Chapter 22

**ELLA**

When it was time to leave, I said my goodbyes to my friend with tears in my eyes. She may be a witch, but I will be forever grateful to her for helping me and my son. I hid the gold bell she gave me yesterday, and when we get back, I will make sure to take back my necklace as well. He may not want me to wear it again but it is a gift from my mother and I will not allow him to destroy it.
The ride back was silent, I had my eyes constantly pinned on my son who was sleeping in my arms. Jonathan has never spoken to me again after the hot episode in his room, but I don't pay attention to him either. I know I'm to blame for the whole situation and he's obviously angry with me, but my pride got scratched when he decided to reject me and I don't think I want to try again. On the contrary, I want to make him come to me. If he knew how much I missed him all this time, things might have been different. Cole told me that he didn't stop looking for me. Even Jonathan himself told me he was ready to forgive me but now everything changed because I hid from him the fact that I was pregnant. I made a lot of mistakes, I know it but I don't regret trying to keep my child safe or at least that's what I thought was the right thing to do.
After several hours in the car, I finally recognized the familiar landscape in front of me, we are close to the pack. I can't wait to meet my friends again. When the car stopped in front of the house I saw all my friends were there and waiting for us.
Without leaving my son out of my arms, I got out of the car and immediately found myself in Mia's arms. Her body was trembling with her crying and I stroked her hair.
"I missed you so much," she said among her sobs.
"Me too, I am sorry I disappeared."
She lifted her head and smiled at me. She wiped her tears with the inversion of her palm and turned her gaze to Wyatt.
"Hey, little one. How are you?"
But because my little boy, who is not used to seeing so many people gathered, hid his face on my neck and did not answer her.
"Ella, how glad I am that you came back. When Cole told me they found you I couldn't believe it." Olivia almost jumped from her joy beside me.
"He was saying the truth, your son is a little Jonathan." She kept talking.
"Olivia," I told her in one word and I hugged her with one hand.
"I am sorry but I have to take Wyatt inside."
"Yes, yes we can go." The girls said at the same time.
With the tip of my eye, I had seen that Jonathan had already walked into the house, the truth is that as things stand I do not want to go to the room we were sharing before I left, which is why as we started climbing the stairs I stood on the first floor.
"Is my old room empty?"
Mia and Olivia looked at each other and then the second one replied.
"Yes, of course. We had an order not to get in there."
It seemed strange to me that they had such an order, but I did not pay more attention, I proceeded down the hallway with the girls following me. I felt their gaze pinned on my back until I opened the door and walked in. Everything was exactly the same, there had absolutely nothing changed. Even the box I had hidden my necklace was on the bedside table as I had left it the night I left. However, there was no trace of dust in the area, so they must have come in and cleaned it.
I let Wyatt stand on his feet and bent down to talk to him.
"Are you hungry my love?"
"Yes."
"Do you want us to go to the kitchen to make whatever you want to eat?." Olivia spoke from behind and Wyatt looked at her.
"Let's go, we'll tell your Dad to eat with us." She continued and immediately my little one's face was lit up when he heard of his father.
"Go with Aunt Olivia while I'm arranging our things and then I'll come to find you. Agreed?"
Olivia stretched out her hand and Wyatt grabbed it and they left the room; when the door closed the question that burned my best friend for so long could not wait any longer.
"What happened? Why wouldn't you go to Jonathan's room?"
I turned to look at her with a heavy heart because I had to admit out loud what the situation was. As much as I don't like it, it's the reality.
"He doesn't want me anymore."
"Don't make jokes."
"Do you see me laughing Mia? Jonathan hasn't forgiven him for hiding Wyatt's existence."
I sat in bed and started telling my friend about what happened from the moment I left here when I went back to our old pack and found nothing. This memory brought tears to her eyes, but she didn't interrupt me. I kept telling her about when I found Esmeralda and everything that happened in those two years. At the end of it, I left the part where I saw Jonathan and Cole near the cabin where I was staying on the mountain until the moment of his rejection.
