Chapter 51
LEAH Stepping onto the landing, I slowly move toward my room but stop outside my dad’s. Knowing there was nothing of his here was heart-wrenching for me. I wanted to curl up in his bed and sleep. Everything started hitting me downstairs, and talking to my uncle was not what I wanted to do. It seemed that he was too distracted, but I guess the presence of your niece and three men wanting to kill her would explain it. Tala mentioned a few things that I let slip. But she always came up with the answer for me to tell him. He looked at me strangely, but something told me he had his mind elsewhere. I wonder where he was when I showed up. “Probably going for a walk,” Tala muttered when I pushed open what was once my father’s bedroom. The entire room was empty, but I walked inside and stood rooted to the spot, remembering every detail the room had looked before. On the main wall, the bed would have been. It was a king-size bed with an enormous gap underneath. I used to play hide and seek and hide under the bed when I was younger. He would always pretend not to know where I was and even sit on the edge of the bed until I would grab his foot, making him jump. His laugh would echo around his room. A lone tear escaped as I shook my head. I know it was normal to remember and go through all the emotions with grief, but not when I have wolves chasing me. “You should remember him,” Tala said, coming closer. I said nothing, moved toward his window, and looked out. From his view, he had the back end of the house, which overlooked the town. “Do you think there are more wolves out there?” I asked her, scanning below. There was no one around, but something didn’t feel right. “I can’t sense them,” Tala said, but a yawn escaped. “You sound tired,” I murmured, looking over my shoulder and sighing. “I am,” she mumbled, feeling slightly faint. Looking on the ground, I sat underneath the window. If there was anyone outside, I could hear them. Pulling my knees to my chest, I stared ahead. I felt lost and alone. “You’re not alone,” Tala whispered. “You have me.” Letting out a slight laugh. “I know,” I said. “I meant, here in the house I grew up in.” My eyes scanned over the room and spotted the door frame. The corners of my lips pulled up into a small smile. “That over there,” I muttered to her. “Was where he would measure my height.” “Why didn’t he do that downstairs like in the movies?” she asked. My smile grew when I remembered what he had told me. “Why should we do it like the movies?” I muttered, leaning my head back with my arms wrapped around my knees. “That’s what he said. Movies were overrated in his eyes, and he wanted something to look at when he missed me.” Tala said nothing, but I kept talking to her about my father. “You know,” I murmured. “All the memories I have of him are when he was laughing, and none of them were with mum.” “Why?” she asked, sounding weird. “Do you have memories of her?” I stared ahead but stayed quiet for a moment. Every time I thought about my mother with my father, I would feel my heartbreak over and over, knowing she wasn’t coming back. I gave him after four years. 1 “I do,” I murmured. “But they are vague now. I stopped remembering about her after four years. It was the only way I could stop wondering. I was growing up, and my dad was all I had left.” Tala said nothing but let out a sigh. “Maybe when we get back, you can talk to her,” she said. “Tell her everything.” I rolled my eyes and looked back at her. Her green eyes were on me, but I stared at her. “She won’t let me,” I muttered. “When she took me from here, she never gave me time to grief, let alone get used to anything. People need time to adjust instead of being thrown into the wolves.” Tala giggled, which made me frown. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I muttered. “Everything that has happened so fast, and I haven’t had time to digest anything.” “That’s true, especially finding out what you are,” Tala said when another yawn escaped. I sighed. “I’m a werewolf,” I whispered, looking back into my father’s room. “Yes, you are,” she murmured. I stayed quiet for a moment until something hit me. “Tala,” I called. Tala mumbled something that I didn’t hear. “How will I explain I am one to my uncle?” Tala was silent, which made me look back at her. Her head was lowered onto her paws, but her eyes were open. When she spotted me, her head slowly came up, and she let out a sigh. “Well, he will be in for a shock,” she mumbled, making me slightly laugh. “Don’t go overthinking it. I will be with you, and when it comes to us, I will explain everything, even if that means making my presence known to him. I could tell his wolf, and he was shocked that you punched him and didn’t break your hand. Werewolves have tough bones. They could easily break a human’s hand.” I stared at her momentarily, taking in what she had said. Praying he doesn’t realize the punch didn’t hurt me; we might get away with it for now. But there was something that was bothering me. “Do you think they will report back to the pack about us?” I asked. Tala stared and moved her head to the side. “They might,” she said. “Why do you ask?” I stayed silent until I let out the breath I was holding. “I think we should tell him not to,” I said, making her let a low growl slip, but I shook my head. “Tala, we had rogues chase us here, and the one you killed, he seemed shocked to know I had a wolf.” Tala stayed quiet, but she seemed to understand. “You want to wait to tell the pack,” she murmured, which made me nod. “I think it will be for the best. We don’t know what the hell is really going on here, especially since the rogues seem to know who I am.” Tala nodded. “Okay,” she said, slowly laying her head on her front paws. “What about Carson?” My eyes lingered on her but pulled my eyebrows together. “What about him?” I asked, staring at her. “Well, he was nice to us,” she muttered. “Maybe he can help us with—” “I guess,” I said, cutting her off. Tala was barely keeping herself awake. She wanted an answer, but her eyes were drooping. I watched her for a moment. She let out an enormous yawn. “We will talk more in the morning,” she mumbled as her eyes closed. I stared at the gorgeous wolf and sighed. I didn’t want to think that far ahead, especially about Carson. He was good to me, but I was also scared to see him shift into his wolf. But now I know more about what I am. I need time to adjust and think about everything, but not about him, even though something about him made me feel safe when he was around. I couldn’t think about him, not like that. Anyway, why would he? Shaking my thoughts away, I looked ahead and felt my eyes close. I tried to fight the whole tiredness, but it didn’t work. I was exhausted. Letting the darkness take me, I felt my head move slightly until I was out cold.