“Lynn…” She shook her head again, and I grabbed her hand again and shook it. “Your father’s pack still followed the old laws, right?” She nodded. “Then why the hell would you believe anything they said?”
She froze. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying any normal relationship between us and our wolves involves times where we allow them to take over. It gives them the freedom they crave, and us a break. Every wolf should do it. I allow Nix and Megan to take over from time to time.” I laughed, but I cut it short when I saw her face. “When I was a kid, my father brought me to a wolf's house. We had to deliver the news that he had lost his mate and pup. He went rabid.” I rubbed my second hand over hers. “His eyes turned red. He went fully wolf. His pain killed his human soul. That’s how it works.”
She shook. “But that’s not what we are taught.”
“Lynn, you were also taught that women are less than men. And we both know that’s bullshit.” She smirked a little. “Your wolf took over because she saw you were breaking.” I leaned into her and pulled her into my arms. “You went through a nightmare.” I felt her trembling. “Something that no one should go through. And you are allowed to lose yourself because of it.” I pulled back so I could look into her eyes. “I need you to look at me when I say this.”
I waited until her eyes met mine and she flinched away a little. “I can’t.” Her eyes danced around.
“Yes, you can…because you are the strongest wolf I have ever met.” I let my words sink in and then I tightened my grip on her back, and cupped her cheek, forcing her face up. “Now look into my eyes.” Her eyes rolled for a few more seconds before she finally looked at me. “Listen to my words, and I need you and your wolf to listen to what I say. Okay?” She nodded slowly, and I waited for another second before I licked my lips. “You never have to apologize for what you had to do, endure, or say to survive.” Her eyes widened, and I knew I had hit a nerve. “I am not stupid enough to think that when the three of those men were using you, that they didn’t do absolutely everything they could to cause you pain. I don’t have to see your skin to see the scars they left on you. Men like that are fucking disgusting, andthey will force you to do what they want. Whether it is through threats, torture, or worse.” She gagged, but I didn’t move. “You never have to apologize or feel ashamed of what you survived.”
“You can’t mean that.” Her words were whispered, but I heard the hate she had for herself.
“I do. A million times over, I do. I don’t care what you did. I don’t care what you said. I don’t care about anything that you did in that jail to survive.”
Tears overflowed her cheeks. “You can’t mean that.”
I leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I mean every word.” Nix pushed forward, and I felt my eyes shift. I pulled back enough so she could see Nix’s eyes. She pushed forward until I felt my fangs descend and my voice shift. Her smoky voice filtered through my lips. “Understand us when we show you the truth, young one.”
Lynn snorted. “I’m older than you.”
Nix lifted a brow. “Maybe in years, but in experience I have two lifetimes to pull from. You do not. In our last life, Megan and I stayed hidden. We were weaker because of it. Amy has learned to be better in this life.” Megan chuffed in agreement. “But there is one thing you are missing.” Lynn’s eyes focus on us. “We are here to protect our human souls. We shift to become more agile, stronger, and wilder, but our lives are intertwined. We are your first protectors. Because you give us life. No wolf would ever look down on you for allowing your wolf to do its Goddess-given duty. Nor would another woman ever condemn you for surviving what you have.” I felt my eyes and voice shift again, and Megan’s eyes met Lynn’s.
“And if they do…well, that just shows how corrupt they have become.” Megan leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You survived the worst.” She pulled back to look Lynn in her eyes. “Now what are you going to do to thrive in the life you have left?”
I left Lynn to think over what Megan had said. ‘You survived the worst…now what are you going to do to thrive in the life you have left?’ Her words echoed in my mind as I walked back to my room.
Nix settled next to Megan.She suffered more than anyone should.I nodded as I walked.But she has come back and is rebuilding herself.
Megan laid her head down on her paws.She is doing better than most.She closed her eyes.I don’t think I would have been able to survive that.Nix hummed her agreement.
“I think that in situations like that, no one knows what they are truly able to do. Not until it’s happening and you have to find a way to keep your sanity.” I murmured as I opened the door and stopped mid stride, hand still on the handle.
Rowan was walking out of the shower, freshly clean, and completely naked. “Hey.” He smiled as he stood there bare to the world, using the towel in his hands to dry his hair.
I felt blood rush to my face, and I forgot to think as I stared at my mate. That was until I heard a scream from behind me. I jolted and slammed the door shut. Whirling on my mate, I pointed my finger, and my eyes glared daggers at him. “You did that on purpose.” He snorted as he kept drying his hair, but he kept his mouth shut. “Are you trying to show what’s mine to every woman in this pack?” I heard the growl in my voice before I realized how agitated my wolves were. What Lynn told me affected all of us more than we realized.
Nix’s voice was a soft whisper cushioning the words that came out.One of ours faced four men and couldn’t stop them from doing everything they could to ruin her. We promised to protect her, and we failed.I growled again. My anger was hanging by a thread.
He froze, realizing his mistake, but then he noticed something. “I’m not the one who left the door open. I came out because I heard you, and you are allowed to see me naked.” He smirked. “Hell, I want you naked right now.” I watched his body respond as he walked closer to me. “But you froze, and that poor Omega saw more than she bargained for.”
I felt my face grimace as I realized he was right. “Well, I didn’t expect you to walk around our room naked!” I shot out while waving my arms in the air. I pointed at him. “Be more observant of the wolves around.” Then I stomped to the shower to wash off the last few days with his chuckle following me. At least he wasn’t taking my outburst to heart.
I felt a bone-chilling cold take over my body, so I quickly stripped and stepped under the scalding water. The steam filled the room quickly as I washed my body and hair. Then, I dropped into a crouch against the tiled wall. I felt the tears fall, but the water whisked the evidence away.
Rowan found me like that. I heard a hiss right before I felt arms pull me from the ground. “Why do you have the water this hot?”
He must have heard my teeth clacking, as his face fell into a concerned frown. “I’m cold.”
“I can see that, but why?” He frowned as he turned the water off. The soft clicking of my teeth was the only sound in the room. Rowan pulled a hot towel from the warmer and wrapped me in it before he put me down on the counter. “Talk to me.” He grabbed a second towel and started to dry my feet.
“I can’t tell you what Lynn told me.” I knew my eyes were unfocused as I remembered her words, but I couldn’t help it. Her face and words haunted me.
“I don’t need you to spill her secrets…just yours.” He moved up my legs as I huddled in the towel. “Why are you like this?” He moved to my arms. “Talk to me.”
I took a deep breath and met his eyes. “I failed in protecting her.”
