Elena POV
The night didn't end.
It just folded into another, darker day.
Kane had stopped trying to talk to me hours ago. Maybe he finally realized I didn't want his apologies or explanations—I wanted Dean. I wanted answers that didn't sound like cages. And I wanted my rage to stop eating me alive.
He thought I was sleeping. I wasn't. I hadn't slept since that scream was torn out of Dean's throat.
I waited.
Waited until Kane's footsteps faded down the hallway, his aura dimming, the house falling into silence. He was giving me space—good. Because I didn't want him near me. Not right now.
I moved slowly. Quietly.
Every floorboard felt like it would give me away, like the house itself was trying to stop me.
But I didn't stop.
The corridor that led to the playroom was colder than the rest of the house. The air felt heavier the closer I got, like it was pushing me back. My skin prickled. My instincts screamed at me to turn around.
I didn't listen.
I reached the door.
Locked.
