Love Bites

Chapter 13

Ayawn builds, and I have to clench my teeth in an attempt to keep it from escaping. Standing before the panel of my assessors, I attempt to keep still, knowing that yawning in their faces wouldn’t give them a good impression of me.

The room we’re in is set out a little like a courtroom, and it’s freaking me out. I’m not sure what I expected, but as I was escorted from the main building and across to a singular building on the other side of the courtyard, this was not it.

There is a small podium in the middle of the room where I stand now, and in front of me is a raised stage with a long podium with my three assessors seated behind it. To my left is a desk where Zane and Jack sit with a pile of papers I assume are my records.

The rest of the space behind us holds rows and rows of empty chairs. I suppose some of the meetings here would attract more of a crowd, but as Jack keeps reminding me, a simple first assessment is a minor thing.

Mr Michael Richards is running the assessment, and so far he has been nothing but patient and fair. From the hint of fang when he speaks, I’m guessing he’s a vampire, which should only help my case, seeing as he’s been through this himself.

To his left is a quiet male I haven’t heard utter a word, and to Richards’ right is my parole officer, Dorine.

I had given her a little wave as I was brought in, but she only scowled at me. Whether that is a good or bad thing, I have yet to discover. In the short time I’ve known her, I don’t think I’ve seen a single smile, so the scowl might not be a bad thing. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

“I can see here that you have attended all of the mandatory sessions, and you got involved in some of the extracurricular activities,” Richards comments, shuffling through the papers on his desk. “You haven’t been involved in any fights, and you have fed as we would expect for a new vampire. Your mentor and sponsor speak highly of you as well.” A smile pulls at his pleasant face, and I wonder how often he gets to work on simple cases like mine. “Overall, I think we can probably classify you as low risk and release you on the grounds you return for classes.” Sitting back in his chair, he continues to smile as he glances to the assessors on either side of him. “Does everyone agree?”

“I’m afraid I do not,” Dorine answers almost immediately. She’s said next to nothing during the whole assessment, and now she suddenly has issues with my release?

Why, Dorine, why?

“Some new information has come to light.” She shuffles her papers, her voice full of exhaustion. She doesn’t go so far as to look upset by this, but she does at least have the decency to try and sound disappointed. “Last night, at approximately eleven thirty-five, Miss Emily left the compound with another prisoner. One can only assume she was trying to run away.”

My heart drops into my stomach, and my nausea rises with each second, disbelief and horror rooting me to the spot. No, this can’t be happening. How do they even know about this? There was no one around when we went for our flight, I checked. Gabriel said he had permission to fly, so I assumed I could go with him without being penalised. It seems I was wrong. Maybe that was naive of me to think, but knowing I was so close to getting out of here is making it hard for me to breathe.

“Because of this,” Dorine continues in her monotone voice, her stare locked on me as she speaks, “I propose cancelling plans to release her and sending her to a locked facility where she can undergo further testing and assessment.”

What? I don’t know what a locked facility is, but it doesn’t sound good. In fact, it sounds like they are going to sentence me and send me to a regular supernatural prison.

Movement beside me catches my eye, and I turn to watch as Zane leaps up from his seat and slams his hands on the desk before him. With his face twisted with rage and teeth bared, he looks dangerous, and I’m glad that gaze isn’t aimed at me.

“You can’t do that,” he snarls, his hands clenching the desk as though it’s the only thing stopping him from leaping forward and getting in the assessors’ faces. “She did nothing wrong! She didn’t run away, she’s right in front of you!”

“Zane,” Jack murmurs quietly, trying to encourage the other male to calm down. He slowly stands, but I’m able to see the anger flickering in his eyes. He might seem as though this setback isn’t affecting him, but he is just good at hiding his emotions. This revelation has thrown him. “Could we please see the evidence of this violation?”

Dorine smiles, her lips pulling tight over her ugly face as she raises a piece of paper. The expression seems foreign on her, as though she’s never smiled before. “I have a written statement here from the other prisoner involved—Gabriel Black.”

Physical pain radiates through me like an arrow to the heart. My body stiffens against the agony, and I have to grip onto the podium in front of me to stop myself from falling, my legs unsteady.

Gabriel betrayed me? I wouldn’t believe it, but how else would the assessors know about our midnight flight? No, I don’t want to believe it. I’ve not known him long, and I don’t know much about him, but I thought we had a connection. Why would he take me for a flight, only to immediately run to the guards and tell them what happened? Unless… Unless he knew it would affect my release, so he encouraged me on the basis that I would get in trouble for it and have to stay here.

Chest tight, I focus on my breathing, slowing my breaths so I don’t hyperventilate, needing to push those thoughts from my mind and deal with the consequences.

“Do you want to explain yourself, Miss Emily?” Mr Richards asks. “This is your time to tell us what happened.”

He sounds disappointed, and as I glance up, I see that he’s watching me with a hint of pity. The fact that he’s giving me the opportunity to tell them my side of the story gives me hope that I could salvage the situation. It’s clear that he wants to believe that I’m innocent.

