*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

My eyes opened and I was back in my room, confused and disoriented. The knocking on the door got me to sit up. There was no crying Shay in sight. Nothing to indicate Embry had ever been here, was it all just a dream? Another knock sounded. I stood up and grabbed a pair of shorts to throw on and walked out of my room to the door. Shay was on the other side looking beautiful as always. No mascara streaks or messy hair. What the fuck?!

"Hey Shay, what's up? Are you okay?" I asked skeptically. Did he end it with her or was that my imagination?

"Hey, have you talked to Embry lately?" She didn't sound heartbroken.

"Uh, recently? Not real–"

"He hasn't been answering my calls or texts and I feel like he's avoiding me and I can't figure out why. Kai, what if he's getting cold feet?" Now she seemed a bit worried. My heart ached a bit because I knew exactly why he was avoiding her and it wasn't pretty. I needed to get the hell out of here before I ruined her life and mine.

"Honey, I don't think he's getting cold feet. Maybe he's just feeling overwhelmed lately? Just needs some alone time? He'll come back to you in no time, I'm sure of it." She looked like she didn't fully believe me but I know she wanted to.

"Kai, he's just been acting so weird with me lately. He's like a completely different person K. I have no idea what's going on with him, but I'm beginning to worry that maybe he's falling out of love with me." My heartbeat picked up. I wish I knew how to tell my best friend that her fiance is a werewolf from the old legends and that he imprinted on me so he was, in fact, falling out of love with her.

There was no way to do that so I simply just pulled her into a hug. I felt her body sag against me and I heard quiet sniffles. I didn't know what to do. Shay was always stronger than me, she was always the one who never cried. She was fearless. She's only ever cried over Embry and that tells me he means more to her than anyone else in the world, including me.

I had to leave. I couldn't stay here and destroy her life. I couldn't be that person that took everything away from her.

She left after a few minutes, silently and not really saying anything else to me besides that she wanted to be alone. I pulled out my phone and began searching for jobs back in New York. I found a couple that I applied to and once I was done with that I started searching for apartments.

After about an hour I'd sent in some applications for both jobs and apartments and I locked my phone and leaned back on my couch and let my mind race. A deep voice shocked me out of my trance.

"I'm leaving her." I shot up and stared into the face of my current tumultuous situation.

"Excuse me?" I wanted to make sure I heard what I heard.

"I'm leaving Shay. I can't be with her when I want you so desperately. So, maybe, when it's all said and done you could give us a chanc–"

"No." Cutting him off before he could finish, I straightened my back and looked him dead in the face as I said it. He seemed shocked and hurt.

"Why?" It was sad, and laced with desperation.

"Embry… She loves you more than she loves anyone else in the world. I will not do that to her. So, no, I'm not giving you any chances. I'm leaving." His eyes grew wide and panicked.

"Wait, no! You can't leave Kai! Please, please don't leave! What are you even talking about?!" I sighed. His eyes were beginning to water.

"I've applied at a few places in New York. I've decided to go back. I'm not going to wait for the wedding, I'm going to back out. Shay will be pissed, but I have to go. I can't stay here and destroy her life, I just won't do that Embry. I won't kill my best friend. She will be dead inside. I can't do that." He looked angry.

"What about me?! What about how I feel?! How I will slowly wither away without you?! I can't live without you, please Kai don't do this!" My heart was hurting, more than it ever has in my life, but I had to do this. I had to go. He started toward me and I just stood up and backed away. That made him stop in his tracks. I had to say it. I had to break him.

"I don't love you Embry. I don't want you." He let out a pained breath, but then he turned around and he was gone. He'd sprinted out of my house so fast I thought I'd hallucinated it. I felt empty. I felt hollow. I felt hateful.

I hated the universe for being so unfair to me. I hated the fates, the ancestors, this stupid stupid tribe. I hated them. I hated it all. I would leave and I'd never come back. I'd forget all about them. I'd forget all about him…