Chapter Thirty-Eight
Gods… that was...Amazing.
And yet, guilt immediately crashed over her like a tidal wave, heavy and suffocating. Her chest felt tight, like it was being squeezed from all sides. Her lungs burned from shallow, rapid breaths, and her hands trembled, clutching at her knees as she tried to steady herself.
“I...gods, I’m sorry,” she managed, her voice breaking. Her head was spinning. “I didn’t mean to ask for...I didn’t...I just...”
Joshua’s eyes went sharp, pained, and she could see it, the raw, unfiltered ache that cut through him. It wasn’t anger. Not at all. It was something heavier, more intimate, a silent understanding of what she’d just endured.
“No, Ani,” he said, voice low, rough with emotion.
“Don’t apologize. Please. I… I’d do anything for you.
I wanted to do that. I...just… definitely not like this.
” He paused, letting his words sink in. His chest heaved slightly as he swallowed hard.
“But helping you through that… helping you...that’s everything to me. That’s all that matters. Are you okay?”
Her throat tightened, and her vision blurred. She nodded slowly, fighting the tears threatening to spill again.
“Y-yeah… I’m better now. Thank you. You got me out of my head.”
She looked at him then, really looked. His shirt was rumpled, collar completely askew, the sleeves rolled unevenly, giving him that casual, undone look that made her stomach twist. Heat crept up her neck and flamed across her cheeks.
She felt exposed, embarrassed...but also… something else. Something dangerous.
And then her gaze dropped to his chest, to the bit of skin exposed by his crooked collar, to where a familiar mark was pulsing with life. Her head spinned. A flowing spiral. Thick at the center with four curved arms endlessly turning, impossibly hypnotic and entirely too familiar.
Her breath caught in her throat. Her pulse thundered in her ears.
“What?” Joshua asked, alarm clear in his tone. “What’s wrong?”
She stumbled back a step, one hand clutching her chest as if to stop it from shattering. Thoughts collided and fragmented, spinning out of control.
Betrayal.
Confusion.
Fear.
Did he know? Her mind raced. He’d been right there.
He had to have seen hers. He must...he definitely knew.
The weight of it pressed down, crushing her, and panic rose like smoke in her chest. Her legs moved before her mind could catch up, and she shoved open the closet door, storming out into the hallway.
“Anabelle...wait!” Joshua’s voice called after her, desperate, thick with concern. “Just tell me what’s wrong, please!”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t stop. She turned the corner of the hallway, and then… they were there.
Cameron. Dominik. Rian. The three of them standing like statues, blocking her path. Their eyes locked on her, wide with surprise, worry, confusion. Every muscle in their bodies screamed tension, unease.
The panic inside her ignited. She didn’t hold back.
“Tell me,” she demanded, voice cracking, trembling with anger and hurt. “Tell me right now and don’t you dare lie to me! Do you all have the same mark?”
The silence was deafening. She could hear her own ragged breathing, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. They stilled, completely frozen in place, eyes flickering between one another like a silent council. And then… one by one… they nodded.
The world tilted. Her knees went weak. The betrayal that had been simmering exploded in her chest. It felt as if the bond itself was screaming at her, vibrating with heartbreak and disbelief, echoing in her very bones.
“How...how could you not tell me?” she whispered, barely audible, but full of anguish.
Every fiber of her being, ached at the thought that they had hidden this from her, that they hadn’t trusted her, or worse, they knew and didn’t care enough to tell her, maybe they didn’t want her.
But Gods, hiding this. She deserved to know. This was her life.
“I… You...You’re cowards.” She whispered before her voice got the edge back. Before she was so overridden with anger and betrayal it was all she could do but not shout.
“All of you are fucking cowards to keep this from me. You had weeks! Weeks to tell me the truth. Instead you...” Her voice broke again “You let me think... I can’t believe you would this. I thought I could trust you.” She shakes her head.
Cameron opened his mouth, tentative, and she cut him off immediately.
“No. I don’t need to hear you explaining it away.
Nothing excuses keeping this from me. I had a right to know.
” Her voice was brittle, slicing through the air like glass.
Without waiting for them to respond, she turned and walked, tears spilling freely down her cheeks, burning her eyes, her hands shaking as they balled into fists.
No one followed her.
She didn’t care.
From behind her, she heard Dominik mutter under his breath, voice rough with frustration: “Fuck… how did this happen, Josh?”
But she didn’t hear it. She didn’t want to hear it.
Rounding the corner, she fumbled for her phone, fingers slick with tears, and called the one person she could think of, the only one who might make the storm inside her head calm even a little.
