Chapter 31
My chest heaved, my breathing jagged and uneven as I pressed myself against the cold bathroom tiles.
My vision blurred, and my fingers trembled as 1 clutched the phone tightly to my ear.
“I can’t do this, Marcy,” I stammered, my voice breaking with each word. “I’m dragging you into this mess, into my hellhole. I don’t understand why I am being so indecisive. If only 1—”
“Stop. Marcy cut me off, her tone calm but firm. “Breathe, Valencia. Where are you right now?
“I’m in the ocean mall’s restroom,” I whispered shakily, closing my eyes as tears streamed down my face. “I feel like I can’t breathe, Marcy. It’s like I’m drowning.”
“Valencia. Listen to me. Stay there,” she said, her voice reassuring “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Just hang on, okay?”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see me, clinging to the phone like it was my only lifeline. The call ended, and silence enveloped me, broken only by the muffled sounds of mall–goer outside the restroom.
1 curled into myself, trying to take deep breaths, but the weight on my chest wouldn’t relent. My mind raked, guilt and fear churning into a storm.
How had I let it come to this Marcy didn’t deserve to be dragged into my chaos. I should’ve kept her out of it, let her live her life in peace. She was on her way to start anew.
But I’d been selfish, and now she was stuck too. Minutes ticked by like hours until a booming voice echoed through the
restroom.
“Valencia?”
My head shot up, my breath hitching. Relief coursed through me as the stall door opened, and Marcy appeared, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. Without hesitation, she pulled me into a tight hug, her strong arms grounding
- me.
“Hey, I’m here,” she murmured, patting my back soothingly.
I buried my face in her shoulder, inhaling her familiar citrus scent as I tried to steady myself. Her presence felt like an anchor, pulling me back from the brink.
“Let’s get you some water,” she said softly, guiding me out of the restroom and toward the food court.
The bright lights and chatter of the mall felt overwhelming, but Marcy stayed close, keeping a steady hand on my shoulder. She led me to a small shop and bought a cold bottle of water, pressing it into my hands..
“Drink,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argament.
I took a sip, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. Slowly, my breathing evened out, and the shaking in my hands
subsided.
s seated before speaking,
“Valencia, about this. I think it’s your choice,” she began, her voice measured. “But after everything you’ve told me about your past life…I’m reluctant I don’t trust the Steele pack, and I don’t want to see you suffer again.”
Once I was calmer, Marcy led me to a quiet corner of the food court. She waited until I was
I stared at the water bottle in my hands, guilt gnawing at my insides. “He’s different,” I whispered, the words feeling hollow
even to me.
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Chapter 31
“Is he?” Marcy asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Listen, I don’t know if he’s as good as you think he is. But I do know this before you make any decision, you need a backup plan. A place way to make money, something to fall back in. A way out. Do you understand me?”
I nodded weakly, my mind spinning.
Before I could respond, a sharp voice interrupted us.
“Valencia!”
1 froze, my stomach twisting as I turned to see Daite striding toward us, his expression dark. His piercing golden eyes burned with intensity, a glint of something inhinged lurking beneath them.
“Where the hell did you go?” he demanded, stopping in front of us. “Why are you here?”
1 shrank back instinctively, my heart pounding. His voice wasn’t loud, but the tension in it was enough to send a shiver down my spine.
He sighed with frustration as he raked a hand through his messed up hair, “Seriously, why do you keep running away?” He said this sentence in a quieter voice. So quiet it almost went unheard. Almost. My heart jumped and I looked away from him, unable to look into those eyes anymore.
Marcy, ever composed, stepped between us. “It’s my fault,” she said smoothly. “I happened to be here, grabbing dinner and doing some shopping. I ran into her by coincidence, and we stopped to chat. She didn’t run away from you,”
Dante’s jaw clenched, his gaze flicking between us before landing on Marcy. For a moment, I thought he might argue, but then he exhaled sharply and looked at me, his expression softening.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just worried.”
Before I could respond, another figuse approached–Caius. His face lit up when he saw Marcy, his grin wide and genuine.
“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” he said, his tone warm. “Marcelene, right?”
Marcy glanced at him, her usual stoicism intact. “That’s right.”
Aiden, August–carrying shopping bags–and Celeste were right behind him. With Celeste walking in between holding both their arms with a wide grin on her face. My lips pursed as I watched her eyes widen as they landed on Marcy and her smile turned into a pout.
August spoke with an annoyed frown, “You could have called to let us know. Your fiance looked like he was going to combust.” He rolled his eyes and 1 replied with a forced smile, “Sorry about that. I didn’t have either of your numbers.”
That made both my brothers pause and the already awkward atmosphere grew colder in an instant.
Dante, now calmer, suggested, “Why don’t we all grab dinner together?”
I Marcy raised an eyebrow at me, and I nodded hesitantly. The last thing I wanted was to cause a scene. Again.
We made our way to the food stalls, each grabbing something to eat. Marcy stuck close to me, her presence a comforting buffer. Dante seemed intent on staying by my side, his hand occasionally brushing against mine as we walked.
We found a table, and the atmosphere was tense. Celeste sat beside Caius, her irritation obvious as she glared at Marcy with barely concealed jealousy.
Marcy, unbothered, leaned toward me and whispered, “Isn’t your sister supposed to be jealous of you? Why the hell is she aiming daggers at me?”
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Chapter 31
1 stifled a laugh, shaking my head. “Your guess is as good as min
Throughout the meal, Caius attempted to strike up conversations with Marcy, but she shut him down with curt, sarcastic replies. It was both amusing and a little sad to watch.
Meanwhile, I picked at my food, my appetite completely gone. The knot in my stomach tightened with every glance Dante sent my way, his intensity making it hard to breathe.
Dante had gotten up to buy a vanilla milkshake after Marcelene hinted, not so subtly that it was my favourite drink. To which I inwardly rolled my eyes. I had never even tried vanilla milkshakes before.
Marcy leaned closer to me, finally getting a chance to speak without being overheard, but her voice was still low. “Kind? Attentive?” she muttered. “Valencia, the guy looks like he has BPD. Did you see his eyes back then?”
I clenched my hands in my lap, her words hitting a nerve. Maybe she was right, if normal wolves saw his eyes shining golden most would assume he was going mad.
But I had seen them up close. Real up close. So I couldn’t think of them as something other than beautiful or maybe intense. “You still want to marry him?” she asked softly, her tone laced with concern.
My chest ached, and I couldn’t bring myself to answer. The weight of her question hung heavy between us.
When the meal ended, we all stood to leave. Celeste clung to Caius, who seemed more focused on sneaking glances at Marcy, Dante, as always, stayed close to me.
I knew I had to make a decision right now and as I looked at all the people walking around me, knowing the ending of each and every person. Except for Dalje.
There were only two options left now. Option one was to stay here and get married to Dante, who admittedly I was attracted to. Which was a huge risk considering he had replaced Jaxon. Option two was to run away with Marcy and start anew, as I had intended in the beginning. Which had not many risks, except for the risk of running low on money.
As we made our way back to the cars, 1 managed to catch Marcy alone for a brief moment. My resolve hardened, and I whispered, “I’ll meet you at the lake tonight”
She sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Alright,” she said softly.
The knot in my stomach loosened just a little, but the weight of what was to come still loomed heavy.
鱼
