CHAPTER 17
1176 Words
ADINNA’S POV
Light filters weakly through the curtains, washing the room in a pale gold glow. My body aches like it’s been crushed by boulders. Every breath feels sharp, dragging against my ribs. I groan, blinking against the blinding morning light, and that’s when I see Dean standing by the door with a tray balanced in his hands like he belongs here.
For a second, I think I’m dreaming. But then the faint clink of cutlery brings reality crashing down, and I jolt upright.
“What are you doing here?” My voice comes out hoarse. “Did Jace send you to finish the job?”
Dean’s lips twitch. “Good morning to you too,” he says lightly, walking further in. “I brought breakfast.”
Behind me, Riley stiffens. She’s hovering near the wardrobe, pretending to fold something that doesn’t exist. Her eyes dart between us like she’s watching a predator stroll through a rabbit warren. I can’t blame her. She has a crush on dean but she’s still aware of the fact that he could be just as dangerous as Jace.
I eye the tray. Eggs, toast, fruit, and a steaming mug of tea. It looks normal. Too normal. My stomach growls, but suspicion sits heavy in my chest.
“Let me guess,” I mutter, “it’s all seasoned with wolfsbane?”
Dean lets out a small laugh, the kind that somehow sounds both amused and condescending. “If I wanted to poison you, Adinna, I’d be a little more subtle.”
“Then what is this? A peace offering?” I ask. “Because I’m not stupid enough to think any of you suddenly grew a conscience overnight.”
Riley shifts uncomfortably, her hand brushing my shoulder in a silent warning. But I’m tired of wondering which day will be my last. So I glare at Dean instead, daring him to drop the act.
He doesn’t. He just sets the tray down on my bedside table and takes a step back while studying me with that infuriatingly calm expression.
“You really think I’d bring you breakfast just to hurt you?” he asks.
I cross my arms. “Considering the track record of your gang? Yeah.”
Something flickers behind his eyes. It looks like amusement or is that irritation but it’s gone too fast to tell. Without a word, he picks up the spoon, scoops some food, and eats it right in front of me. Slowly and deliberately.
Riley’s jaw drops. I just stare. My brain struggles to catch up with what I’m seeing.
“Why?” I stammer.
Dean chews, swallows, and smirks. “Happy?”
I let out a shaky breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “You’re insane.”
“Maybe,” he says, “but not a liar.”
Silence settles between us. The only sound is the faint hum of the dorm’s radiator and the rhythmic tapping of Riley’s fingers against her thigh. Dean doesn’t look away. His gaze is steady, too steady, and it makes me uneasy.
“What do you want from me?” I finally ask, my voice softer this time. “Because I know you’re not here out of kindness.”
He tilts his head. “Curiosity.”
I blink. “Curiosity?”
He nods. “You’re the girl who keeps defying Jace. That doesn’t happen often around here. Usually people learn their place.” He leans back in the chair beside my bed, arms crossed casually. “But not you.”
I look away. “Maybe I’m just stupid.”
“Maybe,” he says with a small grin. “Or maybe you’re brave.”
The word sounds foreign when he says it. Brave. It doesn’t feel like bravery when my hands shake every time I hear footsteps outside my door. It doesn’t feel brave when I’m constantly waiting for the next attack. It just feels exhausting.
Dean watches me carefully, like he can read the thoughts racing behind my eyes. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?”
I meet his gaze again, frowning. “Would quitting make Jace stop?”
“No,” he admits. “But it might make him bored.”
“Bored enough to leave me alone?”
Dean doesn’t answer right away. His jaw tightens just slightly, and for the first time, I see something human flicker through his composed facade. Then it’s gone.
“I don’t think he’s the kind of person who gets bored of breaking things,” he says quietly.
A chill runs down my spine. I pull the blanket closer, as if that’ll shield me from the truth in his words. Riley moves closer to me, her presence a small comfort.
“So you came here to what?” I ask, trying to sound steadier than I feel. “Warn me?”
He chuckles under his breath. “No. I came here because I wanted to see the girl who still hasn’t learned to stay down.”
I bristle. “You think I like being his target?”
“I think you refuse to be what he wants you to be,” he says simply. “And that pisses him off.”
My throat tightens. I don’t know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.
Riley finally speaks up, her voice small. “If you’re not here to hurt her, then you should leave. You shouldn’t even be in the girls’ dorm.”
Dean glances at her, amused. “Relax. I’m not here long.”
“Good,” she mutters under her breath, but she doesn’t move away from me.
Dean’s eyes return to mine. “You should eat something before it gets cold.”
I hesitate, then reach for the spoon. My fingers still tremble slightly, but I take a bite. The food tastes normal. Warm. Familiar. My stomach clenches in protest at first, but I force myself to keep eating. Dean just sits there, watching me, as if the simple act of me eating breakfast is fascinating.
When I finish, I set the tray aside and glance at him. “Satisfied?”
“For now,” he says, standing. “But don’t mistake this for friendship.”
I snort. “Trust me, that thought never crossed my mind.”
His expression softens slightly. “You should get some rest.”
I give a short laugh. “Rest isn’t really an option around here.”
“Then pretend,” he says. “You’re good at that.”
And then he’s gone, leaving behind the faint scent of pine and the echo of his words. The room feels colder without him in it, even though I don’t know whether his presence brought comfort or danger.
I stare at the empty tray on my table, thinking about Dean’s words. The way he’d said he was curious. The way he’d watched me like he was trying to figure out what made me different.
Dean might be nicer Jace.
But he’s dangerous all the same.
- Writer
