I had just got done packing the last bits of Jozy's items for her move into my apartment. I was going back home, to my real home, as much as Caleb wanted me to accept his estate as home I couldn't and now would never.

My hands trembled with the emotional strains the day has perspired as I zipped up the last bag. My eyes darted around the room scanning it for any little bits of toys or garments I would think Jozy would miss. Finding none I sighed making my way down the stairs where I had left Jozy asleep on the sofa.

Her little puffy cheeks were still red and there was clear evidence of tears that left a shinny gleaming trail behind. She was emotionally exhausted as was I and once I had told her about Aurora I watched as her whole world fell apart before my eyes.

I saw myself in those eyes when I was told by Aurora that our mother had passed. No child should have their entire world flipped upside down like this, it should be filled with life and love not horror and dread.

As I crouched next to my niece I brushed her hair behind her ear vowing to only bring joy and happiness into her life. It was the least I could do seeing as I unwittingly killed her mother. My sister.

The sound of the back screen door closing had me spinning around in an instant, I stood up on guard.

"It's just me." Caleb had his hands raise in front of him to tell me he was no threat but it did little but relax my shoulders.

"You're not welcomed here." My voice was dry and devoid of all emotion. My emotional capacity seemed to have been exhausted and now I felt like an empty vessel, just a body moving in a world of the unnatural.

Caleb turned his head to the many bags on the floor by the front door before turning back to me. "Are those her things?"

"Yes."

He sighed looking uncomfortable between myself and the bags, he knew what I was doing though he was trying to avoid the truth. He didn't want to admit it, he didn't want to make his correct assumption a reality and I knew he was going to convince me to stay. Nothing he could say would change my mind though, I had heard Nora's threat loud and clear and I wasn't about to gamble with Jozy's life. Even if Jozy hadn't become a pawn I still wouldn't stay with him, he let Nora get away with so much, never acting on his suspicion and it costed a life. I life I cared a lot about.

Tears pricked my eyes and before I knew it Caleb was in front of me wiping the tear from my cheek. I swatted his hand away taking a step back to distance myself.

His face fell from my dismissal of his touch, I didn't want his touch to persuade me into doing what I knew I had to do. Though, as I looked into his eyes I saw extreme sadness at my cold disposition, a twinge of pain stabbed my heart and for a brief moment I felt remorse towards him.

I blame the mate bond for that though, logical me would never forgive him for the death of Aurora.

"I can help you pack up the bags in the car." He muttered slowly moving to the bags, quick to stop his actions, I stepped in the way, halting him from grabbing the bags. Surprised he took a step back looking down at me.

"I got it. There isn't much anyways, I can carry it to the jeep myself." When I mentioned Aurora's jeep Caleb's eyes darkened for a moment before they morphed into blazing blue. I had to hold my breath to keep from gasping at the intimitating display.

"The jeep? You aren't taking my car?" He asked his voice deeper than usual, his wolf was at his for-front.

"No, I am taking Jozy with me back home," I paused when he didn't say anything letting the words linger in the air before I added clarification. "...to my actual home."

As if the words snapped him out of his trans he grabbed both my shoulders in his massive hands pulling me closer to him. The sudden moment caused me to let out a short squeal, I had to take a deep breath to level out my anxiety.

Glancing over at Jozy to be sure that I hadn't woken her up I was relieved when I saw her still fast asleep curled up on the sofa. Happy to see her content I looked up at Caleb with a glare of a thousand daggers.

"You can't do this." I hissed pulling away from him but it did little but make him tighten his grip.

"I can't do what? Stop you from leaving me? We had a deal Eve." He growled.

"Fuck your deal." I yelled in a whisper loud enough for him to hear clearly and soft enough not to disturb my niece.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Fuck... your... deal!" I shoved against his chest forcing him to release me and I brushed the sleeves of my shirt to smooth out the kinks he left with his claws. "I'm taking Jozy back to my apartment and that's where we are going to stay. It's safer there."

I turned around to pick up the bags but was stopped when tingles erupted on my waist from his arm. He pulled me back flush against his chest and for a moment I allowed it letting the soothing peace that came from the touch calm my nerves, but all good things must come to an end.

Tearing his arm away I staggered backwards catching my balance just in time though Caleb had his hands out reached to catch me.

I didn't want his help, I didn't want his pity, I didn't want his protection.

"Are you stupid? You could get yourself killed." He exclaimed stepping back up to me eager to close the distance between us, I simply took another step back.

"It's no worse than sticking around you. I've nearly been killed three times Caleb. Not once, not twice but three times and you want me to stand here and listen to you say that going back to my home is dangerous?" I huffed bending down to grab a back pack. Glancing over my shoulder I retorted, "You're the stupid one."

I pushed the front door open to load up the Jeep I heard the front door open moments after I pulled open the Jeep door and was rudely interrupted when it was slammed shut again. Knowing already who had shut it I turned around to see Caleb breathing heavy and nearly irate.

"What are you do-"

Caleb cut me off grabbing my chin in his hand forcing me to look at him. "I'm not letting you do this."

"I'm not asking." I spat veering my head to the side and pulling the handle of the door again only for him to shut it, curse him and his alpha wolf strength.

"You aren't going back to the city there's too many supernaturals there." He explained hoping it'd somehow change my mind, it would not, I was dead set on going home.

Nora made it perfectly clear she'd come for Jozy if I didn't break things off with Caleb. I wasn't about to test the waters to see if she was the type to keep her word.

"I don't care Caleb, and I don't have to listen to you. I am not one of your pack members, I am not a werewolf you can use your dominance to pressure them to listen, but it will not work on me, not anymore. I am going to my actual home where I belong, away from you and away from all of... this." I pulled the door open and forced myself quickly between the door and the car making it impossible for him to close it. Tossing the bag in I shut the door.

