Chapter 67

67 Xade’s pov I froze. A cold sweat beading down my back and forehead. If she knows…does Alister and the others know as well? She works for him, she’d never keep it from his knowledge.

“How do you know?” I breathed, my chest tightening at the thought of Alister knowing and making things far worse. “Who have you told?” I gritted as my wolf stirred inside me.

“When I looked at you in the room…” she trailed off. “I tapped into your mind, which is one of my gifts. I saw the way you look at her. The way you feel.”

I looked away, feeling stripped bare. “Who else knows?” I asked coldly.

“No one,” She admitted making me return my gaze to hers. “This is why I asked for privacy. I trust Peter but he is still loyal to Alister. I know you don’t want anyone to know she’s your mate.”

She bit her lip and looked at me with sympathy. “I wish there was a way I could help you and her….but it’s tricky. If I keep her memories of you Alister will find out.”

I looked at her skeptical. “Why would you try to help me in the first place?” I questioned, a bit uncertain if to trust her or not seeing as she’s a witch and may have more than one ability.

“I love, love,” She smiled. “And just the raw way you love her is beautiful. The way you’ll die for her. Protect her. It’s beautiful. She deserves someone like you. You two deserve a chance.”

Her brows furrowed when I replied. “Unfortunately the odds are stacked against us,” my heart clenched. “Perhaps it’s better that way…if she were to ever find out what I am, she may never love me.”

Rose frowned. “I don’t believe that’s true at all.”

I scoffed. Who would ever love a beast? Avery had always been scared of wolves in movies, real life wolves….she’d probably pee her pants if she sees one in front of her.

The door creaked open before I could respond, Peter returning to the room. “Times up.” He pointed at the watch around his wrist.

Rose nodded and looked at me in pity. Peter looks between the two of us skeptically. “Must I be worried you two planned an escape?”

Rose smiled. “Don’t worry Peter, it’s nothing to do with that. I was trying to get to know…him more.”

Peter doesn’t look convinced but he doesn’t question us further. Rose stepped into the cell, Peter following closely behind her.

“This is going to take a week maximum. The memories she has of you two…are very powerful to remove in one go,” she mumbled faintly. “And since this will be painful, I must take my time. So one session at a time.”

My heart rammed against my chest. The all too real feeling making me sick. This was really about to happen. Avery would no longer remember me. Would no longer love me.

My beast clawed at my insides, trying to stop the inevitable. But we both knew this is meant to happen. There is no happy ending for us. There never was. One of us had to sacrifice and of course, I’d rather die than see her hurt.

12:48 67 67 Rose told me to sit, but my mind hazed with nothing but jumbles. I looked around, feeling as though it was hard to breathe. I stumble back, reaching out to steady myself and brace myself against the wall.

Peter called out to me, his hand pushing forward to grip my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

His voice is faint against my own inward voice. My own inward struggle. “I can’t do it,” I admitted, my eyes looking at him and at Rose who stood still in understanding. “I don’t want her to forget me.” My voice is weak compared to how it had been minutes ago.

Gone was my shield and now I’m nothing but a boy who is afraid to lose the love of his life. Peter stared at me in pity. A low growl pushed out of my mouth. That damn look, I loathed it. I am not pitiful.

“I understand you- Peter began but I interrupted.

“You don’t! No you don’t!” I hissed. No one understands me. No one knows how much this will hurt. No one understands. No one will.

“Xade,” Rose stepped forward, her voice gentle. “Be strong, not only for you, but for her.”

I looked away, my eyes casted on the cold dirty floor. Be strong. Be strong for her. Be strong for her. This is for her. You can bear the pain of losing her. I swallowed hard, and gave a stiff nod as I slid down the wall until my ass touch the floor.

With my gaze down, I whispered. “Get this over with. Please. Do it fast.”

Rose’s boots stepped into my vision and the air begins to hum with energy. “I’ll try to make it less painful,” she whispered in a promise I know she would not be able to keep. Nothing she or anyone would do will make this hurt any less.

67 19 1288 Wouchers “Just do it,” I ground out, keeping my head low and closing my eyes. She crouched down in front of me and her hands plaster to the sides of my head.

“Take in a deep breath,” she instructed gently, her nails piercing my damn skull. A low growl tumble out of my lips. “Just do it!” I hissed in agony of this taking way too long.

With a sigh, she started to mumble some incoherent words. The pain came in like a blow to my head and I hissed, reaching up to grip her hand but Peter grabbed me before I could.

Flashes of us together, my Avery. Her teary eyes looking up at me when her ice cream fell and me giving her mine. The smile she wore when I did, she had always been so beautiful.

My chest constricted.

The memory felt like a thread, an invisible one that was being pulled and tugged. Memories of my first days in high school, college, even with Kyan, those memories were being drawn into thin threads that slowly began to tighten and stretch……snapping.

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