Jewel didn’t know what to do next. Did she contact her mom? Who else was she going to call? It wasn’t like she’d gotten the cell phone numbers of any of the other healers. She hadn’t really had time with all the running, being in a coma, and then being captured. She looked down at her clothes, the same ones she’d been wearing when Volcan had taken her. They felt foreign and strange against her skin after having been in the robes she’d lived in for… however long it was that she’d been in Volcan’s clutches. The days and nights had run together and she couldn’t even be sure now. The wet jeans clung to her and the soaked sweatshirt felt heavy on her shoulders. That was all she had, just the clothes on her body and the shoes on her feet, which were becoming increasingly waterlogged. She had no money, no food, and no phone, so she couldn’t call someone even if she knew who to call. She had no resources, but worst of all, she had no hope.
Jewel dodged the people who were scurrying past. She received only a few odd looks, reminding her that her face looked as though someone had taken a meat mallet to it. She walked over to a set of stairs that led into a building. There was an overhanging above them so she sat there, at least able to get a little shelter from the elements. Nobody acknowledged her and few looked at her. With all of the lights and bright red and greens of the Christmas decorations, she felt like the lost ornament that had gotten covered by layers of tissue paper at the bottom of the box and then forgotten. Minutes turned into hours and lost hope turned into despair as the chill of the rain seeped through her skin clear down to her bones. Jewel’s lips began to tremble and she knew she was going to have to find somewhere to get inside, and soon. Her fingers were turning blue and growing numb.
“Well if it isn’t little orphan Annie.”
Jewel’s head snapped up at the sound of Peri’s voice. “Whoa, okay not orphan Annie, but more Fantine.” Peri’s eyes narrowed in on the bruises on her face. Jewel figured that at least the bruises would draw people’s eyes away from the scars left by Lorelle.
The Les Misérables reference made her wince at being compared to a woman forced to allow others to violate her, especially since she felt so utterly violated. She pushed aside the pain and just focused on the fact that Peri was there. She wasn’t alone anymore. Her eyes widened as the fae walked towards her. She was wrapped in a warm, white Parka, complete with fur lined hood and gloves. “I know what you’re thinking,” Peri grinned. “Is this wolf fur?” She motioned to the fur on her hood. “Sadly, no, it isn’t. But I have faith that one of these days one of them will screw up so badly that I will finally get to skin them.”
Jewel’s jaw chattered as she opened her mouth to speak. Peri held up a hand before she could utter a word. “Don’t,” she said curtly. “Just looking at you hurts. If you open your mouth and your little teeth start clattering together, I might just shed a tear. You look freaking pathetic and if I don’t get you thawed out and looking somewhat presentable, your mate is going to crap a cat and that will be some feat considering I’m pretty sure he hasn’t eaten a cat… well, not lately anyway.”
Seeing Peri, Jewel wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. The fae had found her and Jewel wasn’t alone and just maybe she wouldn’t die. “P–p–puhleassse,” the word stuttered from her lips and the “s” drew out because Jewel couldn’t get her lips back together quickly enough.
Peri took Jewel’s hand at the same time she muttered, “Frozen as a Popsicle and still she defies me. What is with you damn healers?” Then more loudly she said, “Close your eyes and whatever you do, don’t puke.”
Jewel forced her eyes closed and sucked in a breath when the air around her suddenly became warm and dry. She opened her eyes back up and realized that Peri had flashed them out of New York and the freezing elements.
“Welcome to my home,” Peri motioned to the room around them. “You’ve been here before but I don’t know how much you remember after your little stent in dreamland.”
“Is… is…” Jewel paused and took a breath, then tried again. “Is he here?” Peri nodded, knowing exactly who the broken girl was referring to. Jewel felt as though her heart had dropped to the pit of her stomach. “Please, you have to take me somewhere else. I can’t… I—” she choked over her words as she forced them out. “I don’t want to see him.”
Peri’s jaw tightened. “Is it because the bond is gone? Do you no longer feel anything for him?”
Jewel had to force herself to nod.
“Say it,” the high fae snapped. “Say it out loud.”
Jewel’s eyes snapped up to Peri’s. The fae’s eyes flashed dangerously and Jewel was surprised to feel anger radiating off of the fae. She swallowed painfully before attempting to speak. “I don’t, I―” Jewel paused and squeezed her eyes closed. You can do this, she told herself. You have to do this to keep him safe. “I don’t want him. Without the bond he’s just another guy.”
“Thousand years old, remember?” said the fae. “I wasn’t born yesterday. That’s a huge load of crap and I can smell it from here.”
“Peri,” Jewel breathed out, “please.” She felt a tear trail down her cheek as she begged the woman before her to understand. “I just can’t. After everything that happened in that place, I can’t face him. I can’t bear the thought of being near him, of his touch. or―” A sob broke free as she told the half truths. Even if Volcan hadn’t cast the spell over them, even if Dalton could touch her, she didn’t think she could stand it. Not because she didn’t want it but because she felt dirty and tainted, like a used tissue unfit for anyone else.
Jewel wasn’t sure what Peri saw when she looked into her eyes, but apparently it was enough. She walked over and took Jewel’s arm again.
