Bloodbound: The Alliance
Chapter 104 - 106

Chapter 104: Chapter 106

Avara POV

I ease into the kitchen to find it occupied by staff and Kelsey at the breakfast table that is decked with an array of choices. Her smile sparks a light in her eyes when she sees me, watching me with a strange, curious intent as I settle carefully into the seat next to her.

"Feel like I haven’t seen you in forever," I say, placing a quick affectionate hand on her shoulder before I pour myself a glass of tropical punch, a surprisingly mulchy mix.

"You walking funny," she states bluntly.

Baffled, my shoulders nearly reach my ears in confusion. "Maybe because I was shot?" I say, drawing a generous sip from my glass.

"Bullets ain’t the only thing that has penetrated you."

The glass drops from my mouth and my face whips to the side as I eject a spray of juice in a surge, splattering her face and her dress, her head turned in mutual shock with her hands raised impulsively before she lowers her face to inspect the damage.

"I chose the wrong day to wear white."

I put the glass down, gaping at her, trying to force down the bubbling laughter. "I am so sorry, Kels."

"When I said I missed you and wanted more of you... this is not what I meant," she says jokingly, taking a cloth to wipe her face futilely.

"But can we circle back to what you said?" I ask almost guiltily. "About—"

"The therapy bill I will be sending you after what I witnessed in your bathroom. Nasty. How am I your best friend and I never knew you could go down like that?"

"I never knew I could do down like that."

She smiles and it lights up my own as laughter between us is light and infectious, until Kelsey’s gaze flickers over my shoulder, her amusement evaporating in an instant. I follow her line of sight to see Colton stride into the kitchen, his expression unreadable as he exchanges clipped words with the staff before heading our way. The air shifts palpably, a thread of tension weaving its way into the room.

Kelsey, ever unshaken by anything, straightens subtly, her grin dimming into a more serious demeanour.

"Morning," Colton greets, his tone neutral yet carrying weight.

"Morning," we respond in unison.

His sharp eyes land on Kelsey, noting the spray of juice marring her dress. "Interesting choice," he remarks dryly.

"Not my choice," she quips back with a wry tinge, pushing up from her seat. "If you’ll excuse me, as we all can see, I need to freshen up."

Colton acknowledges her departure with a brief glance before sliding into the chair opposite me. He leaves Kelsey’s now-vacant seat conspicuously empty, as though claiming it for her return.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, his focus shifting to me.

I nod awkwardly, my voice faltering as I reply, "Better." Clearing my throat, I attempt to steady my tone. "But enough about me—it’s always about me. How are you? I mean, it must have been equally horrifying to have people invade your father’s estate—you were there too, under fire as well, yet you keep going, working so tirelessly. Are you really okay?"

His usually impenetrable mask of apathy falters, surprise flickering in his eyes. For a moment, he looks at me as though I’ve spoken a foreign language—as if no one has ever thought to ask him that before.

"I am... okay," he says, the words awkward and hesitant. "As is my father. But I think the welfare that matters most is that of the one who was most harmed."

"There’s no life that matters more than another," I say softly, the sincerity in my tone drawing his gaze back to me. His eyes seem to appraise me anew, as though trying to reconcile what he’s hearing with what he expected.

"What?" I ask with a small, tentative smile.

He shakes his head stiffly, offering no further explanation, his silence speaking volumes as he retreats into himself once more.

***

The discomfort of restlessness pulls at me as I shift again, unable to settle. When I roll over for what feels like the hundredth time, my breath catches in my throat. Botan’s back is there, lying beside me, his head turned away. The shock jolts me upright with a gasp, and the image fractures—reality rushes in—I’m still in Colton’s house, and it’s Kelsey, not Botan, who sleeps soundly beside me.

My thoughts churn like a storm, circling back to the wedding attack. I don’t know who orchestrated it; its symbolism was too sharp, its timing too convenient. But one thing I’m certain of: Botan wasn’t part of it. Whatever I don’t know about him, I know enough to be sure he would never hurt me like that. Still, no matter how I try to bury my feelings for him—shoving them deep into the corners of my heart, burying them in places I pray my mind won’t reach—they refuse to die. Memories of him linger, etched into every conscious and unconscious moment, shadows behind every thought.

But Botan can’t outrun his past any more than I can escape mine. His decisions, and the cost they wrought, are chains he can never break. For him, there was never an "out." That was my breaking point.

I glance at Kelsey again, her face slack in peaceful sleep. Not wanting to wake her, I slip out of bed quietly and tiptoe into the hall, my aim set on a solitary stroll in the gardens. But as I near the corridor’s end, an echo halts me in my tracks—Colton’s voice, sharp and unmistakable. Ready to dismiss it as background noise, I freeze when I hear him utter my family’s name.

Pressing myself into the shadow of a nearby corner, I listen as Colton descends the staircase, his voice low and curt. "There are more powerful assets in play—that’s true. But Alden has access to critical structures. Even now, he’s negotiating a trade agreement for the cartel to secure key trade routes. The syndicates trust him for reasons I can’t fully understand. He will be our key to everything."

A cold weight settles in my chest, sinking deep. His words twist around my thoughts like a vice.

"No, it’s not about her," Colton adds cryptically. "It’s just an uncanny coincidence."

When he passes, I dart to the opposite wall, leaning just far enough to peek around the corner. My pulse quickens as I watch him approach the sleek, high-tech elevator at the hall’s end. With practiced ease, he slides off his wedding ring, pressing it against a hidden panel to unlock the doors. The ring returns to his finger in one fluid motion before he steps inside, vanishing as the doors seal shut.