such loud noises. I was terrified at the time. I hid behind Griff for the first half, refusing to come out. Griff finally got annoyed and turned around. I tried to follow his back as he turned, but he held me still. He pried me away from him.
“Fireworks are good. Exploding colors. And a sign of celebration.”
He nodded emphatically. I didn’t believe him at the time. Fear shook my body.
“No. Loud sounds are bad,” I whispered so quiet I knew only he could hear me. Isaac watched us closely. Keith was visibly restraining himself from coming over.
“No fireworks are good. Look, see, look!”
Griff pulled me in front of him so that my back nestled into his contours and I couldn’t move. The fireworks started up again. I watched fascinated.
After that I loved fireworks.
But that was a long time ago, in a different place. The trellis towered over me and Keith kissed my cheek. I watched him move away as I chewed the inside of my lip. I was alone now. I resisted looking at my watch on my arm even though I was dying to see what time it was. I was sure time had slowed down, and my heart pounded in my chest. I tried not to fidget and I kept my eyes on Griffin. He smiled at me.
Boom.
My heart jumped. I crouched down a little, but looked to the sky and saw the fireworks. All eyes turned towards the show that was being put on. I knew he had done it for me.
I turned to Griffin and started to mouth I love you, but something stopped me halfway.
I doubled over. A scent permeated my nostrils. Electricity ran through my body. The scent was sandalwood, and pine, overtaking everything in me. My blood bubbled. My skin felt itchy, uncomfortable and tight.
I desperately searched for Griffin. My heart was racing as the scent started to leave me. But I knew I would never be able to mistake it.
For now I was more concerned with the fact that my limbs felt numb, and the ground was getting closer. My head was stuffy. I couldn’t think. The ground looked comfortable. Getting closer.
Everything went black a second later.
****
“Lettie?” Griff asked. He was, somehow, at the edge of my conscious. He was close enough that I could feel him. My eyes felt glued, my limbs, which I couldn’t feel until now, were heavy. I wanted to go back to the darkness. I was safer there.
“Please, Lettie come back to me,” Griff said his voice strained and broken. I leaned towards his voice, moaning at the pain. My body was starting to wake up. My eyes flickered open before I squeezed them shut.
“Oh for the love of… can someone turn off the sun? My head’s about to explode,” I mumbled.
The blinds closed and I opened my eyes. My first thought was of the fire still in my blood. A close second was the scent now locked in my heart. A scent completely absent from this room. I looked over at Griff. Saw the deep longing and sadness in his eyes.
He was not mine.
Griff turned his head away from me. My heart sank in my chest and my shoulders dropped. I looked down at my hands. The nails that Rose had painted so perfectly last night were chipped. A crushing loneliness pressed against my soul. It was different from when Griffin and I were separated. This was closer to my heart, if that was possible. I shut my eyes trying to pull in a ragged breath.
The bed dipped under his weight. His hand clumsily grabbed onto mine. I felt his lips brush against my knuckles. My breath hitched as my heart tightened. His nose brushed against the sensitive skin on the back of my hand. I wanted to feel the comfort of his skin on mine. Instead my stomach soured.
I had a mate and he was going to come for me. And that mate was definitely not Griffin.
I knew. I knew from the beginning he could never be mine, but it never stopped my heart hoping it would be. He rubbed his hands up and down my arms. The tingling sensation was still present. Our pack-bond was still intact.
I gathered my courage and turned to Griff. When I tried to look him in the eyes, I just couldn’t do it. My eyes averted back to his torso, which was still covered by the black button up he had worn to my birthday.