Page 76 of Fated for Flames

Lucien stepped in to defend him. “Evelyn, listen to me,” he began gently. “Your grief was consuming you, and your magic was spiraling out of control. Your life force was draining rapidly.”

“You had no right!” I argued back, tears streaming down my face as the weight of Theo’s loss hit me once again.

Feeling overwhelmed, I tried to leave, but they stopped me.

“Please don’t go,” Lucien pleaded with me. “We just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I won’t burn anything down, I promise. I just need to be alone.”

Rafe handed me a jacket before stepping back.

“We won’t hold you here against your will,” he said. “Just please be careful out there.”

Taking a deep breath, I slipped on some sneakers that were too big for me before walking out into the cool night air.

Theo was dead, and it was all my fault.

This was even worse than last time.

Last time, he was being manipulated, and we had stopped it from happening in this timeline.

Now, Theo was dead. There was no coming back from that.

I was a failure.

My best friend died because of me.

I’d been dancing in a stupid dress at a stupid ball, and he’d been dying.

I walked aimlessly in the woods behind Lucien and Rafe’s cottage. I didn’t even feel cold anymore.

It hurt so much.

I screamed into the night until the guilt suffocated me and I could no longer scream.

He’d trusted me.

The pain was more than I could bear, igniting my magic from deep within. It surged, seeking an outlet, a way to express the torrent of emotions overwhelming me.

The powerful force of my magic was an intense energy begging to be released. But I was well aware of the consequences that came with giving in to its power. My emotions were in turmoil as I regretted my outburst toward Rafe, who had only been trying to help me. Shame washed over me as I realized howungrateful I had been toward his good intentions. But in this moment, it wasn’t his company or Lucien’s that I desired.

No. What I truly wanted was to escape and forget.

Without a second thought, I made a rash decision and headed toward Alister’s opulent mansion.

* * *

Alister’s door opened, his wide eyes scanning over my disheveled state.

“Is everything okay?” His voice was filled with concern.

I shook my head, swallowing hard. “No.”

Without another word, he led me to the comfort of his grand living room. The familiar scent of aged books and amber wrapped around me like a comforting blanket, but it did nothing to quell the storm brewing inside me. I could feel my magic surging beneath my skin, pulsating in time with my heartbeat.

“Alister, I need you to bite me.”

His eyebrows shot up to his forehead. “You want me to bite you?”

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