Page 135 of Claiming Pretty

I heard Ciaran’s footsteps approaching, the weight of each step an unwelcome reminder of what lay ahead.

Reluctantly, I pulled back from Ty, though my hands lingered on his chest for a moment longer.

“I love you,”I mouthed to him.

Resolve hardened in my chest as I thought of Liath, the missing girls, and all the lives the Sochai had destroyed. I couldn’t let them win.

Ciaran’s shadow fell over me as he stood at my side.

“It’s time,” he said, his voice rough. His eyes lingered on my face, betraying more than he probably wanted me to see—worry, pain, and something far deeper that made my chest ache.

Ty pulled back, his mask of calm precision slipping into place so effortlessly that it almost hurt to watch.

I envied the ease with which he could hide his emotions. I rubbed my thumb over the ruby stone on my ring, its sharp edges grounding me as I glanced between the two of them.

“We’ll all make it out of this,” I murmured, mostly to myself. My resolve solidified as I looked at the two men I couldn’t bear to lose.

“Together,” I said, my voice firm as steel. “Or not at all.”

The forest was quiet in a way that made every sound sharper, louder. Ciaran’s boots crunched on the brittle twigs and fallen leaves, each step like a gunshot against the stillness.

The cold bit at my skin despite the warmth of his chest radiating against my side. My head rested in the crook of his neck, his scent—something clean, woodsy—mingling with the damp, earthy air around us.

I let myself imagine, just for a moment, that he was carrying me to my bed, not toward the dark unknown.

“It’s not too late to stop this,” Ciaran whispered, his voice cracking slightly. “Just say the word, Ava, and I’ll turn around. We don’t have to do this.”

I forced myself not to respond, to resist the tug of his desperation, keeping my breathing steady, my body limp in his arms. Every fiber of me screamed to reassure him, to tell him I wasn’t afraid—but I couldn’t.

If I gave in now, his resolve might crumble, and we couldn’t afford that. Not with what was at stake.

He adjusted his grip on me, pulling me closer like he could shield me from the world if only he held me tight enough.

His voice dropped lower, edged with raw pain. “I’ve spent these last few years protecting you. Every single thing I’ve done has been to keep you safe. And now, you’re making me hand you over to them. How could you do this to me? This iskillingme, Ava.”

The guilt hit like a sucker punch, sharp and twisting.

My chest tightened, and I wanted to scream that this wasn’t about him, about us—this was bigger than either of us could even begin to grasp.

But I stayed silent, my lips parted just enough to mimic the slackness of unconsciousness, and let his words hang in the air, unanswered.

If this was killing him, then what would the rest of the night do to us both?

Ciaran’s steps faltered, his voice softening, shifting from desperation to something quieter, almost hopeful. “Fine. We can run. You, me…andTy. We’ll figure it out. We can… share you.”

The absurdity of his suggestion drew a small, involuntary laugh from me despite the tension.

“Don’t lie,” I whispered into his ear. “You couldn’t share your schoolbooks with Ty. There’s no way you’d share me.”

Ciaran’s breath caught, a faint hitch audible in the stillness. His grip on me tightened, as though holding me closer would make his words truer.

“If it meant you were safe,” he murmured, his voice a fierce, quiet promise, “I’d doanything.”

My heart twisted painfully at the sincerity in his tone. Images of Ciaran and Ty swearing to sacrifice everything for me flashed through my mind. Their vow to protect me—at any cost.

The rage bubbled up from deep within, fierce and unrelenting.

I couldn’t stop myself this time, my whisper turning into a hiss against his ear. “No. You don’t get to die for me.”

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