Blood Bound [Book Two, Lady and the Wolf] (EDITING)

Chapter Eleven: The Honest Truth

She paced back and forth in her room, wringing her hands anxiously. She had changed into a jumper and jeans, and when she felt something rub against her neck, she realized that she had put her jumper on backwards.

"He's fine," she whispered to herself.

There had been so much blood. Even thinking about it made her feel woozy.

Her head snapped to her door when she heard a soft knock. She ran to open it, her face falling in disappointment when she seen Drake.

The look on his face told her something wasn't right.

"Is-is he okay?" she stuttered, trying to hold back her emotions.

He nodded and she let out a sigh of relief. She went to move passed him before he gently took her arm. "Aira, I'm sorry," he said gently, his eyes showing a sadness she couldn't quite comprehend.

"But you said he was okay?" she whispered, unable to process what was happening.

Both were seized by another figure. Emma was standing there, anxiously twisting her hands as she looked at Aira nervously. "Drake, everyone's with Van right now. He wants Aira there too."

Drake's mouth twisted in panic as he shook his head. "Give us a minute, Em?"

Aira's eyes darted towards him, her eyebrows arched curiously, when he seemed to tense up as her mother shook her head in warning.

"Before he loses his nerve to tell her, please," her mother said, her tone gentle yet Aira could hear the emotions Emma was holding back. Aira's eyes grew serious, and her face quickly turned solemn.

"Tell me what?" she asked, panic rising and settling into her throat. For a moment, she thought she couldn't breathe.

Her eyes turned to Drake. He kept his hand on Aira's arm and let go the second she pulled back.

"I knew there was something going on..." Her eyes remained fixated on Drake, waiting for him to say what he had wanted to tell her.

The look on both their faces made her face pale.

"Aira, we didn't want to hide it-" Emma tried to explain as she reached out.

"No," Aira snapped, side-stepping Emma's hand.

Aira raced towards the door, making Emma jump out of the way. Despite her nausea from the stress, she managed to make it down the hall towards Van's room, and stopped when she saw Kasimir holding his mate, Darya, in his arms as she cried.

"Darya?" she said softly. She was hesitant as she approached the older shifter.

They both looked up, their faces showing absolute grief. "He wants to see you," Darya sobbed and Kasimir instantly comforted her in his arms, leading her away.

As she slowly drew closer, Valentina - Kasimir's only daughter - exited the room with her mate. He held her upright, nodding as she rambled, "Anton, I need to see my pups. They must be missing me. I need to see them. Van held Melor when he was first born. Do you remember?"

Anton nodded solemnly as they passed Aira, without as much as a single glance her way. Valentina looked like she was in shock, her mind too numb to comprehend anything else happening around her.

What in the world is going on?

The last to exit was a disheveled Innochka, her normally pretty face flushed and red with fury.

She noticed Aira immediately and shot her a sharp glare, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"Van had told me to stay away from you, but once he's dead I can't wait to wring your little neck you dirty little b---"