Two weeks had flown by since that day, and Jace was slowly adjusting to life without his wolf. Of course, it helped since he and Aurora had each other.
The day after the shift, both Aurora and Jace got smartphones from their parents, respectively.
And though they could see each other every day, the thing was that smartphone was like a mind link.
It was a wonderful device that humans made. They would only need to tap a button, and they could call and text each other.
So from the time they woke up to the time they went to bed if they were in each other's houses, they were on call with each other.
It was this way the still-struggling Aurora and the new struggle, Jace, found a type of balance. They told each other everything. It was just a way they found helped the grief.
"How'd you sleep?" Jace asked, Aurora called him as soon as she woke.
"Same nightmare just more vivid." She softly answered. "And you?"
"I tossed and turned. Today, I'm hoping I feel good enough to have a shower. It has been two days, and it's so hard just getting up and eating." Jace sighed.
"But today you'll have a bath, and I'll wash my hair." Aurora paused. "That's our goal today."
"Okay let's but I'm not too sure about having breakfast," Jace mumbled.
"We talked about this. Even if it's fruits, we need to have breakfast. You made me promise to eat so you can go back on your words." Aurora scoffed and told Jace.
"Fine, but enough about food blah," Jace playfully gagged, making Aurora smile silently while shaking her head. "You're still coming over, right?"
"Yeah, Aiden said he'll drive me once your father gives the green light. Speaking of that, I'm going to get ready and wash my hair. Please get up and have a bath." Aurora said.
"Only because I don't want to smell bad when you come over," Jace mumbled, and Aurora laughed.
"I know today is going to be just as hard as yesterday, but we'll get through it," Aurora told him. They exchanged a few more words before they both hung up and went to get ready.
Anderson stood in front of Renee who sat on the bed as he got ready, his face tense as he straighten his shirt.
"Does it have to be today?" Renee asked as she rubbed her forehead in frustration.
"We put this off long enough Renee, today was agreed upon. It has to be today otherwise it'll be harder." Anderson moved closer and caressed her pregnant belly gently. "I don't know how this will go today but Renee you need to stay calm. For his sake."
Renee pursed her lips and put her hand over Anderson's. They both stayed like that until Aiden came to call them for breakfast.
"Hey, Jace you coming?" Henry popped his head into his brother's bedroom and asked. Jace who was shirtless and drying his hair turned his head to look at his little brother.
"Yeah, I'm just changing," Jace told him, Henry nodded and left. Leaving Jace alone once again Jace took the time to study his body. Looking at his body, Jace couldn't help but tighten the hold he had on the towel.
From a muscular athletic body to this lean body and with his eating habits now it won't be long before his body looked devoid of muscles completely.
Just more reminders of what he lost, of what he was continuously losing. Turning his gaze away he tossed his towel on his bed and grabbed a t-shirt.
The t-shirt that used to fit him snuggly was loose on his body now. Nothing was more depressing than knowing that he needed to get new clothes.
His jeans no longer fit, they were too big. Jace remembered when Aurora called him two days ago crying, she had tried on a pair of jeans but she lost so much weight that most of her clothes don't fit her.
'This is not fair!' Jace gritted his teeth as he grabbed his phone and made his way downstairs.
To his surprise, his father sat at the head of the table with his mother and brother. No food was on the table and Jace suddenly felt a sick feeling in his stomach.
He gripped the phone in his hand tightly, his father never had breakfast here. He looked at them with a guard expression.
"Jace, what are you having this morning? I made a fruit platter." Hailey stood and asked Jace.
"I'll have that thanks," Jace answered with a frown but walked to the dining table and pulled out a chair to sit on. "Having breakfast here dad?"
"Yes, I never have breakfast here plus I need to talk to you." Jason calmly smiled and answered Jace. He didn't even seem nervous but his palm was caked with sweat.
"Oh," Jace simply replied not talking anymore. Poor Henry felt like he was sitting on pins and needles stood up and went to help his mother bring out the breakfast.
Soon everyone was seated and having breakfast. The tension in the dining room could be cut with a knife especially when Jace barely ate anything from the fruit platter.
