Ethan

A month passed and there was still no sign of Mia. I had to admit I was impressed with her ability to hid out. After some further digging we discovered she took a huge lump sum of money out of her account. There would be no reason for her to use credit cards for a while. And if she did, there was a chance she put her money on a pre-paid card. Shawn was still keeping any eye out on social media, but no one had posted about spotting her out and about either. She also stopped answering her phone, for any one Shawn and Beth included.

Meanwhile, everything with me was getting worse, in addition to my anxiety, sleepless nights and loss of appetite, I was currently experiencing a feeling I couldn't quite place. I had summoned the pack doctor to my room to examine me and figure out what was happening.

"Hi, Alpha." Dr. Anderson said after she entered the room. "What seems to be the trouble today."

"I think I might be running a fever or something. I'm hot and I can't get comfortable no matter what I do." I said pacing around my bedroom.

"Hmhm..." she said feeling my forehead.

"You don't feel like you have a fever. Alpha forgive me for asking but have you and Luna Mia...consummated your relationship?" She asked hesitantly.

"No. We haven't and what does that have to do with anything?" I asked my patience running thin. I really had no patience for anything now a days.

"Well, if you haven't consummated the relationship and..." she glanced at my neck, "I see she still hasn't marked you yet. You're going through heat. "

"What!"

"Think of it as nature's way of speeding up the mating process."

"How long is this going to last?" I knew a female heat could last anywhere from 2-7 days. And if I was going to feel like this and increasingly worse for that amount of time I was not looking forward to it.

She shrugged, "It depends on how long Mia's heat cycles usually last. The heat is designed to happen to both of you at the same time."

"Shit." I muttered as I tried to recall everything I learned in school related to heat. I knew I was going to be horny to the point of uncomfortableness and have a sever urge to mate with Mia. However, since she wasn't nearby I wasn't sure how I was going to be affected.

I briefly wondered if Jenny would be able to help me with this but quickly dismissed that thought as my wolf was not having it. I had no clue how long Mia's heat was going to last, maybe about the same amount of time as a human heat? But I didn't know that time frame either. So basically, I was in for a few days of torture and there was nothing I could do about it.

***********

MIA

When I first left my wolf was on edge and I felt anxious and I spent a couple of restless nights. As time went on the anxious remained and I didn't have much of an appetite and I wasn't sleeping very well.

Once I landed in L.A. I made a total of 3 stops, I went to the bank to withdraw as much money as possible, I went to my condo to gather some clothes, and I went back to the airport and immediately hopped on a flight to Georgia. As much as I missed my house I didn't want to spend too much time in L.A. because I knew that would be the first place everyone would look.

My family was from a small town in South Georgia and that's where I was headed. Even though it had been a year since my family passed I still had yet to clean out my parents' house and put it on the market. I made the mortgage payment each month and the other household bills but hadn't stepped foot back in the house. Now was the perfect time.

When I got to the house I sat outside for what seem like hours trying to prepare myself to go in. When I went inside all of that preparation I did in the car went out the window. I almost felt physically crushed by the silence in the house. I didn't allow the feeling to linger and I got right to work cleaning the thick layer of dust that had settled all around the house. It kept my mind occupied so I wouldn't think about my family or my situation with Ethan. But once the cleaning was finished it all came crashing down on me and I sunk to the floor near in hysterics crying. I must have cried myself to sleep because next think I know I was waking up. I guess Beth was only partially right, I definitely needed to heal but the healing needed to be done at home, not in the woods.

I pulled myself together and started the long and difficult task of cleaning out my parents' house. Having to sort through the belongings of my parents and my sister has to be the hardest thing I've done in my life. Going through the change ranked second compared to this. It took me two weeks to get through it all. I had things packed up in boxes to donate. I didn't want to sell anything I didn't need the money and I know my family would be happy to have their belongings go to people in need. I also packed up some sentimental items to hold on to.

I think that my wolf somehow knew I needed time the anxiousness a had been feeling wasn't so bad and I was able to eat and sleep like a normal person. I wondered if morning my family would ever get easier. They say time heals all wounds, but this wound was massive, and I wasn't sure there was enough time on Earth that could make me feel better.

