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Chapter 19
Troy
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Quickly, I released her. “I shouldn’t have been so rough. You should’ve told me to stop,” I said
gruffly. She didn’t say anything or turn around, so I stepped away. “I’ll lay out our clothes to dry. You
don’t need to be naked all night. I think I’m better. I just…I may need to hold you tonight while you
sleep.”
“It’s not the same.”
“What’s not the same?”
She let out a breath as she crouched to collect Finn’s clothes from the ground. “What you did…and
what they did. It’s not the same.”
Her voice was hollow, but steady. “They used me when boredom struck. Not often, but enough. My
father wanted me untouched, so they never went all the way. I think he planned to auction me off
like a prized item at a fucking market.”
A low growl built in my chest, primal and sharp. She looked up, startled. “No-it’s okay. That’s not what I’m saying.” Her eyes searched mine. “What you did… it wasn’t like that. It didn’t feel forced. It
didn’t feel wrong.”
Her words hit like a blow to the gut.
“You don’t have to feel guilty,” she added. “And you don’t have to worry. I know what this is. It’s insti nct. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“You’re still a virgin?”
Her lips quirked at the corner, a humorless little twist. “Don’t start thinking I’m some fragile flower.
I’m not innocent. I’ve just never had anyone inside me.” Her eyes darkened. “Except in dreams.”
The admission hung in the cave, thick and burning.
I slept in fits, one ear open for trouble and one arm wrapped around Kiana. She slept fitfully as well, waking up, pulling away, and then coming back. We didn’t speak about what happened again.
Our clothes were dry by the next morning, although they smelled like the river. It was still better
than having her smell like Finn.
“I’m not familiar with this area, but I should still be able to spot any spell traps. You just have to
follow me closely and listen to me,” she said sharply as we stepped out of the cave.
She was feeling vulnerable about what happened yesterday. She wasn’t the only one.
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Rubbing my chest, I just nodded. “Finn said we’re probably only a day or so away from the witch
den.”
“Lead the way,” I said with a mocking bow.
With a roll of her eyes, she looked left and right. Finn had said to follow the caves north until we could find the narrow path to climb over them. From there, we’d be able to see the fortress.
We made it ten minutes before she stopped short and held out her hand. “Don’t move.”
Her voice held just a thrill of excitement, and I followed her gaze. It only took a second for me to see something shiny. “It’s just the sun reflecting off some metal.”
“Oh, no. It is not. What are the chances that you want to see what the piece of metal is?”
Pretty damn good, but I didn’t want to admit that. “What do you see?”
“Silver. Shimmery silver, like glitter,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
“And deadly?”
“Maybe. Hold on.”
Once again, I stepped to the side for just a moment to see what she did. I was still having a hard time believing that she could just see it differently, see the way that it worked. She was holding something back from me.
“Tell me what you’re doing.”
“Careful.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Your power is slipping again, alpha.”
“Why do you insist on keeping it a secret?”
“Maybe because it’s so rare that I have something to myself. Would you quit moving? This thing is bigger than you think.”
“If you don’t explain what you’re doing, how am I going to get back safely?”
“Unless you’re planning on hurting the witches, they’ll guide you safely… Troy, fuck! I said stop!”
At the sound of her panicked voice, I stopped, but it was too late. My body seized as something
invisible grasped it. It tightened, like chains around me, pulled me to the ground and began dragging me into the bush.
“Shit.” Eyes wide, she pulled her hands back and stared. “Stop fighting it. You’ll make it worse. Try
to relax.”
Easier said than done. The pain was so intense, I could barely breathe. My wolf roared to the
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surface, and when I tried to shift, something tightened around my thigh until it cut into my skin and blood started to run own my leg.
“Breathe,” she whispered as she grabbed my hand. “Let your wolf go. It just wants to fight. Seek
something soft. Something comforting. And breathe.”
I didn’t even have to give my wolf an order. It heard Kiana and obeyed, immediately curling up
inside me and vibrating. The panic eased, just a little, and I tried to breathe.
The pain lessoned.
“The trap wants you to fight. It likes the challenge. Go to a happy place.”
Focusing on her, I watched as she pulled her hand away and stood. Looked behind her shoulder
and back at me.
There was absolutely nothing I could do. She could walk away right now, and I’d be stuck in this
trap until the vultures swooped down to gnaw at my insides.
Fuck.
She was going to leave me.
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