Chapter 284
Chapter 284
425 Bonus
Avery’s POV
The days blurred together.
M
One day. Two days. Three days. Each morning, I woke up hoping for news, or maybe even expecting a rescue attempt. Each evening, I went to bed with nothing.
My mother had to have received my letter by now. She had to be planning something. But the waiting was eating me alive from the inside out.
I needed a garden.
The next time Asher came to visit, I was ready.
“I want to start a garden,” I blurted out before he could say anything. I stood from where I’d been sitting on my bed, wringing my hands. “Can I have that much p>
Asher blinked. “Why a garden p>
I shrugged. Telling him that I loved gardening felt too personal, like giving him the one part of myself that I was still holding onto. So I settled for simply saying, “I’m going crazy in here. I need something to do with my hands. Something productive p>
Asher studied me for a long moment. I held my breath, waiting for him to deny me. But to my surprise, he nodded. “Very well. I’ll have a plot prepared for you p>
“Really p>
“Yes.” He stepped closer and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I forced myself not to flinch or gag. “I want you to be happy here, Avery. If a garden will help with that, then so be it p>
With that, he smiled and pressed a kiss to my forehead before leaving. I stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where he’d been, then wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.
The plot of land Asher wound up giving me was small; but it was something. It was located near the edge of the camp, just beyond the main tents, with a clear view of the forest. I wondered if he had chosen this spot on purpose. A reminder of what lay beyond. Freedom. So close, yet so far.
I dropped to my knees in the dirt and dug my fingers in. The soil was rocky and hard- packed, clearly untended for years. But it would work.
“You wanted help p>
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I looked up to find Lindse standing a few feet away, clutching a spade and a bucket of
water.
“Yes.” I gestured to the plot. “I need to till the soil first. Break it up so we can plant p>
She nodded and knelt beside me without another word. We worked in silence for a while, the only sounds the scrape of our tools against the dirt and the distant chatter of the camp. My muscles ached from the effort, but it felt good to move instead of pacing my tent all day. Even if my guard was still only a few feet away, watching me like a hawk.
“What are you going to plant?” Lindsey asked after a while.
“Herbs, mostly. Maybe some vegetables if we can find seeds.” I wiped the sweat from my brow with my sleeve. “Do you know where I can get some good seeds p>
“There’s a storage tent near the center of camp. They keep supplies there. I can fetch some for you, if you want.
“Would you?” I smiled at her. “That would be amazing p>
She nodded. “It’s no trouble p>
We kept working. The sun climbed higher in the sky, beating down on us until my skin felt like it was starting to burn. I had been at it for a while, so I decided to call it a day. I stood, dusting my knees off, then noticed something on the ground next to Lindsey.
It was small and wrapped in shiny foil-a candy. My brows lifted. I recognized that brand, and it was expensive, imported from overseas. It was surprising enough to find one in a rogue camp.
I reached down and picked it up. “Huh,” I said, turning it over in my hand. “These are expensive. Is it yours p>
Lindsey froze when she saw the candy. Her eyes went wide, and she snatched it from my hand so fast I barely had time to blink.
“I found it,” she said quickly, shoving it back into her pocket. “On the ground. Someone must have dropped it p>
I stared at her. Her face had gone pale, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes. She looked guilty. Like she’d been caught red handed.
That evening, Asher called me to his tent. When I arrived, he was sitting on his
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throne.
“You have a letter,” he said, holding up an envelope.
My heart leapt into my throat. “From my mother p>
“No.” He held it out to me. “It’s from Alpha Gideon p>
The air left my lungs. I stared at the envelope in his hand, my fingers trembling as I reached for it. Asher handed it over without a word and stood back, watching me.
I tore it open and pulled out the letter inside. The handwriting was definitely Gideon’s.
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