Evaline:
Darkness.
That was the first thing I woke up to. Not warmth, not safety, not relief, just... darkness.
My breath hitched before I was even fully conscious. My body tensed instantly, my muscles locked, and my heart slamd hard against my ribs like it was trying to break free.
No.
No no no-
The air felt wrong, too cold, too still... too familiar.
My chest tightened as the mories ca rushing back all at once - silver chains biting into my skin, the suffocating weight of the cave, the way the darkness had swallowed everything until I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or closed...
And his voice - soft, mocking, too close.
My breath ca out in a broken gasp.
"I-"
My throat burned and I realized I couldn't breathe. I couldn't-
My eyes flew open, and yet, darkness still greeted . Though it wasn't completely dark as there a dim light sowhere, faint enough that shadows stretched across everything, but my mind didn't care.
It was enough to send spiraling.
My chest heaved violently as panic clawed its way up my throat, choking , suffocating from the inside out.
I couldn't move, couldn't think. I was back there, back in that cave, back in his hands.
"No-" my voice ca out as a broken whisper.
My fingers twitched, instinctively trying to pull away from sothing that wasn't even there anymore. But I could feel the chains, the silver burning into my skin again-
"Eva!"
A deep and urgent voice cut through the panic. Familiar hands were on the next second - warm, strong, and real.
I flinched violently and a sob tore out of my chest as I tried to push away, my body reacting before my mind could catch up.
"Hey-hey, it's okay-it's okay-"
Another voice spoke. This one closer, and softer. I felt myself being pulled up, and then I was surrounded by strong arms.
I struggled at first, my hands weakly pushing against whoever was holding , my breaths coming in sharp, broken gasps.
"Little mate, look at ," Kieran's voice entered my ear, but I just couldn't focus. Everything blurred together - the past, the present, the pain, the fear.
"Breathe, sweetheart," River murmured near my ear, his voice low, steady. "You are safe. You are with us. Just breathe."
Safe.
The word echoed... but it didn't reach . Not yet. My body shook uncontrollably, my fingers clutching at whatever I could reach - fabric, skin, anything solid enough to anchor .
"Eva," Oscar's voice broke through next, closer than the others. Closer than anyone had ever been during my worst nights.
"I'm here," he said, his voice trembling despite his effort to steady it. "We are all here. No one's touching you. No one's hurting you."
My chest hitched again. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears spilled freely down my temples.
"No… no…" I choked out, my voice shaking violently. "He-he's here-he's-"
"He's not," Kieran said imdiately. His voice was firm, certain. "He's not here, love."
My head shook weakly against his shoulder. "He-he was-"
"I know," River whispered, his hand cupping the back of my head gently, pressing closer. "I know, baby. But he's not here now."
My breathing stuttered. Still uneven. Still broken. But, sothing started shifting as their voices, warmth, and scents finally started settling in.
The mate bonds slowly surged with their love and care, cutting through the fog clowding my brain.
My fingers tightened against them as I forced myself to focus, to listen, to feel - Kieran's steady hold, River's calming presence, and Oscar's trembling hands gripping mine like he was afraid I would disappear if he let go.
They were real and they were here.
I wasn't alone.
A sob broke free from my chest as my body finally gave in, collapsing fully into their hold.
"I-" my voice cracked. "I thought-"
"I know," Oscar whispered, his forehead pressing against mine. "I know…" His voice broke on the last word.
And that did it.
That broke through the last of the panic.
My breathing slowed, still uneven but no longer frantic, as I clung to them like they were the only thing keeping grounded... because they were. They always had been.
It took ti, too much ti. But eventually, the panic eased into trembling breaths and quiet tears.
And for the first ti since I woke up, I could see the real world around . And I imdiately recognized River's familiar bedroom in the mansion.
It was a soft mattress beneath , not cold ground. Soft brightness was filling the room from a table lamp, not the cave's darkness.
My chest rose and fell slowly as I blinked, trying to steady myself. "I'm… ho…" I whispered, more to myself than to them.
"You are," Kieran murmured gently.
My gaze shifted to them. All three of them were so close, so tense, so present. And that's when I noticed that behind their worry and relief was hiding days of exhaustion, pain, and fear.
They had tried to hide it. I could tell they had made efforts to clean themselves up, to look put together. But I knew them.
I knew every line on their faces, every flicker in their eyes. I knew they hadn't slept, hadn't rested, hadn't been okay.
Because of .
Guilt twisted sharply in my chest.
I lifted my hand and imdiately noticed how weak I was. My hand trembled but I pushed past it and slowly cupped Oscar's cheek.
He froze... like he wasn't expecting it.
"I'm okay," I whispered, even though it wasn't entirely true. But I needed them to hear it. Needed them to feel it.
His eyes softened instantly, but the pain didn't leave. "You weren't," he said hoarsely.
My chest tightened, but I turned slightly and reached for River next, my fingers brushing against his hand.
"I am now," I said softly.
His grip tightened around mine, like he didn't quite believe ... but wanted to.
Kieran's arms were still around , holding carefully, like I might break.
I shifted slightly, leaning into him. "You found ," I whispered.
"Always," he replied without hesitation.
Tears burned my eyes again, but softer this ti. Different.
Silence settled around us for a mont. It wasn't heavy or suffocating, just quiet. And then, I asked, "Why did you stop from ending him?"
My question seed to have taken them aback as they exchanged a quick glance before River let out a soft sigh and said carefully, "If I didn't stop you, Charles would have died that night... but that would have been rcy. He doesn't deserve that. He needs to suffer for what he did to you."
His tone was cold, controlled, and dangerous. I could tell he had his plans for that man.
I shook my head slightly. When I spoke, my voice ca out quiet... but certain. "You are wrong. It's not Charles."
All three of them stilled, confusion taking over their faces as they tried to understand what I ant.
My fingers tightened weakly around River's hand as my gaze t his.
"It's Damian."
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