Rowan makes a noise at the back of his throat as she reaches out to touch me, and I glare at him.
She ignores both of us as her fingertips brush against the welts forming on my sides.
“Did they use the cattle prods on you?” She murmurs as she stares up at me with those big green eyes of hers.
I offer her a single nod.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry. That’s—that’sterrible!”
She looks like she’s about to cry. I don’t want her to cry.
I lean my body forward as far as I can, my arms straining behind me.
My chest vibrates with that strange sound from earlier—a purr—as I try to comfort her in the only way I know how.
Her startled gaze meets mine, and her lower lip trembles as she forces a smile.
“You’re so sweet, you know that?” She rests a hand against my purring chest.
I wonder if she can feel how fast my heart is racing.
I like all her smiles, but that one is my least favorite so far. Smiles shouldn’t be sad.
“Is there any way we could get the doctor to look at him?” She asks, turning away from me to look at Rowan.
Look at me. Don’t turn away.
The only thing that keeps me calm is the hand she still has pressed gently against my chest.
“He normally comes only after really nasty fights,” Rowan says. “They’re all alphas, so they heal quick. Doubly so ‘cause of the drugs they’re given.”
“Oh,” she says, her shoulders curling forward.
She looks defeated. Hopeless.
I hate it.
She shouldn’t look like that because of me. She should never look like that.
I open my mouth, working my jaw as I find the courage to do something I don’t think I’ve done in years.
“I’m... fine...” I croak out, each word feeling like I’m throwing up razor blades.
My voice sounds strange. Not like me. But I don’t even know what me sounds like.
She finally looks up at me, her jaw falling slack.
“Oh my God, you just talked!” She smiles, and it feels like being bathed in warm sunlight.
“Holy shit,” Rowan mutters.
“Did you hear that? He spoke!” She continues, practically bouncing on her toes.
She’s so happy. So much better than the sad look she had on earlier.
“Wait, so if you can talk, why don’t you? Is it ‘cause it hurts?”
I offer her a silent nod.
