Page 45 of Awakened and Betrayed
I snort. For people who weredyingmeet me, only a handful of them actually introduced themselves. This is supposed to be the upper crust of casters? They have shit manners, and I’d be thrilled if I never had to see most of them again. As If he can read my mind, Elder Cleary chuckles quietly.
“You’ll get used to them. Enoch and the others will teach you how to navigate things better for next time.”
I open my mouth to argue when his words and tone suddenly make me realize something. I turn and look into Elder Cleary’s cunning cobalt-blue eyes.
“You’re going to deny the Bond Claim, aren’t you?” A hollow chuckle escapes me.
“I should have seen that coming. But the guys were so certain you and the other elders would be fair and impartial.”
I take a step closer to him, squaring off, he only seems to grow more amused by it.
“Allow me to clarify something for you, and feel free to pass it along to the others. I am not yours to command. Nothing youeverdo, or say, will make me choose your son or his coven. What you’re pushing for, what you’re trying to force me into, is never going to happen.”
Elder Cleary’s smile drops ever so slightly, and he lowers his voice ensuring that no one can hear him but me.
“Come now, Sentinel. You of all people should know how possible the impossible can be. Your mere existence proves that one shouldneversay never.”
The blood drains from my face, and every muscle in my body goes taut from fear. How does he know what I am? I knew that theBaby Sentinelnickname Faron called me could make it back to the Elders, but I didn’t expect them to know what it meant. I shutter away the panic and the questions buzzing inside of me and slip a blank mask on.
“I would strongly advise against threatening me. It’s never gone well for anyone who’s done it in the past.”
Elder Cleary tsks me. “Now, now, Vinna. I think you misunderstood me. I only seek to reach a mutual understanding. I am your guardian, after all, I only have your best interest at heart.”
A flash of magenta crackles over my hands as Elder Cleary and I stare coldly at one another. The color of the magic deepens to violet the longer our standoff goes on, and I don’t bother to try and reign it in.
“What seems to be going on over here?” Isla asks.
The sound of his mate’s voice pulls Elder Cleary’s challenging gaze from mine. His hard eyes soften as he offers her a smile, and she tucks herself into his side. I sneak in a couple of deep breaths while they’re focused on each other. I need to calm down and keep this from escalating.
“We were just talking, Darling. Nothing to worry about,” Elder Cleary reassures his mate, and they both turn expectantly to me.
I give a noncommittal shrug.
“Talking, threatening, it’s probably all the same to him.”
I put my hand out to Enoch’s mother, and she takes it automatically. “It was nice to meet you. I have no intention of ever coming back here. Just like I have no intention of taking your son as a mate. That has nothing to do with you, however. You’ve been very kind, and I appreciate that more than I can say.” I squeeze her hand and walk away from both of their shocked faces.
The cool night air caresses my face as I make my way outside. I don’t get more than five feet away from the front door before Enoch and the others are calling my name and rushing after me. I’m fed up with them, this nightmare of a dinner, and this entire situation. When Enoch catches up to me, he reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder to stop me. I whirl on him, shoving him away from me.
“How long have you fucking known what I am?” I shout at him.
“What are you talking about? What just happened in there?”
“Don’t fucking lie to me, Enoch. There’s no way your dad knows, but you don’t. Who else knows. The other elders? You guys?” I look at the rest of the coven. “Did you really think you could threaten me into a bond?
Enoch steps towards me again, and I shoot him a scathing look that warns him not to get any closer.
“Who threatened you? What the hell are you talking about?” Nash shouts, as he motions to the others in his coven.
“I willneverchoose you. You will neverhave access tomymagic. So all of you, keep the fuck away from me!”
A flash of purple magic shoots out from my core and pulses away from me. It passes through Enoch and the others and disappears into the night. The pulse mutes my anger and steals the last of my energy, my knees buckle, refusing to hold me up any longer. Enoch darts forward and catches me before I crumple to the ground. He wraps his arms around me, securing me against him and I start to shiver and shake in his hold.
What the fuck just happened?
My teeth are chattering so hard I can’t speak, and my head feels like it’s wrapped in a thousand layers of cotton, muffling everything. Enoch and the others are shouting around me, but I can only make out bits and pieces of it. Enoch scoops me up in his arms, and my head lolls limply against his chest, as he wraps one arm behind my knees and another behind my back.
He moves towards the house, and it takes everything in me to try and get away from him. I don’t care if I die out here on the manicured lawn--and with how I’m suddenly feeling, that’s a possibility—but I am not going back into that house. Enoch seems to catch on to what’s distressing me, and he stops walking. More shouting goes on around me, but I can’t focus on them. I fight the need to pass out, knowing that if I do, they’ll take me back inside, and I can’t let that happen.