“You’re going to destroy him if you leave,” Peri told her.
Jewel shook her head. “I can’t stay. If he, if we…” her words were choked around her tears. “We just can’t be together, not anymore.”
“Perizada!” a deep voice rumbled from behind her and Jewel’s eyes closed just as a tear escaped. She glanced over her shoulder unable to go another second without at least seeing that he was okay. She knew the second he registered the bruises on her face as wolf eyes, rather than human’s, looked back at her. She saw his mouth move and she was pretty sure he was saying her name but she couldn’t hear him over Peri’s angry shout.
“Shit!” Peri breathed out. “Hold on and close your eyes.”
Jewel’s body began to shake and she knew it wasn’t just because she was beginning to regain feeling in her limbs from the cold. She was shaking because he had been so close, close enough to touch, and yet he felt as though he were a million miles away.
Jewel opened her eyes when she felt Peri step away from her. To her surprise, they were standing in her mother’s living room. The lights in the house were all off, so Jewel knew her mother wasn’t home. She could see out of the window that night was falling, which meant her mom would be seeing clients soon.
“Why here?” Jewel asked her.
“Something told me that you didn’t want to be around the girls either.”
Jewel nodded appreciating Peri’s thoughtfulness.
“Nobody likes to answer a million questions when they’ve just been through the seven levels of hell.”
“It wasn’t so bad until the he decided he needed to work on his boxing skills. Apparently, there weren’t any other punching bags around.”
Peri growled, “Men who beat women are weak. They’re bottom feeders. He will pay for what he’s done to you.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. So she didn’t say anything.
“Now I know you need rest, and I know that you don’t want to answer any questions. But I’m going to have to go back to my home at some point, and I’m going to be faced with a very big, very pissed off wolf. I feel I have a right to know why I am keeping you away from your mate.”
“He isn’t my mate,” Jewel said, attempting to sound firm but failing miserably. “Volcan destroyed the bond completely. Dalton ca
n choose someone else, someone better for him.”
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Peri laughed but no humor filled her voice. “The Great Luna doesn’t make mistakes. You and Dalton were put together for a reason, and just because some ass wipe took away the mystical bond, doesn’t mean you aren’t still destined for one another.”
Jewel believed her words. She believed them because, bond or not, she felt in her soul that Dalton was meant for her. Jewel was sure that she could spend a lifetime attempting to find someone else, but they would all fall short. None of them would be Dalton. But she couldn’t let Peri know that. No one could know how she really felt, not if she wanted to keep him safe.
Peri looked intently at the young healer. She had been through more abuse in the few months that Peri had known her than any person should ever have to endure. She wore the evidence of the torture in the scars that Lorelle had inflicted upon her. Now the new bruises given to her by Volcan also bore witness. Jewel was still beautiful, but it wasn’t just her outer beauty that people saw. Peri could see the goodness in her eyes. Like any person, Jewel had her dark places, but the light inside of her didn’t allow the darkness to have any sort of hold over her. But now, as Peri looked at the girl’s tired eyes, she saw a flicker of shadows.
“What did he do to you?”
Jewel’s jaw clenched and Peri could tell she was fighting tears. “Do we have to talk about this now?” Her voice shook and she seemed to be holding herself together by a very thin thread.
“I know you need your rest, so I’ll leave it for now. But I will be back and you will talk. I know you’re hurting. I know you’ve been through something horrific, but part of healing yourself is letting others be there for you. Part of healing is letting your friends and family love you. Don’t shut us out.” Peri didn’t know if her words were penetrating any part of the girl’s mind. She seemed completely consumed by her pain.
“Why won’t she let him love her?” Peri reached out to her mate. She was dreading going back. There was no doubt an enraged male Canis lupus waiting for her.
“She’s been through much,” Lucian offered. His voice was full of empathy and Peri knew it was because of his own experience in dealing with Volcan.
“Shouldn’t she want to run to him? Shouldn’t she want the comfort and shelter he can give her? None of us can give that to her. No amount of hugs, kind words, or gentle care will meet the need inside of her. The pain she’s experienced can only be healed by him. It’s like watching those damn human horror movies when the blonde chick is running straight to the killer like a dumbass, and you just want to scream at them to stop. Jewel is running the wrong direction. She’s running in the direction of death when she needs to be running to her mate.” Peri was still watching Jewel while she talked to Lucian through their bond. The healer was sitting on the couch staring at the flameless fireplace.
“Are you sure this is where you want to be?” she asked, giving her another opportunity to change her mind.
“This is the best place for me.” Jewel looked up at her and Peri felt her stomach twist at the emptiness she saw there. There was a darkness lurking inside of Jewel and it was sucking the life from her.
“I disagree, but I will humor you for now. I’ll be back. Don’t do anything stupid,” she said pointing a finger at the healer. She flashed from the room and appeared in her bedroom. Lucian wasn’t there. When she heard the crashing coming from downstairs, she guessed that he was probably helping deal with Dalton.
