Chapter 786
Irene was still frozen, unable to move or pry her eyes away from her mate. Her eyes were filled to the brim with unshed tears, and her body trembled slightly, but only noticeable if you were staring at her for a long while.
“Judy,” I heard my name coming from Gavin’s lips. I didn’t notice he was now standing in front of Erik, trying to get him to back off before he killed Chuck in front of everybody. “Get her out of here.”
I knew he was speaking about Irene, and I nodded in agreement. Nan and Eliza rushed towards us, worry evident on both their faces.
“Help me,” I pleaded as I took hold of Irene’s arm.
I
Nan took her other arm, and Eliza guided us out of the ballroom. Irene went with us numbly, finally able to pry her eyes away from Chuck.
He screamed for her to wait, but Erik was fast and had him by the throat. Gavin tried to get Erik to loosen his grip. Some other gammas guided us even further through the crowd until we were out of the room, the door shutting behind us and blocking my view of what was happening.
Once we were finally away from everything, Irene finally let out a sob. She covered her mouth with her hands and let all her tears fly free. Her entire body wracked with these sobs, and she couldn’t contain the tremors any longer. I was quick to wrap my arms around her, trying to hold her together the best that I could.
Nan also wrapped her arms around Irene, forming a strong and unbreakable bond. Eliza patted Irene on the back, unsure of what to do or say.
“Irene…” I whispered as she sobbed. “It’s going to be okay.”
I wiped hair away from her soaked face, trying to make her see the light. “He doesn’t deserve you. You deserve better.”
“He’s been with someone else…” she whimpered. “My mate lied to me. I feel sick to my stomach.”
“I know,” I said, my heart breaking even more. “I’m so sorry this is happening.”
“I hate him ” she whispered. “I hate him so much for treating me like I’m nothing.”
“You’re not nothing,” Nan said, pulling back to look at her. “He’s the fool… not you.
Eliza reached into her purse, pulling out a napkin, and tried to hand it to Irene, but she refused it. Her breathing was heavy as she pulled away from us. Her wolf was rising fast, grief turning to rage. The wind stirred around her, the scene of her power bleeding into the night. Irene didn’t shift often, but when she did, she was a surprisingly powerful wolf. I suppose that had to do with her bloodline.
“Irene,” I warned softly. “Don’t shift. Not here.”
“And why not??” She asked, whipping around to face me. Her numbness was replaced with pure anger. “He deserves to feel my wrath… he should see what he’s done to me!”
“Because then you lose,” I said, stepping closer. “You give him the satisfaction of seeing you broken. You’re stronger than that.”
For a moment, I thought she might snap anyway, but then her eyes flicked to the doorway briefly. I turned to see Erik standing there; his suit was half ripped from a patrol shift, and his hair was a mess, but he was still oddly good–looking in a rugged kind of way. Not that I’d ever admit that to Gavin.
He wasn’t looking at any of us, though; he was looking at Irene. His eyes were stormy, and even I could feel the tension in the air; it was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
He looked like he wanted to say something, but he never got the chance. The light’s above us flickered; it was faint at first… then it grew harder.
Eliza frowned as she stared up at the ceiling, just like the rest of us.
“That’s strange…” she murmured, her brows pinched together.
I felt it then—a ripple beneath my skin, like static humming through my blood. It was a familiar sensation that put my wolf on edge almost immediately. My breathing grew shaky without me even realizing it, and then I felt Nan’s hand on my shoulder.
“Judy, what is it?” She asked, her voice soft and laced with worry.
“I…I don’t know,” I whispered, pressing a hand to my temple. An ache like no other started to form, and I winced at the tender spot. The world tilted slightly; the sound grew distant. “Somethings-”
Before I could finish, a shock of pain burst behind my eyes, and I screamed out.
“Judy!” Nan gasped, holding onto my arm even tighter.
“Get Gavin!” I heard Eliza yelling as she too rushed towards me, though they all seemed so far away now.
The last thing I heard was Nan shouting my name again and again as the ground rushed up to meet me.
Sara is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.