing onto the trampolines to catch our breaths..

"You guys hungry" Cam asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

We all nodded, and he got up, dragging Danny with him to the food section.

"I'm going to find a table and let the kids bounce a bit more." Alex said

I was already getting up to join her when she asked. "You coming?"

"Yeah," I replied, standing to follow her. We left the kids bouncing away and found a table where we could keep an eye on them, but still have space to talk.

"So, Avery, tell me how you've been," Alex asked casually, though I could tell she was already bracing herself for my response.

Really? How have I been?

I wanted to reply with something that felt more real like "I'm a single mom raising a kid on my own even though I have my best friend with me for help while raising his child as my own too, not to mention I'm back in the god forsaken pack filled with people who have said the nastiest shit about me but expects me to forgive them and take back my asshole of a mate."  Instead I just replied with a "just peachy" sarcasm dripping in my tone.

Alex rolled her eyes, clearly seeing through my act. "You know he loves you right?" she whispered, as if speaking any louder might ruin the moment.

I scoffed "Really? I'd hate to see what he'd do if he hated me." shot back bitterly. "You don't treat the people you love like trash and reject them."

She didn't flinch at my words. "We both know he regrets it," Alex replied softly. "And you know it too. I can feel it between you two."

I couldn't even look her in the eye at that. "And how do you know that?" I asked, my voice laced with disbelief.

"The bond, Avery. It's growing stronger every day, isn't it?" she continued. "If you didn't still love him, you would've gone through with the rejection. You haven't."

Damn it. She was right. But I wouldn't let her know that. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not staying here, right?" I forced out, trying to steady my voice. "Danny and I are leaving in a few days. After that..."

The words barely left my mouth before Cam was at the table, his face twisted in shock and anger.

"You're leaving?" he interrupted, his voice thick with disbelief.

Shit.

I turned to face him, realizing I had just made the situation even worse. His eyes were wild with emotion, and he shoved away everything in his arms, knocking an unsteady Danny backward.

"Yes, I'm leaving," I bit out, my voice rising. "I came here to see my sick mother. Other than that, I'm not allowed on pack grounds anymore, remember? That's what happens when you get rejected."

I watched as the words hit him like a physical blow. His face tightened, and I saw him flinch at my words. His eyes lost their spark, and I could feel the hurt radiating off of him. Damn the bond, I thought, it always makes me feel guilty.

It was quiet as we waited for him to respond.

"You're right," Camden said, his voice strained and thick with emotion. "I'm sorry, Avery. But you can't take my son away from me. I just got him back."

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could speak, he ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated and unable to keep his composure. His breath hitched as he fought to maintain control. "Please, Avery... please, I'll do anything. Just don't take my son away from me," he pleaded, his voice breaking as he stepped closer to me, his hands trembling slightly.

"Daddy what's wrong" Caleb asked running into Cams arms. Caleb raised his hands up wiping his face "Don't cry daddy, mommy will make it better like she does when I'm sad right mommy" He asked looking up at me.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Caleb's voice cut through the tension, and before I knew it, he was in Camden's arms, looking up at him with confusion.

Caleb, innocent as always, wiped Camden's tear-streaked face with his small hands. "Don't cry, Daddy. Mommy will make it better, like she does when I'm sad, right, Mommy?" His hopeful eyes locked onto mine.

Damn it, Caleb. I wasn't going to take him away. If only Camden would listen, I would've explained that after I left, he could still see Caleb on weekends, maybe holidays. But Camden? Camden never listens. That's what got us here in the first place.

"Yes, sweetie, Mommy's going to make it all better," I said softly, forcing a smile.

Camden let out a shaky chuckle, wiping his face. "Thanks, little man," he muttered, trying to gather himself, though it was clear he was still struggling.

Sophie and Mikey ran up then, eager and excited. "Can we eat now?"

The moment was broken, but the tension still hung in the air. I stood up, ready to take the conversation elsewhere. "You guys go ahead," I said, turning to Camden. "I need to talk to you alone."

We stepped outside, and I handed him a tissue as we got into my car. He sat there for a moment, staring out the window, his hand still trembling as he wiped his face.

