“You should try to talk to Thorn about it.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’d do anything for Wren and someone needs to find out why he wants to hurt Thorn so bad.”
“You’re his therapist.” We started walking again as another student passed us. “You figure it out.”
“I’m an academy counselor.”
“Same thing.”
“Damien,” Rhett hissed. “Thorn probably knows more than I do about the guy. Just try.”
Letting out an exaggerated sigh, I sighed. “Fine.”
As we strolled under the shadows of the trees, I shrouded myself back in the shadows.
THIRTY-THREE
Wren
Rhettsatacrossfromme in his office with a rigid posture and the inability to look me in the eye. He’d barely spoken to me since I walked through the door.
“Rhett,” I said, making his gaze shift toward me. “This is only my second session with you, but, um, isn’t a counseling session supposed to involve words being exchanged by both of us?”
His lip twitched in amusement, but he covered his mouth with his hand as he coughed. “Do you want to tell me about your mating bond with Rowan?”
“Rowan is my mate.” I reached my hand over my shoulder and touched the mark. “I didn’t think I was worthy of one until him.”
His gaze flicked down to his desk again. “I can’t imagine why.”
“Because.” I placed my hands between my knees. “My first mate rejected me. My parents were killed. The village I lived in hated me. My guardian did her best, but I just made her life harder.”
Rhett’s fist slammed on the desk. “Don’t talk about yourself in such a negative light. It’ll do more harm than good.”
My muscles tensed. “But I’m not. I just told the truth.”
Rhett stood up and walked around the desk. He planted his hands on each side of the chair I was sitting on, and I sucked in a breath of cherries. “No. Your first excuse of a mate is a moron. Your parents were taken from you. The village you lived in wasn’t worthy of your work, and your guardian was lucky to have you. It’s all about perspective, Wren.”
I swallowed hard, glancing up at him as my palms ached to reach out and touch him. “If we’re talking about perspective, how do you see me?”
His grip on the arms of the chair tightened as he leaned down until his nose touched mine. “I see you as what you are. A woman who is too kind for her own good.”
“Why is kindness a bad thing?” My breath caught in my throat as a rush of emotions flooded his violet eyes.
The door opened, and Rhett pulled away.
My mark tingled as warmth trickled through the bond, and I smiled.
Rowan shut the door and walked over to the side of the desk. “I hate to interrupt—”
“You weren’t interrupting,” Rhett cut in as he cleared his throat and stepped back around his desk.
“Not according to the emotions Wren was feeling,” he muttered before his gaze turned serious. “There’s been another death.”
Nerves struck my heart, and Rowan came over to place his hand on my shoulder.
“Who?”
