****************
I didn't know. But didn't I have the right to react that way after what happened?
Yes, I loved every aspect of my time with Xade but the truth was… it was still scary.
"Valerie, you need to leave here right now," Astra's warning voice reached my mind.
"I…"
"No, you must leave now, else I wouldn't be able to help you or stop it."
I wanted to argue but she cut in.
"Just look at their faces… do you think they can handle the truth if they see this side of you?"
Immediately, fear consumed me and I backed away again. But with every step I took, my mates took two more.
I moved back some more until my back hit the lockers behind me.
I could feel it — the heat coiling in my veins, the wild, unstable energy building beneath my skin, begging to break free.
Every second I stayed here, every inhale of their scents, every glance into their expectant, tense faces… it pushed me closer to losing control.
I had to leave.
