He glances over his shoulder, defeat already weighing heavily on him as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. “Maybe we should take this upstairs, where there isn’t an extra set of ears listening,” he mumbles, confirming there’s no one else outside, but his concern down here is no longer needed.
“Oh, don’t worry about him,” Rion murmurs, the corner of his mouth curled up in delight as he looks in the direction of the carnage I’ve left behind.
In slow motion, Thorne and Ocean follow his line of sight, gaping in disbelief as they see the state of what was once my father. Unlike before, when I couldn’t stop myself from crumbling, I stand tall, refusing to shrink away from my actions.
Thorne cocks a brow at me and I simply shrug in response while Ocean clears her throat.
“Who was that?”
“My fake father,” I admit, and her eyes widen in surprise for a beat before she shakes it off, linking her arm through mine as she smiles at me.
“Did he deserve it?”
“He deserved more if you ask me,” Kael grunts, despite not being able to see the man in question. I ignore his statement and offer a tight smile to my friend, who squeezes my arm even more in silent support.
Ready to finally get out of here, I take a single step toward the bottom stair when Thorne blocks my path, his eyebrows furrowing with a hint of confusion.
“So that’s not your blood?” he clarifies, nodding at my face, and I shake my head, watching in disbelief as he heaves a sigh of relief, his shoulders lowering with the lack of tension.
Ocean encourages me to take another step forward as she pats Thorne’s arm to move him out of the way. He goes willingly, but not without giving her a pointed look.
“Don’t think you’re just going to head upstairs and disappear with her. There’s plenty for us to discuss first,” he grumbles, but instead of answering him, she turns to me with concern gleaming in her eyes.
“Are you up for that, El? Just say the word, and I’ll put a pin in it,” she promises, a fierce warrior at my side at all times. Despite how much I like the idea of continuing the luxurious bliss of pretending my life isn’t a mess, I know I need to face it head-on, and there’s no better time than now.
“Pretending it doesn’t exist only prolongs the mess I’m in. I need to figure out where I go from here, and if that means having a little talk first, then I think we’ve got this,” I admit, earninganother smile from my friend, who remains glued to my side as we head up the stairs and outside.
Kael barely takes a step back to let us pass, his hands twitching at his sides as I pass him, but Ocean makes sure to firmly place herself between us. Despite my friend’s silent solidarity, I don’t breathe until we’re inside and back on the fourth floor of Institute Thirteen.
I’m desperate to run into my room, dive into my bed, and sleep. I know this conversation is going to need my full attention, so when Rion opens the guys’ dorm room door and waves for us to enter, I don’t argue.
My fingers threaten to tremble as I glance around the space. The last time I was here, everything was perfect. Now, my heart aches at the layers of betrayal I feel. Some may have been forgiven, but others take root in my soul.
Instead of standing stiffly in the center of the room, I dart toward the sofa, bringing Ocean with me as I take a seat, trying with every ounce of my being to hide my emotions and lock down my facial features that threaten to give me away.
The door clicks shut behind Kael as he remains by the exit. Rion steals the spot on the other side of me, while Thorne leans against the kitchen cabinets.
An air of awkwardness dances around us, and my head dips, refusing to make eye contact with the vampire in the room. Instead, my gaze snags on Rion’s cell phone in his hand.
B: Where?
Rion: I’ll leave the limbs scattered throughout the edge of the forest. Just let everyone know there’s a feast for their wolves tonight.
My stomach turns as I put two and two together. He is right, I definitely don’t want to know.
Thorne clears his throat, redirecting my attention, and I’m thankful for it until he speaks. “Where do we start?”
The awkwardness grows, the answer escaping me at every turn as I flip through my thoughts. Before I can decide on where the best part is to begin, a shadow casts over me, forcing me to drop my chin to my chest as I hold my breath.
“Look at me, Elodie,” Kael murmurs, and I shake my head, instantly denying him as I try to smother my pain. “Elodie,” he pleads, and I hate the fact that I can’t use my words without the fear of my voice cracking. He doesn’t deserve to see what he’s done to me. “How about I attempt to explain myself?” he pushes, and I relent.
“Go for it.”
Silence descends on the room for a few moments, and I can’t decide if that’s because he’s stunned I agreed or that he has no explanation anyway. I sense him pacing back and forth a few times before he clears his throat and rocks back on his heels.
“None of this is an excuse, I know I’ve fucked up, but Jude, he’s…”
“Your puppet master?” Rion questions, making my eyes widen in surprise, but I’m even more stunned by the sound of Kael scoffing.
