The Alpha's Melded Mate

The One With the Fort

"I'm coming with you." Abbi crossed her arms. 

I had already spent one day talking things through with my mom, trying to make sure I was doing what was right for me. I had told her I would rather not risk her leaving with me, and it wasn't terribly difficult to convince her. For some reason, she was still oddly attached to the pack. 

But now that one day with no contact with Neal had passed, that only left two for me to get Abbi caught up and get our goodbyes in. 

"Abs, you can't come with."

"The Hell I can't. You can't go alone."

"You have a life here, Abbi. You need to stay. You can't leave your family or your other friends."

Abbi rolled her eyes. "You know for a fact that I stopped talking to the others a few years ago, now."

I picked up three of the books that contained the abilities I had developed, packing them into an oversized duffle. I could always arrange to pick them up any of the others if I needed them later. 

"Abbi, I just can't take you with me. I'm not just a wandering Mentalist looking for a new home, I'm half wolf. Not only will you smell like an outsider, but I'm a mix breed. Being with me could seem like a threat. That's why no one can come with me. I have better odds being welcomed rather than met by warriors if I go alone."

I'd packed up a couple outfits while I spoke. I couldn't look at her, my friend. I could already feel everything. I knew she desperately wanted to go with. I wanted her to come too. I didn't want to start my entire life over on my own. 

A lump started to form in my throat. 

"I should have just trusted myself before. I should have shut things down from the beginning."

Abbi stepped around until she was standing in front of me. "Never. This is all on him, not on you. You did the right thing by you, him, and the goddess."

She wrapped her arms around me and I could feel her lock up her walls tighter than she ever had before. 

"You don't deserve this, hon. You deserve a life full of happiness and fulfillment."

My body started to shake with the soundless sobs. No, I really didn't want to do this, but I knew I would die slowly each day if I were to stay here while Neal and Ophelia took over the reigns. I couldn't see them together every day. 

Abbi cleared her throat and gave me a quick, tight squeeze before putting me at arm's length. "I think we need to make a fort and hide inside."

I laughed and wiped away the tears at my eyes. "I have to pack, Abs."

"Girl, you're taking that duffle. It's not going to take you long to pack it up. I'm pretty sure you have most of it together already."

"Abs..."

Abbi raised her eyebrows, looking at me expectantly, and giving me a slight shake at the shoulders. 

I sighed. "Fine."

Abbi squealed and jumped up and down. "Okay, we have to do it downstairs!"

She let me go and flung herself at the bed, grabbing all the pillows. 

"You grab the blankets!" She shouted as she made her way down the stairs toward the living room. 

I grabbed the comforter and sheet from my bed and grabbed the two spare sets from the cabinet outside my room. I jogged down the stairs. 

"What is going on out here," my mom asked. 

"Blanket fort," I said with a shrug and shake of my head. 

"I guess I'll have to make cookies, then!"

Abbi had already started dragging the dining chairs into the living room to act as supports for our blanket fort. 

I dropped the sheets, picking one of them up and shaking it out until it spread wide and draped over the couch to one of the dining chairs. I then opened up another, and another, draping them until the entire living room was part of our fort. 

We both crawled through the fort maze until we were sitting in the center. Abbi pulled out a deck of cards and started to shuffle them. 

This. This is what I was going to miss. Sharing my time and my space with someone who knows every part of me and still wants to build blanket forts. 

Abbi dealt the cards out. I picked them up. 

"Do you have any sixes," Abbi asked. 

"Go fish." I said. 

"Dang it!" Abbi slapped her knee and grabbed a card from between us. 

"Do you have any Kings," I asked. 

Abbi's jaw dropped. "No fair, you're cheating, aren't you?!" She threw two kings in my direction. 

"I would never," I said with a gasp. 

"Did you even have any Kings to begin with?" Abbi raised a brow at me. 

"Maybe." I couldn't help the small smile starting to pull at the corners. 

"Prove it! Show me your hand." Abbi put her hand out toward me, demanding my cards. 

I handed them over and she threw them down. "I knew it! You cheated!" 

She threw a pillow at me and I started laughing. I deflected her next attack with the pillow she had given me. 

"It's not my fault you let me in," I said as I knocked her upside the head with the pillow. 

"Rude!" She shouted. 

"I have cookies!" My mother shouted as she came into the living room. 

I poked the pillow up into the sheet above, "slide them in somewhere over here?"

A plate of cookies slid under the sheet and between the legs of one of the dining chairs near us.

"Thank you!" I grabbed the plate and placed it between me and Abbi. It was about the only thing that could have erased the betrayal of Go Fish. 

The cookies were still hot, the chocolate chips still liquid. 

"I'm going to miss this," Abbi said through bits of cookie. 

I nodded. I didn't trust my voice. 

"You're like my friend soulmate, Cyn. This place is going to be less enjoyable without you."

I let out a small laugh, but felt the burn at the corners of my eyes. "I'm seriously going to miss you Abbi. 

We both started to silently cry while eating cookies. At least we had the sweet, gooey love of chocolate chips to help us through this dark time.  

This was my last night here. Tomorrow was day three. By this time tomorrow, I was going to be on my way to my new home, wherever it may be. 

But for tonight, I was home with my best friend, eating cookies, having pillow fights, and hiding out in our blanket fort. 

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Back to back publishing days?! Heck yeah! Here is another chapter, back to usual length. 

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