Inevitably Yours

QUINN

Thankfully, band practice was cut short, so we could all enjoy our last evening before school started. I still hadn’t heard from Michael, and it was making me even more nervous about the start of school. Sunni invited me out to lunch after band was over, but I was distracted the whole time.

When I got home, my mom was making a huge dinner as a farewell to summer. She even pushed me out of the kitchen, telling me I didn’t need to help make anything tonight. After dinner, my dad took my brother to the store to get something he still needed from his supply list. I grabbed the basket of clean linens and told my mom I would take care of them so she could relax. She went to her room to read a book while I went upstairs to fold and sort the laundry.

I was contemplating how the next day was going to go. The only relief to my nerves was that I had made other friends in the grades above me. Sapphire was itching to stretch her legs, so I debated going out when it got a little darker. I didn’t like shifting around others because of the looks I got from my blue wolf.

My phone chimed from its spot on my dresser, and I set the sheet I was folding down to grab it. I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw who it was.

MICHAEL

| im outside. come out here.

I looked out my window but didn’t see Michael in the front yard, so I knew he had to be in the back. I rushed downstairs and out the sliding door. Michael stood on the step as I came outside. I stopped edge of the porch, bringing me almost to eye level with him.

“Hey,” he said with a soft smile; it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He had a small box in his hand.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. He was radio silent for four days; something had to be wrong, and I wanted to know.

“No ‘how’s it going?’ ‘I missed you.’?” he joked. He grabbed my waist and pulled me close to him, wrapping me up in a hug. I snaked my arms around his middle, hugging him back.

“Well, maybe you would see me if you came to practice,” I noted. I didn’t mention that he could have called or texted me all weekend.

“About that,” he said solemnly. I pulled away and stared at his contrite expression. “I’m leaving.”

“What?” I asked, not understanding what he meant.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Quinn, I have to go. My mom is leaving with my brother, and I have to go with her,” he said.

“Where are you going? Why?” I questioned. Nothing he said made any sense. “Michael, this doesn’t make any sense. She is the Luna!”

“I can’t explain right now, okay?” he said. He reached out and grabbed my hand. “I will explain when I can.”

“When are you leaving?” I asked. Something in his eyes looked hurt like he was about to break. My mind was racing, trying to find a reason why the Luna and her children would leave the pack.

His face fell further. “My mom is waiting for me at home. I don’t have long,” he said softly. My eyes widened. This was all happening too fast. We just had such an amazing night together, and now he was going to vanish. “Don’t be sad, okay?” he said softly.

“You’re leaving, and I find out minutes before you go. Of course, I’m sad!” I whispered with a slight pout. My throat was tight, emotion burning down it uncomfortably.

“I’m going to miss that,” he chuckled, bringing his hand to my face and running his finger lightly down my cheek. “Here, I brought you something.” He lifted the small box in his other hand, holding it between us.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Your birthday present. I couldn’t leave without giving it to you,” he smiled sadly.

“My birthday isn’t for a month still,” I said. I couldn’t remember telling him when my birthday was, but I never told him where I lived either.

“Just open it,” he said, rolling his eyes. I took the small box from him. It was wrapped in brown paper with tiny golden flecks. I opened the wrapping carefully, trying not to rip it while Michael watched. Inside was a small black box; I opened the box inside to find a tiny silver treble clef necklace.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered at the thoughtful gift. I looked up at him; he had a sweet look on his face. “Thank you.”

“Can I put it on you?” he asked. I nodded. He took the box from my hands and removed the necklace. He motioned for me to turn around. When I did, he carefully placed the necklace around me, connected the clasp, and moved my hair away from it. I turned back around, looking at it. It was perfect; it was small and dainty but shiny and beautiful. “Perfect,” he whispered.

His fingers lightly skimmed down my arm until he wove our hands together. He used it to pull me closer to him again. His lips came to mine as the space between us closed. His k**s was soft but deep and lingering. His other arm came around my waist and held me tightly like I would fly away when he let go.

Finally, we parted. I laid my head against his chest, unable to look into his dolent grey eyes. “Do you have to go now?” I managed to ask.

“Yea, I do,” he said into the top of my head. His nose pushed into my hair like he was trying to memorize my smell.

“Will you call?” I asked.

“As soon as I can,” he promised. I desperately wanted to believe his words, but I was scared they wouldn’t come true. “I’ll be back for you, Quinn.”

“Don’t make me a promise you aren’t going to keep,” I told him. Tears stung my eyes, and frustration bubbled inside of me.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

–

Before I was ready, Michael was walking away, around the side of my house and out of my life. When I walked back into my house, my mom waited in the kitchen for me.

“Quinn, what was that?” she asked. There was tenderness but also concern in her voice. I dashed the tears from my eyes.

“A friend was saying goodbye,” I told her. I didn’t offer anything else as I walked past her and made my way to my room.

“How could he do this? Why is he just leaving?” My mind was a raging storm trying to figure out why he was leaving if he had ever hinted at what was going on, and I was too dumb to connect the dots.

“He’ll come back,” Sapphire said.

