I scoff at that. “Sense? I think he made it abundantly clear that he doesn't want to see my face, let alone be a father to my—ourson. I did the right thing by leaving his house. There's no going back.”
Delilah steadily turns to me, her eyes narrowing. “Do you really feel like you did the right thing by leaving in the first place, all those years ago? And don't lie to me,” she warns with a pointed finger. “I already know the answer.”
“So why do you want me to say it out loud?”
Delilah shrugs. “Maybe it'll knock some sense into you if you hear yourself say it.”
I cross my arms and glare at her. “You know…I really hate that you were in my head. I can't keep any secrets from you, can I?”
“No,” Delilah chuckles as she casually flicks her hair over her shoulder. “We're sisters now, and sisters don't keep secrets from each other. It's the first rule of practicing witchcraft. We believe in community. And I absolutely hate to see you torturing yourself when we both know you shouldn't be hanging onto the past.”
I sigh heavily, shaking my head. “You don't know what it was like when he rejected me. It's not a normal amount of heartbreak. My wolf was broken; it felt like he snipped my spirit into shreds. The worst part…he was so cold about it, like he didn't have a heart and felt nothing for me.”
Delilah purses her lips as she reads the sadness in my eyes. “Well, I can tell you that Tyler isn't the same guy he was when he first joined black ops. None of us is the same since we returned. Black ops changes you…” Delilah laments, appearing spooked by her own comment and shivering. “Whatever reason he had for rejecting you, it must have been valid. Give him another chance.”
“I tried,” I scoff dryly, thinking about our passionate night in the woods and how Tyler treated me after. “No matter what, I'll never be what Tyler wants or needs, and I'm not gonna tear myself up about it.”
Gulping hard, I try to appear strong while it tears me up inside, and Delilah seems to notice, her eyes softening as she reaches for my hand. The warm, familiar touch of her fingers is welcome, but not the tears that well in my eyes.
“Oh, Arianna…I get it, I really do. But what if Tyler changed? What if he comes ar—”
“No,” I say firmly, cutting her off and sniffling back the tears. “He made his decision years ago, and he's neverapologized for what happened back then. I'm not apologizing for lying to him, either. I did what I had to do.”
I snort and tilt my chin with defiance, wearing the mask of indifference that I've been using to keep my heart protected all along. I should have never dropped it, and that's one of my regrets now.
Tyler doesn't want me. He's never wanted me. And it's something I must make peace with.
Our inner wolves might be bound by the threads of the true mate bond, but it can be snipped like it was in the past when Tyler rejected me.
“Okay…” Delilah nods gently as she picks up a bucket and mop from the side of the cottage. “Let's finish cleaning this place, and we'll have some time to practice your visions before Noah gets back.”
I sigh as I nod, not feeling remotely comfortable in the old cottage when we’re on the edge of town, closer to danger, but I had to be out of Tyler’s house. At least Delilah is here.
***
“Practicing” my visions meant closing my eyes and focusing on one thought until my imagination conjured up an image clear enough to be mistaken for reality. Delilah says it's my spirit walking the astral plane, tethered only to a thin, imaginary cord that will pull me back into my body the moment I open my eyes.
The ability to astral travel allows me to visit other places, leaving my body in one place. The exercise is fun, but it will also train my energy field and mind to sync up in time to have visions that will warn of danger before it comes.
It will take some time and practice, but I feel my aura and vibration strengthening after only a few days of knowing that I'm part witch.
“You tell your mama to bring you to visit Scarborough, okay?” Delilah tells Noah as she holds him tightly and carries him into the kitchen. Now that the place is clean and livable again, I prepare dinner at the counter.
“Are you sure you won't stay for dinner?” I ask Delilah as she props Noah onto his chair and gives his hair a messy fluff.
“My father's asking for me back in Scarborough, or I'd have stayed the weekend,” she pouts disappointedly. “Plus, the guys are here, and I'd like to ruffle their feathers a bit before I leave.”
“It's still hard to imagine how you managed out there in black ops,” I click my tongue.
“Oh, I might be all soft now because I'm with you, but I'm really a tough cookie out there. Besides, I needed to be away from Scarborough for a while. It did me some good. There's so much pressure…” she shivers. “Well, enough of the dark and gloomy,” she grins. “I'm gonna be off.”
I nod as I step around the counter and wrap my arms around Delilah. When we slide back, we're holding hands, and I stare into her warm eyes.
“Thank you for everything, D. I mean it.”
“I know you do,” she smiles back warmly. “Now, you take care of yourself, and our little Noah-kins, okay?”
I nod as I see Delilah out, sighing as I watch her stroll toward the opposite side of town where Tyler lives. I return to the kitchen to finish dinner preparations, and Noah remains quiet.
