A/N: I hope you have your tissues.

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After getting everything and paying for the bill, Xavier and I walked out of the restaurant holding hands.

On the way back to the pack house, I was quiet, too quiet, and I could tell that Xavier was worried.

My mind felt blank but was going a mile a minute as I processed all of the new information I had received from Donovan, Joel's father.

Three days... I only had three days to get out unless I wanted Camen to kill Xavier, and that was not enough time. It meant that I had to get into an argument with him and make him think that I had turned against him overnight.

This weight appeared on my shoulders as my heart clenched with dread. All of the populations were counting on me to get this right and fix the mistake that I had let live longer than I should have.

It meant that I had to give up the happiness that I had found and might never get back, no matter how hard I wanted to be with the source of my joy.

I could feel Xavier's gaze on me as I pulled into the garage but didn't meet it. Both of my hands were on the steering wheel, and I didn't realize how tight I was holding onto it until after I let go.

"Ca-"

"Can you put the food in the house please?" I asked, my voice clipped. I internally winced when he winced but stayed stone cold on the outside. "I need to check on the kids."

Xavier let out a frustrated growl as he moved a hand across his face. "Is that all?" he asked in a tone that I prayed I'd never had to hear again. It was dark and filled with anger, an anger that he was feeling with me because I did not give him any reason why I was acting like some stuck bitch.

"Yes, thank you," I replied. I handed him the keys and opened the door, making sure that I didn't touch him as I walked out of the car.

"Ca-" he began again before stopping when I slammed the door shut and walked quickly away from the car.

I turned on the earpiece and felt only Charlie on the line. 'Is everyone except you gone?' I asked, practically running up the steps.

'Yes,' he replied. 'I had told Commander to call them back to the main base. He is curious but will not ask because I said that you had planned something and needed them gone.'

I sighed, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted. This was putting too much strain on my body, but I knew that it would be worth it in the end. 'Thank you,' I said, letting him hear the exhaustion in my voice.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' he asked.

'Yes,' I replied, instantly. 'This is all my fault. If I had read his file, to begin with...' I couldn't finish that sentence and shook my head, grimacing. The guilt was eating me alive, and I knew that things could have gone differently.

'Then things could have gone differently, and you could have been killed by your own mate,' Charlie said. 'Don't think that some or all of this is your fault. It isn't.'

'Bu-'

'Do you want me to send you his file?' he asked, interrupting me.

I stayed silent as I checked on all three kids before going into my shared bedroom with Xavier. I closed my eyes and took in his sweet scent before opening them. 'I want to know what group he is affiliated with, if he is affiliated with any, besides the packs, who he is affiliated with, and the bare minimum that won't make me kill him the first time I see him again.'

Charlie stayed silent as I got stuff ready for a shower and took off the jewelry, dress, and shoes. 'Done,' he said just as my tablet went off with a ding.

I grabbed the tablet, walked into the bathroom, put everything besides the tablet down and got the water started before going back and locking the door. 'Thanks, Charlie,' I said, opening the two metal pieces to reveal the glass tablet. 'You are the best.'

'I know,' he replied. 'I know that I am the best.'

I rolled my eyes but stayed silent as I got into the shower, grateful that the tablet was waterproof, and did my business while I was doing something that I should have done in the beginning.

And boy, was I pissed.

***

"What are you doing?" Xavier asked, coming into the room, about thirty minutes after my shower. His voice was void of any emotion as he watched me stick clothes into one of the bags I had gotten from the Guardsmen.

"I am leaving," I replied, coldly, shoving my staffs into my bag. "Tonight. I will get everything else later."

Xavier stiffened behind me. His heartbeat started to beat faster as he became hurt and somewhat angry. "Why?" he asked, the hurt prominent in his voice.

I sighed and closed my eyes, pausing. I couldn't tell him the truth, but I couldn't lie either. I hated lying, and I was a terrible liar to those that I cared about. "Because there was a monster underneath my nose, and I didn't know about it."

"Then... where are you going?" His voice shook from pain, and I could tell that he thought I was talking about him.

"Back to Camen," I replied, grabbing my gun. I opened it to make sure that there were silver bullets in it before closing it and stuffing it my bag.

