Chapter 173

Alaric’s POV The coppery tang of blood filled the air, sharp and unrelenting. My head rested against the steering wheel, every breath labored, each second dragging me closer to unconsciousness. The dashboard lights blurred in and out of focus, but the only thing I could see was Emilia’s face—terrified, pleading—as they dragged her away. The way she screamed for me and tried to fight back, yet I couldn’t help her. I couldn’t fight for her. My barely beating heart shattered into a thousand and one pieces, molded itself back only to shatter again. And the cycle kept repeating itself.