“You’re agoodsoul,” Reed said. “That’s enough to be proud of.”
Something in me cracked, not in the agonizing way it had when I’d watched Selene get killed, but in a way that let healing seep through.
“So much to be proud of,” Pandora whispered in my ear.
A broken, bitter chuckle slipped from my lips. “I’ll honor your memory forever...I’ve avenged you properly,” I whispered to my sister, hoping she could hear me wherever she was in the afterlife. “I love you, and I promise to live the life you wanted me to have.”
For the first time in years, I let myself grieve without restraint. And for the first time, I felt the healing begin. I was allowed a raw moment to grieve—and I hadn’t even known how badly I needed it.
59
PANDORA
Ilet the silky robe slip from my shoulders with a sharp inhale as I turned back and forth in the mirror, revealing the intricate web of scars tracing my stomach, my back, and my thigh. Some were faint silver lines, while others were dark pink and purple, reminders of the torture I suffered long before I had the power to fight back. My mother’s cruelty had marked me, but I refused to be ashamed of them any longer.
My fingers traced over them with a mixture of pain and acceptance. They were part of me. They were proof that I had survived—and I’d only really survived because of Nebula.
Though, he was gone now.
Dim candlelight flickered across the floor-length mirror, casting elongated shadows onto the dark walls of my room. The heavy, velvet drapes shielded the sun, leaving only the chandelier filled with candles to illuminate the space in a soft, amber haze.
Dad had let me redecorate a few things since I’d moved back here from the dorms. It wasn’t justmyroom now, though. My mates stayed here with me, and we’d brought the enchanted bed with us from Hunter.
My reflection stared back at me, my red eyes burning against the pale contrast of my skin. I’d worn black lace panties with no bra because the dress Jenni had gotten me for graduation had an open-back.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts before it creaked open.
Hunter entered first, his white eyes softening as they settled on me. He moved forward until his fingertips grazed the scars on my back gently.
It sent a shiver down my spine. “I have an open-back dress, but the scars will be visible if I wear it.”
“They’re a testament to your strength, starlight,” he murmured. “Not a reminder of your pain. They’re something to be proud of.”
The others had shuffled in behind him, and they took turns stepping beside me.
Reed took my hand in his and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “You’re my dream girl,” he whispered, his violet gaze unwavering. “Scars and all. I say let them show.”
Dex’s lips curled into a knowing smile as he slid onto my other side. He turned and pulled up the hem of his own shirt, revealing jagged scars running across his back. “We match, trouble. I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
Skel leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, silver piercing on his lip catching the candlelight. “They’re hot,” he said with a smirk. “Besides, I’ve got a few myself.” He gestured to the scars that ran down each eye.
“We all do.” Bram moved in front of me and cupped my face. “They don’t just tell your story, Pandora. They make me love you more, appreciate you more. Every mark, every line—it’s proof that you’re here, that you fought, andyouwon.”
Their words wove around my heart, reinforcing what I already knew deep down.
My scars weren’t chains.Not anymore.They weren’t anything I should’ve been ashamed of. They were proof that I didn’t break.
Lifting my chin, I let my robe fall completely and reached for the dress draped over the nearby chair. It was black, flowing, and elegant, but the low back exposed the very scars I once wanted to hide.
Jenni had been right to choose this one.
My mates helped me into it, moving as one. Their touches were gentle. Reed moved up the zipper, Dex knelt to slip my heels onto my feet, Skel and Bram adjusted the hem as Hunter ran his hands down my arms, steadying me so I wouldn’t fall.
Strength surged through me, and love poured from all five matebonds.
“I’m ready,” I said, and Imeantit.
“Let’s go then, trouble.” Dex’s shadow swirled around us, pulling us into darkness, and then we emerged just outside Reform Hall.