"Thanks," he said quietly, his voice raw.

We sat in silence for a while, neither of us knowing exactly what to say. Finally, Camden spoke, his tone low but full of regret.

"I'm sorry, Avery," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "I'm so sorry for everything I've done. I'm sorry for rejecting you, abandoning you and our son when you needed me the most. I'm sorry for believing all those lies, for listening to rumors instead of trusting you. I should've believed you over everyone else."

I blinked, feeling my own chest tighten. Wait, what lies? What rumors? what proof?

"I'm sorry for all the nasty things I said and all the crap you've gotten from the pack, Ave I'm so fucking sorry".

"Wait you said you got proof, what proof?' I asked

Camden sighed heavily, looking down at his hands. "I saw the reports, the pictures from the hospital. I saw the abortion pamphlets hidden in our room. The hospital forms... I thought maybe I was just seeing things, but the more I looked, the more 'proof' I found. I was devastated, Avery. So angry that I didn't know what to do. And then my wolf... my wolf snapped." He ran a hand through his hair again, clearly struggling with his words. "I regret it, I regret rejecting you. One minute we're shout the next..... I was uttering those awful rejection vows."

"Avery you have no idea how much I regretted it, when I ran out I went to go cool off knowing I wasn't thinking straight, but then I came back I wanted to find you, to apologize but you were gone. No one knew where you were you just disappeared".

Pamphlets? Reports? What pictures?

"Cameron, what are you talking about what reports?"

"I saw the hospital files for the abortion with your name and signature"

My mind spun, every word Camden said rattling around in my head like a thousand thoughts crashing together. "I never signed for anything and I obviously didn't have an abortion" I argued. Caleb was here clear as day.

My voice was a little sharper now, my confusion turning into frustration. "Why would I have any of that? I—"

I stopped myself, my chest tightening. "Wait." The pieces were starting to form together in a way that terrified me. The hospital records. The pamphlets. The pictures. Someone must have planted them. It was all too convenient, too timed. Who would do that?

It didn't make sense. Why would I—why would I ever—let anyone think I'd go that far? I wanted to scream, but instead, my mind raced, the answer slowly creeping in.

This wasn't just a mistake. Someone had orchestrated this. Someone had made it look like I'd aborted the baby to make sure I was pushed out of the pack. It was calculated.

But why?

A lump formed in my throat as I stared at Camden. "Cam, I've never once even considered that as an option." My voice caught in my throat, heart pounding with the weight of the realization. "That's why I had to leave. I was rejected, pushed out. You... you truly believed I did something to our baby, didn't you?"

Camden's eyes darkened, guilt and regret in his expression. "I didn't want to. I didn't want to believe it. But the evidence—"

"Someone set me up," I said, cutting him off. The words hit me with the force of a freight train. "This wasn't just a mistake. Someone made it look like I had an abortion. They planted everything—the pamphlets, the reports, the pictures. All of it. They knew what would happen. They knew I'd be kicked out of the pack."

I could barely breathe. The pack, my life, my place in it—all of it had been torn apart. And for what? To make sure I was exiled? To make me disappear?

Camden's eyes scanned me, as i processed everything.

"Who would do that?" I murmured, my voice almost a whisper. "Who would go that far?"

"I don't know," he answered.

"Whoever it was they wanted me gone. They knew this would happen. I... I lost everything."

Camden leaned forward  grabbing my trembling hands as he finally met my gaze. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this, Avery. No matter what it takes." He paused for a moment, looking unsure if he should say something. "I've hire someone to look into it. To find out who did this. They're looking into your mom's hospitalization too. We need to know if all this is connected. If they're behind that, too... we need to know who's been pulling the strings."

I could feel my heart sink, but at the same time, a small flicker of hope sparked inside me.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere either, Avery. Not until we figure this out. I'll do whatever it takes. You're not leaving until we find out who did this."

I felt a mixture of relief and dread hit me at once. The situation was still a nightmare, but at least now there was a plan. There was something we could do.

Camden's grip tightened slightly on my hands. "And I'm not letting you go anywhere, Avery. Not until we figure this out. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you stay safe. You're not leaving until we get to the bottom of this."