I desperately want to look towards Zane and Jack, wanting their support and encouragement, but shame makes it impossible, and I keep facing forward.

“Last night, I was really struggling emotionally, and Gabriel found me and suggested getting some fresh air.” Pausing for a moment, I glance up to see Richards’ encouraging nod. Taking a steadying breath, I continue. “We went into the garden out back, and he took me flying. He’s allowed to leave to stretch his wings. I never touched the ground. We just got some air and came back.” Panic grips me as I speak, my words becoming faster, my voice tighter as I try to explain myself. “I promise, I wasn’t trying to escape.”

Dorine makes a disgruntled noise and clicks her tongue. “Gabriel may be allowed to fly, but you were given strict instructions not to leave the facility.” She appears fierce, but I can see the glee in her expression that she’s not quite able to hide. “You broke those rules. You are a flight risk and should be treated as such.”

Both Zane and Jack protest, their words merging together as they fight to be heard. I don’t bother to speak up, a dull sense of dread filling me and confirming my worst thoughts.

“She didn’t set foot on the ground outside. You can’t penalise her for the actions of a known criminal!” Zane shouts, his arms going wide as he gesticulates. His anger is so close to the surface, I can almost see it shimmering from him in waves. Zane always warned me away from Gabriel. There is some history between them, so I’m not surprised that he’s trying to turn this all on the winged male.

More chatter goes on as they argue back and forth, but I can see that Dorine has already made up her mind, and she seems determined to convince the others that I shouldn’t be released. Richards, on the other hand, seems to be attempting to see the light in the situation, while the quiet assessor is listening intently to everything that my parole officer is saying.

I end up tuning out the rest of the meeting, knowing that nothing I say will change the outcome at this point. Mostly, my thoughts just dwell on the fact that Gabriel betrayed me. I feel numb with the pain of that information. Did he go straight to the guards once he dropped me off, or was he not given an option, forced to confess? Even so, I can’t believe he would do this to me.

“We’ll appeal, Emmy.” Jack’s soothing voice follows me as we walk through the assessment building to get back into the main part of the facility.

“They can’t fucking do this,” Zane growls behind me, still furious at the outcome of the meeting.

I’m in a daze, a state of numbness, their voices washing over me.

“Unfortunately, they can,” Jack replies, his voice heavy with regret. “Your parole officer seems to have it out for you. At least we managed to stop them from sending you to a locked facility.”

When I’m not feeling so dazed, I’m sure I will be upset at Dorine’s blatant dislike of me. It’s one thing not to like someone, but to revel in their pain and attempt to lock them away is a whole new level of deviousness.

The panel of assessors only agreed not to send me away, keeping me here instead, because Zane told them he was my mate. Locking me away in one of those facilities with no access to my mate would be detrimental to both of us. It seems that they are trying to come down hard on first-time offenders to stop them from offending again—an interesting strategy.

Zane snarls, and although I can’t see his face, I can almost imagine his expression. “That never should have been an option in the first place! Murderers and dangerous felons are sent to those places.”

I don’t mention the fact that I did accidently kill Colin, and that’s what got me here in the first place. I know what he’s trying to say, and to be honest, the idea of being sent away is terrifying.

As I step out into the courtyard, I’m grateful for the dull weather today, the clouds blocking the sun from being its strongest. None of us mention the fact that this is where the great escape happened, although from the awkward atmosphere that settles over us, I know they are thinking about it too.

“That fucking Black,” Zane mutters under his breath. “This is his fault.”

Sighing, I close my eyes for a second, having heard these accusations towards Gabriel a lot in the last couple of hours. I have to take some accountability for my actions. While I thought a flight would be fine, I was obviously wrong. My mind had been so overwhelmed at the time that I was only thinking about my mental health and trying to keep myself sane.

Turning so I can see the two of them, I make sure they are both paying attention. “I’m the one who left, and I’m being punished for it. It’s not his fault.”

When we reach the alcove that leads into the main building, I’m glad for the coverage, my skin sensitive from my short time in the sun. I don’t know why all of these meetings are arranged during the day when most of the supernatural creatures here are nocturnal. It just seems like an odd choice, unless it’s aimed to make us feel uncomfortable before the meeting even takes place.

Zane and Jack fall into step beside me, and while it doesn’t take away the pain I feel, having them both so close does help settle me.

“You never would have done it if he hadn’t encouraged you,” Zane points out, his voice low but still loud enough that anyone with sensitive hearing would hear.

The corridor lights up as it leads us to the reception, the room open and wide. As soon as I step over the threshold, I know something is different. Something is off. A figure stands in the opposite doorway. My eyes are automatically drawn to him like a magnet. There is no hope in resisting no matter how much I don’t want to see him right now.

“Emily,” Gabriel calls, that one word full of so much meaning. He’s not simply calling my name, but I can hear his longing and apology in his voice. I’ve never seen him like this before, his emotions openly showing on his face. Usually he’s so good at keeping his mask in place. Is he lowering it to let me see his true feelings, or is he unable to hide the rush of emotion?

