“Thank you, Mr. Reeves, but we’ll take it from here,” she said curtly with a nod to Bash.
“I’ll be waiting for you, right out here,” he said quietly and, with everyone watching, laid his lips on mine in a sweet kiss.
I sighed and wrapped my arms around him, taking as much comfort from his strength as possible before letting go and following Donahue inside her large office.
The door snicked shut behind me, locking the guards and Bash outside. Instantly, I felt alone and vulnerable again.
“Would you like something to drink?” Katherine asked from where she stood pouring herself and the Headmistress each a glass of red wine from a crystal carafe. I shook my head and took the nearest seat, unsure my legs would stand up to the conversation to come.
"Elena." Donahue moved behind her desk and sat. She steepled her hands in front of her mouth and sighed softly, sounding for the world as if she’d rather be anywhere but here.
I knew how she felt.
"I know you're in shock,” the Headmistress continued. “This would shake any of us. But,” she paused, putting emphasis on the word, “your life is in real danger and we want you to know that The Sisterhood is dedicated to keeping you safe. Katherine and her family have offered to host you at Wild River, to give you a safe place until you’re ready. The Sisterhood is also prepared to relocate you and your parents anywhere in the world, if that’s what you’d prefer. There are a lot of factors to consider. We have some very important decisions to make." She looked at me as if I had a real say in any of this.
I considered her words while my stomach twisted. I was being included, now, in the decision making, in my future, in my life. It was meant to be empowering, I was sure, but this sudden rush of responsibility and expectations made me feel like I was drowning. Viktor was free, his men had somehow pulled off the impossible right under Katherine’s supposedly unstoppable security team. I needed time to think, to reason, to decide what the hell I thought of all this. I licked my dry lips and pulled in a deep breath. "I want to stay here."
Shocked expressions followed my declaration, including mine. I hadn't meant to say that, wasn't sure it was entirely true. I'd wanted to be anywhere else just a few short weeks ago, and now I was completely displaced and alone.
My parents had lied to me my entire life. Yes, some part of me understood that they loved me as their own and had done everything in their power to keep me safe, but I wasn't ready to see them again. Not now, not while betrayal and grief burned through my veins and squeezed my heart so hard it felt like I'd never be able to breathe properly again.
"It's not safe here, Elena," Donahue leaned forward and shook her head. "It's simply too big a campus with too many security issues. You're too important to..."
"To what?" I interrupted. "To get an education? To have a bit of time with friends? To feel normal for five minutes before The Sisterhood wrangles me into whatever plan you've been cooking up without my knowledge for the past twenty-two years?" My voice rose with each question until I was shouting, my face hot with anger and frustration. I opened my mouth to spill the rest and found myself choking on emotion. "I don't have anywhere else to go," I whispered.
Silence spread until it filled the room leaving only the sound of my thudding heartbeat inside my chest. I felt a light touch on my arm and looked up.
"I know how it feels to have your entire world tipped upside down," Katherine murmured, then her eyes went dark for a moment and it seemed as if she were lost in memory. "You'll be safe here. We'll figure it out."
Gratitude warmed me and I managed half a smile in her direction before the pressure began to build again. Katherine was a member of The Sisterhood. Her mother, the Alpha, had been part of it since before I was born. I wondered how much she'd known of my unique "situation," how much she's been involved. My gratitude shrunk, leaving me with a coldness that wouldn't budge. I pulled away and wrapped my arms around my chest.
She watched my quietly. I felt her gaze on me, prickling my skin, then she turned her head and something must have passed between her and Donahue because a moment later the Headmistress sighed and said, “Alright. We’ll find a way, but Elena, you understand this means life as you’ve known it here will also change?”
I nodded, too consumed by a confusing mix of relief, tension, and fear to speak.
Katherine cleared her throat. “There will be guards assigned to you at all times, which you’ll hate. I know, because I’ve had to suffer the indignity occasionally.”
I tilted my head and gave her a look that I hoped clearly communicated my sincere doubt she’d ever found out she was the secret heir to an Alphaship a murderous family member now held. When a flush stained her cheeks, I felt a measure of morbid amusement.
Ever the Alpha’s first born, though, Katherine continued as if she hadn’t put her foot in her mouth. “You’ll have far guards and a near guard at all times, even in class and your dorm room. We’ll work the details out but, for now, just know that you’ll be safe. That’s what matters most.”
I couldn’t help the relief that washed through me. All I wanted was to feel safe again, to feel like I belonged. Tears gathered in my eyes that I refused to let spill as I wished desperately for Sara and Bethany. I looked up as a realization soured my stomach.
“My family,” I said quickly, “and my friends. They’re not safe.” I looked desperately at Donahue. “You said The Sisterhood would protect them.” My hand shot across the desk and grasped her forearm. “Please.” I begged. “Don’t let him hurt them.”
Donahue’s hand covered mine and she squeezed. “We’ll keep them safe, too. I promise.”
My chest rose and fell as I managed shallow breaths through what felt like a heart attack. I grasped my chest and looked up, pleading for someone to help me.
Katherine was there in an instant, wrapping her arms around my body and pulling me close. I stiffened for a second, then went limp in her embrace.
“Shhh,” she murmured, stroking my hair just as my mother would have. The thought of her broke my heart all over again and made my heart stutter. “It’s going to be alright. You’re going to be alright.”
She held me until my pulse returned to normal and the fuzziness in my mind cleared. Awkwardness replaced my panic and I pulled back slowly, not wanting to offend her even though I was still unsure how I felt about her, the Alpha, and The Sisterhood.
A knock at the door, three fast, three slow, then three fast again, caught all of our attention. I waited, nerves alive with trepidation, as Donahue made her way across the room and unlocked the door. She opened it an inch and nodded at the person on the other side as a murmured conversation happened.
She turned back, caught my worried gaze, and offered me a reassuring smile. “Elena.” she lifted her hand to fiddle with her necklace then seemed to think better of the movement and let her hand drop. “Your r…”
It sounded as if she were about to say royal, which made my heart want to skip beats again, but she stopped before it could come out.
“Your personal bodyguard,” Donahue started again, “is here. He is the best we have and is more knowledgeable about your needs and wants than anyone here could possibly be. I hope he helps you feel more safe and at home here.”
I frowned and slid my gaze to the door as an ominous silent countdown seemed to play until the moment it swung open wider and Donahue stepped aside to let the man she spoke of inside.
He was tall and built like a swimmer with deep chestnut colored hair that fell in casual waves that made him look sexy and just a little dangerous. His eyes were a piercing blue, less electric than mine, more like a husky’s. Pale and ice cold.