Some Danis trauma incoming.
The air is vibrating with magic.It smells sweet and like ozone, and Maya is laughing instead of being scared out of her mind.“Mummy! Look at the shiny drums!”Danis stops playing and the illusion falls immediately. He’s still holding a violin though and I don't know why it surprises me.“You can play the violin can’t you?”Danis looks away and nods like that’s something to be ashamed of.“I can’t play any instrument to save my life.”The confession comes out unbidden and I’m slightly embarrassed by it, but only for a moment because fucking hell….“Did you generate those illusions just now from the violin?”Danis frowns and cocks his head to the side and gives me a suspicious look.“How do you know they were illusions?” I almost scoff. “I’d know what an illusion is. I’ve watched movies.”Danis makes a slightly yuck face and nods at Maya who jumps in glee before he raises his violin to his chin and starts playing again.This time the melody is soft and gentle and so is the magic. A
“Stop Danis.” My chest is tight and I feel like I can't breathe. Fuck. “He cursed you?” I don’t mean for my voice to rise but it does. Maya is sleeping and I should keep this rage to myself but what the hell? What the fuck. “Let me see the marks.” Danis freezes and he drops the violin slowly. “I didn’t show you that memory because I wanted you to see the marks, Scarlett.” “But….. how come I've never seen them?” Sure I haven’t spent a lot of time looking at his feet, but “You’ve worn shorts recently haven’t you? I would have noticed it.” “You’re missing the point, Scarlett.” I stop and try to quell my anger alongside the righteous fury roiling in my heart. Some aspects of Danis’s story aren’t clear yet, but one is clear. A child was taken advantage of by someone meant to protect him and that child’s father beat him up for it. Cursed him for it even. “Breathe Scarlett.” I take a big inhale and try to exhale all the tightness in my chest. I feel like something has unknowingl
Hunter's pov. “Tell me you’ve found her.” My patience is running thin and my body betrays me by aching but Quinn still shakes her head. I grip the bed sheets and take deep breaths because if I don’t, I might do something that will cause my body more harm, so instead of that, I focus on the crone trying to wear me out. I chuckle. “I will kill that child Quinn. Don’t think I can't. I killed her mother, didn’t I? Your failure of an Alpha son is yet to come for you” My chest tightens and I have to bite back a hiss of weakness “I brought you here to find Scarlett for me Quinn…… If you’re going to be useless, then expect the dead body of your grandchild in your hands.” My heart feels like it’s frozen over but my anger keeps me warm. Anger at the fact that Scarlett, my mate, is cheating on me with someone else. And she isn’t just cheating on me, no, no. She’s cheating on me, and she dares to make me feel pain through the mate bond. A bond that was more or less dead a few days ago, bu
Scarlett's pov.She’s been listening in. The strands of Danis’s soul do not stop gleaming and I freeze because shit.This… this isn’t good.I look at Danis and he’s still not speaking. He’s just looking at me, and for a moment I wonder if he’s being controlled by someone else. This is one reason I do not like anything related to magic.I never know what to expect. Do I….start using sign language to speak to him? Would he even understand that?Danis hisses as he pulls in a sharp breath through his teeth and it is one of pain. I know it is. His face makes little quirks and jerks, the muscles trying hard not to contort, and with the panic that runs through me because of the concern I feel, something at the side of my neck heats up like it’s in a furnace.I hiss and reach for the mark.My hand comes into contact with it and it’s like something is shot into my veins. The world explodes in brightness and when I glance at Danis, I can see the magic of his soul clearly.The seven strands are
Scarlett's pov.Fen takes Danis into the packhouse and I sit up all night waiting for Roman. He doesn’t come back.Finally, I have to go back into the packhouse, get Maya ready for school, and get ready for work since Roman hasn’t made an appearance.My heart is heavy as I carry out every activity and my brain feels muddled.Okay, so someone has been listening in through Danis. That’s unexpected and alarming and for all I know that person could be working for Hunter, or that person might not even be related to Hunter at all and I am just being paranoid. Something else might be happening in that’s not related to me, but still,“He’s back.”My head whips to the sound of Fen’s voice so fast I hear the bones snap. My breath hitches and my throat becomes dry.“He’s back?”Fen nods and in the next second, I'm walking past him and out the doors. I almost run through the hallway and I reach across the mate bond to feel for Roman.I feel him. His end hums with life but there’s no energy to i
Roman goes up to change first and I have to stop myself from following him by looking away as he leaves.Almost like he knows the effect him leaving has on me, he tugs on the mate bond. It’s a light tug that reinforces my realization that Alpha Roman of the Ironclaw pack can be naughty sometimes. Not just naughty, but very naughty, because as he tugs the mate bond, I feel his want for me.My core turns liquid and my breasts become heavy. I know what will happen if I go up with him, and I want it to happen, but not yet. It would be irresponsible of me, of us, especially when danger might be lurking around the corner.Danis makes a sound that has my eyes snapping to him. His teeth are lightly bared and he’s letting out low growls, but Fen simply chuckles and sticks his nose into the crook of Danis’s neck even more.I clear my throat and Danis gives me a look that tells me I and Roman’s little stunt didn’t go unnoticed.Fair enough.I get started on breakfast and hope with all my heart
Roman comes down fully dressed for work and in his hand is the darned envelope Aria gave me.I don’t believe for one second that she ever had any good intentions when she delivered this letter.Was Hunter even sick at all?Roman drops the envelope onto the table and when my eyes meet his, he hesitates.For some reason that hurts me but I know Roman doesn’t do things without a reason. There’s a reason he’s hesitating, and when he drops the envelope on the table and takes the seat beside me, I wait until he permits me to open it.“You can have a look at what’s inside.”I nod and reach for it. I open the flap and fish out what’s in it. They feel slightly glossy, like pictures.\The first picture of the bunch has my stomach rolling.No.Hunter’s face stares right back at me. He’s grinning, his hair tousled and his pupils blown in pleasure. The second picture is of a woman. A golden-haired woman.She’s naked and only her midsection upwards is shown in the picture, but her body’s stance is
Roman refuses to give any answer to that question but he takes something out of his breast pocket and places it on the table.When Fen reaches for it, he stops all of a sudden and shakes his head in derision. He looks at me and gestures to the folded paper.“Open it.”I pick it up and unfold the single sheet of paper. The name of a medical institution catches my eye first.“Northridge Hospital. Medical facility for werewolf and other related ailments.”My eyes run lower and there’s an area circled out.“Traces of wolfsbane were found in blood sample. Tracing leads back to five years or further. Most of the effects should have faded, but traces of the wolfsbane remain. Recommending a purge.”Shit.“She was feeding you wolfsbane.”Roman breathes in and I hear the shudder in his chest. He nods and for a second I imagine myself bringing his mate back from wherever she is and slapping the hell out of her because what the heck?What the actual heck?I pass the report to Fen and he curses u