Chapter 5

Teagan's Point of View

By the time the sun rose, I was already awake. Had been for the last couple of hours, just staring at the side of Harland's face. His chest rose and fell evenly. Lips were parted slightly. The picture of relaxation. Of peace.

Whilst I on the other hand felt like drowning every sorrow I had with a bottle of whiskey. Not a very ladylike quality but one my mate had accepted through the years.

Somehow his scars had healed. Whereas mine remained black and blue.

Exhaling deeply, I flung the covers off of myself. Swung my legs over the edge of the bed and groaned as I stretched. The more my chest expanded with air, the hollower I felt.

I was leaving today and there was nothing I could do about it. There was no Harland to keep me sane. Keep me out of prison. Only me and my thoughts and the cunts that had put them there.

Sighing, I slid off the bed and into the closet. A rather large walk-in that Harland had specially commissioned for me once he got promoted. Once he got enough capital to set us both up for life.

My passion had always been clothes. Shoes. All of the nick-nacks that made a girl a woman. So, when Ozias found us and offered to send me to school for whatever I wanted, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

"Come back to bed. It's too early to be up." Harland groaned from where he still lay in bed.

Looking over my shoulder, I smiled timidly at him. Clicked my tongue softly. "It is well past sunrise and I have been awake for hours. Get that delicious butt out of bed. We have work to do." I scolded, keeping the grin firmly on my face.

Harland groaned in reply and nestled deeper into the covers. I turned. Stared at the mound of blankets for a moment longer before launching myself across the room. Before he had another moment to himself, I was already on top of him.

Air rushed out of his lungs in one large gush. The blankets ruffled beneath me. Harland let out a stifling groan but quickly recovered and wrapped me in the blankets. A cocoon of his scent and warmth around me. 

"You have to try harder than that to detain me." He said, a chuckle breaking the air around us. 

I tried to free myself. Moved my hands and feet in every direction to try and get out. But Harland's arms were tightly wrapped around me. Around the blanket. There was nowhere to go. 

Giggling, I stopped moving. Waited for him to let up. Which he did, of course, after only a moment or so. He was always so scared he would hurt me. 

The moment his arms eased up, I sprung into action. Rolled to the other side of the bed and before he could think to follow, I was already on him. I tried tickling his sides. Then beneath his arms. All the while Harland was just staring at me with a dry expression.

"Fucking hell. Still not ticklish? Unfair." I bemoaned and Harland cocked up an eyebrow.

"So many years and you think that fact will change," He leaned toward me and pinched my chin with his fingers. "How utterly adorable." 

I swatted his hand away, giving him my most intimidating hiss. "Fuck off, jackass. You could pretend at least." 

This made Harland laugh. Not just a chuckle but a full-on belly laugh that vibrated through his body in waves.

Rolling my eyes, I scooted to the edge of the bed again. Stood up without looking back. But Harland's hand wrapped around my wrist. Pulled me back in.

He planted a kiss on my lips before I could protest. Sweet and fleeting. It left my insides floundering around.

"I love you too."

***

A pile of bags sat next to the door. From the look of them, it seemed I was going away for years and not weeks. Or rather, months. It all depended on how long the trade took. How long it took Jonah to agree to our terms. 

He was a stubborn bastard on the best of days.

"You look beautiful," Harland whispered from behind, wrapping an arm around my stomach.

He smelled freshly showered. Renewed in some way. His own scent was enhanced tenfold. It smelled like home. 

"I really don't want to do this," I grumbled and fell back into him. Pressed my back into his chest with all my might.

Maybe if I pressed hard enough, we would become one and then he would have no choice but to go with me. Together forever, like the goddess had always intended it to be.

"I know. Trust me, I don't want you to go, either," He said and spun me around. I was two inches shorter than him. Maybe a bit more but the heels I was wearing closed that gap slightly. "If I had it my way, we would burn that place to the ground and dance on the ashes." 

