Jack
I had managed to reach the hallowed out tree, losing Jack at one point. However, I knew he wasn't stupid.
With a blank gaze, I stared up at that grimacing face that loomed into view. Even though I had made it to my safe haven-my home away from home-, but he had caught up with me. However, instead of dragging me back to the inn and the pack, he moved to lie down on the soft earth beside me.
Of course he would find me here since this was his home away from home as well. We had found it together one summer ages ago, back when we were just pups.
Back when we were the best of friends.
It wasn't as roomy as it was back then, but only because we were much bigger now. Our shoulders were touching, but instead of scooting away from him, I turned to snuggle up against him.
"I feel like I'm your gay friend all of a sudden," Jack sighed, snaking one arm around my waist to hold me closer to him. I barely cracked a smile, knowing that he was hardly joking. His fingers played with the hem of my tank top as I rested my head on his shoulder and a hand on his chest.
"I'm sorry," I said, but my mind was else where. I only came here to think about my escape plan. I figured that for a while I had to act as if I had lost my mind and become somewhat docile. I would act as if I was wrong this whole time and once everyone wasn't so tense about the whole matter, I would slip away with Blake and never return.
"Why did you run away from me? And kick me…?"
"Why did you follow me?" I flickered my eyes to meet his dark gaze. I hated him, but there were moments were I could be with him without wanting to strangle him. We had been friends since we were pups, after all.
"Because," he trailed off, shrugging. "I'm your gay friend, why not?"
"Oh, shut up, loser. You're not gay." I rolled my eyes, allowing myself to go back to thinking about Blake and my escape plan.
"You don't know that."
"I saw you making out with Elizabeth the other day-"
"Only to hide my secre-"
"Jack," I sighed tiredly, making him chuckle as he continued to tug at the hem of my shirt.
"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I was thinking about you the entire time," he chucked.
"Ew."
"It would have been better if it was you, but you were off with your boyfriend, endangering the whole pack," Jack suddenly growled. "Why can't you just let the damn meat boy go? He doesn't belong with us and you don't belong with him."
He was no longer tugging at the hem of tank top, instead tightening his grip on my waist. I closed my eyes, wishing everyone would just leave me alone. But that would have been too easy…
"I'm sorry." That was all I could say, but I didn't even mean it. "I love him, Jack. You can't stop me. The pack can't stop me."
Jack didn't respond; a tense silence settled between us. I wanted to move to get up, but he had a strong grip on my waist, keeping me glued to his side.
I let out a sigh. "Jack…let's go back," I said after a little while. I could feel him tense under me, no doubt thinking this was a trick. I wasn't going to lie, well that in itself was a lie. I was going to lie, but it was all a trick.
"Come on, I'm tired and we have a meeting tonight. Let's go back home," I said, wriggling out of his grasp. I couldn't stand all the way up since it wasn't big enough for my current height; moreover, the gap to enter and exist was too small to simply walk through it. I had to crawl out on my hand and knees with Jack right behind me.
He grabbed my hand and I allowed him to drag me back to the inn. It was only the afternoon, but everyone was out and about either working around the inn or playing games. Everyone stared at me, some smirking and some frowning.
Everyone had heard of Blake by now. In the beginning, no one minded since they thought it would be a passing fancy. After all, everyone had gone through that phase at some point, but it hadn't turned out to be just a phase for me.
"Rae!" exclaimed my mother as I stepped through the door, into the foyer. I pasted on a small nervous smile in greeting.
"Mom, I'm sorry for running off," I began, but she shook her head as she hugged me. Awkwardly, I hugged her back, feeling bad for tricking her, but I had no other choice.
Soon enough, my father was also in the foyer, but he wasn't in the same mood as my mother. If anything, he seemed to be severely pissed off at me. However, Jack, who now had a shirt on, distracted him by asking him if he could miss that night's meeting since he wanted to take me out somewhere.
I frowned as I stood by my mother.
There was no way my father was just going to let us skip a meeting because Jack wanted to take me out somewhere. No. He wouldn't. He couldn't. Wasn't there a rule against this somewhere?
My father glanced at me, a scowl still etched deep into his face, but when he looked back at Jack, he nodded.
He nodded! He gave Jack permission to take me out on a date when there was a meeting that night.
Jack smirked over at me, but I grimaced, crossed my arms over my chest and stomped off to my room without saying another word to anyone in the foyer.
I know this a very late update, but there was school and then I got sick...hope ya'll still like it. Also, I'm in search of a beta-reader for this story. Anyone interested?
