The Selection

Chapter 62

This story/plot belongs to Kiera Cass

𒊹︎︎︎ᴥ︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎

It was Taehyung who lifted  me from the back of the truck and hurriedly carried me to a tiny room. The space was smaller than my bathroom and held two slim beds and a dresser. There were little notes and photos on the wall, which gave it some personality; but it was otherwise barren, not to mention incredibly cramped with Taehyung, me, Officer Avery, Jungkook, and Paige filling every spare inch.

Taehyung laid me on a bed as gently as possible, but my arm continued to throb.

"We ought to get the doctor," he said. But I could tell he doubted his own words. Getting Dr. Ashlar would mean either telling the absolute truth or making up an outrageous lie, and neither of those options was something we wanted.

"Don't," I urged weakly. "I won't die from this. It'll just be a bad scar. We have to clean it up." I grimaced.

"You'll need something for the pain," Jungkook added.

"She might get infected. That alley was really dirty, and I touched her," Paige said guiltily.

A sliver of fire burned across the wound, and I hissed. "Anne. Get Anne."

"Who?" Jungkook asked.

"Her head maid," Taehyung explained. "Avery, get Anne and a medical kit. We'll have to make due. And we need to do something with her," he added, nodding his head at Paige.

I watched Jungkook's worried eyes finally move from my bloody arm to Paige's troubled face.

"Are you a criminal? A runaway?" he asked her.

"Not that kind of criminal. And I did run away, but there's no one looking for me."

Jungkook considered her words. "Welcome aboard. Follow Avery down to the kitchens and tell a Mallory you'll be working with her on the prince's command. Instruct her to come to the officers' wing immediately."

"Mallory. Yes, Your Majesty." Paige gave him a deep curtsy and followed Officer Avery from the room, leaving me alone with Jungkook and Taehyung. I'd been with both of them all night, but this was the first time it was just the three of us. I could feel the weight of our secrets filling up the already restricting room.

"How'd you make it out?" I asked.

"August, Georgia, and Micah heard the gunshots and came running," Jungkook said. "He wasn't kidding when he said they'd never hurt us." He paused, his eyes quickly distant and sad. "Micah didn't make it."

I turned my head away. I didn't know a thing about him, but he died tonight for us. I felt as guilty as if I'd taken his life myself.

I went to wipe a tear away, forgetting to use my left arm, and cried out.

"Calm down, Y/n," Taehyung said, forgetting to be formal.

"Everything's going to work out," Jungkook promised.

I nodded, pursing my lips together to avoid crying anymore. What a waste.

We were quiet for what felt like a long time, but maybe it was the pain stretching out the minutes.

"It's wonderful to have such devotion," Jungkook said suddenly.

At first I thought he was talking about Micah again. But Taehyung and I looked over and saw him gazing at a space on the wall behind me.

I turned my head, happy to focus on anything that wasn't the searing pain in my arm. There, beside several pictures drawn by one of his younger siblings, was a note.