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‘Talia, you are not going out there,’ she cried. “I will not let my baby get hurt!”
“Mom, please—”
“You will listen to me, understand?” She scolded, gripping my arms. “Please don’t do this to me.”
“I’m not doing this to hurt you on purpose, Mum. I’m doing this for you guys. I’m fighting for my family, for my pack, for everything that is right.”
‘This is not right! You could die in an instant!”
‘I know.’
“You know? Then why are you going to do it?”
‘I have to,’ I whispered, feeling tiny under my mum’s angry gaze.
‘You don’t have to! We’ll all be fine if you just avoid the fight.’
‘Mum, one thing you’ve taught me is to never run away from my problems. I refuse to do that now. I will not abandon my friends.”
‘They’ll understand! They have to!” My mum’s sobs grew louder, causing a tight pain in my chest.
‘You have to understand, Mum,’ I sighed. “Please. I have to do this.’
I sat there, arms wrapped around my mother’s small frame. I cried as she sobbed into my shoulder and clutched me closer. Of course, nothing could convince her.
‘I have to protect my baby,’ she bawled.
‘Mum, I’m at that age where it’s my responsibility to take care of you. It’s my turn.”
My mum kept demanding that I stay with her. She kept scolding me. In the end, she was angry with me. However, she told me that she loved me and that I had better come home alive.
They were the motivation I needed to stay alive. They were the reason, along with Kieran and my friends, that I promised myself I would walk out of there alive.
I just hope luck will be on my side tomorrow.
As I went downstairs, I saw Logan coming up. He smiled at me and ruffled my hair. ‘Hey, cousin,’ he said, his tone overly cheery.
Logan was always good at hiding his true emotions, but I was good at reading him. I could see fear dancing in his hazel eyes. His fingers tapped rapidly against his leg.
‘We’ll be fine,’ I reassured him, eyeing his fingers.
‘Yeah, we will,’ Logan chuckled nervously. ‘After all, we are Sinclairs. The Sinclairs always make it out alive.”
I knew he didn’t want to talk about it. Logan was more of a thinker than a talker. So I just smiled and pinched his cheek.
When I finally sat in the leather passenger seat of my Mercedes-Benz, I sighed heavily. Kieran observed me with calculating eyes before interlocking his fingers with mine.
“How was it?” he asked.
‘Horrible,’ I groaned. ‘I feel bad for doing this to them.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he replied, genuinely apologetic. ‘If you don’t want to do this, just tell me. I would understand.”
I stroked his cheek with my thumb. ‘I refuse to back down,’ I whispered. ‘I’m doing this for all the right reasons.’
Staring at Kieran, I couldn’t help thinking about the worst-case scenarios. What if I lost him? I’d heard of mates who’d gone through depression after losing their other half. I knew I wouldn’t be able to cope.
I chose to ignore this and focus on the present. We had to enjoy every precious minute while we had it. We all take time for granted. It’s only when life is over that we realise how short it is.
I closed my eyes and kissed him on the lips.
‘I love you too, Talia.’
The representatives stood in a single file, stretching across the green field. We stood about half a foot apart, stiff and restless. The only sounds that could be heard were the shuffling of our feet and the rustling of leaves.
The cold September air bit into my skin, making me feel even more uncomfortable. I was paranoid. Every time I heard the rustling of leaves, I snapped my eyes towards the area where Kieran had told us they would come from.
My heart was racing furiously. I constantly wiped my clammy palms on my jumper. My eyes were wide open and alert. I kept shifting my weight from one foot to the other.
We all stared at each other silently, wishing each other good luck. I looked at each of them with gratitude. They had all played a big role in my life and given me so many memories.
I may not be as close to Damien, Roman and Avery as I once was. It saddened me to think that we used to be inseparable, yet they allowed pack rivalries to jeopardise our friendship. Nevertheless, I was grateful that they had looked after me during the first few months after I moved to Oakmere. They protected me from the ruthless Kieran.
