Who did this?

Kara marched up to Sienna, holding her by the neck. “Where is she, you lying piece of shit? Tell me!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sienna choked out, her voice just above a whisper.

Kara lifted her hand, about to hit. “Don’t test me,” she said, her voice subdued. Balthazar walked in at that moment.

“What’s happening here?” he barked.

“Victoria’s gone, and she knows something,” Kara snapped, stepping toward Sienna but stopping short.

“Missing? What do you mean?” Balthazar asked, his tone sharp.

“She sometimes wanders at night, but this time she didn’t come back,” Kara said, her frustration clear.

“Alright, let’s get teams together and start searching,” Balthazar ordered.

Kara rushed into the bedroom and called Thane, telling him everything.

“I’m on my way,” he said, his tone cold. “You were supposed to watch her,” he shouted before hanging up.

They split into groups, each with a search area. Kara found Sienna sitting under a tree with her friends.

I’ve warned you before. This time, I’m done talking,” Kara said, slapping Sienna hard across the face.

Smiling, wiping her cheek. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

“Shut the hell up,” Kara shot back. “Where is she?”

“Oops, I must have forgotten,” Sienna said, taunting her. Kara slapped her again, and blood appeared on Sienna’s lip. “She’s probably already dead.”

Kara grabbed Sienna’s hair and pulled her to the ground.

Balthazar hurried over and separated them. “We’re supposed to be looking for her, not fighting,” he said, his frustration obvious.

Balthazar clenched his jaw. Victoria was a survivor, but if she was hurt, fear twisted in his stomach.

"Fan out! Check everywhere!" he called, his voice resounding out across the clearing.

Three hours later, Thane reached the edge of the forest. Kara’s words stayed with him: those girls must have hurt Victoria. He tried to think clearly. Victoria would look for water. He followed a creek, found nothing, then went down to where the water widened.

Her scent hit him first, familiar, unmistakable, followed by the musky odor of bear. "Shit,"

Thane followed her trail as it became stronger. "Victoria!" he called.

Victoria’s POV

I emerged between the trees. "Thane? Why are you here?"

"You needed help," he said, pulling me into his arms. "God, I missed you."

"Hold me a little longer," I spoke quietly against his chest.

He gently checked my injuries. "Whoever did this is dead."

"Someone hit me from behind. Everything went blurry..."

He kissed me and wouldn’t stop."

I pulled back a little. "Tell me the truth, Thane. How did you find me?"

"Kara called me. I gave her my number in case you ever needed me."

"How do you know Kara?" I moved back.

"She followed you one day and came to the cave. She wanted to see who she was up against." Thane’s look softened. "She loves you, you know."

"Just help me back up there. They'll be searching."

"Please don’t be angry with me," Thane said. "I’d do anything for you."

"I don’t need your thanks. I don’t require anything from you."

"Allow me to protect you."

"Do I look weak to you?" I snapped. "She was sneaky, but I’ll handle her myself."

Thane helped me as we climbed. It took almost two hours because I had to stop and rest so often. He stayed quiet, sensing my anger, which was nothing new. I drew a deep breath to steady myself.

"I can handle it from here," I said, my voice tone short. "Thanks for finding me."

"Victoria, come with me," he said, looking into my eyes.

I shook my head. "I’m not ready, Thane."

"You’re still waiting for him." His speech grew hard. "He won’t come. He’ll always be afraid his enemies will find you because of him. He’ll push you away until you hate him enough to forget."

Tears flowed down my cheeks. His words hurt because they were true.

Thane, crouched before me, his face relaxing. "I care too much about you. I'll go, but promise you'll think about what I said." His lips found mine, and against my mouth he uttered, "Damn it, I can't let you go."

I touched his face gently. "Thank you for everything, but please go." I heard voices in the trees.to the forest as I glimpsed a group of girls, Kara among them. I whistled. When she saw me, she ran over and clasped me in a fierce hug before examining my injuries.

"I’m fine," I said. "It’s just my leg, and it’s getting better."

"Who did this?" Kara asked.

"They attacked me from behind. Everything went blurry, and then they threw me off the cliff." The group gasped. That’s attempted murder," Kara said, her voice stiff.

"Do I have proof?" I asked myself. "No. So, I’ll handle it on my own."

As we got closer to the academy, Balthazar was waiting. He reached me in two steps, picked me up, and carried me toward the entrance while the others followed.

"Was it Sienna?" he asked in a low voice.

"If I had to guess," I said. He sat me down on a bed in the nurse’s office. " The door!" he shouted at the nurse, Balthazar, who never lost his composure.

The nurse stayed calm, which surprised me more than my injury did. Her aged hands gently removed the splint and skillfully checked my swollen ankle.

"It’s just a minor sprain," she said, grabbing a bandage. "This should help with the swelling." She wrapped my ankle quickly and left without another word.

The door locked behind her. Balthazar sat next to me on the exam table and pulled me into a hug. My muscles tense at the sudden touch.

"Victoria," he whispered, his breath heated on my ear. "Listen carefully." He paused, as if holding back a secret.

"I’m trying to protect you. There will always be people who want to hurt you."

"Why?" I asked. "I haven’t done anything wrong."

He gave a bitter smile. "No, you haven’t." He looked into my eyes. "But people are afraid of what they can’t understand or control."

I crossed my arms. "What’s so hard to understand? I’m simply wild, stubborn, and free-spirited."

He laughed, and I stopped because I’d never heard him laugh in four years.

" You've described yourself perfectly," Balthazar said, his expression easing. "Victoria," he paused, leaning forward, "I need you to be safe."

"Why do you care what happens to me, sir?"

Balthazar stayed silent, looking away. The hair on my neck stood up.

I tried again. "Fine. Then, tell me what you know about me."