"Look, I don't know why he did that. Obviously he's angry with you, but I know what I was seeing here. I could see him losing himself silently, he was constantly angry with everyone. Even Blake couldn't chat with him. He was coming to this room many nights, so he forbade us to enter."
I had lowered my head and listened carefully to her, but I wanted to ask her the question which was pinned on my mind.
"You know if all this time, he had someone?"
"What are you talking about? You would felt it anyway."
"I don't know, maybe the necklace didn't let me feel like it was with the rest of the feelings."
My friend started laughing and I looked at her with my eyebrow raised.
"You have no idea. Of course, they approached him several times but trust me he was ready to take their heads off."
"And why are you laughing?"
"You weren't here to see their reactions, one fainted when he growled at her and I had to go and pick her up from his office." She told me and I can say that I felt better. Although Aria wants to find them and have her way with those who dare to flirt with him, she has to wait.
"Your princess?" I asked out of the blue because I want to change the subject and I want to get to meet her after all.
"She's in my room with Blake's mother. Let's go."
Mia led me to her room where we found a woman with slightly gray hair, thin but at the same time her body seemed well trained and ready for a battle.
"Luna." She told me and lowered her eyes.
"Please, you can call me Ella," I told her and she smiled at me.
"I am very pleased to finally meet you, my name is Cassandra. Mia Aurora just woke up, I was about to call you."
"Thank you." She told her and took the baby in her arms.
"Excuse me, I'll let you two talk." Said Cassandra and came out of the room. I turned to Mia and immediately smiled as I watched my friend hug her daughter.
"You gave her your mom's name," I commented and she just nods her head.
"I have to feed her."
"Yes, of course, I'll leave you. I have to go to Wyatt. "
"Ella, do you want a piece of advice?"
"From your look, I know by now that I won't like it," I replied to her rolling my eyes.
"Show him what he's missing. He is still your mate, don't forget it." She winked at me.
I came back to my room having in mind what Mia told me. I looked at my suitcase on the floor next to the bed and an idea crossed my mind. I quickly ran to the bathroom and took a shower and without wasting time I went out to get dressed. I put on denim shorts with a short blouse to make my belly look a little. I do not intend to talk to him but I'm sure he will at least notice me, or so I hope he does.
It didn't take me long to find Wyatt with Olivia in the kitchen, but my heart started pounding when I smelled another scent in the air. I took a deep breath, straightened my clothes, and walked towards them. Jonathan was sitting on the stool with Wyatt at his feet eating.
"Mum." He directed towards me when he saw me. Without thinking, I approached them and bent down to give him a kiss on the cheek.
I felt Jonathan's body tingle and as I raised my head I looked him in the eye for the first time today. My breath stopped in my throat when I saw that it was completely black, for a few seconds I could not take my gaze over it. He lowered his gaze to my feet and I was immediately satisfied that to some extent my plan succeeded. I straightened my body and went to sit on the opposite side of the bench. I had my attention on Mia to talk to but I could not concentrate on what she was saying because I could feel his gaze on me. When after an hour Wyatt told me that he had finished eating, I was relieved that I could finally leave the same place as him. I hugged him and went up to my room. Since it was time for the bed I helped Wyatt take a bath and put him to sleep, but I could not sleep even though I had not slept since the night before. I approached the window and opened it to let the fresh air hit me. I closed my eyes and for the first time in a long time let the bond do its job. I opened the link to Jonathan and let all my feelings pass to him. All the images from the moments we spent with me came to mind, moments when we sat together and talked but also those few that we had as a couple. From the woods I heard a howl which belonged to him, he had apparently gone for a run and now he could see and feel all my thoughts. Without opening my eyes, I continued with everything I felt that night and all the other nights when we were apart.
He had to learn, to understand how much I missed him, how much I was in pain all this time away from him. Another howl was heard but this time I could feel his pain and the betrayal he felt. My eyes watered, all these feelings were very intense and I could hardly breathe. I swallowed with difficulty and once again lifted the invisible wall in my mind. Everything we did not dare to say the previous two days were experienced within a few minutes through our emotions and now I can sleep peacefully knowing that tomorrow will be a better day or hope so.