Chapter 6.

Rosa POV.

Ok Rosa, you can do this. It has only been five years since you were last around people. You can do this. I keep chanting to myself the closer we get to town.

Mom and dad left us with instructions for me to behave and to Charlie, well, they told him good luck and then left. So now I’m stuck with him in a car and I keep repeating the same thing over and over, hoping it will help.

I can do this, I can do this, I can … I can’t do this, I’m not ready. My breathing comes out hard and fast as I look out of the window of the car at the faces of curious people. Not just wolves, but humans, too.

“Charlie, stop the car, please.” He looks at me, but I’m ready to flee.

“Rosa, are you o …”

“STOP THE FUCKING CAR!” I shout as I am in the throes of having a huge panic attack. This is not good, not safe. No one is safe if I stay here. Hand’s grip my face as my heart is trying to break out of my chest with pain like a heart attack. I begin to feel lightheaded.

“Breathe, Rosy. Come on, in and out.” I grip his wrists. I’m trembling as I take a shaky breath in and slowly exhale it out. I repeat this until I loosen my grip on his wrists. Rosy? He hasn’t called me that since we were kids. Only Sassa and Skoll call me that, and they are the only ones who are allowed to call me that.

“It will be ok Rosy. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” I sniffle at his words, or maybe it is because I can feel Cece and Jadara in the deepest part of my mind, beginning to stare.

“Please don’t call me Rosy.” I say sadly as I reach for the damn collar. Running my fingers against the cold black smooth stone that is entwined with silver. My fingers heat as they run over the silver.

This collar isn’t going to hold them off. They are too damn strong and it just shows you how weak I actually am. But it explains a lot I am not alpha born. I don’t even know what rank my birth parents were. But I should be grateful that my mom Gaia found me on the streets when she did after I ran into her and she and dad Gabe adopted me. She also killed the headmistress of the orphanage and got all the others in there adopted, too.

“The collar isn’t working. I can feel them in my head. Please Charlie, let me end it. I can’t live with myself knowing they have taken control when I have been asleep.” I say as the first tear falls.

“Shhh, it will be ok Rosa. I will not let you do anything like that. I am here to help you. Or did you forget I did have half of Jadara’s soul combined with me?” he says, and I want nothing more than to hit him. It is his fault for how she turned out.

“It doesn’t matter. She is too strong. Cece is the same.” I say as I move my head away from his hands. Wiping my eyes as I look out of the window once more, seeing we have arrived outside a house.

“Where are we?” I ask, and he chuckles. I turn to look at him, all too reluctantly.

“This is the site that used to be the orphanage. All these houses were built for the children who were brought to that awful place.” I look back out and see the little houses, with the picket fences and I chuckle shaking my head.

“I didn’t know she had these built. I was always too occupied with Odessa’s lessons or looking after Sassa and Skoll. How I miss them. They would be nearly eighteen now.” I say, and he smiles at me.

“You will see them again. Shall we go inside?” he asks and I gulp, looking at the empty street and nod my head slowly. I try to open the door but he had locked it when he strapped me into my seat. Apparently, I’m a major flight risk. I can’t argue with that.

“Rosa. I am sorry for what I did to you five years ago. I hope in time we can be friends again. I know what I did and I can see you are not the same anymore. I want to make this right. So please, we need to do this together.” He says, but I don’t even look at him, instead I look down at my holey jeans and torn top.

I was once so strong and determined to be the best I could be to be able to offer the world my gifts being the oracle. But now I am weak and pathetic. I stayed away, afraid of what she will do. When she used Cece to try to attack the settlement, I was still strong enough to stop them. But the longer I have stayed away from people and lived alone, the weaker I have become. I mockingly chuckle to myself. So much for doing what I thought was right. They took over anyway.

“Please, just get me inside and chained up.” I say as the door is engaged and I open it and take a few breaths before I step outside. My legs feel weak standing looking at the house that will be home for the foreseeable future, well until we get them both under control, that is.

“Not going to happen.” I hear her voice faintly in my head as Charlie comes to me and leads me through the garden gate and up along the path to the front door. I look around, scanning the area, and no one is around.

“Rosa? Come on, you will be safe in here.” He says as he stands next to the open door, and I step over the threshold and into the hallway.

“Where will I be staying?” I ask him, looking down.

“You have your own bedroom. It is next door to mine.” I nod my head and bite my bottom lip as I look up slowly and look around.

I move forward and I become confused. There are no pictures of his family or toys for a child. Why?

“Erm Charlie, I erm. I suppose you need to get to water soon, right?” I ask him and he sighs, looking at me. He takes a step forward and I step back and he keeps coming towards me until my back hits the hall and he looks down at me, sadness swimming in his silver-violet eyes.

“No, there is a saltwater pool in the back garden. If I need to swim, I can swim there. But that is not what you meant, right?” he asks and I look away, knowing he is referring to his chosen mate and child.

“I don’t want to be a burden on you. I’m sorry you had to get involved in all of this, Charlie. I will do what I can to keep them both under control. But I need to be restrained now. They are trying to break free.” I say to him I’m not lying, but I am not telling the whole truth.

“You won’t be restrained apart from the collar. Jadara will be subdued with a liquid obsidian daily. As for Cece, we need you to reform that bond with her without Jadara. I saw how you pulled Cece back, and I know she is a powerful wolf. All three of you have disconnected. If you can reconnect with Cece, then the two of you are then strong enough to control Jadara.” He says, and I nod my head.

Only problem is I have been away from both of them for such a long time it will take a long time to bring Cece back to me. The real Cece, not the monster she has become.