LOGINBailey’s POV“He didn’t come back with you,” I asked as soon as Declan stepped into the room, my voice already knowing the answer before my head could catch up.Declan closed the door quietly behind him and avoided my eyes. “He needed a moment.”I laughed, short and empty, and shook my head. “No he didn’t. He made a choice.”Raven shifted closer to me on the bed but did not touch me, his voice low. “Bailey.”“Don’t,” I snapped, then immediately felt bad and pressed my palms into my eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired of pretending I don’t see things for what they are.”Declan sat at the foot of the bed. “He cares in his own twisted way.”“That’s not care,” I said, my throat tight. “That’s control.”No one argued with me.My eyes drifted to the box again, sitting where they had moved it earlier, and my stomach turned. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to feel about that,” I whispered. “I hated him for what he did to me, and now I’m supposed to sit here knowing someone cut off his finge
Rider’s POV“What was that?”I said it out loud the first time I heard the scream, sharp and sudden, tearing through the halls, and I paused with my hand on the edge of my desk, telling myself it was nothing, telling myself it was just the heat, telling myself she had brought this on herself.“It’s just the heat,” I muttered to the empty room. “She’ll be fine.”Then I heard it again.This time it wasn’t just a sound. This time it dug into my chest and twisted, and before I could stop myself I was already on my feet, the papers on my desk forgotten as I walked out.I barely made it down the corridor before Declan appeared in front of me, his face tight, his shoulders tense.“Don’t,” he said immediately, holding up a hand. “This is not the time.”I frowned at him. “Move.”“She’s not in a state to see you right now,” he said, his voice low. “You should give her space.”“I said move,” I repeated, my temper flaring. “You don’t get to decide when I see her.”Declan stepped aside only half a
Bailey’s POV“Bailey,” Declan was saying, his voice cutting through the fog in my head even though it felt like I was underwater and everything was slow and hot and wrong, “Bailey look at me, you’re on the floor, you need to breathe.”“I can’t,” I said, or at least I thought I said it, because my throat felt tight and my skin felt too small for my body, and when Raven crouched in front of me and tried to touch my shoulder I hissed before I even knew I was doing it.“Easy,” Raven said quickly. “It’s me.”“I don’t want to be touched,” I said, my voice shaking, “I don’t want anyone else touching me.”Declan glanced at Raven. “She’s burning up.”“I know,” Raven replied. “Bailey, we’re taking you back to your room.”“No,” I said immediately, clutching the edge of the counter. “Don’t let him come.”Declan frowned. “Rider isn’t here.”I laughed, a broken sound that didn’t feel like laughter at all. “Of course he isn’t.”Raven didn’t argue with me. He slid one arm under my knees and the other
Rider’s POVFew hours ago“She’s going into heat.”I did not look up from the papers spread across my desk when Raven said it, my eyes moving slowly over the words even though I had already read the same line three times.“I know,” I replied calmly.Raven frowned. “You know.”“Yes,” I said again. “The healer already told me.”“You didn’t think to mention it,” he asked, his voice tight, “or are you just pretending it doesn’t matter.”“It matters,” I said flatly. “It just doesn’t surprise me.”Raven took a step into the room. “She’s struggling.”“I’m aware,” I answered, still not looking at him.“That didn’t sound like awareness,” he said. “That sounded like indifference.”Before I could reply, the door swung open and Declan walked in, his shirt half unbuttoned, his hair messy, irritation written all over his face.“Tell me I’m not the only one feeling like my skin is on fire,” he said immediately. “Because if I am then I’m going to lose my mind.”Raven glanced at him. “You feel it too.
Bailey’s POV“Leila,” I whispered, my voice barely working, “Leila I need you.”My throat burned and my tongue felt thick and when I tried to open my eyes fully, the light hurt and I squeezed them shut again, groaning softly.“Leila,” I said again, louder this time, panic crawling up my chest. “Please.”The door opened quickly. “I’m here,” she said, rushing in. “Bailey you’re drenched.”“Don’t,” I said immediately, my voice breaking when her hand touched my arm. “Don’t touch me.”She froze. “What.”“I said don’t touch me,” I repeated, pulling away sharply. “Please.”Leila stared at me, confused and scared. “You’re burning up. You need help.”“I don’t want anyone touching me,” I said, my skin itching painfully where she had brushed me. “It feels wrong.”She hesitated. “I’ll call the healer.”“No,” I said too fast, my heart racing. “No healer.”“Bailey you’re shaking,” she insisted. “You can’t even sit properly.”“I know what this is,” I whispered. “And if the healer comes she’ll tell t
Bailey’s POVI keep my distance after that night, not because it is easy but because it feels necessary, like if I bend even a little everything ugly will rush back in, so I eat alone, I stay behind closed doors, I speak only to Leila and even then I choose my words carefully, because the house feels like it is listening.“I’m fine,” I tell her every morning when she asks, and at first it is true enough.Until it isn’t.I wake up one morning drenched in sweat, my head heavy and my skin burning, and when I push the blanket off me it feels like the air itself is warm, like my body is holding too much of something and does not know what to do with it.“Okay,” I whisper, sitting up slowly, “This is not normal.”I press my palm to my forehead and flinch, and my heart starts to race even though I do not feel weak or dizzy or sick the way sickness usually feels.“Leila,” I call, louder this time.She comes in quickly, already worried, and the moment she touches my arm her eyes widen.“You’re
Bailey’s POVI paced around my room throughout the day, restless as I waited for him to return. Hours passed slowly, stretching into evening, and eventually exhaustion won. I lay down on the bed, pulling the duvet up to my chest and tucking myself in.It was nearly midnight when I heard the sound of
Bailey’s POV“Thank you,” I said quietly after a while, my voice hoarse and uneven, because no matter how confused I felt, what Raven had done still mattered to me, and I couldn’t pretend it didn’t.He nodded once, like it was nothing, like he hadn’t just held me together while I fell apart. “You d
Bailey’s POVI couldn’t stop replaying Raven’s words in my head even after breakfast was long over, every step I took beside him feeling careful, measured, like I was walking on something fragile and didn’t want to be the one to crack it, and the worst part was that I didn’t even know what I was af
Bailey’s POVI didn’t know what to do with Raven standing there in front of me like that because I was used to Rider’s anger that filled a room and Declan’s jokes that never stopped flowing, but Raven was quiet, still and intense in a way that made my thoughts scatter instead of sharpening, and it







