Chapter 26
Sapphire.
I collapsed into her arms again, my body trembling as sobs racked through me. Her hands were gentle, rubbing soothing circles on my back while the murmured.
“It’s okay, you’re okay. Just breathe.” Her voice was soft, ahnout musical, and for a brief moment, it dulled the ache in my chest.
But then, the tensed beneath me. The comforting strokes of her hand faltered as her eyes narrowed at something behind me. I felt it before I saw them, their eyes, scaring and filled with malice. I sniffled, hurriedly wiping my tears with the back of my hand. I slowly turned around, already knowing who it was
Tyla and her group of girls stood by the lockers, their arms crossed with smug smiles plastered on their faces. Tyla’s giggling echoed through the hallway, sharp and mocking just like the rest of her.
“Well, well, well, look at the little crybaby,” the ineered Her cronies laughed, their eyes glinsing with cruelty
I held her gaze, my flats clenching at my sides. The laughter died on her lips when she noticed my glare. Her bravado wavered for just a moment, but she straightened and stalked toward me, her smirk returning.
“Thai’ll teach you not to run your mouth,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom and something I couldn’t recognize
A sudden laugh burst out of me, loud and humorless. It caught her all guard. Her eyes widened as she took a step back.
“You think this is funny!” she demanded
“Actually, yeals,” I replied, the humor in my voice clear.
Years of pain, of struggling to keep it together, had hardened me in ways she couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Tyla thought she could shake me with her peny bullying! She had no idea what I’d been through
I took a step closer to her, and her snug expression flickered with uncertainty.
“You really think you scare me I asked my voice low and steady. Her eyes darted to her friends for backup, but they stayed rooted in place,
suddenly unire.
Without warning, I raised my hand and slapped her across the Exce. The sound echoed through the Fallway, loud and satisfying. She stumbled, falling to the floor as the clutched her cheek in shock.
Her friends gasped, frozen in disbelief. Tyla looked up at me, tears brimming in her eyes, but I could see the fury simmering beneath her
humilation
I crouched down und our faces were inches apart. “Next time, think twice before you cross me,” I said, my voice cold and cutting. “I dare you.”
She glared up at me, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable. For a moment, neither of us moved. Her friends remained silent, clearly too scared to intervene. I straightened and walked away, not sparing ber another glance.
Leah’s hand found mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze as we walked out of the hallway together. “You okay?” she asked softly
“I will be,” I said, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.
My anger was yet to come down even though we were walking in silence, I had trastrations 1 needed to air our but I couldn’t.
The solitude of our walk did nothing to soothe my racing thoughts. Instead, it dragged me back into the darkness I’d been trying to escape, the memories of all those times my father locked me in, the walls closing in until I felt like I’d suffocate. The helplessness, the screaming until my throat was raw, it all came rushing back, drowning me..
Leah glanced at me from the corner of her eye. I knew she was trying to gauge my mood, but I was too caught up in the storm inside to care. After what felt like an eternity, she finally broke the silence. “Are you okay?” Her voice was soft, tentative
I shook my head, not even bothering to mask the truth. “No.” I muttered, my voice rougher than I intended.
Leah stopped walking and rummed to face me. Her eyes were filled with concern, but she didn’t push. Instead, she took my hand gently, holding it as
if trying to anchor me.
“I don’t know what’s happened to you, and I don’t know how to fix it,” she admitted, her voice steady despite the uncertainty in her words. “But maybe right now, what you need is something simple. Like ice cream.”
For a split second, the tension in my chest lousened, and a small laugh slipped out. It wasn’t much, but it felt like a crack in the wall I’d built around myself. I looked at Leah, her hopeful smile alipost contagious.
“Ice cream, huh?” I said, raising an eyebrow
She grinned. “I know it’s not some magical cure, but it’s worth a shot, right?”
I shrugged, the idea growing on me despite the turmoil still simmering beneath the surface. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.”
Leah’s smile widened, and she sugged on my hand, leading me down a side street until we reached a small, colorful ice cream parlor. The neon sign in the window flickered, casting a warm glow on the sidewalk. The sweet scent of waffle cones and sugar hit me as soon as we walked in, and for a brief moment, I could breathe easier.
We approached the counter, and Leah turned to me. “Pick whatever you want–it’s on me.”
Chapter 20
I glanced at the array of flavors behind the glass, indecision momentarily distracting me from the weight I’d been carrying all day. “I’ll take chocolate fudge.” I said after a moment.
“Good choice,” Leah said with a wink, ordering the same for herself.
sweetness was comforting, a small but
We found a seat by the window, and for a while, we just sat there, eating our ice cream in silence. The cool sweetness was welcome distraction from the storm still brewing inside me.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, breaking the silence.
Leah reached out and squeezed my hand. “Anytime. I’m here, okay? For whatever you need–even if it’s just more ice cream.”
And for the first time in a while, I fell a tiny spark of warmth amidst the cold.
The lingering sweetness of ice cream had lightened my mood comiderably. By the time Leah and headed back to the pack house, I felt more like myself, calmer, more in control.
We were laughing about something silly when Leah suddenly broke into a sprint, running towards Marcell, who was standing by the entrance with Amgoi
The second I spotted Aragon’s expression, my momach dropped. His eyes were dark, and his jaur was clenched so tightly I was sure he’d snap his
rih. Leah hugged Marcell, but even that didn’t soften the tension radiating off Aragon.
Without a word, he stormed towards me. “Where have you been?” he barked, eyes blazing with anger.
“I was with Leah.” I said, keeping my voice steady even though his intersay made my pulse race.
Leah quickly disentangled herself from Marcell and stepped forward. “Yes, Aragon, we were together the whole time,” she confirmed, her voice
calm but firm.
Aragon ignored her, his fecus locked on me. “You were told not to make any detours,” he growled. “You’re to go to college, then come straight back. here to do your chores. No exceptions.”
Leah tried to speak up again, but Aragon on her off with a sharp glare. “This doesn’t concern you, Leah” he snapped. “Stay out of li.”
How Marcell tense from the corner of my eyes at the way his Alpha silenced his mate.
My hands curled into fists at my sides, anger bubbling under my skin.
I lifted my chin and met his glare head–on. “Understood, Alpha,” I said, my tone laced with defiance despite my uneds. Then, without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and stromped inside the pack house, my boots echoing against the floor.
