Chapter 46 46.A choice
Tabitha’s POV
They didn’t give me any bread or water again aside from the one the guard delivered in the morning. And it’s already night. I am parched and my stomach is growling, demanding to eat something. I was so desperate and hungry, I settled for the brick-like bread I got earlier. It’s definitely a bad idea to eat it without water. I almost choked on it twice, and it only made me even more thirsty.
The weight of thirst, hunger, pain, and despair crushes my spirit.
They do not give me any bread or water after the guard’s delivery in the morning. Now it is night, and my mouth is dry while my stomach growls in protest. Desperation wins over reason, and I reach for the brick-like bread left from earlier. I bite into it, but without water it becomes a curse. Twice I almost choke, and each swallow leaves me even more parched.
The weight of thirst, hunger, pain, and despair crushes my spirit.
I drift in a haze between sleep and wakefulness. My body refuses to move, but I still sense everything around me. The rough concrete floor digs into my side as I curl into myself. The air is cold against my skin and my own stench clings to me, two days of sweat and grime mixing with the foul odor of the cell.
I smell disgusting and yet it’s the least of my concern.
Through the fog, voices reach my ears. They sound close and there are several of them. They carry the sharp tone, as if they are arguing with one another. Something about their voices sound familiar too. I force my eyes open. My body remains weak, but my mind sharpens enough to recognize them.
Their silhouettes stand in the hallway, a few meters away from my cell.
“Renston has already heard about this. He wants to do a hearing. We all know that while the Alpha is away, the Beta holds the authority in the pack. And no one can predict what Renston is thinking. He might not take our side.” I recognize the deep voice coming from Eli. Although he sounds a bit agitated right now for some reason.
“Relax. We have evidence against the girl. My brother-in-law is a logical man, and his loyalty to Alpha Emery is beyond question. If we press him, he will punish anyone who threatens the law. We should demand he charge her with treason. That will send a stronger message.” That voice definitely belongs to Alfred. He has the same menacing tone as I remember.
“No. Exile is better. It will rid us of the problem without the stain of blood. Treason will only stir more trouble.” This time, it’s Ava who replies.
Their voices clash again, rising and falling. It sounds like they cannot agree to something. They all have different opinions and I barely make out most of their conversation. The argument goes on for a few more minutes until they suddenly fall silent.
I think they have gone, but then footsteps break the quiet. My chest tightens. I struggle to push myself upright, though every muscle protests.
Ava appears before the bars of my cell.
“I’m surprised you still managed to stay awake until now. But I guess this is better. You’ll have better use awake,” her voice is devoid of any sympathy.
“W-Why are you doing this? I didn’t do anything. Please let me out.” I can hardly recognize my voice. It’s so thin and weak and barely audible.
“I am not here to listen to your excuses.” She sounds bored.
“I am not making excuses! I have no reason to do what you are accusing me of.”
Her brow arches. “You have every reason. You are a human girl who thrives on attention. You like to seize power and keep it in your hands. I know the kind of person you are.”
“That is not true,” I whisper.
“It does not matter what you say. We have evidence that proves you did it.”
“Someone is setting me up!” My voice cracks, yet I keep going. “Someone planted that evidence. I did not do it!”
Ava scowls. She digs a finger in her ear as if the sound of my voice irritates her. “You are exhausting.”
“I will not stop speaking the truth,” I tell her with what strength I have left. “I will keep defending myself until you let me go.”
“Contrary to what you believe, I actually do not want you here.”
Her words take me by surprise. “What?”
“I do not want you in the station. I do not want you in the Aldair family. I do not want you on this island,” she explains. “So I will give you a chance—a choice…”
“What choice?”
“Either you leave the island quietly before the hearing, or stay and risk a harsher sentence.”
I stare at her in disbelief. “How will I leave the island when you have me locked in this cell?”
“I will help you escape,” Ava says, her voice uncharacteristically sweet. “I can get you out of here and arrange for a ferry to sneak you to the mainland. But you shall never step back on this island again. If you take this chance, you will avoid the hearing that will happen in two days. I will even give you money to start a new life away from here. This is not the first time you’ve done this, right? So it should not be difficult.”
Is she serious?
I look at her and there is no hint of humor in her expression. She’s really offering me a way to escape? I have a feeling the other pack elders are not aware of the deal she’s offering to me right now. I ponder it for a while. If she had said this a month ago, I would probably would have taken the first option. I’ll get out of here. I never wanted to go back here in the first place.
But my mother’s face rises in my mind. She has been happier since we returned to the island. I might ruin her new-found happiness if she learns that I sneak out of the island.
But my mom is strong. She will grieve, but she will recover. She has a better life here, after all. She’s the new Luna of the Crystal Ridge pack. She’s got enough wealth now to last ten lifetimes.
So if I remove her out of the equation, I have to ask myself if I want to stay.
Do I have any reasons to pass out on the chance to escape from this hellhole and never come step back on this island? I try to search for a reason, and one begins to take shape. The reason looks like Reed. It looks like Luca, Jace, and Evren. My stepbrothers. I should not think of them in this moment, yet the thought of leaving and never seeing them again makes my chest ache. I tell myself I should not care. But I do.
Five years ago I tried to escape this island. I told myself it was freedom. But was it? Or had I been waiting for the day I could come back here all along? Now that I am here again, can I truly leave?
“I’m waiting for your answer, Tabitha. We don’t have all night,” Ava says a bit impatiently.
Maybe this island is more of a home to me than I want to admit. I lift my head and boldly equal her gaze.
“I am not going to run away anymore,” I declare firmly.
Ava’s eyes harden like stone. She shakes her head like she’s disappointed.
“Then you are going to rot in here until the pack condemns you in two days,” Ava says mercilessly. “Just remember, I gave you the chance to escape. So, you cannot blame for whatever fate awaits you.”
She turns and leaves without another word.
I slump weakly against the wall. My chest feels heavy, as if I have made the wrong choice. Did I? No. Even if Ava comes back again and asks me the same question, I’d still give her the same answer. I’m tired of running away.
I just hope there is a way to get out of this cell without leaving the island.
My mind circles with one question: is there still a way to escape? If only my mother were here. If only someone could save me. My thoughts drift unwillingly to the Aldair brothers. I push them away. No, they would not help me, not even if they knew I was here.
The elders did not believe me when I told them I did not damage the artifact. The Aldairs would be no different.
I close my eyes. Despair floods my senses and soon darkness pulls me into sleep.