I propped up on one elbow. “Have you seen them? Your sister and August?”
She shook her head. “The Fae Lords have endowed Silas with tremendous power. He can control your mind if you are in his pack. I haven’t seen them for the entire year. He doesn’t allow it.”
I sat up fully. “Holy crap, Maddy, I’m so sorry.” She hadn’t spoken to her sister or fiancé for an entire year! That was literal hell. Leah was basically like my sister. I would die if I couldn’t speak to her for a year.
She nodded. “Sometimes I wonder… if he’s moved on.”
I shook my head. “No way. A year isn’t that long of a wait, and you are super gorgeous and funny. Any man would be crazy to move on from that.”
She smiled, but then her smile slipped.
Her sister.
“Are you worried about Nora? How old is she?”
Maddy sighed. “Nora is thirteen. No, fourteen. She just turned fourteen.” Her voice sounded robotic like she couldn’t believe it.
Brayden let a fourteen-year-old go to another pack? I would have kept the kid assuming the Fae Lords let you choose which one you wanted to keep.
“Why didn’t he keep Nora? She’s so young,” I mused aloud.
Maddy looked at the doorway as if sensing her brother just beyond it. “An impossible choice that I don’t know how he lives with.” She sighed. “I’m the strongest of our pack, second to my brother of course. He needs my power to fuel him for the fight against Silas next month. Because Silas will have the strength of our entire pack.”
Oh.
Oh no. I couldn’t imagine having to choose one person I loved to keep with me to stave off insanity. My mom or Leah? Who would I choose? If choosing Leah meant having the power to save my mom in a year, I guess I would do that.
Maddy rubbed her eyes. “I’m tired, let’s get some rest. It’s been a long day with you gettingwolfedand all.”
Back to joking.
I snort-laughed. “I couldn’t think of another word.”
“I like it. I’m totally using it,” she said as she slipped off her shoes. “I wolfed out. Hey, get wolfed! Go wolf yourself!”
My mood had lightened and I realized that without her filter Maddy had a gift. She made things lighter when all around was darkness and heavy.
When I lay back, I still felt a bit weird and unsettled. Maddy lay next to me, reached out and grabbed my hand. Normally I would yank my hand back because holding hands after twenty-four hours of knowing someone was weird as hell, but a calmness came over me.
“It will be okay, Averly,” she said, and I believed her. I never had a sister and always considered Leah to be like one, but now that I felt this unwavering trust and bond building between Maddy and I, I had to admit she felt like family.
How weird was that?
SIX
I slept next to Maddy the entire night in a peaceful state, and when I woke she was still asleep but Brayden was up, sat at the edge of the other bed, shirtless and staring at the motel room wall.
I debated just staying under the covers until Maddy woke up, but I really had to pee. Slipping out from the blankets, I shuffled past Brayden and he cast me a sleepy glance.
There was so much emotion in his eyes. Pain, loss, hope? After Maddy told me about losing his sister and his entire pack, I couldn’t look at him the same. I’d probably never be able to be mean to him again because I felt too bad for him.
“I don’t want your pity,” he grumbled, and I froze in the bathroom doorway.
I gulped but said nothing. How did he know I was feeling sorry for him? He must have recognized the confusion on my face.
“I’m your alpha. I can read your emotions,” he said flatly.
Oh… awesome. Now I wouldn’t be able to keep anything private! I stormed off into the bathroom and went pee and brushed my teeth.He waits until now to tell me he can read my emotions? What a jerk. So much for never being able to be mean to him. I was ready to give him a piece of my mind.
