“He…” I stop. Start again. “He made me think he was helping me. That he was the only one who understood. Who saw me.” My voice cracks. “He fed on me. My Ether. Every day. I didn’t realize at first. And then I let him because I thought—”
I can’t finish.
Seth’s hand finds mine. Squeezes once.
“He was beautiful,” I say quietly. “Said things that made me feel safe. Made me believe the people I loved had abandoned me. That they’d moved on. That I was alone.”
Zira’s eyes glisten. “Bree…”
“But I wasn’t.” I look around the room at the guys. My guys. “They came for me. They fought through the Void to find me. And when they did—” My throat tightens. “When they did, I didn’t know if I was worth saving anymore.”
“You were,” Gray says, voice rough. “You are.”
Zira wipes at her eyes quickly. “Fuck. Okay.” She takes a breath. “So Ethos had you. For a year. And you got out.”
“Barely,” Wes says quietly.
“But you’re here now.” Zira straightens, steel returning to her voice. “And that bastard doesn’t get to keep you down. You hear me?”
I nod, throat too tight to speak.
“The Feeders out there?” She jerks her head toward the door. “They’ve been waiting for someone to stand up for them. Someone who understands what it’s like to be hunted. Used. Thrown away.” Her eyes lock on mine. “That’s you, Bree. Not because you’re perfect. Because you’re the only one who can.”
The weight of it presses down on me.
But this time, it doesn’t feel like drowning.
“What do you need from me?” I ask.
Zira’s mouth quirks. “First? Rest. You look like hell.”
Jace snorts.
“After that?” Her expression hardens. “We take that imposter bitch down.”
I glance around the room. Rhett’s moved closer, protective instinct written in every line of his body. Seth’s hand is still in mine, steady. And Thane—
Thane’s watching me with something fierce in his eyes. Hunger, yes. But also pride.
“We’ll figure it out,” I say. “Together.”
Zira grins. “Damn right.”
She moves toward the door. “Get some rest. Mo’s got rooms upstairs. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
“Zira,” I say.
She glances back.
“Thank you.”
Her grin softens. “Always, babe.”
Then she’s gone.
For a moment, no one speaks.
Wes exhales shakily. “That was a lot.”
