The Heirs: The Silver Knight

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Imogen

I wish I could bring him back for you. If only to see you truly happy.

I let Aleks carry me back to the mansion, up to the spare room I'm calling my own for the time being. I let him tuck me in, let him kiss my forehead again.

I don't feel. I can't feel.

Why can't I let the barrier down?

All I wanted was Aleks. All I wanted was to be happy again. He could make me happy. I knew he could.

And yet...when he was kissing me, holding me, I felt too much. My heart was too full, my mind started racing.

And I knew, I just knew...

I wanted him to take me, to make it hurt, to make sure I remembered the betrayal against Rory.

I had used him, and I hated myself for it.

Numbly, I fall into a deep sleep.

*************************

Tonight is the night of the mission to take out Gabe from the Knights' mansion. I can't relax. I pace back and forth in the Wolves' media room as we watch footage. I gnaw on my lip nervously as I watch people I love put themselves in harm's way.

Josh is leading the mission into the mansion itself with Tate, Owen, and Zane. Eli, Ilya, Ari, Sophie, and myself are monitoring the situation but I feel so god damn helpless from here.

Anything can go wrong.

Please just let them all come back to us.

Watching them all leave tonight hurt.

Especially watching Aleks. He hardly looked at me. I couldn't blame him. As tightly as he held me the other night, I know he's trying to give me space. I'm not sure space is what I need. I have no idea what I need anymore.

Hopefully taking care of Gabe and Anton will be the first step to some relief, some sense of justice.

"They're in," Eli says, watching the feed.

"I don't see Tate..." Ari says nervously.

"She's there with Zane, see," I say as I nod towards the screen.

Ari lets out a slight breath of relief.

We watch with bated breath. Something feels wrong. Something feels off. I check Leo's feed to see what he and Aleks and the others are doing, but it's hard to tell. They're monitoring the woods outside of the property.

We watch as Tate, Zane, Owen, and Josh get into Gabe's bedroom. I can't even breathe.

"He's not here," Zane says into the radio.

"The window's open," Tate says.

"Get out," I whisper. It's too risky.

"Be on the lookout," I hear Leo say over the radio. I check his and Aleks' feed again, but it's hard to see what's going on.

Aleks instructs the others to get out. Josh does as he's told and they move back out the way they came. We're all standing and watching now.