Drawing her legs up to wrap her arms around her knees, she immediately pales and snaps her legs back to the floor, tugging her shirt farther down her thighs. “There was smoke everywhere. Papa Mikhail pulled me out of bed and got us out of the house, but it was worse outside. Everything was on fire, and people were fighting in the streets. It was hard to hear anything over the shouting, but when we finally found Mama, she was getting dragged into the back of a truck.
“We watched them kill Papa Alek as he tried to get to her, and couldn’t find my other fathers, but they’d never let Mama go without a fight, so they must’ve already been dead.” She releases a shaky breath. “Someone grabbed my arm and shot Mikhail from behind. He dragged me toward the truck kicking and screaming, but I was little enough he barely even noticed.”
She clenches her hands into fists on her lap. “Viktor came out of nowhere. He launched himself at the guy’s legs, and we hit the ground hard enough it broke my arm, but it also made him let me go.” Eyes shut tight, she croaks, “We grew up together. Viktor was my best friend, and I watched him get his throat slit saving me.” Silent tears race down her face. “I lost everyone I loved before I even realized what was happening, the people I grew up with were being slaughtered around me, and everything was burning. It was too much, and I just… shut down.”
For several minutes, none of us say a word. The name Viktor rings a bell, but it’s a common enough name that I can’t place why, so I keep my mouth shut. It’s not the time or place to worry about that now, not while Avery,Emilia,starts shaking the longer the silence goes on.
Stone puts us all out of our misery as he theorizes, “Sounds to me that you ceded control to your other half and went feral, flew as far as you could in that state until you couldn’t anymore. And when Raiden found you and nursed you back to health, you latched onto him as a surrogate guardian.”
Raiden looks horrified, all color drained from his face. “She was so tiny when I found her…”
Already knowing I don’t want the answer, I ask, “How old were you when that happened, Emilia?”
She has to take another sip of water before she can rasp out, “Nine.”
Kodi curses, nearly punching a locker before he stops himself at the last second, tempering his aggression. Stone keeps his face a blank mask, likely seeing enough horrible things in his line of work that he can flip the professional switch at will to save his sanity.
Raiden looks like he’s going to be sick. “You never even got to be a kid. If I’d had any idea, maybe I could have helped you shift back, and there are plenty of people in Khalida that would have happily raised you, and-”
Stone cuts in before he falls down the rabbit hole of regrets. “There’s nothing you could have done differently. Remember how she immediately latched onto you, but tried to eviscerate everyone else that came close? She felt safer with you than anyone, yet still never shifted back. We’ve all dealt with a few ferals over the years, and honestly, Avery would be classified as happily adjusted in comparison. It was a shit situation, but even if you’d known, there’s nothing you could have done differently. After all of these years, if it wasn’t for that dart forcing her shift, she never would have.”
We fall into heavy silence, processing in our own ways and trying to come to terms with everything. After the way Avery reacted, it’s almost like her human half paused the moment she went feral, picking up where she left off and all of her grief slamming into her like it only happened yesterday. Taking her hand, I try to ignore the way her nails digging into my skin remind me so much of the falcon I’d come to know and love.
Avery kept everyone at a distance, lashing out in her pain to protect herself, but Emilia clings to me like she’s afraid I’ll leave her like everyone else.
A quick rap of knuckles at the door follows it being shoved open. “Sorry to interrupt, boss, but the guys need to know where you want us next. All of the humans have been safely escorted home, and-” The dark-haired man taking up most of the doorway goes stock still, hazel eyes rapidly swallowed by his blown pupils. His attention snaps onto Avery, taking in her red-rimmed eyes, puffy from crying, and half dressed. A low growl builds in his chest, ominously reverberating through the room. “Who?”
When she doesn’t answer, he turns to Kodi. “Who fucking touched her?”
Avery’s nails dig into my arm, staring wide-eyed at the man as she leans into my side, barely breathing.
Kodiak eyes the newcomer carefully. “Nobody here, so you’re gonna need to rein that in before you scare her even worse. As soon as we have names, they’re all yours.”
It takes me a minute to figure out why he’s giving this guy a hit list until I take in the way his claws are digging into the doorframe, body practically vibrating from the tension trying to remain in the doorway. The guy looks at Avery’s terrified state and takes a shuddering breath, trying to draw back some of his deadly presence and failing miserably. “They’ll never touch you again. You give me names, I’ll bring you their heads to prove it.”
Avery remains stiff and silent, heart hammering so loudly that even I can hear it.
The door frame creaks under his tightening grip. Softer, he says, “If you won’t give me their names, at least give me yours. Please.”
Everyone holds their breath, unwilling to be the one to break the moment. It’s barely more than an exhale, but with as dead silent as the room is, there’s no mistaking her whispered, “Avery. I haven’t been Emilia in a long time; it’s Avery now.”
A look of awe transforms his harsh features like he was just given the greatest gift, his lips silently repeating the word like he’s savoring the feel of it.
Unable to stand the world’s awkwardest eye staring contest anymore, I try to break the tension. “On that note, it’s been a hell of a day, so we should all be getting home. All of the pressing issues have been addressed, so we can pick this up in the morning.”
As I rise to my feet, pulling Avery with me, the guy stands to his full impressive height in the doorway. “I can escort her to the transition center so your mates can take you home, Ms. Garrison.”
Nails morph into talons, getting far too personal with my muscles as Avery’s breathing speeds up, panic setting in. It’s not even a conscious effort on my part. One minute I’m standing there, the next my wings are out and I’m clutching not only Avery to my chest, but also what’s left of my shirt.
Once she’s cocooned safely inside the confines of my wings, she releases a shaky breath. “Sorry.”
“Don’t you dare apologize. I get it; far too well, unfortunately.”
Raiden wraps an arm around my waist, staring the guy down. “Avery’s under our protection, and will be staying with us. If she wants to see you, we’ll let you know.” He scowls. “Maybe.”
ChapterTwenty-Five
AMARA
