Chapter 65: Torn Between Two Worlds

Audrey's Point of View

Audrey's chest ached with confusion and frustration. She hated how he had lied to her. She hated how nothing about him was normal. She hated that he was so much older than her that the mere thought of it made her head spin. But despite all of that, there was this undeniable, humiliating truth: she still wanted him. She still felt that same magnetic pull, a yearning that made her cheeks burn with embarrassment whenever she thought about it.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Audrey couldn’t seem to form words. She stared blankly at the glass of ice water Guinevere had placed in front of her, the condensation forming tiny beads on the side. Her mind raced, but it felt like it had suddenly come to a halt. A screeching stop.

Who were these massive men standing around her?

Audrey had thought Stone’s biceps were impressive, but Alistair and especially Gunner? They were on a completely different level—inhumanly large. She couldn’t even comprehend how they were all built like gods. Their sheer size was overwhelming.

And then—why the hell were they all standing around shirtless?

The shock of it all was too much. Her mind screamed, but no sound came out. She closed her eyes and buried her face in her arms, feeling a wave of exhaustion crash over her.

She had left the car, ready to confront Stone, to tell him exactly what she thought of all this, but before she could even get her bearings, the dark-haired giant had picked her up as if she weighed nothing, spinning her around in a playful manner like some kind of child’s toy.

Her throat burned from the screams she had let out, but in the end, all her yelling had done was tighten her grip on her tongue, leaving her speechless. The sight before her, the towering figures surrounding her, made it impossible to form a coherent thought.

So, these were the men Guinevere had talked about? As the only woman in the house, she felt more out of place than ever. It was a wonder they even needed her around.

The silence stretched out between them until Gwen’s sigh cut through the thick air. She nudged the glass of water against Audrey's arm, making her jump as the coldness seeped through her skin.

“Please,” Guinevere said softly. “You need to hydrate. Hell, you need a real meal, but I’m not sure what we have here that you’d even want to eat.”

Audrey, still in a daze, picked up the glass and took a sip, feeling the sharp chill of the water slide down her sore throat. It was like an electric shock to her system, causing her stomach to churn in protest. But she forced herself to drink more, the coldness almost a relief from the heaviness in her chest.

Despite the lack of food, she couldn’t bring herself to care about eating. How could she think of food when her world was spinning so rapidly? The shock of everything she had just experienced left her mind too cluttered to focus on anything else.

Gwen chewed on a nail as her gaze flicked to the window, as if searching for something outside. Audrey's eyes narrowed, confused by the tension in her friend’s demeanor.

She set the glass back down, noticing the subtle frown on Guinevere's face. Why was she so worried? Didn’t Guinevere  tell her this was the safest place she could be? If that was true, why did Guinevere look so anxious as she stared into the growing darkness outside?

Guinevere seemed to sense Audrey's attention on her. She quickly pulled her hand away from her mouth and met her gaze, forcing a small smile.

“Don’t worry about them, especially Alistair,” she said, trying to lift the mood with a more lighthearted tone. “He’s beyond excited to meet the reincarnation of his sister. They were very close.”

Audrey's mind couldn’t help but replay the strange moment when she had been swept off her feet. Alistair’s overwhelming joy had flooded over her like a wave, leaving her breathless in more ways than one. It hadn’t been her own emotions—she had been furious when it happened, so the joy could only have come from him. That wild energy had hit her with the force of a storm, and she had felt so small in comparison to the happiness radiating from him.

It was like she could feel his emotions, his joy, as if they were intertwined. And it wasn’t just him. Gawain—even though he was quieter—had a similar pull. She felt drawn to him too, and that unsettled her. Why was she feeling this way? She had always felt a connection to Guinevere, but this… this was different. Stronger.

And then there was Stone.

Stone…

The pull toward him was like nothing else. It was as if a thread connected her to him, binding her in a way that made every part of her soul ache. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks—she was meant to be with him. The fated connection between them wasn’t just some fantasy. It was real. And the weight of that truth made her stomach churn with both dread and anticipation.

Everything Stone had done over the last two weeks now made sense. He had always been drawn to her, but there was a hesitation in his actions. A distance he kept, despite the obvious pull. And she understood it now. He had been burned before. His heart had been shattered once, and the fear of it happening again was evident in the way he held back.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Guinevere reached across the table and placed her hand gently on Audrey's, the warmth spreading up her arm like a comfort she hadn’t realized she needed. A sudden calmness washed over her, and she closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of being cared for.

Why was she so special to them? She wasn’t even the same species as them, yet here she was, a part of their world. She felt loved. Accepted. It was almost as though she had belonged here all along, despite the impossible circumstances.

But what about Daniel?

She was still bound to him in some way, wasn’t she? Audrey had made promises to him, hadn’t she? What did this new, overwhelming connection to these people mean for her future with him? How could she walk away from a life she had built—no matter how fragile it felt now?

Her mind spun again, and she didn’t know how to untangle the knots. Everything felt so much more complicated now.