“He’s destroying my house,” Peri said through gritted teeth. Not wanting to surprise the already raging beast, she chose to walk down the stairs instead of flashing to the living room. When she stepped into the room, the chaos around her might have been humorous if all of the men present didn’t look as though they’d been in multiple bar fights.
“Dalton!” she called out to the raging wolf. He stopped just as he lifted a chair with the intent of hitting Nick with it. His head turned slowly until his glowing eyes locked with hers. He looked crazed — feral. But Peri could see the despair and pain lurking underneath. That was the only reason she didn’t strike him down then and there. He wasn’t completely gone, not yet.
“Where. Is. She?” His words were clipped and slightly distorted because his incisors had grown as he fought for control. His wolf wanted to take over, but Dalton was maintaining his hold on the beast — but only just.
“She’s safe. Isn’t that enough, at least for now?” Peri knew the question was ridiculous. Dominant Canis lupus males were beyond protective of their mates. They took keeping their females safe to a whole other level. Dalton wouldn’t be appeased until Jewel stood before him so he could inspect her and see for himself that she was indeed safe.
“She belongs with me.” His body was rigid as he spoke but somehow he was keeping himself from yelling. Peri didn’t know if it was a good thing that Dalton could still think so clearly. Only moments ago he’d been hell bent on destroying anything and anyone around him. What was he calculating now that he was so calm? She’d learned from observing the other wolves that calculating coldness was scarier than a wolf that was losing control. The calculating enraged wolf was simply a ticking time bomb, and the Great Luna help anyone near him when he finally went off.
“It is her choice. You can’t force her to be with you.”
His eyes narrowed as his head tilted slightly. “Did she say that? Did she say she didn’t want to be with me?”
“She said she couldn’t be with you,” Peri admitted.
“Couldn’t doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want to. She needs me, Perizada. Her face, those―” He bit back a growl taking a deep breath before continuing, “She had bruises all over her face. She needs me and you took her from me.”
“I did what she requested. She’s been through hell, Dalton. She doesn’t need your possessive, overbearing crap. She doesn’t need to be bombarded with questions or coddled to death. She just needs—”
“ME.” Dalton still didn’t yell and yet the tone in his voice, the quiet seething quality, was just as effective as if he had screamed at the top of his lungs. “She needs me to take care of her. She needs me to chase away the nightmares that will wake her up in the middle of the night. She needs me to remind her when she looks in the mirror and only sees scars and bruises, that she’s beautiful. She needs me to hold her hand ― no words, no questions, just my presence ― so that she knows she’s not alone. She. Needs. Me. How am I supposed to take care of her if people keep taking her from me?”
“I’m not taking her from you,” Peri argued. She glanced at the other males in the room, looking for understanding, but all she got was accusatory glares. She should have known that even though Dalton had beaten the crap out of them, they’d still side with him. They understood how he felt because if it was their mate, they’d feel the exact same way. “She just needs a little time to process everything. Give her a little space and then when she’s ready I will take you to her.”
“What if she’s never ready?” The lost sound in his voice broke her heart. This was a man who just wanted to love the woman who he’d claimed as his own. This was a man who was desperate to take care of her, and yet he could do nothing other than feel the sting of her rejection.
“I’m sorry.” Peri didn’t know what else to say.
“Then bring her back to me.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Then your apology is nothing more than a sugarcoated lie to make yourself feel better.” He headed for the front door but stopped and turned to look at her. “I’ve kept him under control, but it is a very tenuous hold. It will not take much to set my beast lose. Do not come near me unless you are taking me to her. No one is dead this night, but I cannot promise that another encounter will end the same way.”
Lucian growled at the implied threat. “Your pain is understood, but you will not touch my mate.”
“Keep her away from me.” He was out the door before Lucian could respond.
&nbs
p; “That. Is. It. THAT IS IT!” Peri screamed and in a flash, she disappeared. Reappearing outside, standing in front of Dalton, she stopped the large man in his tracks. The whole of the front lawn erupted in brilliant white light, sending the wolves inside scrambling out onto the front porch. They saw Peri thrust out her hands and power erupted from her palms, slamming into Dalton and sending him to his knees. “Come out, wolf,” she snarled at the beast inside of Dalton. She forced Dalton to phase, which took very little persuasion, as the beast was so close to the surface. “You have threatened me for the last time.”
The shaggy wolf made to lunge at Peri, but he didn’t have a chance. Peri made a fist with her outstretched hand. The wolf froze in mid-air. It hung there, flaying and snarling, with its teeth bared and saliva flying as it fought to free itself from Peri’s hold. She flung her hand toward the ground and the wolf slammed into the dirt. It yelped, snarling and growling even more. The wolf gained its feet and tore the ground trying to get at Peri’s throat, but still it was held captive in Peri’s invisible grip. Again she lifted her hand and again the wolf flew into the air. Again she brought it crashing down. She pinned Dalton on his side where he had fallen. All four legs kicked and scratched, but try as he might, he didn’t move an inch.
All at once the stunned onlookers made to fly off the porch. What they intended to do when they reached the fighting pair, none ― save Lucian ― were exactly sure. He would rip apart the wolf that threatened his mate, of that he had no doubt. Peri took her free hand and threw it toward the house.