(Ryder's POV)The room was silent, with only the faint sounds of our labored breathing filling the space as we lay together in the quiet aftermath.Kate lay on her back, her eyes closed with a tiny smile on her lips.I reached out, my fingers brushing over her cheek gently. I just needed to touch her, to feel her skin against mine, to prove to myself that this was all real.As I looked at her, watching the way her chest rose and fell, the way her smile lit up her face, I felt something I couldn’t name. Maybe it was peace. Maybe it was something more than that. All I knew was that I’d never felt anything like this, anything that even came close.This was the girl who’d shown up in my life and turned everything upside down. She'd made me question everything I'd thought I'd known. She'd complicated everything, but at the same time, made it all so much easier. I couldn't remember a time before her and I didn't want to.Every part of me felt settled, like some force inside me that was usua
(Katelyn's POV)The warmth of Ryder’s confession lingered. He’d stumbled through it, sure, but each word was raw and honest, like he was baring every corner of his soul to me and I couldn't ask for more than that.I appreciated that he didn’t try to mask the things he felt, even when it came out clumsy or unfiltered. We lay together for a while longer, wrapped up in each other, the world around us silent. My head rested on his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat an anchor to me as my fingers traced small circles over his shoulder. His hand reached up, brushing through my hair softly. “Guess I’m not so bad with words after all,” he murmured, a faint smile pulling at his lips.I laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far,” I teased lightheartedly.He gave a contented sigh, pressing a soft kiss against the top of my head. His lips lingered there and I could feel him breathing me in as his arms tightened around me ever so slightly.I had no regrets. I knew that this had been the right thing
(Katelyn's POV)Morning came and so did a blinding beam of light, assaulting me through a crack in the curtains and reminding me that all was not well. Yesterday was over and today was today... a day I had been dreading.I was instantly stressed, my stomach tying itself in knots as the reality set in. The Elders would arrive, maybe they were even here already, and I had no idea what they had planned for me.Dread settled over me and I wished I could just close my eyes and go back to sleep... Maybe I could sleep the day away. Maybe I could sleep their entire visit away. A ridiculous thought, I acknowledge that, but desperation breeds irrationality."Hey," a voice whispered beside me. Tyler."Hey," I replied, my heart hammering in my chest as I tried to swallow my rising panic."It'll be okay," he murmured, brushing a stray hair away from my face before his hand settled on my cheek, rubbing it gently with his thumb.I closed my eyes and tried to breathe through it. The fact that he inst
(Katelyn's POV)As we reached David’s office door, Tyler knocked, and my breath hitched, bracing myself for whatever news lay beyond. When David’s calm voice called for us to enter, the door swung open, and I was met with an unexpected sight.His office was empty. It was just David, sitting there alone behind his desk, just as he usually was.A wave of relief washed over me, but it was quickly overshadowed by the uncomfortable realization that this only delayed the inevitable. The Elders were still coming. This was just a temporary reprieve.“Good morning,” David said in greeting, looking at each of us in turn before his eyes settled on me. He gave a small nod, his lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile. “How are you holding up, Kate?”Clearly my anxiety was etched all over my face. I took a deep breath and tried to look braver than I felt, straightening up my shoulders as I replied, “I’m okay.” My voice sounded confident enough, but his knowing look told me he wasn’t buying it
(Katelyn's POV)I paced back and forth, my bare feet padding quietly against the hardwood floor. Two hours. That was all I had left of this quiet before the storm.The thought made me scoff at myself. 'Quiet'... Yeah, sure, the house was quiet, but my mind was in a state of absolute chaos. The world around me was still, but inside, my thoughts were a tumultuous mess and no matter what I tried to do, I couldn't calm them.It felt like I was waiting for my execution. Like every minute that ticked by brought me one step closer to my doom.I'd tried to talk myself out of it... I'd tried to consider the possibility that maybe they would be really nice. I'd told myself that The Elders were still just people at the end of the day. I'd told myself that I hadn't actually done anything wrong. I reminded myself that Harlan was the one who had abducted me and I was actually the victim in all of this, but still, while I knew that it was all true, it still felt like it was somehow my fault. Like I
(Katelyn's POV)What did she want? Why was my 'mom' messaging me?Mom:You’ve destroyed this family, Katelyn. You've tarnished our family name and you've destroyed your father's reputation. You've been nothing but a burden to this family since the second they shoved you into our lives. I hope you're happy.I stared at the screen, my mind going blank as the words seared into my brain. I read them again, then again, but they never made any more sense than they had the first time.The words should have meant nothing to me. They shouldn't have hurt. But they did.I felt the phone slip from my hand as my body sagged against the wall, the familiar ache of rejection and shame unfurling in my chest like some all-consuming dark shadow.“Kate?” Tyler’s voice broke through the haze, his hand touching my shoulder gently. "You okay?”I couldn’t answer. I just looked at him, the world blurring around me as tears prickled in my eyes.It felt like I had been sucker-punched.Ryder appeared on my other
(Tyler's POV)“Why don’t you call your aunt?” I suggested, hoping maybe a familiar voice might help soothe her. “Or maybe even Jenna? See how her and Ash are doing, though I'm sure we can all guess how that’s going...” I teased, knowing that if the last time we saw them was anything to go by, they probably hadn't moved from Ash's room, let alone house.Kate looked up, her brows knitting together in thought. “Maybe,” she finally said, though she didn’t sound convinced. She glanced over at me, and I could tell she was still wrestling with a million different anxieties in her mind. "Do you have my phone?" she asked softly.“Shit…” I cursed, feeling stupid. “Yes, I do. Sorry. I meant to give it back to you. Things have just been... a little crazy, I guess. Hang on.” I said, hurrying out toward my bedroom to get it for her.I'd turned it off, but made sure it was charged for when she came back, so she would be able to use it immediately. I was glad I'd thought ahead because it really felt
(Katelyn's POV)I stared at my reflection, adjusting the hem of my dress with a sigh. It was as if the weight of the day had settled into the fabric itself, leaving it as creased and as tired-looking as I felt.Alpha David’s message that The Elders had arrived still echoed in my mind, fueling the anxiety that simmered below the surface. They were here now, close enough that I could almost feel their looming presence... Like an apocalyptic storm in the distance.When Tyler had recited the message to us, panic had clawed its way up, threatening to spill over. But somehow, I’d managed to push it down, accepting that there was no changing what was about to happen. Now that they were here, the dread had dulled, only to be replaced by a heavy feeling of resignation.I couldn’t stop this, couldn’t control this. All I could do was step forward and face it.With a deep breath, I turned back to my closet, figuring I'd have to find something more suitable for dinner. It was a little annoying see