“Do you know who trashed your cottage and forced you out?”
“No,” I shake my head slowly, reaching under the bed to retrieve the blue box. Tyler frowns as he watches me lift it onto my lap. “I have my suspicions, but I can't be sure. I've been having dreams…nightmares that have somehow turned into visions. Well, one, today. At least, that's what I think it is.”
Tyler nods thoughtfully, hooking a hand under his chin. “That's what happened to you today, in the pack center. I saw it, you were staring blankly at the garden, and your eyes had turned white.”
A shiver courses down my spine when he reveals this. It's what A.B. described in her journal when her mate would watch her have her visions.
“I don't know what's happening to me, orwhyit's happening,” I whimper as I drop my head, staring at the lid of the box, my fingers skimming the corners. “I just know that my inner wolf is guiding me toward figuring it out. And I…” My voice trails off when it feels like I've said too much, and I've become too vulnerable in front of a man I should be protecting myself against.
That man drops to his knees in front of me, placing his hands over mine and staring into my eyes.
“Look…I don't know what kind of life you had while you were gone,” he says softly, and there are still traces of sadness in his voice that pangs my heart with guilt. “But you had Noah, and that means that you were happy. And that's alright.”
It's almost as if he's saying these things to convince himself, and I allow him to continue speaking without interrupting.
“But what I do know is that you were led back to Portland for a reason, and if it means that you require my support in this transition, then I will be there for you. As your alpha, it is my duty.”
As much as I want to trust him when his eyes are full of sincerity, there's still something holding me back from telling him the truth, that I wasn't happy at all while I was in Salem. I was simply surviving, doing what I had to do to raise my son,ourpup, and stitching the pieces of my broken heart together.
But I can't trust him with the truth, when I know it'll only lead to more heartbreak, more rejection.
I still find myself dissecting his every word, trying to find a red flag in them, but coming up with nothing.
If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that Tyler is a damn good alpha, and all he cares about is the safety of his people, so they don't end up like his brother.
Even if that's the reason he can't accept our mate bond, then it's enough reason to trust him now, and accept his help while I make the—
“Transition…?” I frown as I tilt my head to one side quizzically. “What are you talking about?”
Tyler lets out a drawn-out sigh, slowly removing his hands from mine as he nods at the box. “What's inside the box?”
“It's…it's a journal…” I explain hesitantly as I remove the lid and show Tyler the leather-bound book. When he lifts it out of the box, he immediately opens it and flips through the pages, dark brows furrowed while his eyes glow with curiosity.
“A spell book…?” he thinks aloud as he lifts his eyes to mine, nodding slowly, thoughtfully. “Is this what your inner wolf led you to?”
I nod. “I found it hidden in my parents’ cottage. But I still don't know what any of it means, if it means anything at all.”
Tyler stares at me for a long moment, standing up as he passes the journal back to me. He's in deep thought with his finger hooked beneath his chin before he finally nods again.
“I know someone who might be able to help us with this.”
Before I can ask who he's talking about, Tyler goes to the door and pulls it open. He doesn't leave the room, just sticks his head out into the hallway and calls out, “Delilah! Can you come here for a moment?”
Delilah?
Who's that? And how will she be able to help?
Tyler steps aside when a new face appears at the door. It's not the pregnant woman who went down to the bunker, but a different one. She has the most stunning hazel eyes, her raven black hair cascading off her shoulders and tapering all the way down to her waist. A single streak of ice white flows down the left side of her part, her hair flowing like a graceful lace as she saunters into the room.
“This is Arianna,” Tyler tells the woman as he closes the door behind her. “Arianna, this is Delilah. She was on the same squad as I was during black ops. We—”
I'm too fixated on her eyes to hear him speak when he introduces her to me. Though I haven't seen her before, there's a flicker of recognition that surfaces like warmth spreading through my body, and I instantly rise to my feet to meet her, stretching out a hand.
She giggles, moving past my hand and wrapping her arms around me with a warm embrace.
“It's lovely to meet you, Arianna,” Delilah speaks sweetly as she pulls back. She notices the pendant hanging on my chest, and gasps as she reaches out with manicured fingers. “Golden Tree Sisters…?” she whispers in awe, and I frown.
“You know that name?”