Maren’s sapphire eyes were filled with panic. I remembered that same look from approximately fifteen months earlier, when she was chained to the wall and covered in injuries. She had been through a lot, particularly with regard to her partner. I admired her strength and maturity in getting back on her feet and living life without wallowing in self-pity. She was one of my best friends, almost like a sister to me. She was loud and girly, and really good at peer mediation. Every girl needs a friend like that, and I was lucky to have her in my life.
Cruz was stoic and hid his emotions well. It seemed like just yesterday that Beck and he had raced to my table on my first day at high school. They were the dynamic duo, with Cruz as the clumsy, awkward comedian. Although he could be mean at times, I admired him for his straightforwardness and honesty.
Beckett stood protectively next to his friend, arms crossed over his chest. Beck was a happy-go-lucky man with a sense of humour. Although he was the Beta, he treated us all with respect. He may have seemed ditzy at first, but he was actually very smart. I remember when he would vent to me about Brielle. I remember his jokes, and how he’d get excited over the smallest things. He appreciated the smallest things in life.
Brielle was the first person to tell me about the arrogant Eclipse Pack. I’d always tease her about being mated to one of them, but that joke always backfired. She found it hard to leave Damien, but she was in love with Beck. She was always the bubbliest in our group of friends (Brielle, me, Lila and Maren), and the weirdest of us all. It was hard not to laugh when you were around her.
I remember that Lila was the first person I met at high school. She was part of the unofficial welcoming committee. She was kind-hearted, shy and logical. She would always remind us to consider the consequences before doing something. She was like the older sister in our group. She was mature for her age. She cared about other people, even strangers. I admired her artistic skills behind the camera lens, and the way she was friendly towards everyone she met.
I owed a lot to my cousin, Logan. Not only did he teach me a great deal about Healers, he also took time out of his busy schedule to support me here. He didn’t need to be here with us today, but he is. Logan was a great man with great ambitions. I remember him telling me the lamest jokes when I was feeling down, and taking me out for coffee when our training was over. He treated me like his little sister. He watched over me and protected me. Although Logan seemed like the perfect person with the perfect life, inside he was broken. His mother committed suicide a week after his father died in a terrible car accident. Despite this traumatic event in his life, he searched for his soulmate. He would often recite one of his favourite quotes: ‘It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.’ One day, he will find his soulmate.
My best friend, Luca, was more like a brother to me than a friend. He deserves the best for all the great things he has done in his life. I remember the first time I met him. I always smile when I think of the lame pick-up lines he tried to use on me. He stood up for me when Kieran was being unpleasant. He told me the truth instead of sugar-coating things. When I left, he made sure that we stayed in touch. He even drove down just to cheer me up when my heart was breaking into a million pieces. I told him everything, and he told me a lot as well. He was a genuinely happy guy, but people with the biggest smiles often have the saddest stories. He never got along with his parents. They always wanted him to be the perfect child and have a planned life. Eventually, Luca distanced himself from them and hasn’t spoken to them for two years. It was hard on him. I promised myself that I would never leave him as he never left me.
And finally, there’s Kieran Redford – my soulmate. He wasn’t there at that moment, but I thought about him and wondered if he was OK. It has definitely been a bumpy road for us. Then again, what relationship is perfect? We were far from perfect, and I liked it that way. He was a bit of a jerk the first time I met him, but he became the man I fell in love with. After all, what lasts won’t always be easy. I have many memories with him. The arguments we had taught us lessons and strengthened our bond. We had inside jokes that nobody else would understand. His kisses and embraces never failed to win me over. He was amazing, and I was so lucky to have him. Today, he risked everything for everyone, and I couldn’t be prouder of him. He was injured, both emotionally and physically, because of me, yet he never abandoned me. He frustrated me so many times, always buzzing around like an annoying bee, but I loved everything about him. I probably sound like an infatuated teenager right now. Sorry, I’m a hopeless romantic. I knew there would be many more bumps in the road ahead, but I promised myself that we would overcome them and that I would not run away again. He means too much to me to lose.