“Whatever it takes.” I force a small smile, trying to reassure him. “We’ll get through this. Together.”
That doesn’t mean I’m not pissed as hell at him for keeping this from all of us.
The tension in the kitchen is palpable, and I can feel the weight of our situation bearing down on me. Felix wraps his arms around my waist, holding me close as I finish cleaning Blaze’s wounds. His warmth is a comforting presence.
“Are we going into hiding?” I ask.
“No. We are still going to be out in the world while we work on this case. The important thing is that our house is secure.” Everyone nods at Aksel’s answer.
I feel like I’m the only one not grasping what’s happening.
“And are we going far?” I ask.
“We can use transport charms to get to fights or back here if we need to. I’m going to pick the most secure location.” Aksel doesn’t look up from his phone as he works. “It was stupid of us to stay here after we brought the weaver here. We won’t make mistakes like that again.”
“We should pack and get ready to leave,” Felix says, his voice low and steady. The others nod in agreement, their expressions grim with determination.
“Alright,” I concede. “Let’s get moving.”
I head upstairs to the room I share with Felix, my heart heavy with the knowledge that we must abandon this place.The familiar space feels different now – tainted, somehow, by the people who were here. I begin packing our belongings, folding clothes, and placing them in suitcases with mechanical precision.
Felix and Griffyn enter the room, concern etched on their faces. “How are you holding up, Anna?” Griffyn asks, his eyes searching mine for any sign of distress.
“Blaze was lying to me,” I confess, allowing the hurt to seep into my voice. “He never told me about the illegal fights or what he did to get the weaver.”
“We are all pissed as hell with him. When we found you, we became more than a team. We are a family and he’s not acting like it,” Griffyn says.
“Secrets can be dangerous,” I reply, my thoughts swirling with insecurity. “What else don’t I know? How many more lies are there?”
“We will find out. Once we are all safe,” Felix reassures me.
Taking a deep breath, I steady myself as I continue packing.
“Okay,” I say, my voice barely audible.
Felix and Griffyn exchange a glance, their expressions resolute. “We’re with you, Anna,” Griffyn promises. “No matter what comes next, we’ll face it together.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling the warmth of their love envelop me like an embrace. “I couldn’t do this without you.”
I leave Felix and Griffyn behind in that room and head down the hallway to Rion’s room. I gave Rion that room when he joined us but never cleaned out all my belongings. Though I try to steel myself for the task at hand, my heart still races with every footstep. The door creaks open as I enter, revealing that Rion has already started packing up my belongings.
“Rion, you didn’t have to do this,” I say, my voice wavering slightly. “But thank you.”
“Of course, Anna,” he replies.
As I watch him fold my clothes, I can’t help but feel grateful for his presence and support.
“Thank you for having Blaze’s back today,” I tell him, my voice growing stronger.
“Anna, I would do anything for you, and of course, I would help one of your mates,” he says solemnly. “I don’t want anything to happen to Blaze either.”
As we work in near silence, I can’t help but notice the way Rion’s knuckles turn white when his grip tightens around a hairbrush, or how my own breaths grow shallower with every passing minute. The air is charged with a mix of fear and determination.
“I hope Aksel finds us a secure place soon,” I murmur, rolling up a pair of jeans and placing them in the suitcase. “Somewhere we can regroup and figure out our next move.”
“Me too,” Rion agrees, pausing briefly to brush a stray lock of golden hair from his forehead. “But until then, we must stay alert.”
Together, we finish packing up my belongings.
