Holding hands wasn't supposed to feel so personal or intimate, and instantly Braydon regretted his decision. With a nervous cough, he let Carolina go and looking around they were completely alone. From above them, the faint hum of chatter came down, but no one paid them any attention.

"Drink?" Carolina cradled the bottle like a child with a favourite teddy, and finished off her glass.

"No. Thank you." Looking to the water, Braydon thought of the river in the forest before the warm water the shower provided him. He couldn't go back to freezing baths now, especially with winter slowly creeping into the fall. 

The awkward silence had both of the shifters on edge and normally it wasn't this bad between them. Then again, Carolina never felt so compelled to stare at him as she saw a different side to Braydon. She had sensed him earlier, yet had overlooked him in the crowd without his hair. With his suit, he looked more at home here than some of the people on her table and while their kind could adapt well to their surroundings, he was no longer playing the part, but looking it too.

"What are you thinking about?" Carolina interrupted Braydons' thoughts and with a shy smile, he shook his head.

"Showers and hot water." He admitted.

Carolina laughed, the sound making Braydons smile widen as he found himself relaxing. "What?"

"I was looking at the pool and well yeah."

"You're not about to strip off and take a bath are you wild man?" She flirted shamelessly, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"What? No!" Braydon frowned, feeling more than a little uncomfortable with the seductive edge to her tone.

"Shame that."

The pair looked at each other for a moment before laughing again like old friends with an inside joke. The champagne made her bolder, and her fathers words lingered in her mind. 

"He is your mate for a reason, you just need to make him see why that it is!" He had told her.

What was it that had him so drawn to the human? How could she beat her?

"So where is she?" Carolina was unable to stop the loathing come through, despite how casual she had intended to sound.

"Work stuff." Braydon lied, not wanting to talk about Jason or the fact Miranda was going to stink of him when she came back to him. How long did a song even go for, was she already looking for him?

"I better go." Though he didn't make any move to leave.

"Yeah you look real eager to go back in there!" Braydon laughed, more so because he didn't know what else to do and went to stand up. Instead Carolina put her hands on his knees and stood first. "Tell me, do you like my dress?"

Twirling in front of him, she met his gaze; daring him to tell her what she wanted to hear. Yet Braydon was more concerned with the bottle of champagne that she nearly tripped over and as he stood, he moved it out the way. Rather than tripping over the bottle, she did trip over the hem of her dress and Braydon was quick to catch her.

"Oops." Carolina pouted, looking up at him from under long lashes. "I guess I drunk too much or something?"

She giggled and Braydon found himself laughing along with her. His hands remained on her waist as just how close they were hit both of them. Carolina would often take any chance she got to touch him, hug him - anything, and now he was holding her. As their gaze met the smile dropped from Braydon's face and seriousness of the situation hit him and going to step away, Carolina instead took his head in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"Why not me Bray?" She whispered, almost pleading with him to explain why. Why does he love Miranda and not her?

"Caro-"

He didn't get a chance to answer, to move or actually breath as time seemed to slow down to a complete stop; all because Braydon suddenly found himself being kissed by Carolina. Worse than that, he surprised himself more than the current turn in events, by kissing her back. It was desperate, forceful, yet the intensity drew him in as he finally understood mates, and why he couldn't resist seeing her or letting her touch him; hug him. Now, kiss him.

The twinkling sound of broken glass as well as the muffle of voices broke through the daze, and his eyes instantly jerked upwards in time to see Miranda and her retreat. Looking at Carolina, Braydon felt numb and that feeling of something about to happen told him it just did.

"Miranda," he whispered, before yelling as what really just happened hit him. "Miranda!"

Carolina was abandoned as he ran inside and despite what should have been a horrifying moment, she couldn't have been any more pleased with how that turned out. Picking up the bottle, she poured herself another glass before going inside, unable to hide her smile.

-x-

Of course the first person Braydon ran into was Jason and shoving past him, he went over to their table to find Miranda's purse gone. Cursing under his breath, he looked around desperate for a clue as to where she went.

'Home.  Go home!' His wolf urged, finally taking part in some of the crazy of the night.

"Lost something Braydon?" The smug sneer to Jason's words had Braydon bristling.

Not now, Braydon thought. Turning, he didn't care if the human would see the amber reflection of the wolfs eyes. He almost hoped he did so he'd back off that much quicker.

"Where did she go?" Braydon demanded.

"Who?" If Jason sensed the danger he was in, he didn't show it. "Oh Miranda? Sorry, I think you've just missed her."

