Pride and Ashes - S01 E30

Story 2 years ago

Pride and Ashes - S01 E30

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 30

In which it's Goodbye

He stepped down,

Trying not to look long at her,

as if she was the sun, yet

He saw her like the sun,

Even without looking

-Anna Karenina

Airplane.

I had never seen one before, yet I had heard of the strange object that was able to hang suspended within the sky. Like a bird.

I had read books and manuals about them- the engines and different parts- trying to discern what exactly held it up.

Now that I was seeing one in real life though, with my own eyes, it suddenly became very painful for me to recall all the logical information that I had learned.

It won't fall, I reasoned to myself.

Just to be sure though, I went to the pilot and asked very politely, if I could walk around.

Alto had laughed at this but he felt my anxiety and let me go ahead.

The pilot, strangely protective of his plane, let me check the log books, fuel and answered without hesitation the weather forecast for our destination. Some small remote place in Europe.

I shivered at the idea of going to a different continent. 1

I knew part of me was delaying the inevitable as I insisted upon checking the plane.

Alto watched all of this, trying his best to soothe my mind.

I felt skittish. Nervous.

He also felt uneasy. I knew he was trying to hide it, but his feelings through the bond could not contain themselves from me. We had not yet mastered the art of concealment from each other.

He wanted to know what his father had really told me. I wanted to tell him. I felt it on the tip of my tongue, but every time I worked up the courage to speak, my mouth shut. Like an involuntary motion, I could not say the words nor think them within Alto's presence. Just like the King had said. Some small part of me was relieved that the secret was safe.

Another was dying that I even had a secret to hide from Alto.

Not but two months into our relationship and we were already lying and hiding things from each other.

I thought back to those sweet first weeks. How easy it had seemed. We were both entranced with the idea of each other and the thought of a life mate. I remembered our dance at the Blue Moon Ceremony. That was probably my favorite memory of us.

Finally, it came.

The time to say goodbye. 5

Jane and Lizzy waited on the plane while Alto and I stood near the steps. The scene reminded me of one of the cheesy romance movies Lizzy sometimes was able to force me to watch.

I wrapped my arms around him, completing the picture of the romance movie sequence.

"Why can't you go with us?" I whispered.

"I want to. But I don't think I'll be able to leave if I'm there. I won't have a good enough excuse to go back."

I nodded. It made some part of me angry that he was leaving me alone, but another part understood how hard it was upon both our ends.

I leaned forward as he met me.

Who knew when the next time we kissed would be.

"Don't forget to write," I gasped as I started to pull away. 33

"I won't." I clenched my teeth as I saw and felt the pain within his eyes.

"I love you, Fayette," I froze upon the steps of the plane, looking down at him. His eyes were sure and meant every word.

"I...I love you Alto," I choked back the sob that was about to escape. His breath hitched and I saw his foot about the ascend the stairs. I felt his intention to reach for me, grab me and pull me away. To hide me within the castle and to never let me go. His dominant wolf howled inside, surfacing and letting me meet him for the first time. He howled in pain at the idea of letting me go voluntarily. He could protect me, his eyes said.

"Goodbye," I whispered hurriedly, knowing if I didn't leave soon we would never depart and would end up with Alto kidnapping me altogether.

The doors began to close and I watched from the window as Alto shook with uncontrollable rage and sorrow. His wolf surfacing out.

I saw in the distance the black form of what looked to be some animal, running after the flying plane, no hope of catching up to it.

Over the roar of the engine, I thought I heard the unmistakable howl of a wolf- crying his despair and sorrow over and over for the world to hear.