Brave One (Completed)

Chapter 26, Axel

I feel content in a way.

My more animal side is less pleased but my mind is telling me that this is for the best.

"She is happy." I heard Brennon say, bringing me out of my thoughts before I spiraled into self-doubt. He sat across me at my office, sitting in the chair with an almost lifeless stare.

"I know." I look at my hands, knowing I'll never hold her hands or even touch her like real mates would. "Do you think I made the right decision?"

Brennon was silent for a while, staring at my hands too, probably just following my eyes while thinking intently. "Yes." He finally said, "I think you made a good decision, because I think both of you would've been unhappy if she stayed."

"How so?" I asked nearly immediately, I thought he'd want his best friend to stay in the same pack.

"Well she doesn't want to stay, and we all know that, so if you felt guilty about forcing her to stay eventually you two would just rip each other apart." He sighed, "Speaking of staying and the pack, is the luna really staying?"

Her?

I forgot about her.

Honestly I kinda forgot her name.

"No." I sighed, rubbing my face. "She's slowly compromising our warriors and security and she needs to go."

"You've noticed?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," he leaned back in the chair, "Well glad that's over."

I let out a breathy chuckle, glad that we are so comfortable around each other still. I almost thought Mable took away my best friend.

"Look man, I mean this in the best possible way but you suck at picking out good people." He smiled, twisting his body around and hearing loud cracks in his back.

"That's why the goddess picks 'em for me." I joked, remembering Brennon left his mate alone in his room. "How's Rachel?" I heard she took Mable's leave the hardest.

Harder than Clint.

"She's napping now," his mood seemed to immediately dampened, "Cried herself straight to sleep." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, messing up his already pillow-styled hair. Probably messed up from lying next to her.

It was now silent.

Filling up with awkward silence.

"I'm sure Mable didn't mean to hurt her." I finally spoke, getting a light chuckle that just was for a response.

"Somehow I doubt that," he still wasn't making eye contact, "She probably wanted to hurt Rachel as much as she could so Rachel wouldn't hold onto their friendship." He laughed, definitely not out of humor. "She really does think of others more than herself."

"What?"

"Don't you see," he finally looked up at me, his eyes holding so much exhaustion, "She's breaking off even single one of our friendships. Me. Clint. Rachel. The pack. And with you, just tying the last bit of loose ends before she leaves us forever."

I really didn't see it.

But that's why I have Brennon right? To see the things I don't.

I sighed, hearing those words over and over again.

She will leave us forever.

I won't be able to see her.

See her smile.

Hear her laugh.

Just be with her.

And it was all my fault.

"Brennon," I started, "Be honest with me for a sec, am I an asshole?" I stared aimlessly at the table, expecting some pause or hesitation.

That was not Brennon.

"Yeah, totally. A complete and total asshat." He answered pretty much as soon as I finished my question. "You've always been an asshole, pretty much as soon as you were born."

"I'm older than you." I scoff, glad that my best friend can still joke around with me.

"And?" He smiled, his eyes still had so much tiredness.

"And I was born before you?" I asked sarcastically, I quickly glanced at my office clock, noticing it's nearly 3am. "We should go to bed, Mable has called an early meeting in about 5 hours."

"Got it." Brennon got up, holding out his hand for a loose and sloppy handshake, "See you." He got up and left, leaving me alone in the partial darkness and my haunting thoughts.

What will happen to the pack when she is gone.

Everyone seems to love her, from the youngest baby to the oldest elder.

She already made her way into everyone's hearts and she just going to throw it away.

Just like I threw her away.

Maybe if I accepted her the first time I set eyes on her.

I remember she first walked into my class.

It was fall, and exceptionally cold that day. Strangle she wore light layers, even I had a couple sweatshirts in my locker I was going to grab.

She sat a few rows in front of me, just off to the right. Her, at the time, dark brown hair flowed down her back like melted chocolate, so tempting to touch.

I could smell her scent from where I sat, a sort of sweet rosy scent that wasn't too strong - which wasn't that disappointing - like it was something that was comforting and something you'd want to smell forever.

Though now her scent is different.

It was like it wasn't there anymore.

After she took that medicine that made her back into a black wolf her scent slowly disappeared. I could barely just sense her presence, just something inside of me always was drawn to her.

Back then, she wouldn't look me in the eyes, just avoided me at all costs.

I remember when we went to the mall.

How my blood boiled when I saw her hold Clint's hand.

How comfortable she was with him.

And now my heart hurts, someone keeps stabbing it over and over again with a rusty knife, making sure I could still feel the effects of the heartbreak. Because she will never be with me.

I have to accept that she'll never be mine, always someone else's/

But he makes her happy.

Is what my mind keeps telling me.

She is happy with him: she loves him and he loves her.

So I am happy for her.

Right?