A tempting idea. If Jonah refused the proposal, I could do that. Burn it all to the ground and roast marshmallows as the people screamed.

Dark. Too dark. 

I shook my head. "No. We are better than that. Eiecrunt is better than that and at the end of the day, we represent Eiecrunt now. We are no longer just pack members but part of the elite who makes this place tick." 

Harland eyed me warily. His arm slipped from around me until it hung limply by his side. "You are right. I know you are. But I still can't shake this feeling of dread. Like something horrible is heading our way." 

Placing my hand on his cheek, I smiled up at him. A beaming thing that could leave the sun seeming dark. "I will be fine. This is fine. We have come a long way and I won't let them drag me back. I promise. Besides, the moment something happens to me, Ciaran will most likely send them all to hell. You know that." 

Comforting words. If only I fully believed them.

Yes, Ciaran would tear that pack to the ground if I got hurt in any way. I was an extension of him if you thought about it long enough. Harming me meant harming Eiecrunt. Plus, Alvara would mourn me too deeply for him to ignore it. 

But I doubted that would stop anyone in that pack. None of them seemed like the rational type.

***

All of them wanted to give me a proper send-off. Even Maverick had decided to join in on the not-so-festive celebraTion. Ciaran had also left work for long enough to meet us all at the airport.

"I am going to miss the fuck out of you," Alvara murmured as she stepped in to hug me. Her floral scent encompassed me then. Threw me back to a time when I hadn't even considered being friends with a girl again.

It would only be a few weeks if my charm worked well. But it felt like I was leaving them for the rest of my life. As if I would never come back. I never considered that they might be the reason Eiecrunt felt like home.

The people in it.

"It's only for a little while. I'll be back before the little munchkin decides to greet us." I said, taking a step back and placing my hand on my friend's stomach. Alvara beamed down at me as I smiled at her belly.

"Still, Eiecrunt is going to be so quiet without you in it." 

I glanced at Harland over my shoulder. He had formed a huddle of sorts with Ozias, Ciaran, Maverick, and Dargan. Deep in conversation. Or rather, they were discussing business. At a time like this.

"Harland can still keep you on your toes." I tried to reassure her but Alvara only frowned.

"With everything going on, I doubt he will be able to find the time. None of them seem to have time lately. I can feel a shit storm brewing but have no idea how to avoid it." 

She had the same lingering feeling as I did. That something was wrong and we just couldn't put our fingers on it. For now. Once the ugliness reared its head, we would find a way to deal with it.

We always did.

"Are you done hogging my mate now?" Harland asked from behind me. A corded arm wrapped around my middle. Tugged me closer to him. I giggled with glee and savored the sparks.

It was going to be a while before I felt them again. Such a pity.

"She is all yours," Alvara replied, smiling happily at my mate.

But before she could move away, Ciaran was by her side. Wrapped both of his arms around her. Stuck her in place, unable to give us our space.

"Are you sure you don't want to take the private jet? we can have it fueled and ready within the hour. It is a lot more comfortable than some stuffy airline." Ciaran offered.

Shaking my head, I placed my hand over Harland's on my stomach. Enjoyed every moment we got together. Facetime wasn't the same as seeing him every night. Holding him whenever I wanted. 

"I'm fine. I don't want to make a bigger statement than I already am. Besides, first class is hardly some stuffy coach flight. We need to keep a low profile as much as possible. Play into your father's ego somehow." I explained and Harland nuzzled the side of my neck. 

I shoved a moan to the bottom of my stomach. There was no time for a quickie now.

"You mean to tell me that the whole deal can fall through because his father would feel intimidated by our wealth, simply because of a fucking jet?" Ozias asked and clapped his friend on the back.

Hard.

Ciaran gave him a warning look, which was only met by a nonchalant smile. Alpha and Beta, always at each other's throats.

"It is possible and not worth the risk. I don't want to stay longer than I have to."

That was a fucking understatement.