Chapter 91 The accident
Chapter 091
RAVENNA
I did not even know what I was thinking in that moment when Richard Pike took the stage and announced Darius's engagement to someone named Selene.
All I knew was that I needed to get out of that festival hall immediately before I did something humiliating like cry in front of everyone or scream or completely fall apart.
My heart was racing so fast it felt like it might explode out of my chest.
I pushed through the crowd without caring who I shoved aside, ignoring the voices calling my name and asking what was wrong.
I just needed to move. Needed to escape. Needed to be anywhere but here.
The moment I reached my motorcycle, I climbed on with shaking hands and started the engine.
The familiar roar usually brought me comfort, but tonight it just sounded angry and violent.
I tore out of the academy grounds without looking back, heading towards the only place I knew I would be welcomed without questions or judgement. My biker family.
The ride passed in a blur of streetlights and darkness. I barely registered the turns I was making or the roads I was taking.
My mind was too full of Richard's words echoing over and over. Engagement. Marriage. Selene Blackwood, the future Mrs. Pike.
I could not believe I had let my guard down like this.
I could not believe I had spent all that time with Darius, laughing with him and studying with him and almost kissing him, only for him to land this devastating blow.
He was an absolute asshole. I should have known from the beginning that he would forever be one. People like him did not change, no matter how much they pretended otherwise.
Just yesterday night he had given me back my motorcycle, looking so proud of himself for fixing it. And the whole time he must have known about this announcement.
He must have known he was engaged to someone else whilst he was asking me to be his partner for the festival and buying me expensive dresses and looking at me with those eyes that made me think maybe, just maybe, he actually cared.
I was such an idiot.
When I finally arrived at the biker hideout, I barely remembered parking or turning off the engine.
I just sat there on my bike for a moment, trying to pull myself together enough to go inside without completely breaking down.
Jay appeared in the doorway before I could move. He took one look at my face and his expression immediately shifted to concern. "Everything alright, Raven?"
"No," I replied honestly, my voice cracking on the single word. "I am feeling completely heartbroken by my own stupidity and foolishness."
Jay did not ask for details or demand explanations. That was one of the things I loved about my biker family.
They understood that sometimes people just needed space and acceptance without having to explain themselves.
He disappeared inside and came back a moment later with a bottle of whiskey. "Come on. The guys are all here."
I followed him into the main room where the rest of the group was hanging out.
They all looked up when I entered, and I could see the questions in their eyes. But nobody said anything.
They just made space for me on one of the worn couches and handed me the bottle Jay had brought.
I drank too fast, the burning liquid sliding down my throat and warming my stomach.
Then I drank more, trying desperately to erase Richard's voice from my head, to forget Selene's name that now felt branded into my brain, to stop seeing the image of Darius running after me like he actually cared when clearly none of it had been real.
His invitation at Angela's café when he asked me to be his festival partner.
The way he had looked at me when he said it, all nervous and uncertain like my answer actually mattered to him.
The beautiful dress he had bought specifically for me.
All those late nights in the library working on our presentation together, talking and laughing and sharing pieces of ourselves I thought were genuine.
None of it had meant anything to him. I was just some entertainment whilst he waited for his real life to begin with his proper wolf fiancée.
I blamed myself for believing any of it was real. Blamed my stupid heart for getting involved when I should have kept everything purely about revenge like I had originally planned.
Jay suddenly stood up and clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. "Right, lads. We have got a race happening tonight. Who is in?"
Several people immediately volunteered, their voices rising with excitement about the competition. Racing always brought out the energy in this group.
"I want to participate," I announced, already standing up even though the room tilted slightly from the alcohol.
Jay turned to look at me with concern written all over his face. "You have been drinking, Raven. It is not advisable for you to race in this condition."
Anger flared hot in my chest. "Are you the boss of me now? Since when do you get to tell me what I can and cannot do?"
"I am not trying to boss you around," Jay replied quickly, holding up both hands. "I just care about you and do not want to see you get hurt."
"I am riding," I stated firmly, my voice leaving no room for argument. "And that is final. Now let us go before I change my mind and leave."
Jay looked like he wanted to argue more, but something in my expression must have convinced him it was pointless.
He sighed and nodded. "Alright. But please be careful out there."
We all headed outside to where the bikes were parked. The night air was cold against my flushed skin, but I barely felt it.
The alcohol had numbed most physical sensations, leaving only the emotional pain that continued tearing through me.
Someone explained the route whilst I climbed onto my motorcycle and started the engine.
The reckless midnight race would take us through the abandoned industrial district on the edge of town, weaving between buildings and over rough terrain that required complete focus and skill.
Engines roared around me as everyone revved up.
The sound vibrated through my entire body, drowning out everything else for a blessed moment.
Then someone shouted go, and we were off.
I rode like I wanted to die. Pushed past every limit and safety measure I normally observed.
My bike flew over uneven ground and around sharp corners at speeds that would have terrified me if I was thinking clearly.
But I was not thinking clearly. I was not thinking at all.
My thoughts were just a blur of images and feelings. Darius's face when he looked at me.
The bond I refused to name or acknowledge pulling at something deep in my chest. The betrayal burning through my veins like poison.
The humiliation of believing he might actually care about someone like me.
"You are such a fool," I screamed into the night, my voice stolen by the wind. "Such a stupid, pathetic fool for believing any of it was real."
I accelerated harder, the bike responding immediately. The world around me became streaks of light and shadow.
I could hear other engines nearby but could not tell who was ahead or behind.
I did not care about winning or losing. Just needed to keep moving, keep pushing, keep running from the pain that threatened to consume me entirely.
Then suddenly, headlights appeared directly in my path. Bright and blinding and far too close.
I saw them too late. My brain registered the danger and my hands moved to swerve, but everything was happening in slow motion and too fast at the same time.
When I finally managed to turn the handlebars, it was already too late. The bike was going too fast.
The angle was all wrong. I had no control anymore.
I rammed straight into the vehicle with a sickening crunch of metal against metal.
The impact threw me from the bike. I felt myself flying through the air for what seemed like forever but was probably only seconds.
Then I hit something hard. Pain exploded through my entire body, sharp and overwhelming and all-consuming.
The ringing in my ears was the last thing I heard before everything went black.