“I don’t think she cared for my mom at all. Once Mom became bedridden and beyond speech, I’m pretty sure Aunt Dana just left her to suffer.”
“This is insane,” Owen says. I nod sadly.
“She was a special kind of crazy. I got the impression her powers came on chaotically as a child, and it cracked her up a bit. My mother just accepted that she had an extra sensitivity and didn’t worry about it, but Aunt Dana wanted power. That’s how she ended up finding the coven in Europe, I think—she was looking for other witches, and couldn’t find any around here.”
“That makes sense,” Owen replies. “The wolves worked hard to eradicate them. I’m surprised there are any left, especially if they were practicing their craft.”
“She hid it well,” I say. “And I’m sure the reason she didn’t care for Mom is to make sure she’d die as soon as possible. Then Dana could finally leave, just as she always planned to.”
Through all my grief, I feel a faint hint of triumph, and I cling to it.
“She never got mom’s magic, though. She had to leave without it. If she stuck around much longer, her lies would start to unravel, so she really had no choice. Leaving me was easy, because she thought I didn’t have any power worth taking.”
“She really just left your mom lying in bed without tending her? She must have been a monster.”
“She was. Whenever she let me out to clean the house, I’d do everything I could for Mom before I was locked up again, but it wasn’t enough to keep her alive. Mom was dying, there was no question of that, but her last days were spent in agony because of her sister’s cruel treatment.”
“How did she get away with this?” Owen asks.
“I told you, she was respected. Important, powerful. She was using her magic on people. They actually felt sorry for her, that she had to deal with me.”
“Fuck,” he says, tightening his arms on me a little. “I’m so sorry, Trina. I can’t believe I manhandled you… tied you with Dead Silk and forced you to come here. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Yes,” I say softly, hugging him even tighter. “Because you have also taken care of me better than anyone else ever has—and being with you has shown me the truth of my past.”
He holds me for a little while, still stroking my hair, and I realize that the horrible, heavy weight in my chest is gone.The anxiety has finally been released. Now that I’ve been able to share it, I can finally begin to heal.
“Thank you,” I say, leaning back to look into his face. “Thank you for taking care of me and being kind to me—and staying by my side, defending me, even when you think so little of my kind, and even less of witches.”
For a moment, Owen is so still, I wonder if I’ve said something wrong, but then he wraps his arms around me, squeezing me tight.
“Don’t you dare!” he mutters harshly. “After what I did to you, don’t you dare thank me! I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and all you deserve is love. The only thing that matters to me is you—that you feel safe and loved. I’m in awe of your strength, Trina, and how you’ve held yourself together after everything you’ve suffered.”
His words affect me deeply, and I reach up to touch his cheek. Owen smiles and leans over as I reach up to receive his kiss.
My hands slowly slip around his neck as he lays me down on the bed, and our bodies press together, tangling in the sheets. Owen pulls back to look into my eyes again, and I smile up at him, pulling his face down for another kiss.
Even though we wind around each other, kissing each other deeply, it isn’t erotic, and I feel warmth instead of passion. When Owen settles beside me and gently holds me against his chest, I snuggle close, loving the feel of his fingers running through my hair. Our bodies relax, and both of us breathe deeper and slower as sleep creeps up.
Even though Owen drifts off and slips into a deep slumber, his arms still loosely wrapped around me, sleep evades me. I want nothing more than to stay curled up with Owen—until the end of time, if circumstances would allow it—but I begin to get so restless, I know I can’t just stay in bed.
Carefully, I slip out of his arms, making sure I don’t wake him. For a moment, I look down at his sleeping face. I feel a slow surge of emotion in me, a sense of comfort and safety I’ve truly never known.
All I wanted was to be completely self-sufficient, so I never had to lean on anyone ever again, but I didn’t know how wonderful it could be to have someone take care of me.
Smiling softly, I step away from the bed and hurry down to the bathroom. I peel off my poor dress, still damp in places where I sweated during the anxiety attack.
Hopefully, I’m past all that now. There should be no more secrets left buried in my mind, and I can take on my future with new strength.
I take off my bra and open up the small pocket between the outer edge and the cup, finding the folded page I stashed in there earlier. I open it up, reading the words and hoping that this is the spell I need to heal the pack.
After dressing in loose, comfortable clothes, I go back to my room to find the original book that I smuggled out of the library. Sitting on the floor, I go back to the page about unlocking my powers and match it with the new piece I stole tonight.
This spell needs both my mate and me. It will affect us both.
I look over at Owen, sleeping peacefully in bed. His face looks innocent and somewhat lost, almost like a child as he wanders through his dreams. My heart falters, and I realize Ihave to accept that he is the one for me if I’m going to do this spell.
I always knew my plan to leave once all this was done was nothing but bravado, but it still gave me some comfort. Now I’ll have to truly commit.
