15. Amber

Chapter 15

Amber

A s the library door closed behind Xavier, my chaotic maelstrom of emotions threatened to overwhelm me. Betrayal, anger, and fear warred within me. How could he have kept something so monumental from me? I literally held his life in my hands, and he hadn't thought to mention it? Yet, even when pushed to the wall, he refused to state it outright, refused to push me into accepting the bond, even out of guilt. Even as a small part of me wanted to give me credit for that, the rest of me held firm. He lied, manipulated me, and I had been there, done that, had plenty of scars from the experience. Never again.

Fuming, I began shoving books back onto shelves with more force than necessary. My mind raced, already planning to leave Beastly Falls. I hated the idea of running again, but I'd already stayed too long. This place, these people - they were becoming too important to me. And that was dangerous.

Evelyn was still in the library, working on some special project. I couldn't bring myself to face her, to explain why I was leaving. Instead, I scribbled a hasty resignation note for Anya and left it on her desk.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I approached Evelyn. "Hey, I'm not feeling well," I lied, hating how easily the words came. I told myself it wasn't a lie, not really. "I think I need to head home."

Evelyn looked up, concern etched on her face. She didn't seem entirely convinced, but nodded. "Of course, Amber. Take care of yourself, okay?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak further. Grabbing my bag, I headed for the side door, eager to escape into the night and figure out my next move.

As I pushed the door open, the cool night air hit my face. For a brief moment, I felt a pang of regret. Despite everything, a part of me didn't want to leave.

But before I could dwell on that thought, a hand clamped over my mouth. Strong arms grabbed me from behind. I tried to scream, to fight, but it was useless.

The last thing I saw was the library door swinging shut behind me as everything faded to black.

I woke with a pounding headache, disoriented and groggy. As my vision cleared, I realized I was in the back seat of a stopped car, filled with trash and detritus of a life on the run. Food wrappers, empty coffee cups, and bags discarded in the back seat as if it were the garbage heap. I knew this car. I always hated how messy it was. Since I had gone on the run, Kevin had basically lived out of his car, adding more trash to the backseat. And now he added me. Was he going to discard my body like so much trash when he was done ?

I moved my head minutely, enough to see the stopped vehicle was surrounded by dense woods, dark and heavy. Yet, through the cracked windshield, I could see the welcome sign for Beastly Falls. Sunlight shone on the sign, so it must be morning. How long had I been unconscious?

When I realized I was alone in the car, I cautiously sat up, trying to get my bearings, searching for a way to escape. My hands and feet weren't bound. I had just been tossed in the backseat and covered with trash as camouflage. My mouth was dry and my head pounded. I prayed for it to clear because I knew I had to be ready to run, despite the dizziness and fatigue that plagued my muscles.

Someone kicked the tires and began yelling at the front of the vehicle. I looked between the front seats to see that the front of the car was crumpled, as if it had hit an invisible wall. And there, pacing wildly by the hood, was Kevin. Blood trickled from a cut on his forehead, his face contorted with rage as he kicked the tires and gestured frantically.

"Damn it!" he shouted. "Why can't we leave this freakish town?"

He then turned and seemed to pound on an invisible wall. Was he high? Doing some weird new drug that was giving him hallucinations? I couldn't see anything, but clearly something was preventing Kevin from moving forward. Oh my God, was he someone's fated mate? I couldn't imagine it. Everyone in town was so nice. Who could be tied to Kevin forever? However, maybe he was drawn here because of me and he wasn't someone's fated mate. Maybe I brought Kevin to Beastly Falls and was the reason he could slip through the barrier.

My heart raced as I assessed the situation. Kevin hadn't noticed I was awake yet. Slowly, carefully, I eased the door open and slipped out .

The moment my feet touched the ground, Kevin whirled around, his eyes wild and angry. Our eyes met, the car sitting between us like a flimsy barrier. Oh, the hell with this. I was just done with being afraid, being chased by this man-child who couldn't get over me and our relationship.

"Why?" I demanded, my voice shaking. "Why can't you just let me go?"

His face twisted with rage, turning what I once thought was a handsome man to an ugly monster, which was an insult to the creatures inhabiting Beastly Falls. "You took everything from me! I just wanted to love you. Why couldn't you just love me back?" He ran a hand through his hair, leaving streaks of blood. "You reported me for stalking. I lost my job because of you! After everything I gave you!"

"You beat me!" I shouted back, anger overriding my fear. "You terrified me, isolated me from everyone I cared about. You threatened my family and friends. That's not love, Kevin."

"I did it to protect you!" he insisted.

Suddenly, a realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. "If you truly loved me, you would have set me free."

In that moment, Xavier's face flashed in my mind. Xavier, who had let me go, knowing it could kill him. That was true love.

Without hesitation, I turned and sprinted into the woods, back towards Beastly Falls, towards Xavier and the love that waited for me. I heard Kevin's enraged shout behind me, followed by the sound of him crashing through the underbrush in pursuit.

My heart pounded as I ran, branches whipping at my face. I had to make it back to town. Back to Xavier. I just hoped I wasn't too late.