Chapter 31: Close Call

*Seraphina*

When I saw Eric was put in cuffs and arrested, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours had transpired so quickly that I wasn’t sure I was processing everything properly. The cop who had been the first on the scene was still talking to me, but it was like his voice was nothing but static, my brain unable to unscramble the muffled words into sentences that made sense.

The only thing keeping me grounded was the pair of strong arms holding me and the hands rubbing gentle circles on my back. It was Alfred, who hadn’t let go since I collapsed into his arms.

Even during the confrontation with Eric, who exposed my past to his father, Alfred stayed by my side. He’d refused to leave, and I, for one, was grateful because I was certain that if he weren’t holding me up, my legs would’ve given out from under me.

Alfred’s protective touch, and his warm and comforting scent surrounding me acted as a barrier between the nigh