The Sovereign Biker’s Forbidden Mate

Chapter Three - Betrayed Again

Etta’s POV

The window shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, showering over me as the heavy blow hit us.

The car flipped instantly and everything turned upside down. The vehicle somersaulted twice before slamming down hard on its roof.

I was hanging upside down by my seatbelt, my head throbbing and my chest burning as I struggled to draw in air.

Blood dripped into my eyes, blurring my vision and beside me in the driver's seat, the driver wasn't moving.

His head was slumped awkwardly over the shattered steering wheel. I could tell that he was dead.

"Help..." I gasped, my voice barely a raspy whisper. "Someone... please..."

Outside, the roar of motorcycle engines broke the silence. Before I could blink, the crushed door was literally ripped off its hinges and thrown aside.

A man crouched down beside me, he wore a dark leather jacket and his dark eyes were blazing.

"Hey," he said. "Are you alive in there?"

"My... my legs," I choked out, gasping for air. "I'm trapped."

He reached inside and reached inside to pull me out of the vehicle, laying me down on the grass.

He knelt in front of me, his brow furrowing slightly as if he was looking at something he couldn't quite believe.

"You look familiar," he asked. “What’s your name?”

"I’m Henrietta," I rasped, wiping blood from my mouth. "Henrietta Ashford."

He froze and his eyes flickered with surprise. It was gone almost immediately but I caught it.

"Do you... do you know me?" I asked, clutching my bruised stomach.

He didn't answer but insisted. "Where were you heading? Do you remember?”

"Thornwick Academy," I whispered, shivering against the cold. "My husband... he sent me there."

The man went still. He looked down at me, taking in my torn dress, and the wedding ring on my left hand.

The shock on his face vanished, replaced by a knowing smile that didn't reach his eyes. He leaned down, his face inches from mine and I sucked in a breath.

"I'm sorry to break your bubble, darling," he said softly, "but your husband just tried to kill you."

"No..." I stuttered, shaking my head frantically as tears mixed with the blood on my face. "No, you're wrong. Will... he just sent me to an academy. He wouldn't..."

I stopped myself. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

Will knew which road we were taking. Maybe sending me to this academy was just a cover-up to his real plan.

I curled up on the floor, breaking down into ragged sobs. Did he really hate me that much?

The bikers started backing away, hopping back onto their motorcycles.

"Grey!" one of them yelled. “Let’s move, man.”

I scrambled forward and grabbed the sleeve of the dark-eyed boy's jacket.

“Wait, you can’t leave me here.” I begged, staring up at him through my tears. "Take me with you.”

Grey glared down at me, his dark eyes showing zero pity. He yanked his arm back from my grip with a harsh jerk. "I'm not a hero, lady. Get up and figure it out yourself."

He put his helmet back on and sped off with his crew, leaving me coughing in a cloud of exhaust fumes.

I sat on the dirt for a few minutes, completely numb. I knew I couldn't stay near the wrecked car… if Will sent someone to finish the job, I was a sitting duck.

The car was a complete wreck and I knew I couldn’t salvage anything. So, I pushed myself up and just started walking down the deserted highway.

I stayed near the road and minutes passed before a car pulled over to the side of the road, its hazard lights blinking.

A moment later, a middle-aged man and a young girl with bright red hair hurried out of the car.

"Oh my goodness!" the girl gasped, rushing over to me. "Are you okay?”

I couldn’t help it. My legs gave out and I dropped to the floor.

There were screams and yelling but I could barely hear a word. All I told them was the name of the academy and the girl gasped.

“We're actually heading right there.” She said brightly, “my parents will drop you off, don’t you worry. Oh, and my name is Emily.”

I smiled tightly. "Thank you. I... I don't know what I would have done."

Emily smiled, reaching into a duffel bag at her feet. "Hey, your dress is ruined. I have a spare sweater and some jeans in here. They'll be big on you, but at least you'll be dry."

I accepted the clothes awkwardly, unaccustomed to such unconditional generosity.

The partition was pulled up and I changed as best as I could with my aching limbs. An hour later, we pulled up to the gates of Thornwick Academy.

My breath caught in my throat as I looked out the window. What stood before me was an ancient, sprawling castle. The land was enormous, bustling with students dressed in uniforms.

This wasn't a school. It was a fortress.

After thanking Emily and her family, I stepped out of the car and potted a bright yellow phone booth.

My hands trembled as I stepped inside and dialed my mother's number, holding onto a tiny shred of hope.

The line clicked open. "Hello?"

"Mom?" I burst out, breaking down completely the moment I heard her voice. "Mom, it's Etta.”

I heard her suck in a sharp breath. “Etta? Why are you-“

“Please, you have to help me.” I rambled out, my heart drumming hard. “Will tried to kill me. He arranged a car crash on my way here and-“

"Etta, what are you saying?” my mother snapped. "Stop making up useless accusations against your husband. Have you no shame?"

My heart sank but I snapped back. "I'm not making it up. He doesn't want me, Mom. Amelia has been sleeping with him, they’re having an affair.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. And in that quiet second, a sickening truth hit me.

My entire family knew about Amelia and Will all along, and they let it happen. Before I could say another word, a familiar voice took over the call.

"Listen to me very carefully, Etta," my father commanded. "You will stop embarrassing this family with your pathetic jealousy. And if it is your fate to die... then you accept it.”

The line went dead.

I lowered the receiver, my hand dropping to my side. Even my own parents didn't care if I lived or died.

"Excuse me? Lady Ashford?"

I wiped my eyes and turned around to see an older looking man holding a clipboard.

"I am Charles Pembrook, the principal here," he said with a smile. "Mr. Ashford notified us of your arrival. Let's get you settled into your dorm."

Pembrook was surprisingly kind. Seeing the state I was in, he brought me to his office, got me a hot drink, and even handed me a spare prepaid flip phone.

I sat in his office for twenty minutes, staring at the small phone in my hands. A toxic battle raged inside my head.

A part of me wanted to confront Will and demand answers. Finally, I dialed his number and when he picked, I responded.

“Will, it’s me…” I hesitated before responding. “Etta.”

He paused. "Etta?"

Hearing his voice sent a chill down my spine and I clenched my fingers around the device.

"I made it to the school," I murmured. “I was involved in an accident and the driver… he’s dead.”

He paused and for a moment, I could feel that he wasn’t even surprised.

"Okay," he said, confirming my thoughts. "I'll handle it and send your luggage shipped over.”

Before I could say anything else, he hung up abruptly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to act normal while Pembrook handed me the keys to my room along with directions.

Once I stepped out of the office, I headed towards the dormitory and I noticed a group of girls were huddled together, whispering excitedly.

"Did you hear? The Apex Sovereign is coming here.”

"Are you serious? The Sovereign himself is visiting Thornwick?”

My heart dropped straight into my stomach and I stopped walking immediately. The Sovereign was coming here? To this school?

Flashes of my wild night with him flooded my mind and I leaned against the wall, placing a trembling hand over my chest.

‘It's fine,’ I lied to myself. ‘It was a masquerade ball. He didn't see my face so he won't know it was me.’

Suddenly, the phone in my pocket buzzed and I pulled it out to see an incoming call from Will.

I pressed the phone to my ear. "Will?"

"There’s been a change of plans," Will snapped into the speaker, not even giving me a second to breathe. "Amelia is going to join you at Thornwick. I've already arranged it with the principal, so the two of you will share a room."