Chapter 29 Surviving
Chapter 29 Surviving
DAVINA'S POV
I really miss my parents. That thought hit me as we stepped out of the hall, with the sounds of the pack still echoing behind us.
Grief has a way of sneaking up on you, doesn’t it? Always choosing the worst moments to remind you that it’s still lurking just beneath the surface
Growing up as an only child, I was their whole world. You could say I was a bit spoiled, but in the best way possible.
My dad wasn’t rich, but he worked double shifts some weeks just to make sure I had everything I needed. I never had to worry about anything. And my mom? She was my best friend. I shared everything with her, from crushes, to embarrassing moments, and fears. And she was always happy to listen.
There were no secrets between us.
When I got to college, I threw myself into my studies, determined to make them proud. I had this vivid picture in my mind of the day I’d finally do something big enough to repay them for all their sacrifices.
But then that car accident happened, and just like that, I lost my chance to say thank you properly and even to say goodbye.
After that, I felt completely shattered. I didn’t know how to pick up the pieces or even how to keep going, and that’s when I met Steven.
He came into my life like a ray of sunshine, someone who seemed to wipe away my tears. I remember being grateful to God for sending me someone to lean on, my own person.
I was embarrassingly grateful for him, the kind of gratitude that makes you overlook the little things because the alternative is facing loneliness again.
But things took a turn. Steven, who had been so good to me at first, became toxic. He found fault in everything I did, blamed me for mistakes he made, manipulated me, and was a master at gaslighting. I put up with it for a while, but eventually, I reached my breaking point. One day, I just packed my things and left town without a plan.
Ending up in Silver Ridge was an accident. I drove until I was exhausted, stopped for coffee, and something about the town just felt right. I poured everything I had into Books and Brews, building something from nothing, until those wolves came and shattered everything.
Zane’s gentle touch on my arm pulled me back to the present. I focused on the corridor, the sound of our footsteps, and the weight of everything that had just happened in that hall.
I turned to him, and he was watching me with that careful attention he always had, and I managed a half-hearted smile.
Honestly, I hated it here. Every single day felt like a struggle. The constant threat of something going wrong. The pack’s eyes always finding me first when they entered a room. The feeling of being one wrong step away from everything falling apart.
It was as if I had only a brief moment to catch my breath after losing my parents and escaping Steven, only to be thrown into this new chaos.
Zane led me to the small private room where we’d been having breakfast together and pulled out a chair for me. I sat down, and he took the seat across from me. The room felt warm and quiet, a world away from everything that had just happened.
“How are you, Dee? Hope you’re not hurt anywhere?” he asked, with concern in his voice.
There he went again, shortening my name. I managed a small smile. “I’m fine, just a bit shaken, that’s all.”
He nodded slowly but kept watching me.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “For Jax. For everything. I should have made sure you were safer inside the compound before now, and I didn’t... that’s on me.”
“You couldn’t have predicted...”
“I should have,” he interrupted, his tone firm.
I looked at him across the table. He had blood on his knuckles that he hadn’t cleaned yet, and his jaw was tense from everything that had just happened.
“I’m actually more worried about you. Your position is being challenged. How’s the fight going to play out?” I asked, changing the topic from me.
“You don’t need to stress about that. There’s no way Jax will win. But I’m sure he’ll take this to the council, and that’s the real issue,” he replied.
“You sound pretty sure that he won't win.”
“I am sure.” He picked up his mug, turning it in his hands. “Jax is good, but he’s not better than me, and he knows it. The challenge is more about making a statement than actually winning.”
“We still have the council hearing to deal with, and now Jax too. What do you think the council will do if he takes it to them?” I pressed.
“I honestly don’t know. This is the first time they’ll be facing a situation like this,” he said, taking a deep breath.
“My main concern is for you to stay safe and not worry about all this. It’s my problem to handle,” he added, trying to ease my mind.
“They've become mine too from today. I have decided that since I can't go back to my old life, maybe I should fight for the one I have here now, and make it comfortable.” I shot back. “So stop trying to manage what I worry about and start talking to me like someone who’s actually in this with you.”
He stared at me, and then something flickered in his expression. He leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.
“Okay,” he said quietly. “Let’s dive into the hearing prep and see where we stand with...”
He suddenly trailed off, and I noticed his hand, the one resting on the table, starting to shake. His entire arm was quaking, and when he caught me watching, he clamped his other hand around his wrist and pressed it down against the table, almost like he was trying to will it to stop.
I could see his jaw clench tight, and a muscle in his neck went rigid.
“Zane.” I leaned in closer, concern creeping into my voice.
“I’m fine.” But his voice was strained.
“You’re not fine.” Without thinking, I reached across the table and placed my hand over his. I could feel the tremors coursing through him. “What’s going on? What’s happening to you?”
He met my gaze, and for just a heartbeat, the mask he always wore slipped away.
What I saw beneath it sent a chill down my spine, far more frightening than anything I’d encountered in this compound.