SEVENTEEN

AVA

"Are you alright?"

Hearing the sound of Darian's voice made me wipe away my falling tears in a hurry. I didn't want him to know how much my heart hurt. Keegan whom I hadn't seen in two months was tied up in the basement. Not only did he seem to be out of his senses, he seemed to have become an entirely different person.

"I can feel it, you know? Your frustration and pain are obvious. You don't have to hide them from me," Darian whispered.

Slowly, I turned around to face him. When I saw the soft expression on his face, my knees gave out. He grabbed me to steady me. Eventually, the tears began to flow.

"What do I do, Darian? How do I handle this?" I cried.

Darian stroked my hair and held me close to himself. He was my comfort. After Keegan's disappearance, he was the only person I could really lean on. I hadn't returned to my pack because I had been afraid that my pain would swallow me whole.

"You can handle this. I know you can," Darian whispered.

A servant approached us