Twilight Rogue: Family Bonds part 2 (4/5)

POV: Ashely

I couldn’t hear him when he muttered under his breath before going into a deep sleep laying on top of me like a weighted blanket. Or maybe I did, and my mind still filled with doubts chose to ignore his words. I held him tightly in my arms, rubbing my fingers through his hair down his back while glancing out the window. Last night had turned into a direct attacked on the packhouse everybody was alright, but Uncle Ty lost one of his guys. Everybody didn’t leave bed until late that evening, and while the guys were coming up with a battle plan, we were trying to figure out a way to help with Uncle Ty’s health. Jazz always wanted to be a nurse, so the fact she had research on different illnesses came in handy. Melissa and Miley stayed at his bedside, taking close care of him as he only got weaker and more tried after last’s night mayhem. I went to his office hoping to find something anything that would help only to find a single one letter on his desk. He never really leaves out information, especially if it’s essential. I stared at it for a moment before deciding to open it up and read it once I did. I ran upstairs to his room.

“Did you know about this?” I asked

“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Miley asked

“He’s been letting Marcus poison him for the letters,” I said

“I figured that he told me without actually saying it,” Miley said, looking at him sleeping peacefully, “I’d die for family. He wants everybody back, but he made the selfish choice of leaving himself out of the picture in hopes of bringing his sister back. Meanwhile, Marcus is trying to burn away all ties to your mom and our side of the family, but I don’t think he gets that even though he could do that he’ll always be connected to us because of you,” She said

“So, what are you trying to say?” I asked

“If my dad dies because of Marcus, then I don’t know if I look at you the same way. It’s not your fault, but you’re a part of him you’re his daug...” She said

“No. I am nothing like him,” I said

“I know that. That’s why it hurts seeing him like this, and you’re a victim, but because you are related to him and us, it’s like if you weren’t around then...” She started

I walked out, unable to process her words; everything felt like it was on me. I walked into the room, hoping Leon was around to find it empty. I was alone again, lying on the bed, curling up into a ball. The doubts about my relationship and the guilt of just being alive their words replayed in my head, and all of this would be happening now. I couldn’t stay at Uncle Ty’s house. I felt like I wasn’t welcomed there anymore. I went home to our cabin in the woods away from everything and everybody, hidden away in our room surrounded by my mother’s letters hoping to find something just anything that could help me feel better about the situation. I spent hours reading through the second to the third bin of letters, and then I found one not to me from my mom but from Marcus to her. I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to write her, but this was different. Maybe this was the real him before everything that happened. Still, I didn’t think I would find anything more than just a letter full of hate and spite instead I got;

Hey Emily. I know it’s been a while since I last saw you since I did anything involving you, really. I don’t know. Lately, I’ve been having some doubts about everything that happened. My parents had me believe that I was doing the right thing, but I don’t know. I was never good with words or expressing myself unless I was with you. Everything felt simple when I was with you, and now I’m trying to raise this little girl without you. I should have never got cought up in their bull shit saying that this was my destiny, and fate wanted us to be together like an idiot I believed them to the point of letting it consume me. I grew obsessed with you; an unhealthy one to everything just had to be you. And when we found out you were pregnant, I was so happy, but you wanted to go through with the right of passage even though we were already happy together sure the full moons were a shit show, but we’d go through it together. I had a feeling my parents did something while you were recovering from giving birth. I saw them walking out of the room with a large stack of papers, but I didn’t say anything. The night we turned a part of me wanted to run without you, and when I forced my head to stand by your side, you were already gone with every part of me that you once loved was gone with you. I grew cold, and now I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m scared. Marcus.

I couldn’t believe it, and yet I could remember growing up he wasn’t a bad dad. Looking back, it wasn’t until I turned sixteen asking to do the right of passage was when his control measures were in place. Was he afraid that I’d end up like him? Is that why he changed and became controlling like that? I see why he has a hard time with the concepts of mates he still hasn’t found his mate, and he wasted so much time with his obsession with my mother he hasn’t found the will power to let her go.

