Chapter 81
Break
***
Leila woke up the next day as if there was someone staring at her. She blinked her eyes as she adjusted to the light coming from the barn.
Then, she suddenly got sensible and immediately got up from the bed. She almost fell from it causing someone to shout worriedly at her.
“H-Hey! Be careful!” A familiar voice agitatedly told her as he sat on the bed, as if he was trying to hold her arm.
But Leila acted on instinct instantly got herself steady and moved slightly away from Hunter.
Her forehead creased as she was trying to recall what happened to her.
She looked around and remembered that she was still in the barn… And with Hunter!
Leila let out a loud curse inside her head as she tried to maintain her cool.
For a moment, she lost her calm demeanor. For a moment, she had broken her wall. For a moment, she almost did something that she might regret in the future.
She looked at Hunter’s worried expression and she almost got lost once again. However, she managed to stand by her own decision. She wore her void expression.
“It seems like you are okay now… So, you can go back to your pack now.” She said coldly.
Hunter’s lit face suddenly fell.
She saw him swallow hard as silence and tension filled the air between them.
It was as if he was testing the water between them as he was looking at her… weighing down her emotions. However, she wouldn’t back down. She was firm to her own decision. She wouldn’t fall to his pained expression nor to his hopeful looking eyes.
Leila stood up ignoring everything that’s being laid out in front of her. She was about to walked out from the small room when a familiar warmth wrapped her arm.
She gasped inaudibly as she tried to calm herself.
Volt of electricity immediately rushed to her veins as if wanting to surrender to Hunter.
She gritted her teeth as she pursed her lips together.
How could she possibly stay strong when with just a simple hold from Hunter her senses were already in haywire?
Leila felt a bit angry at herself.
Then, she looked at Hunter’s arm on her stopping her then, towards the man who was now swallowing hard because of the intensity of her glare.
Hunter slowly removed his hand on her as he let out a deep sigh.
“C-Can we… Can we talk?” He asked as his voice broke.
Her cheeks moved as she clenched her jaw.
“There is nothing to talk about, Hunter.” She said those words with emphasis.
But this time, Hunter looked at her seriously. It was as if he had finally had the guts not to let her go. Then, he shook his head.
“There are a lot of things to talk about, Leila. Why do you have to do that? Why do you have to go away from the pack? I know that you are hurt… But we are still together and-”
“Then, let’s break up now…” She cut him off causing Hunter to look at her, dumbfounded.
She stared at him straight to the eyes without blinking.
“Let’s face it, Hunter…” She continued with her voice firm, as she faced Hunter.
This time, she had to end it clearing everything between them.
Perhaps, this was the least of what she could do. No matter how painful it is between them. Because Tammy might be right on certain things. Being the old Leila she had to do things right on her own way, like closing this part of her life with Hunter.
Because the next time they might see each other, there might be no mercy.
They were enemies.
His parents killed her father.
And it wasn’t something that could be taken lightly.
She couldn’t take it lightly.
“We… can’t be together. I can’t fully give my heart to someone who is connected to my father’s killer.” She finally blurted out.
And she wanted to applaud herself for not shedding a tear.
But Hunter shook his head as if he couldn’t accept her words.
“N-No… Don’t say t-that… Y-You… W-We…” Hunter seemed to be a mess.
And Leila wanted to sooth him… Tell him that everything will be fine… But she couldn’t. It might just make everything worse.
Hunter, then, walked towards her and held her hands.
“No… Listen to me, Leila… We can still be together-”
But Leila pulled her hands away from her and glared at him.
“Stop it already, Hunter… Please…” She pleaded seriously causing Hunter to stop talking and looked at her, speechless.
This time, Leila shook her head.
“Stop trying to tell me that we can still be together. You are just adding salt to a fresh wound. Don’t make it hard for the both of us.” She said with finality as she finally walked out of the barn.
She was quick ignoring Hunter, who was calling for her name.
That’s it.
There were formally had broken up.
***
Leila didn’t know how long she had been watching Hunter from a distance enough for her to make sure that he would go back home safely.
She managed to tail him as he finally went out of the Southern part of the woods… safe and sound.
But she also witnessed him walked like a lost man.
And no matter how much it breaks her heart seeing him like that, she couldn’t take him back.
After making sure that Hunter is safe, she immediately went back to the Tammy’s home. She was hasty and wouldn’t want any rogue to get in her way, or else, she would make sure to end their lives.
There was a huge part of her that was just so guilty for everything that she did to Hunter.
But what could she do?
She had to tell him that.
“Are you okay?” Tammy instantly asked as she saw her entering the house.
Even though she wouldn’t answer her, Tammy already knew based on her expression. But Leila chose to simply shake her head as her answer.
Tammy let out a deep sigh.
“I am tired. I have to go to my room.” That was all that she could say before walking towards her room.
She even ignored Tammy’s worried expression of her.
***
Meanwhile, Tamika was sitting while holding her golden cards. She hadn’t use this for so long already. But there was something inside her strongly wanting her to read her cards.
And she knew that it was because of Leila.
She bent towards the small table in front of her as she laid all the cards.
Then, she put her hands together and prayed to the moon goddess, then she slowly took some cards one after the other.
Tamika let out a deep breath.
She knew that Hunter is still in Leila’s heart.
However, Leila is just too stubborn to accept him… take him back.
And she knew that it was because of her father’s death.
Tammy let out another deep sigh as she looked at the cards in front of her and laid the cards she had chosen.
Her forehead creased as she stared at Leila’s room. Then, to the card that’s in front of her.
The first card, she had turned around: the card of fate.
She blinked her eyes as she calmed herself.
There was something inside her again as if stirring her senses.
Then, she turned the next card and it was the card of deception.
She pursed her lips tightly as she turned the last card on her table.
It was the card of darkness.
Tammy looked at Leila’s closed door.
“Be careful, Leila… You have a lot more to face… And it is something perilous.” She uttered softly as she let out a deep breath and prayed to the moon goddess.
Because she knew that she couldn’t stop this from happening.
Everything is destined to happen.
And the painful this is, she couldn’t say the exact details… She could only give some clues… some warnings… right now… hoping that the people around her could take her advice.