Maybe if I got far enough in, my wolf would settle. Maybe if I was alone with the trees and the wind, I could think. Breathe. Prepare if Orin really did make his move.
The image of Orin’s face, his smug, poisonous smile, burned behind my eyes. It was like my dream, only worse, because this was real. He was here.
I slapped a hand against a nearby tree and tried to think, to reason with myself. But the panic was a wildfire, and I was dry grass.
At the same time, I was furious with myself for reacting like this, for letting Orin get to me again.
I also couldn’t believe I’d done it again. Run. Left without warning Beau. I should’ve said something. I should’ve told him. But the look in Orin’s eyes…
He wasn’t just here to judge. He was here to finally settle the score with me.
I leaned back against a tree trunk and tilted my head to the sky, trying to slow my racing pulse. The cool shadows of the forest wrapped around me, but the fresh air barely helped.
My heart was still pounding like I’d just run a mile uphill.
Somewhere in the distance, I could still hear the hum of the festival. The announcer's voice, a wave of crowd cheering. It all felt too far away. Too safe. Too unreachable.
I shouldn't have left the station. I dug my fingers into the bark behind me and tried to quiet the panicked thrum in my chest. Orin wasn’t just judging pastries today.
He was judging me. And that smile… That awful, smug smile… It was like a promise. Like he already knew how this day would end.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
I fumbled it out with trembling fingers, the name on the screen grounding me:Beau.
Guilt slammed into me harder than the panic. I hadn’t even warned him I was leaving. Again. Dang it, I didn’t want to be this person anymore.
I answered quickly, voice low and apologetic. “Hey. Beau, I’m?—”
“Where are you?” His voice was clipped. Tense. “You can’t just vanish like that, Sean. Not today.”
“I’m sorry.” I hated how small I sounded. “I just… needed some air. I walked out past the alley and into the woods. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Beau exhaled hard on the other end, and I could picture him dragging a hand through his hair, trying to stay calm.
“You can’t be alone. You know that. Especially not now. I’m coming to get you. Stay put,” Beau ordered.
“I will. I promise.”
A soft crunch behind me made every hair on my body stand on end. I turned, heart slamming back into panic mode. My phone still pressed to my ear. “Wait. Hold on.”
A figure stepped out from behind the trees, tall and broad-shouldered. Blond hair, tan skin, muscles stacked like bricks beneath a worn jacket. And a jagged scar slashed across his left cheek.
His smile was too casual. He looked familiar.
“Sean?” Beau barked through the phone, voice rising with alarm.
I didn’t answer him. My eyes were locked on the man in front of me. The memory clicked into place like a snapped trap.
He wasn’t a stranger. I’d seen him before. Hanging around after Orin’s classes at the Institute.
Leaning against the wall outside the building like he owned the place. Laughing with Orin. He never spoke much, just stared too long at whoever walked past.
“Vito…” I whispered.
The man’s smile widened, making the scar ripple grotesquely. “Good. Saves us the trouble of introductions.”
I stepped back, the bark of the tree scraping against my spine. “What do you want?”
