AVERY'S POV:
The silence in the medical room was oppressive, weighing heavily on my chest. My hands shook as I gazed at the two people I had just cared for. Axel sat slumped in a chair, his body a roadmap of old scars and fresh pain, his limbs splayed out. Ryan, on the other hand, seemed fragile, his skin pale and clammy under the harsh fluorescent lights.
I felt a wave of nausea, smell of blood lingering mingling with the antiseptic scent of the medical supplies. My mind recoiled at the sight of their battered bodies.
Had I really just thrown away my one chance at freedom?
My pulse thundered in my ears as I pressed my hands against the counter, gripping the edge as if it could hold me together. This was it, wasn’t it? The moment I realized—no, admitted—that despite everything Axe
