Page 91 of Awakened

With cautious movements—because I still don’t trust that my nerve endings have simply shut down in an attempt to keep me from cracking completely—I extend my arm out in front of me and slowly, warily, open my eyes.

When my blurry eyes focus, I gasp, lurching back a step and blinking furiously, unable to accept what I’m seeing.

Pale, porcelain white skin. Hair thin, blue veins visible along my wrist and elbow. No blisters. No angry red and oozing burns. No charred skin or visible bone.

I thrust my arm out in front of me, twisting it back and forth, searching for some kind of evidence of what just happened. My wide eyes snap up, locking onto emerald green irises nearly as wide as my own.

Oh… oh no….

“I— I don’t know what, how—” Words fall from my lips as I search frantically for an explanation. “I swear I don’t know— I fell, and it was just instinct to catch myself and my arm—I thought—maybe adrenaline, or—or⁠—”

Each new word trips and tumbles over the last. My teeth begin to chatter, and I inch backward—away from Vaelenor. From Cage. From the danger in this room.

Valenor’s hands fly out in front of him, palms up. He takes a step back and nearly steps right on top of Cage, who’s on the floor, hands and ankles tied with⁠—

Are those… Electronic cords?

Vae has somehow managed to hog-tie Cage with what look like random cords from various headsets, game controllers, and chargers. Cage bucks, straining against his bindings. I fully expect them to snap apart against his vampire strength, but they don’t.

How did Vaelenor get that many cords around him so fast?

My hands fall to my sides, the movement pulling Vae’s focus back to my right arm. He frowns, but he seems more confused than angry. His calm curiosity doesn’t erase my fears, but it does temper them a little.

I glance up, peering at him through my lashes. I’m on edge. Anxiety swarms like bees under my skin. Vaelenor doesn’t normally jump straight to accusations—not like Daxen—but he’s made his feelings for me crystal clear.

I hate that I feel the need to overanalyze every one of our interactions, but I can’t help it. He’s my Scent-Match. There’s a part of my soul even now reaching out to him, even knowing it’s pointless.

No part of me trusts Vae to step up and do the right thing.

And I won’t follow at his heels like a puppy, begging for scraps of affection. I refuse. After twenty years spent wishing that my father would love me, I learned not to give away pieces of myself for free, especially to males who are unwilling to do the same.

I deserve better. Better than him. Better than a male who sees the way I struggle with my hair, and thinks casually tossing hair ties at my feet is worthy of praise.

“Gods, it’s hot in here,” he mutters, wiping the sweat off his brow with his forearm. My eyes flick to the hearth, where the fire still burns. The flames are steady—but not intense—and my shoulders sag with relief.

Vaelenor clocks my reaction and frowns, expression twisting into something that looks like pain. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

That’s the last thing I expected him to say. It puts me immediately on edge.

Why isn’t he yelling? Or calling for Daxen? Or throwing out accusations or—or⁠—

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Cage barks from the floor. “How much more proof do you need⁠—”

“Shut your fucking mouth,” Vae snarls, and in the blink of an eye, his concern morphs into rage. His hands curl into fists, and he rounds on Cage in two quick strides. He bends over, grabs the Alpha by the front of his shirt with one hand, and yanks him up onto his knees.

“What the fuck, man? What’s your⁠—”

“What part of shut your fucking mouth do you not understand? I don’t want to hear your voice.”

“Are you gonna tell Daxen about her arm? Gonna tell him that she fell into the fire and doesn’t have a scratch on her? What am I saying… of course you are. You’re his little bitch. You let him order you around in the bedroom, too? Or only⁠—”

“ENOUGH!”

But it’s already too late. With a furious roar, Cage surges to his feet. His restraints snap, wires and cords flailing and whipping dangerously through the air as he throws back his head with a maniacal laugh.

Oh, no. No no no no no.

My heart slams against my ribs with fear, and I stumble back. I keep my eyes trained on Cage—sure he’s coming straight for me.