Finding Forgiveness

“Enough of it,” Alessio replied as my phone began to ring.

The two of them paused by a wall before Xanthus took the phone out of my pocket. Xanthus’s grip on my arm tightened as I began to sway, feeling as though could collapse any moment. I felt too weak to even scream.

“No caller ID. Is this the Mexican?” he asked.

“I have… to answer that,” I said clumsily reaching for the phone.

“No… no…” Xanthus replied. “You don’t have to do anything.”

I noticed a woman holding the hand of a little girl, about Cato’s age, watching the three of us with a concerned look. She caught eye contact with me as Alessio and Xanthus were distracted by the phone and she mouthed an ‘are you okay?’.

I shook my head and she nodded before walking to one of the security guards, taking her little girl with her.

She whispered something to the guard which I could only just hear.

“There’s a woman over there with two men,” she said pointing discretely. “One is gripping her arm and she looks like she’s in trouble.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” the guard said with a nod. “We’ll investigate.”

He and another security guard then began marching towards us talking into a walky-talky as he went. Alessio and Xanthus were still distracted by whatever was going on with my phone.

“Excuse me, Miss,” he said approaching us from Xanthus’s side. “Are you alright?”

Xanthus looked up scanned the man before nodding.

“She’s fine,” he said dismissively before looking back to the phone.

“Could you just let go of her a minute, please sir,” he said turning to Xanthus.

“She’s not feeling well. I am only helping her,” he replied.

“Miss, do you know these men?” he questioned.

Xanthus glared down at me and gripped my arm tighter.

I looked at the man and shook, disregarding Xanthus’s body language threats. What was he going to do anyway?

“Okay, Sir. I am going to have to ask you to let go of this woman and the two of you follow me. We have some questions to ask,” he said urging Xanthus in the opposite direction of the door.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Shortly after, four more security guards appeared at the scene.

Alessio and Xanthus exchanged glances before Alessio shook his head.

“We don’t have a choice,” he said to Xanthus. “There are too many people.”

Xanthus reluctantly nodded before letting go of my arm and allowing the airport security to lead them away from me.

“I’m sorry, Alessio,” I whispered when they were a few metres away knowing only someone with werewolf hearing would hear. “I’ll call the Alpha and beg him to be merciful. I promise.”

I didn’t have long to feel bad before staggering as quickly as I could towards the sign in point before anyone could come back and make me even later for my flight by asking questions.

I felt fainter and dizzier by the second and the room around me was spinning. I couldn’t read the signs and I stood no chance of finding my way to my plane.

Well, that was until I felt someone draw up next to me.

“Max?” I mumbled looking upon the familiar face of my cousin. “No, no, please don’t take me back-”

“I’m not going to,” he said quietly. “I’m here to help.”

“What?” I asked.

“It’s your choice and I respect that whether I think you’re being a dumb bitch or not,” he explained. “And you look like shit.”

“They drugged me,” I slurred. “But I don’t have long until check-in closes.”

“And you don’t have long until they get out of the security office either,” he said. “The Alpha’s got contacts with the Seattle police.”

I nodded and he wrapped his arm around my waist and lead me to a desk where he bought a ticket on a random flight to anywhere and then we went through passport control and security together.

“Ells, are you sure you’re okay to fly?” he asked after making me drink more water as we waited at the gate. “You’re pretty out of it.”

“Leo’s going to murder you for this,” I said resting my head on his shoulder.

“With any luck, he won’t find out,” he replied. “And if he does, guess I’ll just go into exile for another three years.”

I let out a laugh before an announcement called my flight.

“Guess this is goodbye then,” I said hugging him tightly.

“See ya later cuz,” he replied hugging me back. “And you’re sure you wanna do this?”

I nodded, “Thank you,” I said. “For being the only person in the entire pack to understand.”

“Don’t get soppy on me, sweetheart,” he said. “Now get on that plane before you change your mind.”

I hugged him one more time before making my way over to the passport and boarding pass check giving him one final wave.

When I found my seat on the plan, I fought the urge to pass out and dialled Leo’s number as they did the safety speech.

“Ella,” he said after picking up. “Where are you?”

“On the plan and your men are with security. Turns out, two men dragging an almost unconscious girl through a busy terminal raises suspicion,” I replied a little spite in my tone.

“Is Max on the plane?” he asked.

“No,” I replied. “Why would he-”

“Get off it immediately,” he growled in his Alpha tone. “I’m not fucking around Ella. I mean it.”

I shook my head as a tear ran down my face.

“I’m sorry, Leo,” I sniffled. “I’m going to Mexico to get our son and there is nothing you can do to stop me. Alessio and Xanthus did everything they could and I am begging you to be merciful on them. Especially Alessio, he has a young family and-”

“If you want me to be merciful then I suggest you get your ass home now. Then I won’t touch his fucking family,” Leo growled shortly after I heard him punch something solid. Hopefully an inanimate object.

“Don’t be like this, please,” I pleaded.

“Just come home, Ells,” he said in a much softer tone. “I was wrong to tie you up and cut you out of this so come home and we can work it out together. There is no reason for you to sacrifice yourself to a man highly unlikely to follow his part of the deal.”