Throwing the covers off, I stand, glancing down at myself, only to realize I'm in someone's oversized t-shirt, which falls mid-thigh, and a pair of boxers.
I fold my arms over my chest, turning my attention to the twins.
“The eyes.”
“Ivy,” Baron warns, and I shake my head.
“The eyes,” I push, and Sax purses his lips.
“There are stages,” he offers, and I scowl.
“What stages?”
Baron exhales, defeated. “I don't know. I haven't deciphered it all yet, but from what I can tell, orange is just the beginning.”
Pressing my fingertips into my temples, I try to fight against the relentless headache that threatens to consume me, appearing out of nowhere, yet drilling through my skull like it’s always been there.
“It's going to be okay, Princess. We can?—”
“Stop saying we!” I snap, glaring at Teddy before letting each of my hated mates feel the wrath of my glare. “There is nowe,and I promise you there never will be if you don't explain what the hell happened two years ago.”
The silence is deafening as I offer them all one last glance, desperate for an answer. When it doesn't come, and all I'm left with are pools of guilt, I chase isolation instead.
Bolting for the exit, I'm determined to take matters into my own hands.
Someone calls my name, but I don't glance over my shoulder as I swing the bedroom door open and dart for the stairs. I move on autopilot, relishing in the flicker of heat that consumes me before I step outside.
Barefoot, I run in a blind panic, completely torn. I’m in too much of a spiral to be fully aware of my surroundings, who might be nearby, or anything else for that matter.
I just run, relishing the wind that whips through my hair until I jolt to a stop at the clifftop. Sharp, jagged breaths rattle my chest as I plant my hands on my hips, focusing on the horizon as I try to steady my breathing, all the while overwhelmed by the fact that it's never-ending.
There's no running away from this, even if just for a moment. Acknowledging the fact does nothing to calm my bubbling emotions.
The sound of wings flapping cuts through the sound of my pulse ringing in my ears, and I glance up just in time to see the familiar flash of green scales before the ground vibrates beside me.
“Alaric,” I blurt, panic stiffening my spine as he inches closer.
“Don't worry, he knows to keep his distance,”he murmurs into my mind, and I glance over my shoulder to find the long-haired twin leaning against the closest tree. When it's clear he'snot going to come any closer, I move on instinct and fall into Alaric, leaning against his scales.
Time swirls around me as my hated mate's dragon gets comfortable lying along the grass. I take a seat between his claws, basking in the quiet calm as I stare off into the distance and welcome his embrace.
When my breathing mellows out, and the air is no longer suffocating around me, Alaric speaks.
“What's going through that head of yours?”he asks, and I grunt.
“Self-loathing,” I admit, hating how self-aware I actually am.
“How so?” he pushes, and I sigh, throwing my arms out in disbelief.
“I waited forever to be here, to embrace being something more than a pawn, but this is more intense than anything I ever imagined. On top of that, I feel like I've escaped from one controlling situation only to be dropped right into another, and every instinct I have is telling me to run. Run as fast and far away from anyone and anything that threatens my freedom, my future.” My chest aches at the truth.
Alaric nuzzles against my open palm, ensuring I keep calm.“You need the peace to process,”he soothes, and another sigh parts my lips.
“But by the time I've wrapped my head around one thing, I'm faced with another.”
“You'll get through it,” he promises, and my heart stutters at the first time hearing the word—you—and notwe.
I exhale, a weight lifting from my shoulders as I dare to glance behind me and around Alaric's scales to spy Baron in the distance. He’s still in the exact same spot, despite all the time that's passed.
