chapter one hundred twenty seven

A Goodbye That Hurts Like Hell

"You gotta be kidding me," Alina blurted out, her voice cracking with shock.

"Right now? Like, right now right now?"

"Yes, right now," Susan said, her tone firm.

"You need to start your training. You have to be able to defend yourself. Dana and I might not be the only people coming after you."

Alina's stomach twisted. She clutched Marcus's unconscious body tighter, her

fingers digging into his shirt like holding on would make this nightmare stop.

"But what about Marcus?" she whispered, her throat closing up. Then the dam broke.

"I didn't even say goodbye! How do you expect me to just leave him? What if—" she swallowed hard, her breath hitching, "—what if he wakes up and I'm not here? What is he gonna think? He's gonna think I abandoned him!"