Braydon made no effort in silencing the growl as he went to charge after her, praying he'd find her before she got too far ahead of him. Instead Jason grabbed his arm as he passed, slowing Braydon down. He didn't have time for this and pulling his arm free, Jason's iron like grip wasn't missed.

"I'm guessing those days of you being the one to, what was it you said? The one to lay beside her each night, are numbered."

Braydon had never been a violent person. As a child he never fought back when he had been bullied, he'd left hunting in the wild to his wolf and the only time he'd ever had the urge to hurt someone was when Miranda had been in what ever he perceived as danger, which normally involved shifters. That was all forgotten as Jason let go of his arm and rather than leaving, Braydon drove his fist into his rivals jaw.

"It's funny that no matter what happens between Miranda and me, you still think you have some kind of chance with her!" Braydon spat at him, ignoring the crowd that turned their way as he ran out of the room.

Didn't mean Braydon wasn't unaffected by his words though. Could Jason be right?

Getting to the lobby, things weren't getting any easier for Braydon when Carolina stopped him next. "Let her calm down, nothing good will happen tonight."

"What do you know?" He snapped, before something else dawned on him, "Did you plan it, with him?"

"Who?" Carolina asked, confused.

"With Jason!"

"No!" She yelled back, offended by the accusation sent her way. "Besides, you kissed me too! Stop denying what we have!"

 If looks could kill, Carolina would be dropping dead at the look Braydon served her with before carrying on his escape. He ignored her yelling his name, he ignored the voice in his mind telling him that she had a point - all he wanted, all he needed right now was to find Miranda.

Miranda, didn't feel that way. She didn't want or need to see Braydon and as she got out of the car and headed up the steps to her lobby, she refused to acknowledge the way her lip was trembling or that her perfectly applied mascara was already starting to run down her cheeks. She didn't turn the lights on when she went inside her apartment, dropping her purse on the table by the door. It didn't matter the thing had been vibrating from her phone ringing the whole way home.

Going into her room, for once the whole building was silent. No one had any TV or stereos on, and in that moment, Miranda felt completely alone. As she went through the motions of undressing, the feeling suited her fine and going into the bathroom, she avoided looking at herself in the mirror; too embarrassed.

"Stupid!" She scolded herself; her voice breaking as by uttering that one word everything she was keeping control of inside was released.

The cold tiles burned her skin as she lent against the shower wall, while the hot water sent spiralling clouds of steam into the room. The second she knew met Carolina she knew she was trouble. Worse than that, after finding out about all that mate crap, she believed Braydon. She actually believed him that he could love her, more that someone apparently destined to be with him.

Life wasn't one of the movies he loved so much. Sure he had a super power, kind of, but well, she wasn't supposed to be the Robin to his Batman, the Louise Lane to Spiderman, or was it Superman?

Groaning Miranda lost herself under the steady flow of hot water, not quite believing she was even thinking of those comic book heroes right now. Her tears disappeared the second they emerged from her closed eyelids. All evidence of her crying destroyed as she eventually ended up in the corner sobbing instead.

Hugging her legs tight against her body, she tried to work out why she cared so god damn much. She had been preparing herself for this moment, refusing to let herself get in too deep; so why the hell was she sitting in the bottom of the shower, crying, as if her best friend just died? Miranda didn't really need to ask herself that question, because she knew exactly why. Something had changed the second she stepped out of that elevator. There was no denying feelings or wanting to hold back because that had been Braydon showing her she didn't have to do anymore.

She loved him.

And now here she was, hiding from the world and crying, over a boy. Over Braydon, the wolf shifter who came from the wild, who loved comic book heroes and made her happy.

"Stupid!" Was all she said when she finally got out and saw her bloodshot eyes in the mirror. 

Miranda managed to get herself dried off and dressed by the time Braydon arrived home. Even though she locked the door as a sign to stay out, he had keys and the sound of it slamming shut echoed through not only the apartment, but the whole building.

"Miranda!" He called desperately called out, his steps hard as he moved through the apartment. "She is here!"

That got Miranda's attention.

The muffled rambling that followed as he argued with himself had once been a sign for her to run away and the man that nearly snapped her bedroom door off its hinges as it was thrown open, could barely be recognizable as the one who took her from the plane wreck. Gone was the lanky, dirt covered and very naked wild man-child, with a hair style that rivalled a lions mane.

"You are here!" He sighed, his head tilting to look at the carpet while he tried to catch his breath.

Miranda said nothing, mesmerized by the way his chest was heaving as took in deep, rough breaths. Surely he didn't run all the way here?

Finally Braydon looked up at her, his eyes wide in panic as he made his assessment. She'd been crying. Her sadness hung in the air like fear around the herd before the hunt. 

