Chapter 87: Get Together Avyaane povI discovered Brick and Zeke waiting for me farther down the hallway. Their faces were concerned. Brick was leaning against the wall with his enormous arms crossed over his chest. Zeke was pacing, his movements rapid and angry. "You okay, boss?" Brick asked as soon as he noticed me. His deep voice was soft, contrasting with his imposing appearance. I nodded, not trusting my own voice. Zeke stopped pacing and approached. He put his hand on my shoulder. It felt warm and comforting. "Come on," he replied. "Let's get you out of here." We walked through the castle. Our footsteps echoed off the stone walls as the halls remained vacant. Tapestries illustrating pack history hung at regular intervals, their hues dimmed in the low light. Everyone else was presumably still discussing the meeting. About me. I ignored the concept, concentrating instead on the strong presence of my buddies beside me. We wound up in my room. It was excessively huge. The four-pos
# Chapter 88: Journey at DawnAvyaane pov Blair knocked on my door before the sun had risen. I was already awake. Sleep had been tricky, driven away by thoughts of what was ahead. The knock was light and seemingly tentative. This is hardly Blair's normal confident rap. I took a deep breath, adjusted my hair, and pushed open the door. I expected Blair's customary smirk. That smug grin made me want to roll my eyes. Instead, his expression was serious. Almost nervous. It knocked me off balance. "Ready?" he inquired. His voice was low, reflective of the early hour. I nodded, not trusting my own voice. My throat felt tight with fear. Blair's eyes flitted across my face, concern etched lines around his mouth. He took up my baggage without saying anything. The gesture startled me. This was not the Blair I knew. We strolled through the silent castle. Our footsteps bounced off stone walls, a lonely sound in the calm of the early morning. Shadows clung to corners, slowly fading as the first ra
Chapter 89: DownpourAvyaane povThe rain came quickly and fiercely. It hammered against the windshield in a steady pace that mirrored my heartbeat. Blair grumbled under his breath and squinted through the rain. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. "We should pull over," I said. He shakes his head. "The hotel is right up ahead. "We will make it." I wasn't too sure. The wipers waged a lost struggle with the torrent. The world appeared like a watery blur through the glass. Trees appeared out of the gloom and faded as fast. Blair leaned forward, looking into the gray. His jaw was firm, and a muscle ticked in his face. This wasn't the Blair I knew. The smug grin had disappeared, replaced by bleak determination. It disturbed me more than the storm. The automobile had slowed to a crawl. Blair moved us ahead, battling for every yard. I grasped the armrest with my nails sinking into the leather. The rain was thunderous now, an unending roar that drowned out everything else. "There!"
Chapter 90: Fever DreamsAvyaane pov I awakened to the sound of coughing. Coughs were harsh and wracking, as if shaking the small walls of our room. For a time, I was disoriented. The strange bed, the faded flowered wallpaper, and the constant banging of rain on the window. Then everything came pouring back. The storm. Blair showed unexpected kindness. The odd, tense moment before we fell asleep. I sat up, pulling tangled hair away from my face. Blair was a lump beneath the covers of the other bed, still coughing. In the gloomy light streaming through the drapes, he appeared little. Vulnerable. It was unsettling to see him like way. "Blair?" I called quietly. "Are you okay?" The coughing has subsided. Blair's head protruded from the sheets, His hair was a tangle, and his eyes were blurry from fever. "Avy?" His voice was a croak, scarcely distinguishable. I sprang out of bed in an instant and crossed the short distance between us. Up close, I could see the redness in his cheeks and t
Chapter 91: TraumaAvyaane pov "When I was approximately eight years old, I got terribly sick with the flu. I had a high fever and could not keep anything down. Emma made this soup; I'm not sure what was in it, but it smelled dreadful. She attempted feeding it to me, but I declined. I was so tired and nauseous. "I just wanted to sleep." Blair's voice broke. I rubbed his hand with my thumb, providing subtle support. "She became enraged. Said I was being ungrateful and disobedient. She pushed my nose closed and attempted to pour the soup down my throat. I went into a panic. Couldn't breathe. I lashed out and knocked the bowl out of her grasp. The soup spread everywhere. She was infuriated. She..." He trailed off, trembling. I waited with my heart beating. "She locked me inside my room. No food or water. He said I could come out when I was ready to behave. I had been in there for two days before my folks discovered me. "Oh, Blair," I muttered in horror. "That's... it's abuse. Do you
Chapter 92: Untainted JealousyAvyaaneThe sun beat down on the windshield, creating swirling shadows on the dashboard. I leaned back in the passenger seat and felt the soft leather against my skin. Blair's rich and sincere laughter filled the entire car. It was a sound I had become accustomed to over the previous three weeks. "I still can't believe you actually did it," he remarked, shaking his head. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and a smile played across his lips. I grinned, recalling the ludicrous dare that had led to my attempt to surf on a paddleboard. "Hey, you're the one who bet I couldn't stay up for more than ten seconds." "And I've never been happier to lose a bet," Blair laughed. "The look on your face when that wave hit—priceless."The recollection poured over me, as vivid as the day it occurred. The salt spray on my face, the perilous wobble of the board beneath my boots, and then the unexpected rush of water as I fell into the ocean. I'd come up sputtering, only to d
Chapter 93: LoganAvyaane Several hours passed in uneasy quiet. Paved roads transitioned to gravel, then dirt. The trees gathered up around us, shutting off the brightness. I tried to keep track of where we were heading, but after an hour, everything began to seem the same—endless green punctuated by the occasional flash of a stream or the gray of a rocky protrusion. As we drove, my thoughts turned back to the previous three weeks with Blair. It had started off difficult, with both of us nervous and on edge. But sometime along the way, things changed. Perhaps it was the night we stayed up chatting about our childhoods, or the day we got caught in an unexpected thunderstorm and ended up laughing like kids. We splashed across puddles. Whatever it was, by the conclusion of our time together, I'd seen a side of Blair that I didn't know existed. Logan's voice broke through my reverie. "Did you have fun?" I turned to face him, shocked by the unexpected inquiry. His gaze was concentrated on
Chapter 93: EgoAvyaane pov The bright fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, creating a sickening glow on the stainless steel countertops. I sat at the little kitchen table, watching Logan's back as he went around the room. His motions were sharp and precise. Angry. He had not spoken anything since taking me out of my room an hour ago. He just pointed to the chair and turned his back on me. The only sounds now were the sizzle of something in a skillet and the rhythmic chopping of his knife on the cutting board. I shifted in my position, finding the metal chair chilly and uncomfortable. "Logan," I began, my voice too audible in the quiet room. He did not turn around. He didn't even pause when chopping. I tried it again. "Logan," I began, my voice seeming too loud in the silent room. He did not turn around. He didn't even pause when chopping. I tried again. "Logan, what are you making?" His shoulders clenched, and the muscles in his back visibly tightened beneath his thin t-shirt. For