“Marcus Anthony Turner, who are you?” I asked myself

I kept on reading sadly I wasn’t able to find another one of his letters, but I found a lot of hers reminiscing on the past when the two were younger. I found myself laughing at the idea of Marcus dancing like an idiot in a dress at their prom or him climbing up an oak tree trying to give her flowers while she was having a bad day. She’d go on to describe their relationship as nothing more than a dream come true, an honest fairy-tale like, relationship, that was always too good to be true. She described the relationship with him and Uncle Ty as nothing more than brothers always looking after each other. She talked about how one day, Ty was bullied by someone. Marcus came out of nowhere and knock out the bully until his friends showed up, that’s when Uncle Ty jumped in. The two kicked the ass of the entire football team, and even though they got their ass handed to him by their parents when they got home. They both agreed it was worth it. Page after page, letter after letter, it seemed like there was nothing else to say he had her than he lost her after that he wanted her gone for good, but every time he’d look at me: I grew cold. I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I sighed, putting away the letters before turning on the radio, and the song that was playing was ironically the perfect song ever for this moment.

I had all and then most of you

Some and now none of you

I don’t know what I’m supposed to do

Haunted by the ghost of you

Oh, take me back...

Pov: Marcus

“Hate that fucking song,” I said turning the radio station off

I’ve been driving around for what felt like days I was exhausted, and yet I didn’t want to return home, not to that silence, not again. I drove past Black’s house for the twenth-time in the past forty-eight hours. My heartfelt heavy knowing that I wasn’t just there to see everybody’s reaction to my threat but to see if Ashely was okay. Even after disowning her, I ended up ‘following’ her or stalking if you want to get to the point without her knowledge and making sure she was safe away from Emily’s side of the family. I don’t know what happened to me and the man I used to be maybe I was dead inside after Emily left but once Ashely had moved out, the rest of me died too. I’ve been drinking and smoking to avoid feeling anything, being numb was for the best right now. Once I found out she was staying at the packhouse, I knew it was a matter of time that she’d find out who Black was to her. I didn’t think she’d moved on getting her last name changed so fast once she did find out. It seemed like I was the one forgotten about...again. I laid my head on my steering wheel before glancing up to see Leon taking off like a madman. Once more, I carefully followed up behind the boy who took my daughter away from me. He slowed down, shifting human once he got to this two-floor log cabin in the middle of the forest. I stayed there for the rest of the night than the day came along, followed by the afternoon and early evening, but then something happened. Ashely ran out of the house, shifting into the woods. Like a crazed stalker, I got out the car and carefully followed behind her keeping my distance so I wouldn’t scare her off...at least not this time. She ended up at the highest possible point outside the city, sitting on the edge of a cliff in human form.

“Mom. I don’t know if you could hear me, I never tried anything like this before, but I heard it helps to connect people when you talk to the moon like this so I thought I should try it out since...I need your advice on something,” She started, “Leo...Leon wants to try a run, and I don’t know how to feel about it anymore. I was so sure at first, and then I started reading your letters and the concept of forced mates and what Jazz said a few days ago, and now I just feel like I’m doubting everything right now, even my existence. So many times in your letters you say this wasn’t the way things were supposed to turn out and now my former dad is trying to kill my Uncle because he's trying to burn away the heartache that was caused by you and I’m trapped in the middle of it. I wish I could see you and talk to you because this is something I can’t handle alone. Maybe I wasn’t born out of love like you said I was, or maybe I am broken, and Leon is just trying to put me back together like some kind of project. I just wish I could get a sign telling me that I am supposed to be here,” She said

Just then, a light cool breeze went by, and as if by some miracle a piece a paper flew by her when she caught it and looked over it alight-hearted laugh came over her, “You got jokes, huh mom?” She asked, “A drawing of a Poke ball? Thanks for listening,” She said getting up and shifting running back home as fast as she could

By the time I got back there, he already had her his embrace. Both were laughing and smiling as they should. Leon was spinning her around before putting her down, staring in her eyes before kissing her deeply. He picked her up once more this time as if he was carrying his wife inside their home.

“Only if it could’ve ended that way for us, huh Emily?” I quietly asked myself