"Mia! Are you ok?" Beth's voice rang in my ear after she picked up the phone. I had been away from the pack house for just about a month and I kept my contact with Beth and Shawn limited since I knew Ethan was probably grilling them for information the less they knew the easier it was to avoid answering him.

"I'm ok. I have been at my parents' place packing up the house. I was going to put it on the market, but I think instead I am going to donate it to a local women's shelter. Maybe the woman can use it to transaction to their new lives."

"That's a great idea. So, does that mean you are on your way back here?"

"No. I am going to take a vacation...a real one. I am not sure where I plan on going just yet, but I will call and let you know when I get there." I was lying I knew exactly where I was going. I always wanted to go to Jamaica. In fact, my honeymoon was going to be there. Unfortunately, I would now be making the trip alone, but I felt like some sand and sun would do me good. I made reservations at a beach house for 3 weeks. I wasn't sure how long I was truly going to say or when my wolf might reappear and make my life hell again, but 3 weeks seemed like a reasonable amount of time to get some rest. "I was calling because I wanted to let you know I am having a few boxes shipped to the pack house. I was hoping you could grab them and put them in my room? It's some of the things from my parents' house that I wanted to keep."

"Sure, but you know that as soon as Ethan gets wind of the boxes he is going to be on your door step." Beth warned.

"I know. And I am not worried. As soon as I hang up with you I am off to FedEx to ship and then straight to the airport. I'll be long gone by the time he gets here."

*****

I sighed as I sipped my rum and coke and leaned back on my beach chair to soak up the sun. I had made it to Jamaica three days ago and had done nothing but be a bum and lay on the beach in my bikini. The house I rented had a private beach, so I wasn't concerned about running into any fans who might blow my cover. I could admit though that I was starting to get a little lonely. It had been over a month since I left the pack and most of that time I had spent alone. In addition to that I think I was going through heat. I was restless, and hot and horny. It was so bad I could hardly stand myself.

Trying to ignore it wasn't working, masturbating only worked for a moment and I was at the point where I was ready to see if I could find someone to get my groove back with and satisfy this craving. I remember reading in the books that if I did sleep with someone else Ethan would be able to feel it in some way. I am pretty sure I felt the pain of him sleeping with someone, but it was so close to my change that I am not sure if it was pain from the change I was feeling or pain from his betrayal.

I sighed and sipped some more of my drink. There was a fine brotha who kept flirting with me any time I went to the neighborhood market to pick up groceries. He didn't seem to know who I was, although he could just be pretending, that didn't stop me from being tempted. He'd asked me out a couple of times but I kept turning him down. There was a mutual attraction between us but I wasn't sure if I wanted to take that next step. Truth be told, Theo was the only man I'd ever slept with and even though he was gone, I still felt like I would be cheating on him.

Before I left I had been reading up on all things Were, unfortunately I couldn't remember all the details. I decided to text Shawn to ask him some advice. "Hypothetically, if I wanted to sleep with someone other than my mate. Would I be able to and would it be satisfying?"

It took him almost a full hour to respond, "Well, hello to you too. I haven't spoken to you in ages and this is what you send? My feelings are hurt."

"Sorry! You know I love you, Shawn. Now answer my question. lol"

"I am going to assume you are going through heat? Ethan is too."

I rolled my eyes, I could care less about Ethan. "I really don't care."

"I know you don't. You can sleep with someone else, it won't take away the ache as thoroughly as a mate would."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, Ethan has doomed me to a life of being single? Would I never be able to fall in love and have a family? It seemed like I was destined to be stuck with someone who didn't want me and that was a depressing thought.

"Where are you, Mia? I am worried about you."

I smiled, I missed Shawn he is a great person, but I couldn't tell him anything that might get back to Ethan.

"I miss you to Shawn. But you know I can't tell you anything."

"When do you plan on coming back?"

"Soon.... maybe." 

"Ethan is not doing well at all without you. He's not eating, not sleeping and he is so moody that everyone is trying to avoid him at all costs. I hope you are faring better than him."

Reading this made the wolf in me upset and even more anxious. I was tempted to ask more questions about his condition. Instead I turned my phone off and tossed it in my bag. I was determined to enjoy the rest of my time on the island without interference.