Chapter 166

[Ella’s POV]

I wished Liam hadn’t vanished so soon after stopping by before to check on me. His presence alone made it possible for me to calm down and allowed me to get out of my own head for a short time.

I hadn’t been able to get myself to rest. Instead, things had become unfathomably worse.

The moment I heard that door shut behind him, I was plummeting into a long, endless stream of tortuous thoughts and self-induced scenarios. It seemed like every time I closed my eyes, I was faced with a horrifying situation that could very likely happen.

And I was quick to discover that it was no better even when my eyes remained open. The nightmares had bled into my reality. I had no escape from the worrying and the anxiety that continuously crept in.

I felt like my life was crumbling.

Because of all the worrying and broken sleep, I couldn’t bring myself to focus on anything. The hunter, the stalker, and now to hear that someone else had been orchestrating this whole thing.

“You won’t be able to guard her forever. I will finish what I started.”

Those words haunted my thoughts on an hourly basis at the rate I was going. How was I supposed to function, knowing that I was going to be ongoingly hunted like some animal?

That psycho knew where I was now. Chances were he also knew my class schedule and would very likely try another attack. Or worse, he’d find a way to break into the dormitory and strangle me in my sleep.

Oh God, what if he tried to do just that but would end up mistaking Bonnie for me?!

The very thought made my heart race in my chest and set my nerves on edge.

It was too much!

“I don’t know, Ella. Maybe you should head back home for a few days,” Bonnie suggested lightly. “I’ve got to be honest with you, you look rough and worn out.”

To be honest, I was genuinely considering the possibility of going back home for a little while. But I came quickly to realize that I couldn’t. For a few reasons.

I refused to leave Liam alone while he was going through this next trial. There was also the fact that this hunter would only follow me wherever I went—making me feel hopeless and deeply unsettled.

God forbid I ended up putting my mom at risk because I tried to escape my own tragic fate.

Fate...Yes, that was how my mind was really beginning to perceive this whole matter. It was purely inescapable.

So, no. I refused to put anyone else at risk.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay tucked away in my dorm for the remainder of the semester. That morning, I made myself get up and head to class even though I could barely keep my balance due to the hammering exhaustion that was beating down on me.

Perhaps it was my tiredness talking but...I missed Arthur.

Amongst the excessive insanity around me, I nearly forgot that he kissed me. Granted it wasn’t under the nicest circumstances, but I found myself not hating it. I did feel a bit guilty when my mind shifted toward Liam.

I knew he was still trying to work through his feelings about the situation, but this was something that I needed to work through with just myself.

So, yes. I missed Arthur. I felt a sense of loneliness since he made the hasty decision to return home for a short while. I tried texting him about it but he seemed a bit despondent about talking about it.

Oh God, I’m so dizzy.

The world around me was spinning and I was losing my sense of balance. It didn’t take much for me to lose my footing and stumble downward. Thankfully, I felt a strong pair of hands grab ahold of my arms and catch me from falling.

I slowly turned my head to find that it was Ben.

“Hey,” he said.

He gave me a gentle smile and guided me over toward one of the benches.

“Can I be honest with you?” he asked. “You look awful.”

I let out a small laugh and leaned back. “Yeah, you’re not wrong. I know I look horrible.”

His eyes never left me. “What is going on?”

I hesitated to tell Ben anything, mainly because I still didn’t think that I knew him well enough. There was no way I could open up about the attempts made on my life. On the other hand, I figured I could at least tell him about that damn media account that’s been exploiting my personal life.

“I’m fairly certain that I’m being stalked,” I told him.

Ben’s eyes widened in a jolting shock. “What?”

“There’s someone who’s been following me around for the past several months, snapping photos of me and posting them online under some deranged media page,” I explained. “I’ve been trying to find this person and have them take down the account and leave me alone.”

Ben gave me an odd, hesitant look like he was trying to approach this topic as delicately as possible.

“Maybe whoever this is, isn’t trying to do this out of harm or disrespect. Rather interest.”

“Well, their interest is going to end up getting me killed.”

Ben’s calm expression swiftly turned shocked as he gaped.

“What do you mean?” he questioned sharply.

Shit. I knew I had said too much.

I shook my head and tried waving the conversation off.

“I just want it all to stop! Why can’t they leave me alone? They took a picture of me when I was shifting and now my whole life is tearing apart. They uploaded a photo of me shifting and uploaded it online.”

Tears started to fill my eyes. My exhaustion was reaching a breaking point. Millions of tiny shocks and tingles raced over my body, causing me to feel numb.

I dabbed the corners of my eyes and sniffled. “I don’t even know why I tried coming to class today, I feel like crap and I can’t even think straight.”

The second I chose to get up, I was struck with an intense pressure from the back of my head. Once more, I started to lose my balance. This time, Ben wasn’t going to wait for me to begin falling. He quickly laced an arm around me, giving me the support I needed to stand up.

“Come on,” he insisted. “I’ll take you back to your dorm. You can’t go on like this.”

My vision grew spotty. Everything was beginning to blur.

Suddenly, I felt myself become weightless. Ben must have lifted me off my feet and held me close against his chest. I felt the immediate rush of warmth from his body but it didn’t feel right.

He’s not Liam...Or Arthur.

I didn't have it in me to argue or debate his actions. All I could do was hope that another picture wouldn’t be taken of me in such a compromising situation.

“We’re almost there,” he told me.

“T-Thank you,” I whispered.

I could tell from the way he was slowing up that we were getting close to the dormitory. I was gracious for the fact that I would soon be back in the private sanctuary of my room and away from prying eyes.

A stifling growl tore through the air, causing Ben to halt completely. A familiar set of voices spoke out.

“Ella?” Liam called.

Arthur’s tone was filled with a lot more hostility. “What the hell did you do to her?!”