"Miranda," he took a step, two steps towards her and Miranda instantly held her hands up as if he was some kind of threat that needed to be stopped.

"Don't." Her voice was still broken as not all of her body had recovered from what ever that just was in the bathroom.

"But-" Frowning, Braydon didn't dare go any closer.

"No."

 Just like that, months had been erased and they stood staring at each other in near darkness as if they were only seeing each other for the first time. In the beginning, Miranda had ran from Braydon. Survival instincts to get as far away from him as she could gave her bruised and battered body the energy to go, and now what were her instincts telling her to do? Go to him. Only she didn't move an inch, instead thinking back over what he had always promised her back then.

"You're safe with me. I'll protect you." He had said it with such a fierce determination, a part of Miranda had believed him.

"The only thing I need protecting from is you!" Was what Miranda fired back with.

Was that Miranda right? It felt like it now, as something inside of her felt like it was dying. Her stomach had more than butterflies going around inside of it, the burning sensation at the base of her throat acting like a warning that what ever it was, wanted to escape.

"I'm sorry," Braydon finally spoke.

Miranda coughed out a bitter laugh and shook her head in disbelief before looking up at him, and what ever had been going on her stomach, moved to his as he saw nothing in her eyes. No anger. No sadness. Just nothing; as if they were strangers passing by in the street.

"You're sorry?"

He nodded, daring to step closer. Braydon needed to touch her, feel her and be told that they were okay. At this point had he been in his wolf costume, he would be crawling on the ground in full submission, begging for some kind of reaction from her. Something, anything, just not this nothingness.

"Apology accepted." She answered flatly.

"What?"

That meant she forgave him.

The pressure in his head had it feeling like it was about to explode as he couldn't understand what was happening. Did she know he didn't mean to kiss Carolina, that it just kind of happened? As Braydon moved closer she didn't stop him this time, yet there was still no recognition on her face. Braydon had seen her show more emotion towards a pizza being delivered and what ever this was now, it didn't sit well with him.

She accepted the apology, that meant she forgave him. Right?

"I forgive you. I get it," Miranda shrugged as if this whole situation wasn't bothering her. Braydon knew it was. He could feel it eating at him, like it was her. "I was an idiot to believe you could love me, at least in the same way I do you."

"You love me?" He asked cautiously, while inside he could see the light in the darkness they'd fallen into, but his wolf was trying to keep his hopes down. What did he see, that Braydon couldn't?

"I thought I did, but what does it matter?"

"It matters!" Braydon argued, taking her hands in his. Miranda slapped them away and glared at him with such intensity, Braydon took a step back towards the door. 

"It doesn't! You will always go to her, think about her, and if that oppurtunity comes up again, she will go for it and you can't say no! And it hurts and I hate it, but I understand, I do!" 

"Well I don't!" He yelled back, regretting it as the damp streaks on her cheeks caught the light from the window. "I don't understand!"

The pain in Braydon's voice matched Miranda's and with the sleeves of her jumper, she quickly wiped her face.

"What ever we have. What ever we had, it was never supposed to be real. You're meant to be with her Braydon. You found me, I brought you here. Of all the places in this enormous world, we came to the place she lived. I enrolled you into a school where she worked for crying out loud! If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is!" Miranda threw her hands up dramatically, and looking at all the pieces of the puzzle, Braydon knew she had a point. He just wasn't willing to put it all together and say it was finished.

"It's going to be okay Braydon, I promise. You have to be with Carolina, and you know I'm right." Miranda had sounded so sure of it, so strong yet the second the words left her, she threw her hands over her mouth in an effort to contain the sob that followed.

"You don't want, me? You want me to be with her?" Braydon thought outloud and Miranda nodded her confirmation, not trusting herself to speak.

Miranda knew she could be selfish. She had no doubt she could convince him to stay and make him feel guilty over what happened, but she couldn't do that. If they were supposed to have a future, there wouldn't be a Carolina. She would be his mate, no questions asked. No doubt or hesitation, but that wasn't what ever this fate thing had in store for them. Miranda had played her part, she got the pair of them together and it was time for her to go. Even if it hurt her more than anything else she had ever experienced in her life.

She had to let him go, because he wasn't hers to keep.

"Please, just, Miranda," he fumbled with his words, clueless as to what to say. "I don't believe you!"

Sucking in a deep breath, Miranda found some composure. "You do. You're scared, but you don't have to be."

With a trembling hand, she reached out to him and caressed the side of his face before wiping away his tears. "Thank you for helping me remember who I used to be. I'm not the same person I was this time last year and that's a good thing. We helped each other, maybe that's all we were meant to do?"