"Eve please I'm only trying to help you to protect-"

"Don't you get it?!" I screamed unable to control my emotional outburst. "I don't want your help anymore. I-it has done nothing but cause me to constantly look over my shoulder, walk on egg shells, abandon my home, and now the death of my sister. Do you really think your help is doing much for me?!"

I couldn't hold back the utter heartbreak in my voice as I watched my mate seemingly crumbly before me. His knees nearly caved in as his own tears now welled up in his sapphire eyes. He tried to open his mouth to say something but no sound came out.

My gut twisted as I felt his anguish through our bond. His mind was remorseful a guilty pit of emotions, I felt his pain and hurt but above all his regret. I saw images of all the things he thought he could prevent and change had he done something else, something more.

The past was the past though and there was no way to go back and change anything. There was no way of bringing Aurora back and as I saw it now with how close Nora was to getting what she wanted out of this devious plan, I had no control in changing even the future, not even Caleb could change what I was forced to do.

I say forced but a part of me felt like this was the only option I had, he failed me and he failed us and there was no taking it back. It was engrained and etched into my brain like an engraving of a tombstone in a graveyard, forever staying for time to come.

Sighing I moved around Caleb letting him absorb my harsh words while I grabbed the remaining bags. When I came back into the house Taylor was sat next to Jozy trailing her finger across her cheek.

"What are you doing?" I asked bluntly, finding myself overly protective over my niece now.

Taylor stood up quick to her feet as she watched me approach her. "I wanted to check on her." She stated causing me only to blink in bewilderment. Noticing my perplexed expression she let out an anxious breath. "I wanted to apologize." My face only grew more confused.

"I don't understand."

"I should have stopped you, if-"

"No, not you too. I did this because I wanted to. I made my own choices and now I have to live with them, this falls on my shoulders." I picked up the remain two bags the weight of them causing my hands to tighten around the straps. "It was my fault for ever believing that living amongst wolves would do anything but bring me misery."

Taylor grabbed my arm as I began to leave stopping me. Reflexively I tore my arm from her hand frustrated with the fact that everyone was trying to keep me from leaving. Didn't they understand that I had already made up my mind unwilling to change it just to make them feel more comfortable with the situation.

"Don't touch me."

"Evie, I'm sorry- I'm sorry I didn't protect you better but I think it's best to reconsider leaving. It's not safe out there alone." She informed me sincerity in her brown eyes as she scanned my face for an ounce of reconsideration. There wasn't any.

"I appreciate you being honest with me and all but I have to do this for me. For Jozy. I can't raise her in a world where things of the night will haunt her memories and stalk her in the shadows." I had made up my mind and I was dead set on keeping to my word.

I would take care of Jozy just as Aurora would and give her a home and love and the place she felt safe. After what unfolded in front of her I was sure she'd forever have a scar seeing her mother in the condition that Nora left her in.

"Evie-"

"No! Now drop it, I'm not changing my mind they made it perfectly clear they'd kill Jozy next if I didn't go away." I blurted out regretting the words the moment they left my lips, being successful thus far from leaking any information. As far as they knew I showed up to find Aurora dead.

"What do you mean they'd kill Jozy? Did they leave a note saying that?" Taylor glanced about the room in search of a note that may have been laying around, of course there wasn't one. Nora had the satisfaction of watching my heart torn as I watched my sister pass away. The mental image made tears well up again in my eyes.

"No," I mumbled turning away to hide my face.

"They said it to your face." A deep voice came from the front door, Caleb had come in and I was completely unaware too indulge in Taylor's conversation.

He came closer to me and for an unknown reason this time I allowed him to approach. My mind craved comfort though my rational mind screamed for me to reject his presence.

I nodded my head to confirm his comment unable to muster up enough courage to form words.

"Who?" His voice darkened no doubt wanting to know the name to the traitor. I couldn't tell him though,I shook my head refusing to give into his question and answer. "Eve, who?" He growled impatient.

I could only shake my head and keep my eyes on the floor.

"God damn it who?!" He roughly grabbed hold of my shoulders forcing me to look up at him. His eyes screamed for me to answer but Nora's echoing threat replayed in my ears and I pressed my lips together in a form line. "Why won't you tell me?"

"Because I was threatened Caleb. They'll kill Jozy, I-I can't tell you." I explained brushing by him and out the door tossing the luggage into the back seat.

Taking a deep breath to calm my turbulent thoughts and emotions I let a soft sob break free. I needed to calm down if I was going to have any hope in getting home. I was so accustom to leaning on Caleb to make decisions that now it all felt foreign. Like a near impossible task.

Gulping down the uncanny realization that I had never been one to take charge for myself I turned back towards the house to retrieve Jozy. I was stunned however when I watched Caleb gently open the front door to reveal Jozy's sleeping body in his arms.

The blissful image of Caleb's dominating form caring a little girl in his arms for a moment had my heart aching with the what could have been. It only lasted a moment though the "what could have been" memory squashed with the utter image of Nora's threat. "What could have been", will never be, it's purely impossible.

Opening the back door of the Jeep Caleb laid Jozy down causing her to release a little groan in her sleep. Taking out a sweatshirt from one of the bags I laid it over her to keep her warm.

"You don't have to do this." Caleb's deep voice broke the silence as the suv door shut. "Please Eve, I can protect you." His voice broke towards the end of his sentence and for a second I felt his desperation in our shared bond.

My brown eyes connected with his ocean blue ones and I allowed myself to drink in his appearance one last time. With a sigh I pulled the driver door open to climb in finding myself lacking the energy to fight off his pleas to change my mind.

"I'm better off on my own. Do yourself a favor Caleb," I told him buckling my seat belt and grabbing the handle of the door. "Let me go."