Ragnar studies my confused face, then takes a deep breath.
"It’s amiraclewe made it out, Summer. If it wasn’t for the FBI raid, it would’ve been a lot harder. Ferros are powerful, and vengeful. We’ve got to keep our heads down."
Sun comes walking back from the gas station, and Ragnar just stares at him with that soft, dreamy expression… probably without even realizing he resembles some lovesick teenager.
A slight pang of jealousy hits me.
No one looks at me like that, no one waits for me with that kind of longing.
In their eyes, when they glance at each other, is the promise of a life I never had. And maybe never will.
Because I’mdifferent. Obviously. Who could handle that? They could only use me, force my power to serve them.
Living anormallife? That feels unfathomable.
Sun gets back in the car, and off we go.
Present day
I open my eyes. I’m still on my knees in the grass near a fallen tree where Snow sits.
He’s playing the harmonica, but the notes keep fading while the ringing in my head only gets louder. I want to ask him to continue, but he lowers the instrument from his lips and looks at me.
"Not everything’s back yet, is it?"
I shake my head, feeling stupid. I don’t know this man, or what kind of trick he just pulled, whether it was magic, some kind of hypnotic trance, or something else. I want to ask who he is, but I’m suddenly feeling shy and skittish, so I push myself up slowly.
My throat is still clamped shut, and when I try to speak, only a few gasps come out. It’s humiliating; a normal conversation is impossible.
On top of that, I’m drenched. The thin T-shirt sticks to my skin, and I catch the quick glance Snow slides over my chest and then… lower. It looks casual, almost accidental, but I know how the light hits me; the wet fabric might be almost see-through.
When an omega is standing nearly naked in front of an attractive alpha, awkward things can happen, so I'd better leave.
The room where I woke up… I should get back there and look for answers. So I make some clumsy, awkward gesture and turn away without a word. Someone might read that as rude, but I hope the violet-eyed Snow understands my situation.
As I start to walk away, a cringy thought comes to mind. What if he’s checking out my ass now, the wet fabricclingingto every curve?
Gosh, I’m ridiculous. Rushing, I cut across the meadow that borders the property, haul myself over the fence, and land in the grass on the other side.
The house comes into view as I step out from behind a row of fig trees. It’s a white, Southern-style mansion, two stories tall. The room I climbed down from has a dormer, which means it’s in the attic.
I use the ladder again, planning to change quickly, but the moment I step inside, leaving wet prints across the floor, I hear footsteps on the stairs.
My heart kicks up. I don’t know what to expect or who’s coming for me.
Instinct makes me press my wet back to the wall. A soft knock comes at the door. I don’t answer. The knock comes again. I stay frozen, so maybe the person assumes no one’s inside, because the door opens.
A beautiful omega with a long pale-gold braid steps in. His surprised look travels over me from head to toe, and the shy smile he walked in with fades into worry.
I can’t blame him. I’m pressed flat against the wall, fingers spread wide like claws, stiff as a deer cornered and scared.
"Easy, Summer," he says in a gentle voice. "You’re safe here. This is your room. We prepared it for you yesterday so you could rest, recover, get your strength back after… what happened."
He probably isn’t expecting an answer. Maybe he realized yesterday that I can’t speak, but seeing me frozen like this, lips trembling and eyes wide, he adds,
"I’m Lake. Do you remember me? I’m Sun and Snow’s dad," and then with a small, almost apologetic gesture, he adds, "Ragnar and Sun are downstairs in the dining room. If you want to talk to them, you can come join us."
Ragnar is here?