"Rory is coming over, you'll clear the path right?" Jace asked Jason when he put down his spoon and pushed the platter away from himself.
"I don't think Aurora will come today." Jason also put his fork down and told Jace.
"Excuse me?" Jace blinked his eyes and looked at his father. "Why can't she come?"
"Remember I told you I had something to talk to you about?" Jason avoided his question and asked Jace.
"What is it? Why can't she come?" Jace's face tighten as he asked his father again. Neither Hailey nor Henry could continue eating now.
"It's about you and your disappearance. Wolves are talking." Jason kept his voice steady and told Jace.
"What does that have to do with Aurora coming over?" Jace asked through gritted teeth. "You never beat around the bush, just tell me!"
"You need to leave the pack," Jason told him, Jace looked stunned as he took a few seconds to digest his father's words.
"What?" Henry screamed, seeing his shocked face. Jace knew that Henry knew nothing of this but his mother said nothing. Only biting her lip with a pained expression.
"I don't know what you are insinuating but " Jace turned to his father and said flatly. "I'm not leaving."
"This is not up for discussion Jace, you have been rejected. We gave you time to adjust without your wolf but it's not safe here. if anybody can find out about your condition. It'll be disastrous not only for you but the pack. Nobody can know. And with the rumors swirling around, we need to pull it out from the roots." Jason explained.
"Then what are you saying? Where do I even go then?" Jace shakily asked not because he was sad but because he was holding back his anger.
"The safest place would be with the humans. You and Aurora will blend easily plus after you've been using those smartphones I'm sure you can take these days looking up things." Jason paused before continuing. "Of course, you won't be going blind into human territory, Anderson has agreement with that witch Morel. Her coven is in human society. She'll help Aurora and you settle."
"So that's what you meant by when you said Aurora won't be coming huh?" Jace stood up after he said that and left without saying anything more.
Jason knew he had to follow him so he got up and rushed after him with Hailey and the very confused Henry in tow.
"Jace I know that this is hard for you to hear but this is for your protection and the protection of the pack." Jason entered Jace's room after him and told him.
"Protection? For me? For the pack? Which part of this is for me? Is this for my well-being? This is more for the pack, why can't the pack protect me, protect Rory huh? You fucking hypocrite get the fuck out of my face." Jace exploded in his anger.
"Son, this we can't risk it. There are hundreds of wolves in this pack what if someone accidentally lets this matter slip? You need to understand this is for the best. For your protection, I looked into the matter of rejection, nobody survives when they fall into the council's grasp." Jason tried to argue but Jace's anger was greater.
"Son? Am I your son? doesn't fucking feel like it. Alaric is out there prancing his fucking ass in a field of flowers while I lost everything. My wolf, my position, my family, and my sanity are all gone!" Jace screamed at Jason.
Hearing that made Jason flinch, "Jace calm down. It's okay."
"What part of this is okay Jason?" Hearing Jace call him by his first made Jason take a step back in shock. But when he looked into Jace's eyes all he saw was coldness.
"Well, how do you explain my disappearance then?" Jace smiled sarcastically. "It can't be that you kill me off right?"
Jace hit the nail on its head when he said that, honestly Jace had some hope for his parents but when he saw how they both flinched even Henry who knew nothing guess what he had.
A look of horror crept up Henry's face as he muttered no.
Jace looked at Hailey and then at Jason. "I'm dead? Good, you're all dead to me. Now get the fuck out of my room. Don't want yourselves to be tainted by the stench of a dead man!"
"Jace this," Jason wanted to move closer but Jace moved backward rapidly as he saw his father's movement. "Jace, please. I'm just trying to protect you!"
"When they write about your term as beta they should write you were the greatest beta in history, the pack came before your son." Jace laughed humorlessly, "Aren't I glad I'm dead, I won't have to be your son anymore."
Looking at Jace's cold smile. Jason, Hailey, and Henry knew immediately what it meant.
To Jace, this family of his was dead to him. Just as he was dead to the rest of the world.