"Why?" he asked, growling. "Why are you going back to that asshole?"

"Why not?" I asked, finishing packing my bag. I zipped it up and slung it on my shoulder while I turned to my "lover." "He is my mate, and I am the Luna of that pack."

"But you rejected him."

"I did," I confirmed.

"And you are going back to him."

"I am."

"And?"

I raised an eyebrow. "And... what?" I asked.

"Do you love him?" he asked.

"Once," I replied, shrugging my shoulder. I didn't go into any more detail while Xavier waited for me to elaborate.

Xavier studied me before snorting and shaking his head. A look of hurt flashed across his face before it turned to stone. "You still do," he said. He licked his lips, and it took all of my willpower not to kiss him on the lips and tell him the words that I had been dying to tell him. "What about me?"

"What about you?" I asked. I tightened my grip on my bag, praying that he would let me go.

Again, Xavier shook his head and pursed his lips. "Were you just playing with my feelings?" he asked. "Do you not care about me at all?"

I stayed silent. I wanted to tell him that I did. I wanted to tell him that I was scared for his safety and that I needed to leave, but I didn't. I just stayed silent.

Xavier took a step towards me, his whole body posture changing. Anger started to come off of him in waves, and his blue eyes turned lighter. "Do you think that I am a monster?" he asked, his tone darker. "Is that why you decided to play with my emotions?"

Still, I stayed silent. I made sure that my face was blank and kept my emotions in check. I didn't need him to know that I was planning something to protect him and everyone else from the monster that I once shared a bed with.

Xavier studied me, his mood turning darker and darker with each passing moment of me not speaking. He set his jaw and growled out this ferocious growl that I had never heard from him before. "You are just like her, aren't you?" he asked, darkly. He took another threatening step forwards and sneered, his blue eyes flashing brighter and to his wolf side. "I should have known." He spat that with pure venom that it took all of my willpower not to flinch or take a step back. He was angry, and I had not faced his anger this way before this moment.

I kept my face blank as I watched him draw closer and closer to me. I knew that Charlie was nearby watching the whole thing fold out and could sense his worry. "I am?" I asked stunned that my voice didn't shake. I was nervous and getting scared because I had never seen this part of him directed towards me. I had no idea what he would be capable of and prayed that nothing bad would happen.

"Yes," he said, nodding his head. "Do you want to see how much of a monster I can be?" He wrenched my bag from my grasp and threw it out the window. He ignored the startled gasp that came from my mouth as I took a step back. He took a step forward and raised his hand, and I knew that he was going to slap me.

'I have a tranq gun pointed at him. Get out of my way so I can shoot him,' Charlie said, his voice quivering with anger. 'Then, let's go.'

I took a step towards the window and held my hands up, covering my face. I had no idea what was going to happen, but I knew that I couldn't let Charlie hurt Xavier, not after the damage I caused. I caused him to have more self-doubt by not speaking or giving him the attention that he so desperately craved."Don't," I said, praying that they both would stop.

Xavier stopped about an inch from my face and clenched his hand together as he let it drop to his side. He turned his back towards me as he controlled his anger better than I thought he would. "Go," he said, his voice shaking. "Before I hit you."

I almost let out a sob of relief before starting to make my way out of the room, grateful that he was able to stop before he slapped me.

"Cassandra," Xavier called, his voice not the same when he normally called out my name. No, this tone was filled with this deep hatred that I knew he felt for me.

I stopped and turned my head in his direction. I didn't look at him, knowing full well that if I did, then I wouldn't be able to leave his side.

He took a step towards me, his scent filling my nose. "If you ever set foot on my pack lands again, then I will find a way to kill you. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head, my heart breaking. I knew that he wasn't lying. I didn't speak because I knew that if I did, then Xavier would probably know that something might be up. I knew that my voice would crack as this wave of pain and grief washed over me and almost pulled me under.

"Good, now get out of my sight."

I didn't reply and did just that. As soon as I made it past the doors to the front of the house, I started running with tears in my eyes.

All the while, I could feel his burning gaze on my back until the trees and darkness swallowed me whole, leaving my heart and my love behind.