No Trust
*Hezzlie*
“Wake up, Hezzlie.”
I hear someone repeating the order–to open my eyes–and I want to. I’m doing my best to open them, but they’re not cooperating at the moment. I’m so tired. I can’t seem to get my body to do what I want it to do.
I’m not sure where I am either, but I think the bed beneath me feels familiar. It does feel like a bed. It’s soft and cozy. I don’t mind the idea of snuggling down deeper and entering that level of sleep where dreams live, where I can forget all about the craziness going on around me.
My mind flashes back over all that’s happene recently–starting with my nightmares, funneling through the images of Peripheral, me arriving at the mansion, Rowan’s angry face, followed by how he’d looked when he was fucking me sensless, followed by that even angrier face he’d made when I bit him–when I marked him. I see my wolf and wonder how I’d missed her first appearance in my journey down memory lane, and then I’m at my father’s castle. I see my brother playing the violin, and then I see him sobbing. We are running. Zeb is there. I use my magic to give us a chance to get away–and then I do it again at the bridge.
The bridge. That’s my last memory. What happened after that?
I have no idea.
My eyes fly open, and I’m staring at Rowan. His eyes are wide, but when I start to sit up, he softens. “Hezzlie.” His strong hands stay on my shoulders, preventing me from moving. “How are you?”
“Fi-fine,” I stutter. My throat is dry. My eyes flicker around the room. I see James, Wilma, and Natalie.
Rowan lifts a glass of water off the nightstand and holds it to my lips. I take a careful sip and then drink more before he returns it to its former spot. “Are you in any pain?”
“No.” Now that he’s removed his hands, I sit up. “Where is my brother? Where are Abby and Tony?”
“They’re fine,” he assures me, though that doesn’t answer my question. “What happened?”
I blink and brush my hair back from my face, not sure how much he knows. How much do I want him to know? “We were… fighting the Darksky wolves,” I begin. “They wouldn’t let us across the bridge. So… we fought. I guess we got away.”
Rowan stares at me for a long moment before he speaks. Without even turning his head, he says, “Leave us.”
Without another word, everyone in the room turns to walk out the door. They all give me sympathetic smiles, mixed with a tinge of happiness that lets me know they’re happy I’m home–here, I mean. Happy I’m here.
“Where’s my mom?” I ask absently. “She’s here isn’t she?”
“She is, and she’s fine. It’s the middle of the night. I hope she’s still sleeping. I saw no reason to wake her when I received word that something was going on at the bridge.” He looks troubled, and I suppose I can’t blame him for feeling that way since everything erupted in the middle of the night. He takes a deep breath and says, “Your brother mentioned powers.”
It’s my turn to inhale sharply. “Oh. He did?”
Rowan nods. “I don’t think he meant to, but he did. What was he talking about?”
I shrug, trying to play nonchalant, but when his gaze intensifies, I know better than to try and lie to him. “I discovered I had them shortly after I got to my father’s castle. I didn’t know how strong they were until tonight.” I think about what it was like seeing all three of my companions go flying over that barrier while I was still holding off our attackers. I’d done that. All on my own. I felt like something out of a movie or a science fiction book.
“What about this wizard?” Rowan asks, his face wrinkling slightly. “Did he teach you how to use them?”
“Alistair?” I clarify and shake my head. “No. He kept trying to get me to develop powers, but I kept them hidden from me. He’d call me into his office every day and ask me to try to do something–like create a ball of light in my hand or move something. I never tried for him, and I never did any of the things he asked me to do.”
“But you still had to meet with him every day?” Rowan asks. “How do you know he wasn’t brainwashing you the same way he brainwashed Mara?”
“He wasn’t.” I hear the irritation in my own voice. What else is new? Rowan and I have never gotten along very well. “I would know. I was only in there a few minutes each time.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know, Hezzlie. She killed our mother.”
I stare at him, trying to figure out what he’s saying. Finally, I settle on, “You don’t trust me.”
“I can’t at the moment, Hezzlie. And I sure the fuck don’t trust your brother.”
“She’s his mate.”
He holds my gaze for a moment and nods in a way that confuses me. Is he just having trouble accepting that, or is this fairly new information?
“He wanted to be with her more than anything. He wants to help you kill our father,” I continue. “I don’t blame you for being a little hesitant to give him free rein to gallavant around your home, but I wouldn’t have brought him here if I thought he was dangerous.”
“Unless you’re dangerous.”
My mouth falls open, and I don’t know what to say. I thought he understood by now that I’m his mate–that both my wolf and my soul understand that we’re meant to be together. He actually thinks I might be a risk to him?
Before I can respond, a noise hits our ears, and we both perk up. It takes me a momen to place it, but then I know exactly what I’m hearing.
“What the fuck is that?” Rowan asks, turning toward the door.
Tears fill my eyes as I manage to squeak out one word. “Violin.”
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