Chapter 47

Lauren

I stood by the door of our little house, Abigail’s hand gripping mine tightly. Daphne stood infront of us, looking as heart broken as I thought she would.

“Are you sure?” She asked again for the tenth time now.

I nodded, giving her one last hug. “I am, thanks for everything, Daphne. Really, I’ll miss you.”

We’d packed everything into the car—everything we could take with us, anyway—and I had promised her, after this, no more running. No more pretending to be someone I wasn’t. It was time to leave the pack, to step into a new life, far away from the chaos and the secrets that had bound me to a place I no longer belonged.

Abigail was quiet beside me, her face pale, her eyes distant as she stared at Daphne. I knew what she was thinking as she hugged the usually spunky blonde one last time— she was thinking about Owen.

About everything we were leaving behind. But it was too late for second guesses now. We were leaving, and nothing could stop us.

I took a deep breath, pushing the doubts from my mind as I slid into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life, and we pulled out of the driveway, leaving the familiar, painful sight of the pack’s land behind us.

The buidlings blurred past the windows, the world outside feeling as unfamiliar as the future I was trying to embrace.

Abigail didn’t speak for a while. I could hear her breathing softly in the seat beside me, and I could feel the weight of her emotions hanging in the air like a storm about to break. She’d never been one to hide her feelings, but I knew this was hard for her. Leaving Owen behind was hard for both of us.

“Mommy,” she started, her eyes on the window next to her. “Do we have to leave? Right now?”

She asked, for the tenth time it seemed as well.

I only nodded. Like I did evrytime she asked.

The drive to the airport felt like an eternity, but eventually, we arrived. The terminal was busy with travelers, the hustle and bustle of people going about their lives, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

They didn’t have to carry the weight of all the lies, all the heartbreak. They could just live. But not us.

We parked the car and made our way to the check-in counter, where I handed over our tickets and passports. My hands were shaking slightly as I went through the motions of checking in, but I pushed it aside. The foundation would be fine without me, I had left it with more then enough legs to stand on. We would meet up with Liam soon. This was the right choice. It was. It had to be.

This was the beginning of a new chapter, one where we could be free of everything that had held us captive for so long.

Just as I was about to take Abigail’s hand and head toward security, my phone rang, jolting me out of my thoughts. The caller ID showed it was Miles, the Beta. My stomach clenched, but I answered anyway, knowing it would be pointless to ignore him.

“Lauren,” the Beta’s voice came through, sharp and urgent. “I’ve got news—”

“Whatever it is,” I cut in quick, “It’s not my problem anymore, Miles. I’m—”

“It’s Owen,” he cut me off, leaving me breathless. “He left a note. He’s gone to find you and Abigail. Please, just, have you seen him there?”

My heart dropped into my stomach. Again? I mean, Owen was impulsive. He’d spent much of his young life running off like this. But how did he know where we where? That we were leaving?

I glanced down at Abigail who instantly shrunk a bit under my gaze.

“Lauren,” Miles bagged, “No one knows where he is. Alexander’s out searching for him. I get it, you’re leaving… but Alexander helped you find Abigail. You can leave after but I think… you owe him one last time…” The Beta’s voice trailed off, a mix of concern and helplessness.

I felt a wave of nausea hit me. Owen. A child, out there alone, like Abigail had been. Sure he ran often but what if this time it was serious, taken like my daughter had been.

And Alexander, was out there looking for him…

“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice sounding foreign even to me.

“I’m sure,” the Beta replied. “We’ve checked everywhere. It’s like he vanished into thin air.”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m on my way back. I’ll—”

“No,” the Beta interrupted. “Don’t come back. It’s too dangerous. Stay where you are, he was going to the airport so keep an eyes out there. We’ll keep searching here.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to process the words. I had just come to terms of getting on this flight. Leaving, forever.

“I’ll stay,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “For an hour. No longer or we’ll miss the flight.”

The line went quiet for a moment, and I could hear the Beta sighing on the other end. “I understand. Just… don’t forget about us, Lauren. About him.”

Don’t forget about us. About him. How could I? How could I ever forget about Owen? He was a part of me, yet I couldn’t be what he needed. Even if his mother had failed him so many times.

I hung up the phone, my hand shaking as I stuffed it into my pocket. My thoughts were spinning, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and guilt. Owen was out there, alone. And Alexander… He was looking for him. Desperately, I knew. He had to be.

I turned to Abigail, who was standing there, her eyes wide with concern. “Owen’s gone,” I said, my voice barely audible. “He’s… he’s looking for us. I need you to tell me… did you tell him where we were? Where we were going?”

Abigail’s face crumpled in an instant, her eyes filling with tears. “I—I knew he wouldn’t just let us go. He never could. And… either could I, mommy.”

I wanted to snapped, but instead I nodded, my own throat tightening as I struggled to keep the tears at bay.

How could I punish her for wanting to say goodbye? Of course she told him.

And now… now he was out there, searching for us, putting himself in danger because of me.

Abigail took a step closer, her hand finding mine. “Mommy,” she said, her voice shaking. “Owen once told me something. He said… he said you were his real mother. Not Sophia, not anyone else. Just you. And I think… he’s right. Is he? Why does it feel like you’re hiding things from me, mommy? Aren’t we a team?”

I blinked, the words cutting through me like a knife. “What?” I whispered, my voice cracking.

Abigail nodded, tears beginning to stream down her face. “You feel so far away, mom. And I don’t want you to be. I want us to be close again, so I’ll start. Owen said it when we were talking one night, when he was really upset. He said that you were the one who really cared for him. The one who always understood him. He said he could never leave you, even if he didn’t know how to make things right.”

The words hung in the air, each one sinking into me like a weight I couldn’t lift. Owen had always been my shadow at work, always there when I thought I was alone. And now, knowing how deeply he cared for me, how deeply he saw me as his mother… I felt a surge of emotion I couldn’t contain.

Even if I wasn’t… could I be. Was family more then blood… and did I have that right?

I looked down at Abigail, her tear-streaked face pleading with me. “We can’t leave him,” she said, the words coming out in a rush. “I can’t leave him. He needs me.”

My face softened, a small, understanding smile breaking through my scowl. “I knew you’d say that. And I’m sorry… I’m not trying to hide things from you. Or drive us part. Your my little girl and I just want you safe. Happy.”

I shook my head, still reeling from the realization as I pulled her to my chest, her little arms squeezing my tight.

“Don’t worry,” I said, my voice firming as the decision settled in my chest. “We’ll find him. Bring him back.”

Abigail nodded, wiping her tears. “I’ll help. Whatever you need, mommy.”

I smiled at her, grateful for her strength through this, even at her young age. “Thank you. We’ll find him, Abigail. We’ll find Owen, and then… then we’ll figure out what comes next.”