3. Seventeen

I ran from the alpha's office. The sexual tension between Harper and me had been at an all-time high. We were just having a casual conversation (as casual as one could expect us to have) and then he was closing in on me, caging me in his arms, whispering sexy promises, touching me and I wasn't pushing him away. I couldn't push him away. 

I was flushed, breathless, and turned on. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I turned around and left the small room as fast as I could. 

My mind was on overdrive and abnormally receptive to the hormones raging in my body. 

I hastily climbed down the stairs, eager as hell to get out of the pack house, away from Harper and the emotions he could still instill in me. I spotted Ethan leaning on the car as soon as I opened the front doors of the pack house. 

I immediately felt guilty when he smiled at me. Granted, Harper and I hadn't even kissed back in his office but it was still too close for my comfort and peace of mind. 

I walked closer to Ethan and handed him the paperwork Harper had given me for Ethan. "You have to fill these forms. Alpha's orders."

Ethan's gaze skimmed briefly on the papers and he nodded in acceptance. I was surprised that Harper had let Ethan stay in the pack. I had thought that Ethan would be dead at first sight. I thought I would have to kill my pride and beg Harper to let Ethan stay in the pack borders. So, imagine my surprise when Ethan got the official paperwork without as much as a punch thrown. 

Ethan folded the paper and put them in the car. "So, where are we going?"

"I was hoping that I could show you, my hometown." I beamed up at him, very excited at the idea. Ethan smiled and handed me the keys to the car. 

That was the plan for the day, so we did exactly that. First, I showed Ethan my high school. The school was in session for the day and I could see students milling in the building. It felt incredibly weird because had I stayed there, I would have been inside the building right now, studying. 

Then, I showed Ethan the town park where I had played for several hours a day as a kid. Mom used to bring me and Emily here where we used to play with other kids our age. How many of those kids turned out to be werewolves, I mused. This park was also the place where I had met Natalie and Samantha for the first time. Each of us was five years old and we immediately liked each other because we were the only girls in the park who didn't want to play with a fake China set. I smiled wistfully at the memories and frowned when I thought about what had become of the three of us. 

I showed Ethan a lot of spots that held some emotional attachment to me. I showed him the gaming arcade where I had my first date with my first boyfriend, the movie hall where I had my first kiss and the boutique where I bought my first dress. It was an amazing trip down memory lane for me and by the looks of it, Ethan was enjoying it immensely. 

By the end of the tour, we ended up at Monique Bakery, where I had worked as long as I could remember. The smell of chocolate and bread assaulted my senses as soon as we opened the door and I took a deep breath to revel in it. Ethan did the same because the smell was just that awesome. The cashier at the moment was Monique herself, who was a family friend and had given me the job to help me buy a car. 

Her eyes widened when she saw me and her lips formed a huge smile. I immediately walked behind the counter and hugged her. She laughed weakly and hugged me back with considerable strength. I caught up with her and I introduced Ethan to her too. Ethan and I shortly were soon seated at a corner booth and I recited the whole history of the place, leaving the parts where this was the place where my and Harper's relationship started. 

We made small talk and ate our orders. "So, what do you want to do now?" I asked Ethan as I finished my cupcake. 

Ethan shifted uncomfortably in his seat and shifted his pasta on his plate. "My wolf has been feeling antsy for a while now. So, I was hoping I could go for a run." 

"Oh, ok." 

"I'll meet you back at the house. I want to let out my wolf right now." He smiled apologetically at me and I waved his concerns away. So, after exiting the bakery, I and Ethan parted ways. I didn't need to tell Ethan where the woods were, his wolf would do a better job at that. I made my way to the car and sighed after putting on my seat belt. I didn't want to go home right now. It was around 5 in the evening and I thought hard about where I wanted to go. 

I started the car, took a deep breath, and drove the car in the direction of the hospital. Even if visiting hours were over, I was hoping I would be able to see Sebastian since Eva had assured me that I would be welcome to visit anytime I wanted to. 

Earlier in the day, I had given him the dreadful news that he would have to let go of his wolf if he wanted to live. It was horrid news for someone who was a proud werewolf but an alpha and I wanted to see how he was dealing with it, now that he had had some time to think about it. 

I noticed that nobody stopped me from visiting Sebastian and I was grateful for the fact. I reached his assigned room and turned the door handle numbly. 

Sebastian lay on the bed, unmoving but he didn't seem to be sleeping so I hesitantly approached his bed. He turned to look at me and I smiled softly at his pleased expression. 

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," I said and took the stool directly beside him. 

"I'm upset that I have to let go of a very big part of me." He whispered and I realized that he was still coming to terms with the fact.

"But you are going to do it, right?" 

"I don't know." Sebastian sighed and I noticed how dejected he was. 

"You have to do it, you know. You have Katelyn to think about." The mention of his baby daughter made his face soften and he resigned even more. 

"I know I have to. It is just very hard. I'll be a human. I haven't been one for a very long time. So much is happening at once. None of us has any moment to stop and comprehend every dramatic turn of our lives. Least of all Harper. With Natalie's sudden labor, I can only imagine how he is faring in all this."

I sympathized with Sebastian's ramble when my brain halted immediately on a very important piece of information. "Natalie's labor?" I shrieked unceremoniously and Sebastian's head whipped to look at me.

Realization dawned on him that I probably didn't know about it. How could she have gone into labor so soon? I mentally calculated how far she would have been right now and I affirmed that the baby would be premature if it was delivered now. Moreover, I had just been with Harper in the day. How had all this happened in such a short time? I must have looked like a gaping fish with immediate need of some answers because Sebastian carefully held my hand in his. 

"Natalie was with Samantha during the day when she started bleeding. She has had a complicated pregnancy and the baby had to be delivered by C-section a few hours ago." Sebastian explained, while I suddenly found it very hard to breathe. Natalie had given birth to Harper's child. Oh god!

I opened and closed my mouth several times to say something, anything but I just kept squeaking and making high-pitched noises. 

Since the details of the pregnancy were confirmed, I had known that this day would come and after living months with the knowledge, I had thought that I had accepted the bitter truth and that I would be ready when the time would demand it. Turns out, I wasn't. I felt upset and disappointed and a lot of other emotions which made my heart feel heavy and led.  I wanted to curl in a ball and cry and then sleep in my bed to wash away the taxing day that I had had. 

"Zara, Zara." Sebastian shook my shoulder and brought me back to reality. 

"I need to go." I abruptly stood up and turned around to go home as soon as possible. 

"Zara," Sebastian called out as soon as I reached the door and I turned around to look at him. "Natalie and the baby are in Room 216 of the Maternity Ward." I stared blankly at him, wondering why he was giving me this particular information. Did he expect me to go there and visit the new mother and congratulate her?

I walked outside and leaned against a wall. I took several deep breaths to quell the panic and despair inside me. I numbly started walking towards the exit. I didn't notice where I was going and had no sense of direction because I was seriously surprised to find myself standing in front of Room 216 of the Maternity Ward.

I had no idea how I had ended up here. I stared hard at the door, working up the guts to turn the door handle and walk inside. 

The decision was taken away from me as the handle turned and the door swung open.