One Night

Chapter 196

Audrey

Silver arrows rained down from a dark sky. Straight toward my mother, laying in her hospital bed, ho**d up to countless tubes and machines.

“No!”

I ran to my mother’s sleeping form and threw myself over her just moments before the first arrow hit, shielding her from the shower. I made it just in time; though the arrows pierced my back, blinding pain shooting through my body, she was safe. Protected.

Or so I thought.

When the arrows finally stopped coming, I pulled back, arms still wrapped around her.

“Mom-

I felt my stomach sink. My mother…. She was choking on my blood.

Liquid silver had seeped out of my wounds, pooling around her, soaking into the hospital sheets. As if it had a life of its own, it rose up and slipped into her mouth, her nose, her eyes, crept up her arms and legs and across her torso until she was completely covered.

Then, it covered me, too.

I didn’t scream. Although I didn’t know if that was because of the silver quickening in my lungs, or because I had lost the will to fight back.

I jerked awake with a gasp, my heart pounding in my chest. For a moment, I was disoriented, the nightmare still clinging to the edges of my consciousness. But then I realized I was in bed, in Edwin’s apartment. How had I gotten here?

Last night’s memories slowly began to fade back in, clouded as they were-Edwin carrying me out of the hospital, changing my clothes like a child, feeding me. It was all such a blur, I had been so fogged by three sleepless nights.

But I had slept through last night, it seemed, seeing as how the sun’s light was just barely beginning to peek over the h**n.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim light of dawn, I saw Edwin moving around the room, pulling clothes out of drawers and shoving them into a duffel bag.

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Chapter 190

My clothes.

“Edwin?” I croaked, my voice **rse. “What are you doing?”

He turned, surprise flashing across his face. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

1 ignored his question. “Why are you packing a bag?”

Edwin’s face tightened, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. He didn’t answer me right

away.

“Edwin…” I warned.

“Peter and Charles are going to take you to my summer cottage for a while,” he finally said, turning away to stuff another sweater into my bag. “Until this whole situation blows over.”

“What?” I struggled to sit up, my muscles screaming from days of sitting upright in a chair with no rest. “Why? What are you talking about?”

Edwin didn’t look at me as he gravely said, “I had a conversation with my father last night. He… he gave me an ultimatum. Either we break up, or Axel becomes Crescent’s Alpha and imprisons you.”

The words felt like a knife in my gut. “What?” I sat up fully now, even though my back ached immensely. “You’re breaking up with me?!”

flashing “No. No,” Edwin said firmly, his jaw clenched. He turned to look at me, eyes yellow, and I felt some of my coiled muscles relax-but only the slightest bit. “But I’ve decided that the best course of action is to make it appear as if we’ve broken up. You’ll go to the cottage, somewhere safe and our of the way, until I can prove that what

happened to Claudia had nothing to do with you.”

I shook my head, struggling to process this information. “No, I don’t want to go. I want to stay here, with you and my friends and… and my mother. I have school to finish!”

“I already talked to the dean. You can finish your classes online,” Edwin replied. “I’m sorry, Audrey, but it’s the only way to keep you safe right now.”

“But for how long?” I demanded, panic rising in my chest. I struggled to stand on shaking legs. “I might miss graduation!”

“Your safety is more important than a graduation ceremony,” Edwin said, a bit coldly- as if the words pained him and he was trying to quell his own anguish. “You have to get out of here. I won’t take no for an answer.”

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Chapter ton

Red hot fury burst through me at that. I stormed up to him with what little strength 1 had and ripped the bag from his unsuspecting hands, throwing it on the floor. Sweaters and jeans and books went sc**ng across the wood.

Edwin tensed, jaw clenching, but said nothing

“You promised.” I growled, jabbing my finger into his chest. “You promised you wouldn’t treat me this way. That I could make my own decisions.”

For a while, he said nothing. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Edwin’s face was ashen as he quietly said, “I know I promised, and I know that right now, I’m breaking. that promise. I’m sorry. But I have no choice

“There’s always a choice.”

“Not this time,” Edwin said, bending and picking up my things. “The car is already waiting. Peter and Charles will keep you safe.”

I glared at him, feeling betrayed and furious. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”

Edwin’s shoulders slumped. “I’m doing this because I love you, Audrey. I can’t let anything happen to you.”

“So instead you’re sending me away? Taking away my right to choose my own fate?” I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “Some mate you are.”

I saw the hurt flash across his face, but I was too angry to care. Turning on my heel, I yanked a pair of jeans and a hoodie out of my drawer, pulling them on forcefully.

“Fine,” I snapped. “If you want me gone so badly, then I’ll go.”

With that, I grabbed the bag from him and stormed away, shoving my bare feet into my boots by the door. Edwin followed, and his scent mixed with the sensation of his apology rippling through our bond made me even angrier. I slammed down a wall around my heart, blocking him from feeling my emotions through the bond. If that made him flinch, then I didn’t dare look at him to see it.

Outside, a black SUV was idling by the curb. Charles sat in the driver’s seat, while Peter leaned against the passenger side door, hands stuffed into his pockets.

“Hello, little-” he began but trailed off, his easy smile falling when he saw my expression.

Without a word to Edwin or Peter or Charles, 1 yanked open the back door and threw myself inside, slamming it shut behind me so hard it rattled the entire car. Through the window, I could see Edwin and Peter talking, but I looked away, clenching my jaw.

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After what felt like an eternity. Peter slid into the passenger seat. “Alright, we’re ready to go.” he said to Charles.

As the car pulled away from the curb, Peter turned to look at me. “I know this sucks, Audrey, but it’s for the best. At least we can keep training and hanging out, right?”

I didn’t respond, keeping my gaze fixed out the window. I could practically feel Peter’s concern wafting off of him, could practically scent it on him, but I shut it out.

“Come on, little star,” Peter tried again. “It won’t be so bad. The cottage is beautiful, and

“Just shut up, Peter,” I said, my voice cold. “I don’t want to hear it.”

He fell silent, and I felt the smallest pang of guilt. It wasn’t Peter’s fault, after all. But I was too hurt and angry to apologize.

As we pulled away, I caught one last glimpse of Edwin in the side mirror. He was standing on the sidewalk, watching us leave, his face a mask of pain and regret.

I quickly wiped away the tear that slipped down my cheek as his face disappeared from

view.