Chapter 209
That tuvaks rong thing inside me I move toward him vienly, carefully, like I’m appicaching Maneding wild that holi
When I’m close enough, he opens his arme. I hesitate for fost a second before stepping into them.
The hug is gentle at first. Both of us are tente, waiting for something terrible to happen. But nothing does. io per servo, skin. Just my brother’s arms around me and the familiar smell of his cologne.
After a few seconds, I relax against him. He feels warm and solid and safe. Like home.
‘See?‘ he murmurs into my hair. “You’re not a monster. You’re just Athena.”
ty ander
We stay like that for a long time. Long enough for some of the fear to drain out of me. Long enough for me to remember what it feels like to be bold by
someone who loves me.
When we finally pull apart, my eyes are wet but I’m not actively crying anymore.
“I’ll try,” I say, ‘I’ll try to heal him.”
“That’s all anyone can ask.”
But even as I say it, I’m already planning. If this doesn’t work, if I kill Tristan instead of saving him, then I’m leaving. I’m getting as far away from here as possible so I can’t hurt anyone else.
I can’t live in a world where Tristan is dead because of me. I won’t.
We walk back into the room together. Tristan looks up when we enter, and I can see the question in his eyes.
‘I’ll do it,” I say quietly. “I’ll try to heal you.”
The relief on his face is obvious. Sarah lets out a breath she’s been holding. Derek nods like this was always the plan.
“When?” Tristan asks.
“Tomorrow,” I say. “I need time to prepare. To get my head right.”
“Okay. Tomorrow.”
The rest of the conversation passes in a blur. Derek talks about finding the right kind of knife. Sarah mentions setting up a clean space. Orion discusses
timing.
I stop listening after a while. All I can think about is that in twenty four hours, I’m either going to save the person I love most or I’m going to kill him.
When everyone finally starts heading to bed, Tristan hangs back.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I almost laugh. Am I okay? No, I’m not okay. I’m about as far from okay as a person can get.
نا
1/2
R
11:05 Mon, Jan 12 @r D
Chapter 209
We should sleep in the same bed tonight, I say instead of answering his question
He looks surprised but doesn’t question it. Okay.”
What I don’t tell him is that I want one last night with him. Just in case tomorrow doesn’t go the way we hope,
What I also don’t tell him is that I’m not planning to be there in the morning.
We go to bed early. Tristan falls asleep quickly, but I lie awake staring at the ceiling for hours. Listening to him breathe. Memorizing the sound,
When I’m sure he’s deep asleep, I slip out of bed as quietly as I can. I get dressed in the dark and grab the small bag I packed earlier while he was in the
shower.
I don’t take much. Just some clothes that Sarah had gotten for me, and the money I’ve been saving. Enough to get far away from here.
I write him a letter explaining why I’m leaving, but I don’t leave it where he’ll find it right away. I hide it under the duvet, where he won’t look until
after I’m gone.
The house is quiet as I make my way downstairs. Everyone’s asleep. No one will know I’m gone until morning, and by then I’ll be long gone.
I slip out the back door and walk quickly toward the street. My heart is pounding but I feel oddly calm. This is the right thing to do. This is the only way to keep everyone safe.
But as I reach the street, I stop dead.
Tristan is standing there waiting for me.
He’s fully dressed and he’s got his arms crossed over his chest. He doesn’t look surprised to see me. He doesn’t look angry either. He just looks tired.
“Going somewhere?” he asks quietly.
Comments
Heather Hudson
3 Comments >
So is she ever gonna talk about her guilty conscience about what her ex said about Tristan’s previous mate?
7 days ago
36
<SHARE
O
3
2
2/2
The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate
