Freya
The soft patter of rain on the windshield filled the car as I pulled away from the curb, my daughter already buckled into the backseat.
I caught sight of Isabella in the rearview mirror, her small fingers flying across her phone screen. She was ssaging soone—Aurora, undoubtedly.
After a mont, Isabella’s face lit up with relief at whatever reply she received. "She just has a cold," my daughter murmured to herself, though my enhanced hearing caught every word. "It’s not serious."
Even through the phone, I could detect the hoarseness in Aurora’s voice. My daughter’s brow furrowed with concern—a look she rarely showed for these days. I watched as she quickly typed another ssage, her fingers hesitating briefly before hitting send.
I knew what she’d written without having to see it: she’d promised to visit Aurora after school. The plans we might have had together clearly forgotten.
Isabella glanced up guiltily, checking to see if I had noticed. I kept my eyes on the road, pretending ignorance.
When we arrived at the school gates, Isabella unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned forward to wrap her arms around my neck. "Mom, I’m going inside now," she said, her voice bright with the excitent of seeing her friends—and later, Aurora.
"Mm," was all I could manage in response. The distance between us seed to stretch wider with each passing day, but Isabella didn’t seem to notice my detachnt as she skipped happily toward the school building, her backpack bouncing with each step.
I watched her disappear through the doors before pulling away from the curb, a hollow feeling settling in my chest. Selene paced restlessly within , upset at the growing divide between us and our pup.
My phone chid with a ssage from Jake: Silvano had sothing "urgent" to attend to, postponing our 10 AM eting until the afternoon.
I didn’t need to be told what that "urgent matter" was. Silvano was rushing to Aurora’s side to tend to her illness personally. The knowledge should have hurt, perhaps, but I found myself remarkably numb to it all.
I focused on my work, reviewing contracts and preparing reports until Jake ssaged everyone again around 2 PM. The eting was rescheduled for 3 PM, with a special request for to prepare coffee for Silvano.
When Silvano finally strode into the conference room at precisely three o’clock, I paused mid-keystroke. He wore different clothes than he had that morning at breakfast.
My mind unwillingly conjured images of him comforting Aurora, perhaps lying beside her to help her sleep, his strong arms wrapped protectively around her as he watched over her feverish form...
After the eting concluded, Jake approached my desk with an air of awkward formality. "Your handover work is nearly complete," he inford . "You won’t need to co to the office tomorrow."
"I understand," I replied evenly, surprising myself with how steady my voice sounded. Even if he hadn’t ntioned it, I would have brought it up myself once I’d finished my current tasks. At least this way, I was spared having to make that final request.
Jake blinked, clearly unprepared for my easy acceptance. "You..."
I extended my hand to him, cutting off whatever he’d been about to say. "Thank you for all your care these years."
He shook my hand automatically, still looking sowhat stunned. "You’re too polite."
Without another word, I gathered my belongings and headed for the door.
For the next two days, my phone remained silent—no calls from Isabella. My wolf grew increasingly agitated with each passing hour, worrying about our pup despite my attempts to remain detached.
On the second night, Elena called with a fever. I imdiately closed the book I’d been reading, grabbed my car keys, and rushed out the door. My friend needed , and I wouldn’t fail her.
Rain had been falling steadily all day, turning the streets slick and empty. The old city area where Elena lived was particularly deserted at this hour. I pulled over at a pharmacy near her neighborhood and dashed inside, erging minutes later with dicine clutched to my chest.
As I closed my umbrella and slipped back into the driver’s seat, the passenger door suddenly opened. Before I could react, a tall figure in black slid in beside . My heart stuttered as Selene leaped to attention, her protective instincts flaring.
The black muzzle of a gun pointed directly at my face.
"Don’t move," a deep voice commanded from behind a mask.
The man was dressed entirely in black, his face obscured by both mask and low-brimd hat. Only his eyes were visible—cold, sharp, and calculating as they assessed with predatory intensity.
I slowly raised my hands, forcing my breathing to remain steady. Selene wanted to shift, to tear out this threat’s throat, but the silver bullet that would undoubtedly be in that gun kept her at bay. We both knew what silver could do to our kind.
The intruder reached across with his free hand, taking my bag and phone with practiced efficiency. "I won’t do anything to you," he said, his voice emotionless. "After you take to my destination, you can leave."
Before I could even process what was happening, the gun pressed harder against my ribs. "Drive," he ordered coldly.
Reviews
All reviews (0)