“Ani? Anabelle? Is that you?” Kat’s voice was immediate, sharp with concern, warm in the way it always was.
“Kat?” Her voice cracked, barely a whisper. “I...I...” The words choked off. Her chest felt hollow, her stomach knotted tight. She couldn’t form sentences. Couldn’t explain.
“I can hear that you’re not okay,” Kat said, gentle, commanding, like she already knew when Anabelle was unraveling. “Listen to me. Just come over. For the night. Alright? We’ll talk about it. Whatever it is, you don’t have to explain right now.”
Anabelle swallowed hard. The sobs threatened to break her, but Kat’s voice anchored her, held her steady.
“Go to the front gate,” Kat continued. “One of my team is in the area. I’ll ask him to bring you through a portal. You don’t have to face anyone until you’re ready.”
Anabelle nodded, even though Kat couldn’t see her. She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand, shoving the tears aside.
Her legs felt like lead, but she forced them forward. She didn’t look back. The only thing that mattered was moving, breathing, surviving the storm raging inside her chest.
???
When she reached outside, she could see the gates looming ahead, ornate and glinting faintly in the late evening sun.
They looked almost surreal, like something out of a dream, but Anabelle didn’t notice the intricate carvings or the shimmer of protective wards embedded in the metal.
Her world had narrowed down to the pounding of her heart, the trembling of her hands, and the warmth of tears streaking her cheeks.
As she approached, she heard footsteps in front of her, slightly heavier than human, and it made her flinch. She glanced up and froze.
A man stood at the entrance, impossibly tall, shoulders broad, the kind of presence that made the air feel heavier around him. His black hair caught the light, and his blue eyes, sharp at first glance, softened instantly when they met her flushed, tear-streaked face.
“Are you okay, miss?” His voice was calm, deep, carrying authority, but also a gentleness that made her chest ache in relief.
She swallowed hard, her lips trembling. Words failed her at first. She shook her head slightly, almost as if moving physically could force the panic out of her body.
For just a fraction of a second, something shifted.
The air around him thickened, heat rippling outward like a breath drawn too sharply.
His pupils flared, reddening unnaturally, and a low, restrained growl vibrated in his chest, so quiet it was felt more than heard.
Power brushed against her senses, ancient and feral, coiling tight beneath his skin.
Anabelle instinctively took a small step back, startled. “What… what was that?” she asked softly, not necessarily afraid, just confused, too tired to panic anymore.
The change vanished as quickly as it appeared. His shoulders eased, the tension draining from his frame as his eyes returned to their calm, light blue. He exhaled slowly, visibly steadying himself.
“I’m really sorry,” he said immediately, voice gentle but edged with sincerity. “My demon didn’t like seeing you in distress. It was… an instinctive reaction. I apologise for my inability to restrain him correctly.”
There was no pride in his tone. Only regret. He met her gaze again, deliberately softer this time. “But you’re safe. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
He stepped closer then, careful not to invade her space, but his presence was grounding, like a gravity she hadn’t realized she was craving. “It’s alright. Take a deep breath. You’re safe here.”
The sound of his words, simple as they were, made her body sag with exhaustion. Her knees nearly gave out, and he instinctively held out a hand, not grabbing, just offering support. She accepted it shakily, and he guided her through the gates.
The world outside seemed to blur, the distant sounds of the city, the murmur of other students passing by, but in this space, under his quiet attention, it was just her and the steady rhythm of his steps beside her.
“You’ve had a rough day, haven’t you?” he asked softly, not prying, just stating what was obvious.
She nodded, finally allowing herself to breathe, though it came in shuddering bursts. “Yeah… more than I thought I could handle.”
His gaze never left her face. It was curious, patient, and protective all at once. “Then let’s get you inside somewhere you can rest. You’re not alone.”
For the first time in hours, maybe days, the tight coil of panic in her chest loosened just slightly. She let herself lean on him as they walked, feeling the steadiness of his presence carry her forward. Every step, every measured breath, made the chaos in her head recede, if only a little.
She dared a glance at him, and his eyes caught hers. There was no judgment there, only awareness, like he could see the storm inside her and still chose to meet her with kindness.
“Thank you,” she whispered, voice hoarse.
He gave a small, reassuring nod. “You don’t have to thank me. Just focus on getting through the gate. We’ll handle the rest as it comes.”
Her chest tightened again, but it was different this time. Not panic. Not betrayal. Something warmer. Grounding. Safety.
For the first time since the classroom incident, she felt the faintest spark of control returning to her. And as they passed through the shimmering threshold of the portal, she realized she could finally let herself be guided, just for a moment, without the pain crushing her from within.
To be continued....