Chapter 27

"I didn't plan to do it, knowing that I wouldn't like it, but I had to do it because there was no other option." she narrated in tears. "But I am ready to do anything to gain back your trust. Whatever punishment you deem fit for me, I am ready to do it, just to distance yourself from me, please. I checked other options, but that was the only one available. Believe me, I tried not to, but I found...I found myself...." "Tell me already!" I shouted as my temper flared up. "You're keeping me in the dark and driving me insane!" She took two steps closer to me, leaned forward, and was ready to share her deep secret with me, the most scandalous secret ever known. Something that took beautiful smiles away from Mira's face must be really serious. "Okay, I am calm now, and I can talk now." She started breathing but sweating. "Here is the whole story. When...we were roaming everywhere, searching for you after your disappearance... For many weeks, Jaxon and I searched for you, weeks passed, and we still couldn't find you...followed by months of searching for you... still, there was no trace of you then...I ...." At this point, I held my breath and waited for the worst. My heart indeed skipped when she mentioned Jaxon. Must she search with Jaxon, must they search for me together for months? "I gave up searching for you, and well, I mourned you," she finally said, but innocently like she didn't do anything wrong. "Like, I did a real mourning for you, my best friend. I thought you had left me, that you died like you were killed somewhere." I blinked uncontrollably, taking a second to process all she just said. I tried to analyze everything, crossing all t(s) and doting all I(s). "You said you mourn me after my disappearance?" Still covered in her mock seriousness, she nodded. "I was more than convinced you'd died. After many weeks of fruitless searching, to worsen it, Jaxon even joined me in the search. I gave up and lost hope of ever seeing you again. I cried like a child, Liora. Cried for many weeks for my best friend." "Could you please repeat yourself? You did what?" "I mourned you, but not just any type of mourning; it was like a tragic hero because you were one," she continued dramatically, putting a hand on her chest to demonstrate the pain she felt. "I even had to go through all the stages involved in grieving our loved ones. I started with Denial, telling myself that I would come back one day. Followed by anger, furious that you died in such a manner and angry with every member of the Silver Moon pack. I ended up bargaining after the anger, and finally acceptance. I accepted that you were gone, but everything worked out well and made me move the whole work." I gasped in shock, she thought I was dead, and the best way to tell me something as silly as that was to give me a heart attack. "You thought I died while running away from the pack? And you mourn me?" Mira shrugged as if it was the normal thing to do. "Well, it wasn't entirely a bad thing to mourn your dear friend, but the only difference is that the friend later reassured me, and I planned on telling you today, but not while sparring. Besides, what are friends for, if not to look out for each other." For minutes, I stood like a statue, I was in disbelief. Then, as if pushed, I snapped out of my frozen state, and before I knew what was happening, I was already chasing her around. "Mira!" I screamed as I pursued her around, laughing out of anger for stressing my brain. "Get back to this place, you mischief of a friend!" But she was racing like a horse, and I was beginning to question the source of her energy. Her laughter was contagious as Its echo was all over the training ground, and I didn't know when I joined in laughing, forgetting that I was supposed to keep a straight face to show that I was angry. "Remember, you promised to get angry with me, you are not keeping to your promise!" "You mourned your friend who was very much alive, eh Mira? You were too lazy to continue searching for her, that's why you gave too quick, lazy bones!" I yelled as I spirited after her, running as fast as my legs and energy could carry me, it was as if I didn't that day. Mira's energy was giving, maybe her reason for the mischief she just pulled out. "You mourn me when I am very much alive? I would make you pay lazy bones. It was easier for you to mourn than searching for me. What a friend!" I said while trying to catch my breath. After resting, I continued from where I stopped, but Mira was quick, darting with great energy from the trees around the training ground to the training equipment, but I refused to stop until I caught her. "I can't believe you could pull out such a scene!" As I tried to make her forget herself and I would use the opportunity to close the distance. "You and your unrelatable imaginations!" She was laughing out so loud by this time, barely able to catch her breath or talk. "Well, I thought you'd love it; you know what that means, right? A heroic death, just for my only best friend, and I had to move you in the same manner." The moment I had been expecting finally came, I caught up to her, and I tackled her to the ground, ensuring to pin her down as she wrestled to stand up. We rolled playfully on the grass, gasping for air, as we giggled at the fun we just had. Mira was of a kind I must admit. There has never been a boring moment with her. Breathless, neither of us was able to stop giggling. "I should have known this was all a prank, I should have known better," I said, as I was able to keep her down and sit on her body. "Only you could pull such a stunt on me; no one has the liver to behave in such a manner. And judging from our years together, you have been proven to be a drama queen, never taking anything seriously." Mira continued grinning to my amusement. "Hey, Liora, I've always been the dramatic one among us, you should have known." I collapsed on her, chuckling at the idea of making me panic for nothing, how did she pull that up without me suspecting? "You're such an impossible lady." We lay at our back for minutes, holding hands; we stared at the blue sky as the last sunlight for the day found its way back to its abode. The cool breeze of the evening blew on us, calming our nerves and strengthening our bonds even more. The forest was a peaceful place to be in, especially with loved ones, playing and creating memories together. "I'm overjoyed to have you back in my life once more, Liora," Mira said sweetly, breaking the silence between us. Her tone showed how serious she was, how happy she was that I came back to my pack and my people. "I may be the most dramatic friend you did ever have, but I would always mean well for you; I was actually in grief; my thoughts were that I'd lost you forever. It was the hardest moment of my life; I never knew that I would survive it." My heart melted at how deeply she cared for me. She has always been my support, right from a young age. I rolled my eyes dramatically on seeing her tearing up after her speech, she's such a softie at heart. An adult, but yet a child at heart. "I'm glad to be home too, Mira. And I'm sorry for the way I scared you, not informing you of my way about, and keeping you in the dark. It was never intentional to scare you, and leave you behind to wallow in regrets." She smiled heartily and genuinely smiled, something that shows how deeply we are connected and how far we have gone in our friendship. "Just don't try such a thing again, always communicate with me because we don't keep secrets away from each other, okay? I'm not sure I am ready to mourn a living friend again, it was a stressful moment, and I'm sure you wouldn't want that for me." I laughed at how easy it was for her to cry. "I cross my heart. No more such practice as disappearing acts ever again." We stayed in deafening silence, as if scared to speak to avoid disappearance again. It felt good to be around my loved ones again, to be home to familiar scents of trees in the forest, training, and building stronger bonds for tomorrow. I was certain, certain that better days were ahead, but for now, I had to live a day at a time, creating beautiful memories with those that mattered in my life. I was glad I met Rhys and the role he played in shaping me into whomever I am today, but I won't still betray my blood for loyalty to him. I wouldn't have gone to their pack if I had the slightest idea of them being a rival pack. "You know what, Mira," I said, startling her in her thoughts and a smirk spreading over my face. It was my time to stress her. "I'm still never forgetting the fact that you mourned me while I was still living, and when confessing it, you scared the hell out of my life." Mira groaned knowing that she was trapped for life. "I'll never live a normal life because of this, or will I? You will be taking your time to torment me." "Never say no to a normal life, my dear friend," I snarled in wicked victory. "You're stuck under my web of torture, and it's for a lifetime, my dramatic and crazy best friend."