Reaching up she kissed his cheek, hesitating as she pulled away but before she could move, Braydon hugged her tightly.

"I do love you Miranda!" He whispered against the top of her head, absorbing her scent and memorizing how well she fit against him. 

"I know Braydon," Miranda let him go, coughing awkwardly.

"Oh and I um, I hit Jason."

"What?" Her jaw dropped, and this time as they made eye contact they laughed. Flexing his hand, Braydon looked down to see the aftermath, which wasn't anywhere near as sore as what Jason was now dealing with. "Let me see."

Fussing over a little redness, Miranda found the task of seeing to his knuckles something of high importance. Leading him into the main bathroom, she wet the wash cloth and rested it on his hand, and Braydon ate up the attention.

"You shouldn't have hit him. But I'm glad you did." She smirked.

"Me too. It felt good." Braydon let out a chuckle and there was something final about what was happening now even if they didn't want to acknowledge it.

"You should sleep in your room tonight. We can sort everything out in the morning." Miranda sighed.

The thought of not sleeping beside her had his heart stopping, and with a mixture of disbelief and agony he wanted to protest.

'Don't. She's right.' The willpower to stay away came from the creature with, it's own suffering slipping through Braydon's veins like a disease.

"Goodnight Braydon." Miranda turned quickly, yet left the room slowly, almost as if she was waiting for him to stop her and argue and tell she was wrong about everything.

Only he didn't. The soft click of her door closing had him leaving the bathroom, staring down the corridor to where he could hear the faint sound of her cries. The sound haunted him as he laid awake in what was supposed to be, but never was 'his' bed and when she eventually stopped he figured she must be asleep. 

"Let me go check on her." Braydon mumbled to himself.

'No. We need to stay away now.'

And so he was stuck, two parts of himself in a battle neither of them wanted to be in.

-x-

Bright morning light nearly blinded Braydon when he woke up, not remembering actually falling asleep. Instantly he got up, trying to work it out if the night before had just been nothing more than a bad dream. Considering his location, he didn't like his chances and ran to Miranda's room. The door was still shut tight and knocking once, twice, he opened it cautiously.

She wasn't there.

The bed was made and few bits of clothing had been thrown in in a pile near the wardrobe door. Closing his eyes, panic tore his emotional wounds open and any will power he had to stay strong left him as he choked back a sob. 

She wasn't in the apartment.

Running to the front door, he froze at the sight of the two boxes that sat by the TV and getting to the kitchen, nearly ripped the piece of paper in half as he unfolded it. If he felt heartbroken last night, this was worse.

Dear Braydon,

 I can't do it. I can't be here to say goodbye. I'm sorry, but it's better this way. I hope you'll agree. Take what ever you want. I boxed up your movies and playstation, there is a suitcase in the wardrobe where your clothes are so just take it.

Carolina will be here to help you move around ten. 

Braydon looked up at the clock and saw it was only quarter to now. How long ago had she left? Why hadn't he woken up?

Say hi to Chad for me and I know you'll help all of them as much as they will help you. 've done my part and wish you nothing other than a happy, long future. You deserve it. Really you do. This is how it's supposed to be, with them is where you belong. You are free to really be yourself, with people like you. You won't have to lie about who you really are or what you can do. No more secrets (but don't worry, I won't tell a soul. I promise!) and Wolfy can come out when ever too :) You're free now.

Good bye Braydon, I will miss you.

Andy
xoxo

It wasn't the kind of letter that inspired tragic love stories, but large, wet drops had the ink smudging as he realised that this was it. She was gone and that was the only goodbye he was going to get. The worst part was, Jason had been right only Braydon's days weren't numbered, they had expired completely. A sense of loneliness hit him then, the loss maybe even worse than when he lost his parents.

The note was ripped apart and thrown in the trash and sliding down the wall, Braydon didn't move until the clock ticked over to ten and right on time, there was a knock on the door. The knocking turned to banging, and as the doorknob was turned, Miranda had left it unlocked and in came Carolina with Chad.

"Oh Braydon!" Carolina instantly fell to her knees beside him, while Chad stood back awkwardly. "I really am sorry about all of this."

Braydon looked at her through blurry eyes, and he wanted to hate her. He wanted to scream at her and blame her for everything. Miranda was right too. He had wanted that kiss, it's why he never ended it as quick as he should have and as Carolina held him close, he tried to remind himself that this was the right thing to do.

Even if it didn't feel like it right now.

---------

All I can say is, the story isn't over yet....