Page 16 of Roaring Flames

I don’t have a particular destination in mind, but as long as it’saway from here, I’ll survive. I’m not sure if I can even go home. Knowing that Gerry and Hale kept this from me…

What about Jake, Lissa, and Seth? Do they know too?

My heart fissures at the prospect. Jake has become my best friend. If he knew this entire time and didn’t tell me?—

I shake my head to clear it of the errant thought.

No. I can’t make any assumptions. For now, I have to assume that Jake and my other foster siblings are as oblivious to this new world as I am. I can’t assume everyone is in on this conspiracy—I’ll go insane if I do.

There has to be at least one person still on my side.

I greedily inhale lungfuls of fresh air as I step outside. The stench of pine and stagnated mildew clogs my senses as I skirt around the edge of the school.

I don’t have a car, but that’s okay. There’s a collection of stores and restaurants not too far from school where I can set up shop while I get my mind in some semblance of working order. Then I can pick apart what Christian and Ashton told me and?—

Someone grips my shoulder, and I react without thinking.

I whirl, reaching for the wrist of my attacker and squeezing it hard enough to bruise. Then I thrust my leg out in a swooping kick that catches the backs of his knees. He falls to the ground with a pained “oomph,” and I collapse on top of him, still holding his wrist.

Ansel blinks up at me in surprise.

Some of the adrenaline riding my system dissipates as I stare into his face.

Oh…

Oh fuck.

Not again.

“Ansel?” I quickly scramble off of him, panic fueling my movements. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was you, and you startled me?—”

“Did you just…dropkick me?” He continues to stare up at me incredulously.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say Idropkicked you, but…” I anxiously run a hand through my tangled curls. For some inexplicable reason,thisis what thaws those pesky tears. A few traitorous ones cascade down my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry.”

Away. Away. Away.

I stumble backwards a few steps, not taking my eyes off my fallen classmate. His brown hair—normally meticulously combed—is disheveled. His shirt is slightly askew as well, revealing a sliver of his pale neck.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I’m losing my damn mind.

Everything just seems to be converging on me at once. I feel scared and overwhelmed and confused. Every time I think I have an answer, a new question pops into existence. The people I thought I could trust turned out to be frauds.

I could handle not knowing about shifters and witches and other supernaturals. That has nothing to do with me, and I understand their wariness to tell a stranger.

However, what I can’t handle is being smack dab in the middle of this mess and still being left in the dark. I’m apparentlymatedto some of these men.

What the hell does that even mean? Am I going to be forced to choose one?

I don’t want any of them, if I’m being completely honest. Ashton can burn in hell.

I’m not as mad at the other three, but their betrayal still smarts. I’ve begun to trust Ethan and Emery. Open up to them. And this entire time, they’ve known exactly who I am to them.

Reid’s a different story. I realize that I don’t feel any way towards him, good or bad. On one hand, he kept this a secret, but he also didn’t pretend to be my friend.

So am I less mad at Reid than the others?

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