Everyone seems to hold their breath, waiting for one of us to move, to speak, to do anything. I want to go to him and breathe him in, to hold him against me, yet I also want to smack him and demand he tell me why he betrayed me. I don’t do any of that though. Instead, I just stare at him, my chest aching with the pain.

“You fucking bastard,” Zane roars. Until now, he’s been quiet, looking between the two of us, but I could feel his anger building, caught between comforting his mate and defending her honour. The bond is wrapping around him tightly, but he manages to hold himself in place.

The rest of the world fades away as I take a small step forward, my eyes locked on his. I don’t move any closer, just that one step, but it causes a throb in my chest, and I stop, pressing my hand to my collarbone.

“Why did you betray me?” My voice is a croak, holding far too much emotion when I wanted the question to sound firm. Instead, I sound weak and damaged, revealing my raw emotions for the world to hear.

The frown that mars his brow contains confusion and concern. I don’t know if that’s because of my accusation, or because of how much this has clearly upset me, but I don’t have it in me to ask.

“What? Emily, I did not betray you. I was trying to help you.”

I feel weak, my limbs no longer able to hold me upright at the bombshell of his statement. He doesn’t seem to realise what he just told me, what he just admitted. My chin quakes as I my eyes water with tears that will never fall. Why does this male have such a hold on me?

Jack places his hand on the small of my back, steadying me, but also offering me silent support. If I needed to get out of here, then he would find a way.

Keeping my back straight, I clear my throat. “So you admit it, you told them I left the grounds with you.”

He nods his head slowly. At least he has the decency to tell me the truth.

Gabriel takes a step forward, his hand outstretched towards me, but snarls from either side of me stop him. I’m not surprised by Zane’s reaction, since my mate is barely holding himself back, but seeing Jack acting protective of me is soothing.

Frustration and acceptance flashes on Gabriel’s face as he resigns himself to the fact that he’s not going to get anywhere near me. At least, not while Zane and Jack are here.

“They told me that if I didn’t confess, you wouldn’t be able to leave. If I told them, I would get a slap on the wrist, and you would get some extra classes, but you would be allowed to go,” he explains, his expression open and honest. “That is the only reason I said anything, Emily. I told them the whole thing was my idea.”

Is that true? Could that really be what happened, that he was tricked into confessing? Not knowing whether to believe him or not, I hold back. So many people have warned me about Gabriel, and several things I’ve witnessed while I’ve been in here indicate that he’s not exactly walking on the straight and narrow. I want to believe that he’s telling me the truth though.

If he was only trying to help me, then does it change anything?

“They cancelled her release purely based on your confession,” Jack states, his voice full of the authority of an officer. “She was almost sent to a locked facility because of you.”

“What?” Gabriel snarls, his wings flaring behind him in anger. Pure rage crosses his expression. “They lied to me, tricked me into talking.”

Unable to keep myself away any longer, I walk towards him, letting the tug pull me forward. He stills at my presence, looking down at me with troubled eyes.

“I swear it, Emily. I did not know they would do this.”

Even though a part of my mind is screaming at me to forgive him, I force my face into a neutral mask. “I have one question, and I need you to answer it honestly.”

As I knew he would, he nods in agreement. “Of course, little one. Anything.”

“Did you take me flying last night because you hoped it would get my release cancelled and I would be forced to stay here longer?”

His words from the previous night have been echoing in my mind since Dorine revealed Gabriel was the one who confessed. He said I wasn’t ready for him yet, and that he’s waited for me and would continue to wait. Is he hoping to change my mind if I’m around him all the time and kept away from the rest of the world?

He seems to realise why I’m asking what I am, and a flash of hurt crosses his face. It’s an outrageous accusation, but I can’t find it in myself to feel bad about asking. My gaze does drop though, resting on his chest, where I had been just last night as we flew over the city.

Deep down, I don’t truly believe that he did this to hurt me or keep me back. In my hurt and devastation, it makes all options possible, even the ones you know are false.

“No, little one.” He reaches out and touches my chin, lifting my gaze. “I was trying to help you. I never meant for this to happen.”

Meeting his eyes, I nod slowly.

“Bullshit!” Zane shouts behind me, surging forward and knocking Gabriel’s hand from my face.

Stumbling back a few steps, I wince as the atmosphere in the room becomes heated. Gabriel is trying to get to me, but Zane blocks his path, the two males squaring off with each other.

Being around so much anger is too much for me. I feel fragile, like a part of me has been chipped off, and I’m waiting for the cracks to spread. I have to get out of here and find someplace quiet where I can be on my own.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh has me spinning around to see Gabriel and Zane fighting. Their snarls and shouts are loud, and each one makes me wince. Jack is trying to get between them to stop them from fighting, but he isn’t having much luck. A shrill alarm fills the air, and guards flood into the area.

Backing away tentatively, I hurry towards the stairs. I should stay to make sure everyone is okay, but honestly, I can’t deal with their posturing and fighting. Today did not go as I thought it would, and I need to be alone to mourn the loss of my freedom and come to terms with my new reality.

I do the only thing I’m capable of doing right now.

I run.