SERAPHINA'S POV
"Here you go," Olivia says, handing me a mug filled with what appears to be hot chocolate.
This comes just minutes after she's enveloped me in the thickest duvet she could find. She arrived unexpectedly an hour before school ended, her face etched with concern after getting wind of what happened.
Initially, I thought Artemis wanted to keep the incident under wraps. But Olivia informs me that it's Jasper who filled her in. Since that revelation, she's been thoroughly focused on making me feel better.
Her efforts are not just welcomed, but deeply needed.
This feeling of being cared for is a sharp contrast to any conversation I could have with Artemis right now. He undermined my trust by continuing the contract behind my back.
So much for his façade of friendship and his supposed sweetness.
Genuine friends don't do that to each other - they don't play the power card and keep a 'master and slave' contract.
Yet, the heat from his lips lingers on mine.
The sensation imprints itself so deeply, overpowering all other feelings as my fingertips delicately touch my lips. My cheeks grow hot.
"Do you need anything else?" Olivia inquires, adding another pillow to the cushioned fortress she's built behind me on her bed.
I smile, shaking my head no, as I take my hand away from my lips and sip the comforting cocoa.
But then, memories of the earlier incident intrude, causing my smile to falter.
"You sure you don't want to talk about it? It might help," she suggests, but I shake my head, avoiding her gaze.
"No, I'm fine. Discussing the gory details isn't going to make anyone feel better," I respond with a nervous laugh.
But Olivia persists, taking the matter to heart.
"And where was Artemis in the middle of all this? As his friend, he should have intervened," she presses.
"He wasn't there, Olive. But when he did show up, he was the one who pulled him off of me," I recount, remembering how Artemis had seemingly arrived just in time.
It felt almost heroic-until the blood splattered, and everything took a dark turn from there.
"Regardless, he should've known what his friends are capable of. For all we know, Jasper could be a budding serial killer, just waiting for the perfect moment to strike and sell your organs on the dark web."
"Jasper's not like that," I roll my eyes, chuckling at her wild speculations.
Sure, he can be insufferable, but it's more like having an annoying yet endearing little brother who's forever vying for attention.
Olivia gives me a look that says I'm a lost cause.
"Sweetheart, you're so deep in this that you don't even realize you're defending them."
I lean back, shooting her an incredulous look. The last thing I want to do is defend anything related to Artemis. I just want to get the facts straight.
She rolls her eyes, as if already anticipating my disagreement.
"Think about it. Who put you in that dress? Who's the reason you've met that sour prick more than once? Who's wrapping all this mess up just to save his friend?"
"Still..." I begin, but she cuts me off.
"Still nothing. I get that you care about this boy, but it's becoming painfully clear where most of your problems are originating from."
"I don't care about Artemis," I retort.
"You're as delusional as you are addicted to near-death experiences and boys who put you in those situations. You have issues, Sera," she declares, grabbing the cup she'd placed in my hands just moments ago and taking a sip from it.
I open my mouth to refute her, but opt to remain silent.
Arguing would be pointless when she's already convinced herself that I have even the slightest fondness for that arrogant Alpha prince.
And sure, maybe I'm a little concerned for him, given how heartbroken he seemed earlier. Maybe it did trouble me when he was hospitalized. But that was because of the risks he took, because of me.
And that damn kiss!
Ugh, I'm tempted to experience that subtle touch one more time, just to confirm how much I hated it.
Well, my heart and body disagrees - but that's pointless because my word stands.
I hated the kiss, and I don't care about him...or how devastated he'd looked right before I walked away.
I repeat it like a mantra in my mind.
I don't care about Artemis Sinclair.
'But you do, don't you?'
"What?"
"I didn't say anything," Olivia says, looking at me.
"No, not you." I shake my head, dismissing the thought as a mere figment of my imagination.
But just a second later, I hear it again.
'You're a shameless little harlot, begging for attention from a wretched wolf bastard - no less.'
"I'm not."
"You're not what?" She shoots back, her raised brow suggesting I might be a little crazy. But I don't respond.
'Rather than acting foolishly, a naive and weak little failure like you should be plotting your revenge after he has betrayed you again. You've been used, disgraced, bullied, and abused - and yet you expect anything less? Wolves would be wolves, never to be trusted, and that's why the world needs you.'
"Stop it!" I yell loudly, closing my ears, but the voices still hiss in my mind like a poisonous snake slithering around.
"Sera?" Olivia looks at me, fully concerned, standing from the edge of the bed.
'Focus on your anger. Feed the rage you were born into. Let us in. You know you want to.'
"Please, stop."
'You know you want to see them all BURN!'
The voice in my head screams like a banshee, echoes of several voices at once, threatening to tear me apart.
A sharp, painful stab shoots across my head, and I scream in agony, tears rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably.
Just like before, I lose control of my body, and I'm forced to stare at the ceiling, unable to move. Hardly breathing too.
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blasts through, throwing everything around the room with such devastating power, including Olivia, who crashes into the wall, pinned there by the force.
She calls my name, but I can't respond or stop whatever's happening.
I try to move and fight, but my body isn't mine. Instead, I feel my consciousness slipping away, falling into an endless darkness, crippled, and more tears flow from my eyes out of the new possible terror of never being in control of myself ever again.
The will to fight back slowly dies, proven futile, until the light vanishes.
I've lost contact.
Just when it's almost over, when it's nearly taken me, I hear the voice - a soft, gentle, feminine voice that's always been a source of comfort.
The same woman with long, flowing auburn hair, dressed in white, descends towards me, reaching out her hand.
She comes closer, kisses my forehead, and the intense pain goes away quickly. I'm immediately pulled back into my body by a swirling vortex.
I gasp for air, filling my empty lungs just as everything that had been levitating moments ago crashes to the ground, and Olivia tumbles headfirst onto the hard floor.
A long stretch of silence envelops us as we both struggle to catch our breath, letting the weight of the last few seconds sink into our minds.
My body trembles from the entire experience, and I curl into a ball, tears streaming down, wracking my entire being.
Olivia, right on cue, joins me on the bed, silently supporting me as I cry, offering a comforting presence.
She doesn't try to stop my tears or say anything for what feels like an eternity, only holding me tightly as I release all the pent-up emotions.
Finally, when I've cried everything out, I feel calm enough to meet her gaze. Her amber eyes are filled with concern and tension, but they also hold a deep understanding.
"Sera..."
"Yeah?" I mutter, wiping my dripping nose with the back of my palm quietly.
"We need to get to that library," she says, and the urgency in her tone is impossible to miss.
I immediately understand what she means.
However, there's only one way I can think of to get in, and it involves doing something I won't be proud of.