“So?” I countered. “He’s leaving now. After all that, he is just going to walk away. What even was the point in getting close to me? Why did I have to fall for his stupid charm and sweetness?”

I threw myself down on my bed, burying my face in my pillow. Anger, confusion, sadness, fear. Too many things at once.

“Don’t say that!” Sapphire shot at me. “Michael will keep his promise.”

“I believed in him. I let him in. I kissed him and slept with him, Saph! Now, what? Just nice knowing you?” I cried.

“No, no, no,” she said. “He’s different. He will keep his promise.”

“Well, I already got branded the next pitiful girl on the Alpha’s lap. What happens when he doesn’t show up to school? What will they all say? What am I supposed to say?”

Sapphire didn’t have words. My chest hurt; I wanted to know why he had to leave and, more, why he didn’t feel like he could tell me. I had to let it out; the feelings were too much, and they needed to go somewhere. I got up and stomped to my desk. I grabbed my notebook and started furiously writing inside. Everything that was in my heart, I poured it all onto the pages. I had to get it out of me; I couldn’t let it consume me.

How could one boy cause so much strife? How could he make me feel so much in only a few short months? How was it fair that I was just left with no explanation and the impending mess?

I hated this. This was messy and cruel. I avoided this; I didn’t want to be like the silly heroines in my favorite books. Falling for the guy they shouldn’t always resulted in problems. I didn’t do that. I kept my head, making friends but was careful about who I gave my heart. Michael and I weren’t even dating, and I felt like I had just been trampled.

Suddenly, I stopped. My hand came up to the cold, tiny piece of metal around my neck. My vision started to blur, and my cheeks felt wet. I blinked, looking down at the pages. I laid my pen down, knowing whatever I wrote, the truth wouldn’t hurt less.

I fell in love with Michael. I let my guard down, and he swept me away. His stupid smiles and dirty jokes. His sweet touches and hugs that felt like home. Nothing would compare. I lost my first love before I even knew I had it.

MICHAEL

My phone was on vibrate in my pocket. It was going off continually while I tried to find a way to say goodbye. I wouldn’t ever be able to get her face out of my mind. The weight on my chest grew as I walked away. I had no idea when I would see her again, but I knew I had to come back. She was my Quinn, and it wouldn’t be any other way.

When I got a few houses away from hers, I answered my ringing phone. “I’m coming,” I said to my mom.

“Michael, do not take that tone with me. I am doing this for you. He could be back anytime; he’s only over at the neighboring pack,” she said. I could tell she was just afraid Lawrence would come back before we could get far enough away. It took me the better part of Sunday and Monday, but I convinced her to do it.

After lunch on Monday, she had gone into his office, and I knew they had fought. I suspected that he hit her by the look on her face after. There was something different in her eyes. That slim possibility was there of something different, better. There was a place for us; we just had to be brave enough to chase it.

“I’m coming, okay?” I said softly. I didn’t have the energy to fight her now. I was irritated she interrupted my last moment with Quinn, but it didn’t change what I had to do. Eros was gloomy in my head, just adding to the melancholy inside me.

“We are leaving in five minutes, Michael,” she said, a little less angrily. She hung up, and I picked up my pace slightly.

I found myself dialing a number. He answered on the second ring. “Hey, Mike, what’s up? Looking to get in trouble on our last night of freedom?”

“Hey, Ricky. Um, no, that’s not why I’m calling,” I said.

“What’s going on? You sound serious,” he said.

“Look, I can’t explain right now, but I need a favor,” I told him.

“Sure, anything, man. You know I always have your back,” he said. I could hear the slight tinge of worry in his tone.

“I’m not going to be around school for now,” I said. “But there is someone I need you to keep an eye on for me.”

“Dude, no. I’m not watching Andi for you,” he said flatly. “Girl is f*****g psycho.”

“Not Andi. That’s over,” I said. I knew I would have to call her in the next day or so when we were far away from the pack and discarded our current phones. “A different girl. Freshman.”

“Go on,” he said.

“Look, she’s just important, okay? Can you just keep an eye out for her? Make sure no one really f***s with her?” I asked.

“Yea, man. But who is it? Do I know her?”

“Probably, not,” I said. I arrived back at the packhouse. I stopped at the bottom of the drive, looking at my mom convincing Tyler to get in the car. We wanted to wait to explain everything to him until we got him away from the pack. “You’ll know her, though. Little nerdy thing. Really short. Blue hair.”

“Blue hair?” he confirmed.

“Yea,” I said. “Blue hair. You can’t miss it. Just look down,” I joked. He laughed too. “But seriously. I need her to be okay. I’ll call you soon.”

Ricky was quiet for a second. “You found out.”

I clicked my tongue then sighed. “You knew?”

“My dad swore me to secrecy. Everyone in the pack basically was. My dad was talking about it one night when he was drunk. I’m sorry; I was afraid of what the Alpha would do to us-”

“Stop,” I said. “It’s fine. Just watch Blue, and we’re even.”

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” he said.

“Thanks. I’ll be in touch,” I said, then hung up the phone. My mom had persuaded Tyler to get in the car because she was waving at me to hurry up. I looked over my shoulder one more time before jogging up the driveway to the waiting vehicle.