Page 5 of Tear of Destiny

“The least you could do is be honest with me and stop lying to me. I’ve had enough! I saw you, and Max told me everything. And then, that look on your face when you saw me standing in the doorway – that said more than a thousand words.”

“It wasn’t what you think, and if you knew me, you would have realized that,” he says in a surprisingly calm, steady voice. “Maxshowed up at my door that evening really upset. She was crying her eyes out because her parents had another fight. She asked if I knew where you were because she needed a friend. I told her you were with Kate.”

“That makes no sense,” I interrupt. “She knew I was with Kate. I invited her to join us.”

He just shrugs. “That’s what she said. She looked really dejected and said she didn’t want to burden you guys with her problems. She was just looking for a place to sleep because she didn’t want to go back home. Since she’s a good friend of yours, I offered her the couch. I went to bed, and the next thing I know, I wake up to find you standing at my door opposite Max, and the way you looked at me…” He shakes his head. “I knew immediately what you were thinking. I ran after you, but you were gone, and since then, not an hour has passed without me trying to search for you somewhere.” His gaze wanders to Noah again. “But I could have spared myself the trouble. Apparently, it didn’t take you long to find comfort elsewhere.”

I swallow hard, and my heartbeat is so dull in my chest that it feels as if might stop altogether. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I picture the whole scene again, but this time through very different eyes. Is he telling the truth? Is it possible?

“What about Snow? He growled at me when I approached your bed.”

Ayden shakes his head without taking his eyes off me. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Max told me you came to my room in the middle of the night and that you flipped out when you saw her on the couch. She said you argued and then you ran off.”

I stare at him incredulously. “You can’t be serious? She was in your bed, naked. When she saw me, she got up and told me how one thing had led to another and that you guys… She knew about Noah; she knew you and I had argued about him. How did sheknow about that if not from you?”

Ayden shakes his head. “No idea. She didn’t get it from me. But she was obviously playing a nasty trick – on both of us.” His eyes are dripping with contempt. “She won’t get away with it. But I guess that doesn’t change anything now.” He shoots Noah another furious look.

I can’t believe it. Max, that little bitch! She knew I was with Kate, so she exploited the chance to go and see Ayden. She told him this ludicrous story. If she was actually supposed to be sleeping on the couch, then she must have crept into his bed in the middle of the night. But why?

Right, she wanted to drive us apart, and she seized the opportunity when she heard me at the door.

“You must be the only guy in the world who doesn’t wake up when a naked girl climbs into his bed,” I mutter.

“Uh, yeah, that’s why I have Snow.”

My eyes widen. So he wasn’t growling at me; he was growling at Max for getting into the bed? But how did she know about Noah? I run through every possibility in my mind and finally stop on one.

“When I saw you with Mr. Cunningham’s granddaughter… Max and the others were with me. I said goodbye to them, but she must have followed me. And then you and I argued about Noah.”

Suddenly, everything makes sense. But her duplicity takes my breath away.

“Ayden,” I say slowly, moving a step closer to him. But he shakes his head.

“No, Teresa. The last few days have been hell for me. A thousand scenarios went through my head of what might have happened to you. I looked everywhere for you. And all that time you blamed me for everything. But instead of talking to me, you just ran straight to him for comfort.”

Tears well up in my eyes, and I swallow hard. I didn’t trustAyden. He’s right. And that alone is bad enough.

“It wasn’t like that,” Noah interjects. “And the kiss… it wasn’t Teresa’s fault.”

I shoot Noah a grateful look and shake my head at the same time. He shouldn’t have to defend me. Especially as it won’t help now anyway. And Ayden’s right. The real problem is that I didn’t trust him. I should have at least given him the chance to explain himself. But instead, I ran away.

I open my mouth to say something, I don’t know what, and then I hear voices.

“Ayden, there’s nothing here. Have you found anything?”

We hear the footsteps of more than one person approaching. Ayden’s expression grows so dark and threatening that I barely recognize him. I quickly turn to Noah. He needs to leave now before it’s too late. But he doesn’t budge. He seems reluctant to leave me alone, but I wish he wouldn’t be so stupid.

“Ayden? Everything okay?” calls another voice.

They’re getting closer; they’ll be here any moment, and it’s clear to me that a fight will be unavoidable.

“Yeah, all good,” says Ayden suddenly. He’s come to a decision. “Nothing here either. Let’s try somewhere else.”

“Okay, I’ll check the hospital again.”

The footsteps fade into the distance.

For a moment, silence reigns. I can’t believe what Ayden just did. He protected Noah when it would have been the easiest thing in the world to eliminate his enemy with the help of the other hunters.

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