After exchanging a few more hugs, I stared at the door Riff closed behind our visitors with tears burning my eyes. Ky followed me into my bedroom with a soft whine, watching me put the blanket away at the bottom of my bag. With a sigh, I repacked the clothes I took out and returned my emergency bag to its spot in my closet. Swallowing nervously, I returned to the table to grab the photo album, looking at the last picture again. Biting my lip, an instinct had me pull the image out and flip it over.
‘Hey, bunny, I’m sorry you don’t remember me, but if werewolves are real, why can’t witches be as well? Most are nice, unlike the stories, and only agree to mess with memories to protect the recipient. But I digress. I’m sure it took me a while to get you here, and not from a lack of trying. You’re stubborn, but you get that from me. I tried to imagine how you feel but I cannot fathom the pain and confusion you must feel. This was our spot, even in the rain you dragged me out to it. We built forts, played hide and seek, and tag, and I taught you how to kick ass at chess here. You’ve always loved puzzles, so here you go, bunny. Have fun, and if what I hoped to put in place works, I’ll be around. Love you more, Jaxy.’
Staring at the small, neat handwriting, my heart ached while I tried to recall the young man from the pictures in my memories. Each one came up empty, and I bit my lip while tears stung my eyes. Sniffling, I brushed the swings in the picture with a bitter smile, and as if from a distance, I heard a young girl shout, “higher Jaxy!” The soft chuckle from before filled my mind, and a single tear escaped to roll down my cheek. Who am I, and who was he to me?
With a shuddering sigh, I put the photo back and chewed my bottom lip while looking at the one on the previous page. With a determined nod, I pulled it out and closed my eyes before flipping it over.
‘I will guess it took you less than two minutes to determine that if one picture had a note, the rest might as well. Marvelous job, bunny! Most of the deliberating time was because you tried to recall how I fit into your life, huh? Sorry, bunny, I know you very, very well. It hurt, taking these memories from you, but they assured me they might come back someday. Yup, not erased, merely blocked, so perhaps one day you’ll get them back. It’s up to you, Angel. Again, I digress, and I can hear you scolding me, bunny. I think that’s what I will miss the most. I don’t have a choice, however. They will kill me to hurt the pack. I know they will, and I wish I could change things because I know this hurts you, but I cannot. Still, I know you’ll buckle down and be strong because you are the strongest person I know. You just have that low self-esteem that all omegas struggle with. Mine, since I was born into a pack, disappeared by your age. So, I’m playing with numbers going with how stubborn you are, I’m guessing you’re close to eighteen? Am I right? I totally am, and I know it. Still, by your age, the pack enabled me to see I am important and loved, needed even, so I grew up comfortable in my skin. But you, my little bunny, you’ve always scratched and itched because you think you’re a mistake. You’re not. Never, ever, let anyone convince you that you’re a mistake, bunny. Especially not those goddamn bastards! God, I hate them. Peter and… nope, I hate him too much to write his name. He watches you so closely that I want to kill Peter for exposing you to that slimy snake. Ah crap, I’m out of room, and I even wrote smaller. Dammit. Love you more than most, Jaxy.’
A soft laugh escaped my throat while I imagined the beautiful young man scowling at the picture as if it were its fault for being too short for any more words to fit. Jaxy, the name was so familiar, yet even with seeing his face, I couldn’t put the two together in my mind. Swallowing nervously, I replaced that picture to grab the next one.
‘I have so much to tell you, bunny, but not enough space to do so. Lame. I will not give away what I mean to you, not yet. But, please, take care of Dakota for me. I know he must hurt something fierce, especially seeing you walk around looking like me. If I were still alive, we would have twin days. Ha! Just because we are omegas, darling, doesn’t mean we cannot have fun stirring up trouble. It comes with the territory, actually. Silly Kyler will find that out the hard way. Fun fact, an omega comfortable in their worth can sense if a pair are mates.
You never met Kyler, but I came across you directly after leaving him and knew you’d get stuck with him. He needs you, bunny, but no one will fight that more than him. He thinks he’s king shit, whereas you believe yourself to be lower than low. You’re opposites in all the right ways. He is selfish and childish, while you, my beloved bunny, are mature and selfless. Unless cookies are involved. Then you hoard like no other. Still, if he rejected you, and I know he did, it’s because he doesn’t want the responsibility of a mate. It has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with his inability to see past himself. Knock him about a bit, and perhaps one
