A War inside me

Chapter 14

Evelyn’s POV

The king gave me twenty-four hours.

Twenty-four hours to pack my entire life into a few boxes and leave my home—my territory, everything and everyone I’ve ever known. And I had no say in it.

Nathan and Noah tried to talk to me, but I refused to listen. To me, they were strangers—strangers tearing me away from my life. At this point, I couldn’t see them as anything other than kidnappers.

I kept a straight face in front of my family, forcing myself to find some kind of positive angle. The last thing I needed was for Kaden to act on my behalf and get us all in trouble with the kingdom. That would condemn us to life as rogues, and I couldn’t let that happen. As badly as I wanted to unleash the beast inside me, I forced it down.

A soft knock sounded at my door.

“Come in,” I sighed, glancing at the packed boxes scattered around my room.

Mira stepped inside quietly, shutting the door behind her. Her small frame seemed even smaller now.

“Are you taking all your things… or?” she asked hesitantly.

I shook my head. “No. I’m leaving the sentimental stuff. Everything that belonged to Mom stays here. I’ll be back. I’m going to work hard, break this wolf… and come back home where I belong.”

She smiled, though her cheeks were flushed and red—I knew she’d been crying.

“The cars are here,” Kaden’s voice echoed through the link, cracking slightly.

“I’ll be right down,” I replied.

“I wanted to give you this,” Mira said, handing me a small box wrapped in blue paper.

I opened it quickly. “A phone?” I asked, confused.

“Well… you’ll be so far away the link won’t work,” she explained, her eyes filling with tears. “You’ve never been far from us before, so you never needed one. But now… we want you to be able to call us whenever you want. Or if you need anything.”

I pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“All our numbers are in there… including Ben’s,” she added softly.

Ben.

The one person I begged to bring with me. The king refused, saying I needed a “cleanse” from everyone around me—whatever that meant. Apparently, no one was allowed to come and “influence me.” As if Ben had ever been a bad influence.

We walked downstairs hand in hand. Kaden stood outside the double doors, his face cold, his anger barely contained.

I stepped toward him, and he pulled me into a tight hug. “Take care. And if you need anything—anything at all—call me,” he whispered.

“I will, brother.”

When he let go, Ben was standing beside him. His eyes were dark, shadowed from lack of sleep. He had tried to come with me too… and was denied.

“Ben,” I breathed.

He brushed his thumb gently across my cheek, like he was memorizing the feel of my skin. I held onto his hands, afraid that letting go would make this too real, too final. He pressed his forehead to mine, our noses touching.

“Call me,” he whispered.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” I murmured. “Don’t forget me.”

“Never,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Then he pulled me closer, and I let our lips meet. Soft. Warm. The world faded away for a moment, and butterflies filled my stomach.

Until—

A throat cleared.

“Evie, let’s go!” one of the Alpha twins growled.

My cheeks burned as I stepped back, brushing my fingertips over my lips. Ben winked at me, making me laugh softly.

I turned, determination settling deep inside me. I would break my wolf. I would make her obey. And I would come back to him.

The twins watched me with stormy eyes, their expressions hard, but I didn’t care. I was being forced to leave my life behind—they could wait while I said my goodbyes properly.

I moved toward the SUV beside the queen, ready to climb in when—

“You’ll be riding with the twins, dear,” the queen said.

I looked at them—their tense bodies, their irritated expressions—and shook my head. “I’d feel more comfortable with you. You’re the only one I trust,” I said quietly.

The queen blushed. “Oh—well, come right in.”

She turned to the guards. “You’ll go with the twins.”

“But Mom—” one of them started.

She raised her hand, silencing them. “Bye. See you at the castle,” she said, shutting the door in their faces.

The king chuckled. “Maybe you aren’t so different from your wolf after all,” he muttered, taking a sip of his water.

I smiled faintly, even as my chest tightened painfully.

As the car rumbled to life, I turned to the window. My family stood there, watching. I pressed my forehead against the glass as they grew smaller and smaller with every passing second.

A hand rested gently on my thigh.

“It’s okay,” the queen said softly. “You’ll be back soon.”

My eyes burned with unshed tears as I stared ahead—toward a new life, new challenges… and a world completely different from the one I’d known.