One Night
One Nigh 266

Chapter 266

Audrey & Third Person

Audrey

The building trembled around us, the walls groaning as if the entire structure was on the verge of collapse. Dust choked th air, thick and suffocating, as chunks of ceiling began to rain down in showers.

But I didn’t run. I couldn’t. I stayed right there, cradling Edwin’s head in my lap.

“Get up!” Peter’s voice cracked as he crouched next to me, desperately gripping my shoulder. “Audrey, we have to go! The whole place is coming down!”

I didn’t answer, didn’t look at him. My vision was blurred by the tears streaming down my face, my focus only on the man bleeding out in my arms. I pressed my hands into his wound, willing it to close, but it was no use. That scream that had ripped from my throat had drained every drop of my power in one burst.

Edwin’s blood had already soaked through his shirt, a dark stain that was spreading too quickly, like a deep crimson flower. The bond between us pulsed with our shared pain as his life force slipped away.

I had to stay. I needed to be with him. If he wasn’t going to make it, then neither was I.

Edwin’s chest rose and fell in shallow gasps, and his hand trembled as he lifted it, his fingers brushing my cheek. “Co. The children,” he rasped, his voice barely audible over the deafening noise of the collapsing warehouse. “You have to… get them out. Get yourself out.”

I shook my head fiercely, choking on a sob. “No,” I whispered, the words breaking as they left my throat. “I can’t–Betty and Peter can handle that. I’m not leaving you.”

Betty appeared beside us then, her face streaked with dirt, her wide eyes shimmering with the same fear I felt curling in my chest. She knelt down, grabbing my blood–soaked hand. “Audrey-”

“I’m staying,” I said, yanking my hand away and jerking my head toward the door. “You and Peter get the children out. All of them.” I met Peter’s gaze. “That’s an order from your Luna.”

Peter clenched his jaw, torn between his duty and his desire to stay. He looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew there was no time. He gave a single, stiff nod, then rose to his feet, pulling Betty up with him. They were already calling out to the children below as they sprinted toward the stairs.

And then it was just us,

“My stubborn little star,” Edwin whispered, his voice so weak now that it sent a fresh wave of panic surging through me. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his fingers twitching as they traced the line of my cheek. “You need to go…. the knife…” He winced, his entire body shuddering with pain. “It hit something… I can feel it…”

“No,” I said again, shaking my head as I pressed my forehead against his. “I’m not leaving you. Never again.”

A massive crack split the air as part of the roof collapsed nearby dust and debris filling the space around us. I could feel the building trembling like a dying beast as it struggled to hold itself together. Through the bond, I felt Edwin’s fear–not for himself, but for me.

“Please…” he begged, his voice barely a whisper now, “Live… for me. Just live….”

“I won’t,” I whispered back, my throat tightening as I gripped his hand, pressing it against my chest, against my heart.

oblivion without me.” “Together or not at all, I won’t let you go into

Those gray eyes were glazed as he looked up at me, but his gaze was soft, filled with a love so deep that it felt like it could

08:01 Sat, Nov 9

Chapter 266

break me in two.

“I love you,” he breathed, the words so quiet, I almost didn’t hear them. “In this life… and the next…”

I leaned down, pressing my lips to his. The kiss tasted of blood, salt, and all the promises we had made and would neve to make again.

“I love you too,” I whispered back. “In this life and the next.”

And then the ceiling gave way.

Third Person

Betty and Peter burst through the warehouse doors, each of them carrying two children with them. The cool wind hit th like a slap to the face, the sudden shift from choking dust to fresh air a jarring contrast against their singed skin.

They barely had time to breathe befor terrified.

more children, guided by the older ones, poured out behind them, wide–eyed a

Peter didn’t stop, even as the first loud, earth–shaking groan sounded from behind them. His only thought was to get as f away from the collapsing building as possible, his arms tightening around the children he carried. He turned as he ran, glancing over his shoulder, and saw the warehouse beginning to fold in on itself, steel beams crumbling like matchsticks.

But it wasn’t just the warehouse that was breaking. It was the earth itself. A large, jagged rift in the dirt had begun to open, threatening to swallow the warehouse and anyone who dared to stand near it.

“Go! Keep going!” Peter shouted, his voice hoarse.

Betty was beside him, her own arms filled with children, but her face was pale, eyes wild with fear. They had barely cleared the distance when the building finally gave out, collapsing inward with an earth–shattering crash.

The force of the explosion sent a wave of dust and debris hurtling toward them, knocking both Betty and Peter off their fe They hit the ground hard, twisting mid–fall to shield the children in their arms.

The world turned into a blur of noise and chaos. Children cried out, some screaming, others too shocked to make a sound. Betty struggled to her knees, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. Peter, releasing the children in his arms, crawled to he and gathered her close.

But she wasn’t looking at him.

“No…” she whispered, her voice breaking as she lifted a trembling hand toward the rubble. “No, no, no…”

Peter followed her gaze, his own chest heaving with terror. He didn’t speak, just held his mate as the dust settled around them, the reality of what had just happened finally sinking in.

The rift had eaten up half of the warehouse. What was left… it was nothing

more than rubble.

Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires cut through the air, followed by the slam of car doors. Familiar voices called out, and moments later, Charles, Tina, Gavin, and Avis came rushing toward them.

They all skidded to a halt at the sight before them–the collapsed building, the crying children, the plume of dust still too thick to see through, and the absence of the two they had expected to replace.

“Where are they?” Tina choked out, taking two stumbling steps forward. “Where are Audrey and Edwin?”

Betty could only shake her head, burying her face in Peter’s chest as fresh sobs wracked her body.

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Chapter 266

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Tina fell to her knees, her red hair swaying with the movement. Charles raced forward, only to stop again as a fresh crest of fire billowed out of a shattered window, one of the machines inside having exploded from the collision. Avis let out a choked cry and Gavin trembled as he held her back, keeping her from racing into the inferno.

But then, through the thick, swirling smoke and dust, something moved.

A shape began to emerge from the haze, its form dark and massive. At first, it was nothing but a shadow, but as the dust settled, the figure became clearer–a massive black wolf. A wolf surrounded by a bright white light.

And draped over its back with her fingers tangled in its hair, unconscious but alive, was a girl with pure silver hair. The glow emanated from the strands, surrounding them like a sphere. The flames and smoke licked at the light, but it did not break through their shield.

Edwin staggered forward, his legs shaking with the effort of staying upright. He took two more steps, each one slower than the last, before his legs finally gave out beneath him.

He collapsed to the ground, shifting in the process, and in that moment, everyone rushed forward.

The ethereal white glow around them flickered, then faded into the night.

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