Walker takes a backward step as he shakes his head. “I betrayed you long before this moment.”
It’s a truth, a confession, further acknowledgment that I know so little. It’s the final stab through my chest and I can’t stand the sight of him any longer.
“Rot in Hell,” I growl, and he nods, accepting my hatred effortlessly without care.
“I’m sure I’ll see you there real soon.”
Another promise, another testament to the fact that I know nothing, and then he’s gone, taking the full beams of his truck with him. I don’t turn until he’s completely out of sight, making sure his last vision of me is exactly like this; how he left me.
Broken.
When only the moon lights the night air, I fall to my knees, letting my tears fall freely as I ball my hands into fists, feeling the bite of the dry earth beneath me keeping me grounded.
My breaths turn shaky, my heart hammering wildly in my chest as I shift, flopping onto my butt with my head between my knees and my arms banded tightly around my legs.
I don’t know how much time passes, my attention is solely on leveling out my breathing, but when I lift my head, I find Thorne, Rion, and Kael still standing in a line, watching me.
Tilting my head back down, I run my fingers over the blood staining my arms. “You can leave now. The show’s over.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rise as a shiver rattles my bones.
“It’s only just begun,” Kael grunts, forcing my eyes back to him as he folds his arms over his chest. “Do you have any idea how reckless that was? Areyou forgetting that my life is reliant upon your actions too?”
I scoff at his lecture, a humorless grin spreading across my face. “Please, Kael, continue to show us how selfish and self-centered you are,” I sing, shaking my head in disbelief. But I shouldn’t be shocked. It is Kael Forrester after all.
He’s in front of me before I have the chance to inhale a soothing breath, his fingers latching onto my collar lightning fast before he drags me to my feet. Dread floods my veins as I gape at him, only to watch a devilish sneer curl his lips as his gaze narrows.
“Mark my words. There will be consequences for this, Elodie.”
Nose to nose, I blink at him as a scoff rips from my lips. “You think you can hurt me more than I already am? You think too highly of yourself,” I assure him as I slam my hands into his chest, but to my utter dismay, nothing happens.
Again.
I’m well aware I’m being erratic, but I need someone else to hurt just as much as I am right now.
Anger morphs into frustration as I turn away from him, only to find Rion and Thorne watching from a distance. Thorne’s eyebrows are gatheredwhile Rion’s are touching his hairline. I can’t deal with either of them right now.
I need a moment to breathe, to gather myself, to find my inner strength.
But where?
Do I succumb to Institute Thirteen once again, or do I make a run for it? I take a subconscious step forward, answering my predicament.
The Institute.
I only wanted to go home because of Walker. Now, there’s nothing left for me there. There’s no looking back, there’s no point, all I can do is look ahead, and that’s to here. To now. It may not be where I wanted to be, but it’s where I am, and it’s safer than anywhere else I can think of.
Running my tongue over my parched lips, I take a step toward the open doorway, pretending I can’t see the wolf and shadow fae in my way. The hallway light is on, drawing me closer like a beacon. When a shadow appears in the doorway, my heart stutters, but a familiar flash of blonde hair settles my panic as Ocean comes into view.
“Elodie,” she breathes, my name a question with a hint of sadness as she shakes her head in disbelief before darting toward me. “Are you okay?” she whispers, throwing her arm around my shoulders, and I lean into her touch.
“No,” I admit, unable to summon the strength needed to lie.
“Let’s get you inside,” she says with a smile, unfazed by my disarray.
“We’re not done here,” Kael calls from a few steps away, and my shoulders slump, unable to handle anything else tonight, but before I can say a word, Ocean beats me to it.
“Oh, fuck you, Kael. She’s covered in blood, snotty from crying, and literally trembling. Pull your finger out of your ass and realize what is actually going on around you. Your wrath can wait,” she snaps, aiming a warning finger in his direction while dragging me toward the building.
