Her Given (Editing)

Chapter 22 - Dwindling Hope

Xavier's POV

We were in study hall, and Ava got up to ask if she could use the bathroom. I thought nothing of it, until I realized that she had been in the bathroom for about 30 minutes, and she still hadn't returned.

Worried, I got up to ask the teacher if I could go use the restroom. He complied, and now I'm here -- knocking on the girl's bathroom door but not hearing a reply. "Avelyn," I call, to no avail. "Princess, are you in there?" I try once more, but I still don't hear a reply.

I quickly enter the bathroom, finding it completely empty, and I start to panic. I decide to mindlink the boys, to let them know of our colossal problem.

"Guys, I can't find Avelyn. She went to use the bathroom about a half an hour ago, but she never came back. So I thought it best to go check on her. Now I'm at the girl's restroom, but she's nowhere to be found. I need you here, ASAP. I'm in the girl's bathroom in the B hallway. I think they've managed to take our angel." My voice is frantic and shaky, and Crimson begins to tremble with immense rage and angst.

"We're on our way," Ashton all but growls, cutting the mindlink off there.

Within two minutes, they've arrived, and we begin our search. With our great sense of smell, we are faintly able to pick up Avelyn's sweet scent. It leads us to the teacher's parking lot. From this, we're able to come to the conclusion that it was a teacher that took her.

And the first name that crosses each of our minds is Mr. Brown. He's obviously the one who took her. How could we have not seen that he was her possible abductor before? It's not like he ever made his attraction to Ava and her blood a secret. We should've killed that leech before he had the chance to kidnap the only thing that we care about -- our only weakness.

"Her scent disappears here. He must've cloaked it somehow once they reached his car. Damn it, we're so stupid! How could we let this happen?" Cole's voice cracks, and he allows a single tear to fall down his face. He never cries. In fact, I've never seen him cry. Not in the almost 17 years I've known him.

'We have to get our angel back.'

~~~

Avelyn's POV

I don't know how long it's been. It feels like it's been days, but I'm assuming that it's only been a couple of hours. I have no way to manage the time, and that makes me feel even more helpless.

Suddenly, I hear a loud bang against the door, and I immediately start to tremble in fear.

'What are they going to do to me now?'

I see a dark figure enter through the door, but it's too dim for me to tell who it is. A light is cast form the other side of the entryway, and I'm able to make out the dark mass. It belongs to Ian, and following behind him is a large, burly man. And if I wasn't scared before, I definitely am now.

"Oh poor, poor Avelyn. Little angel probably misses her little pups," he taunts. "Too bad they'll never be able to find you. Let alone save you. And once we get a hold of them, they'll be nothing but a couple of dead dogs. Man, your life really is sad," he chuckles, and I grimace.

"Don't you dare touch them," I seethe. "If you do, I'll find a way to make your death slow and painful."

"Oh, but Avelyn, angels aren't supposed to kill. What kind of angel would that make you?" His face holds a sinister smirk, and I glare at him in response.

"One that protects her Given at all costs. So don't even think about touching them, or your life expectancy won't be eternal. In fact, your death will approach much sooner than what you're ready for. Faster than you could even say the word 'forever," I growl.