Chapter 328 Homesick

Ella

Sobs shook my body and tears blurred my vision as I cradled my chafed wrists, the ropes having left their brutal imprint.

Each throb was a piercing reminder of the dark ordeal I had just survived. God, why did I take the subway tonight? Why didn’t I call an Uber, or even call Logan to take me home after the work party?

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there. It wasn’t until my legs felt stiff from sitting on the floor that I realized that I needed to move.

Pushing through the pain, I rose shakily, the world seeming to tilt and blur around me. My reflection in the living room mirror showed a woman with smeared mascara, disheveled hair, and eyes haunted by terror.

The fear in my eyes was jarring, alien. This wasn’t me, or at least, not the me I recognized.

Driven by a need to wash away the evidence of my attack, I shuffled to the bathroom. The sterile lights bathed the room in a glaring. brightness, making my head throb more acutely. But I focused on the cool water. streaming from the tap, letting its gentle. cascade rinse the abrasions on my wrists.

The water ran red, merging with the crimson imprints of the rough ropes. Gazing at the pattern it made as it spiraled down the drain, I felt detached, numb, like I was floating outside of my body and watching from a distance. The intense pain, not just in my wrists but a deep- seated ache in my skull, snapped me back to reality.

“You should have fought,” Ema’s voice growled within, fierce and primal. “I was so close to giving you my power until he pulled out Daisy’s picture. But your fear held you back.”

Maybe Ema was right; maybe I should have fought, and maybe my fear of the masked men did hold me back.

But the rational part of me, the human side, knew better. It would have been pointless, I responded internally. Even with my rigorous training, confronting a group of Alphas single- handedly would have been suicidal.

“This was the best outcome,” I assured both her and myself out loud, “for now, at least. I could be dead right now, but I’m not.”

We don’t back down. We are not

sending a flare of heat across my consciousness. But the reality was stark, and the stakes were too high. If I challenged them and lost, the repercussions would be catastrophic

on the bathroom sink. “I know you wanted to fight. But all that matters right now is

resolution was there, clear

contempt. “After everything you’ve worked for, everything you’ve achieved.. You’ll let a bunch of thugs

mind-of late nights at the office, of grueling cases, of courtroom victories, of the respect I was finally garnering in the legal arena. But as potent as those images were, they were instantly overshadowed by the chilling pictures of Daisy that those men had flaunted. The very thought made my stomach clench

argued back, my voice choked with emotion. “Not if Daisy’s safety

wolf. When she finally spoke, her voice was subdued, understanding. “You’re right. She’s our

I turned off the tap, watching the last tendrils of water snake down the

chapter of fleeing and hiding, but first, I needed to

phone, its familiar weight somewhat grounding, I dialed the familiar number. As the dial tone droned, each ring spiked my anxiety, filling me with a sense of foreboding. I needed to hear their voices, needed the reassurance that they were safe, untouched by the sinister forces that

in the shadows. Still, as I waited for Moana to pick up, I willed myself to keep it together. Falling apart wasn’t an option-not when Daisy’s safety was at

always so warm and reassuring, flowed from the other end. “Hey, Mom.” I tried to infuse my voice with a casualness

hint of concern in her voice unmistakable. “But

I lied. I couldn’t bring myself to worry her with the truth. “It’s been a while, that’s

with unspoken sentiments. “Ella,” my mother’s voice softened, a mother’s intuition keen as ever, “you’ve always been the strong one, but you don’t always have to be. If something’s bothering you, remember that you can always

I quickly diverted the topic. “How’s everyone? Is Daisy

out for her, aren’t you? She’s doing great, a real firecracker that one.

added, “And speaking of firecrackers, have you found any special

for that conversation, not

I replied, a little too quickly. “I’m not in a

for a moment. “Alright, honey. But just know, life’s too

I talk to

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