"What do you mean?"

Andrew took a step forward, but I didn't move. I was sick of being pushed around, of being taken and seen as a weak human. I was done with it all. I was a goddamn Luna after all, and I needed to start acting like it.

"I was a coward," Andrew shook his head. "I was scared and let myself get pushed around, be another chess piece in this stupid human's vs. werewolves war or whatever you want to call it. I let Mr. Davis use me, and in turn, it hurt you." He dropped his shoulders in defeat as he spoke, "I hurt you because I listened to someone crazy and stupid."

"That's all in the past," I said honestly. "Neither of us knew what was really going on, we both just learned about werewolves and the supernatural. You saved me in the end, you did the right thing." I didn't hold it against him, I mean, if someone told me the same thing about my dad I would have wanted revenge too.

Andrew looked like he wanted to say something else, but held himself back. "We need to get out of here before anything else happens." He didn't wait for me to say anything, he just turned on his heel and started walking away.

"Hey!" I yelled. "Where are we going? What are you talking about? Andrew!" I wrapped the blanket tighter around me and jogged to catch up to him. "You can't just show up in this weird, burned-down town after I was kidnapped and left here without explaining it! I already feel like I'm going crazy most days, and this is not helping."

"We're getting out of here," Andrew said simply. "That's all that matters, Addison. You're getting out of here and back to safety."

I tried prying more questions out of him as we walked to who-only-knows-where, but Andrew didn't answer any of them.

I've never seen him like this before, so determined and motivated for something I don't even know. Before, when he was helping me to escape Mr. Davis, he looked scared. But now he looked mad.

We walked for a few minutes in complete silence as Andrew let me deeper through the forest. There was honestly nothing but trees, and trees for as far as I could see. Until Andrew took a shape left, that had me almost walk face-first into one of the many trees, and a rusted, blue truck came into view.

"You drove here?" It was a stupid question but it slipped out before I could hold my tongue. And I was about to insane if he didn't answer me again.

"Yeah," Andrew said, pulling open the passenger door for me. "Can't run like a wolf, and I don't trust any witches enough to ask them for help. So driving it was."

"Did Xavier send you?" I mean, how else would he know that I was here? But . . . why wouldn't Xavier just come and rescue me himself? Unless he's trying to play a long game with Mr. Thomas and pretend like he doesn't know that I'm missing?" All of these were rattling around in my brain and the fact that I couldn't mind-link Xavier or anyone else in the pack either wasn't helping me.

"No one sent me, Addison. I doubt that anyone even knows that I'm here, which is kind of the whole point," Andrew explained. "I overheard Mr. Thomas one day when I was out, he was talking to this witch about his plan to kidnap and get revenge on some human girl. It didn't take me long to figure out that that human girl was you, I mean, who else would it be?"

"And you didn't tell anyone?" I raised an eyebrow. "I thought that you wanted to help me? Right now I feel like I'm about to get kidnapped again, and with my history, that's not even a joke."

Andrew ignored my question and kept all his attention on the road, or lack thereof one. It was just dirty and mud and some big rocks that when Andrew hit them made me feel like we were about to flip. "You don't deserve this kind of life. To always have to be watching your back, paranoid that someone's out for you -- it's not fair. And I knew if I told Xavier not only would he not believe me, but even if he did there would still be someone out for you."

"What are you saying?" I whispered.

"That you have a choice. This is your life and you deserve to live it how you want, and I can neither take you back to Midnight Creek and you can go back to being a luna, or I can take you anywhere else you want. You can reject Xavier and start over. It's all up to you."

I was speechless.

When my mom first announced that we were moving away from Arizona I would have given anything to stay. To not leave. And then when I found out about werewolves and the craziness of it all, I felt like running away again.

But now, now that I've met Xavier and found a family in the pack, can I really leave? I mean it's not like I didn't think about it, what it would be like to be normal and not a ruler of a werewolf pack. But I always quickly pushed that thought aside, this was my life now. And I guess being threatened a few times made me want to leave more, I mean who wouldn't want to always have to be looking for their shoulder for some angry old white dude?

But reject Xavier? Go back on all the promises that we made? All or firsts would be lasts and I'd never see him again.

I absentmindedly hand my fingers gently across the mark Xavier had left me on my neck.

"If you reject him, because you're human it won't go away completely," Andrew said as if reading my mind. "It'll fade and then scar over and everyone will just think that it's an old burn mark or a scar. But I'm sure that you could get it tattooed over or cover it up also."

It would just be gone. A scar left behind to remind me about all of this craziness.

I remember Ivy and Audrey telling me about getting marked, about how they wouldn't have changed a thing. How it would only make mine and Xavier's bond tighter and better. And Mrs. Black telling me how she loved me like a daughter, and that she was proud of me. Of Cecelia calling me her sister and making me feel like I really was family.

They were my family. How could I just abandon my family when they were fighting for me? How could I just give up when I know that Xavier won't rest until I'm back.

"Take me home," I told Andrew, my voice was cracking. "Take me back to Midnight Creek, to my family. Please."

—

Hi loves!

Sorry about the delay with

This chapter.

But I was sick and now

I'm starting to feel better.

I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!

Did y'all think Addie would say no?

Also! Since this story

is almost done, please

Check out my other stories!!!

I love reading go your comments

Until later,

G ❤️