Angel Blackwood (14 page)

“Why are you telling me this?”
I don’t know why she’s bringing this up.

“Because I think you need
to hear it. You told me about Drake, and I know something is up
with the twins. You three were so much closer before the…before
the…accident.” She pats my shoulder gently.

“I’ve been
watching the way that they watch you
, and the way you’ve been watching them when you think no
one’s looking. You love them both, but you’re not allowing that
love to destroy the new loves that
they
have found. You
don’t realize how proud I am of you for doing that, honey. I would
never have allowed it. You’re so much stronger than you realize,
and that is why I give you the ring. It’s not only that you don’t
have to rely on any man, it’s so much more than that! You shifted
without the help of anyone, I don’t think you can comprehend how
big that is for a she-wolf and the humility you showed at tonights
ceremony was absolutely amazing. You were meant to be part of this
pack, Angel. You have a power and independence I never had. Only
strong Eden woman should have the privilege of wearing this ring.
My mother and grandmother were both incredible woman and now you
too get to hold that title.” She wipes away a tear. I’ve never
heard Alex talk about her mother, let alone a grandmother, but the
way she talks about me being
strong
and
powerful
only makes me want to prove her right.

“I… I don’t know what to say to
all that?” I look back down to the ring.

She lets out a throaty
laugh. “You don’t have to say anything, hun, just believe every
word I say. Momma knows best and all that jazz.” She winks and I
can’t help but laugh.

“Thank you so much.” I
hug her tightly.

She disappears soon after
and I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth; I still can’t keep my
eyes off the beautiful stone in the ring. I hear growling coming
from the twins room, followed by loud crashing. I throw my
toothbrush down and clean my mouth out before running into their
room. Tyler has Talon up against the wall by his neck.

I’ve never seen
Tyler this angry before. He doesn
’t have a mean bone in his body. I know he’s said some
harsh things, but I’ve never seen him act this way towards his
brother.

“Don’t you ever
speak to her on my behalf again. I don’t care what you think about
her, don’t put fucking words in
my
mouth. How dare you
speak to our mate like that!” He roars, throwing Talon against the
wooden shelves on the other side of the room. Talon gets up, shakes
the wood pieces off, then reaches for Tyler, tackling him against
the bedside table and smashing it.

“You weren’t there to see
how he had his hands on her, how she leaned into his touch; she
wants him. I couldn’t hear her thoughts because she’s blocking us
out, but I know she does!” Talon growls and straddles his brother
with his hands around his neck.

He shouts
again,
“She’s playing with us
again, bro, making us look like fools in front of everyone!”
Tyler’s face is going red as he clutches the hands that wrap around
his neck; I panic.

I run for Talon
and attempt to pull him off Tyler. “Talon
, stop. Please! You’re hurting him!” I
scream.

Talon shoves me in his
rage and I hit the column of their large four-post bed. I hit the
floor with a thud and look down at the blood droplets on their
beige carpet beneath me. I touch my lip and flinch. I bit my lip.
The silence in the room is immediately broken when the door is
flung open and my very angry father and a livid looking Caspian
enter the room. Out of nowhere Caspian picks up Talon and holds him
up against the wall as if he weighs nothing.

My father picks up Tyler
by the collar of his shirt forcing him to stand. Tyler looks
despondent as he tries to push against my father to get to me, my
father orders him to stop and he unwillingly does so. I turn my
eyes to Talon, the rage in his entire body immediately dissipates
when he looks down at me on the floor and his eyes meet my bleeding
lip. His hand goes out as he tries to reach for me.

“If I ever see
your hands on her again, I’ll rip you apart
,” Caspian growls, full of dominance as he shoves
Talon against the wall again. Talon is a little bigger than
Caspian, but he allows Caspian to shove him without even fighting
back. Caspian being an alpha, we all can feel the power in his
voice.

Axel
comes running in with tousled hair
and boxer briefs, his artwork on full display. His eyes are sleepy,
but it does nothing to hide his fury; I can feel it pulsing through
him. He looks down to me before gently helping me up, his hand
wrapping around the bruise on my waist causing me to hiss out in
pain.

He loosens his
hold and leads me out of the room. Before the door is slammed
shut
, I hear my father’s
deathly growl followed by yelling.

****

“Uh uh… this way,” he
says, pulling me in the direction of the staircase. My steps falter
before I reluctantly following him. He leads me out of the pack
house, past the car park and towards the trail that leads to the
lake. Axel is still in his boxers but this doesn’t deter
him.

We sit side by side for a
few minutes with our feet hanging off the edge of the little wooden
dock. The sun is a few hours from rising and it’s not a full moon
so it’s dark tonight.

“
He is just
like them,” I whisper.

“What?” Axel asks softly.

“Talon. He is just like
Drake, my ex, and Jax, my first mate.”

“What happened?” he asks
gently in his still sleepy gruff voice.

“Drake was
sweet and so
so
gentle when he wasn’t angry. He was
drawn to me in a weird obsessive way and he became very possessive.
I felt unloved for so long and craved affection like I needed it to
breath, so when he started paying attention to me and showing me
his love, I latched on. The first time he shoved me up against a
door should have ended our relationship…but it didn’t. The night I
came home and told him I’d kissed the twins and wanted to end
things with him he...” I pause, wringing my hands together as the
memory replays in my head of that horrible night. Axel lets out a
winded sound and I whip my head to look at him.

“No! Stop that! Promise
me that you won’t try to get in my head anymore and I’ll tell you
everything.” I point my pinkie at him.

“Pinkie
promise? Really
, Angel?” He
raises an eyebrow.

“Pinkie promises are the
shit. No one fucks with a pinkie promise. Come here and give me
your pinkie dammit,” I growl. He rolls his eyes but does as he’s
told.

“Same goes for
you; n
o trying to get into
your head and no trying to get into mine.” I nod and kiss the skin
between my thumb and index finger, making him do the same to his
hand as we seal the deal.

“Okay.
” I let out a
deep breath. “So that night he tied me to the headboard of my bed
with his belt.” I show him the little pink scarring around each of
my wrists and he grimaces.

“
He found one
of my thin leather belts, ripped my clothes off and whipped me.
Then he cont
inued to tell me
that if I left him, he’d find everyone I loved and kill them. I
felt like I had no other option but to stick with him, distancing
myself from everyone. That night I saw the monster he really was,
and tonight? I think I saw a little of that monster lurking in
Talon too.” He doesn’t say anything but brings my hand to both of
his and holds it.

“Can I see?”
H
e whispers
wearily.

I nod then turn
and pull my hair to rest over my one shoulder. He gently lifts my
shirt, and with feather light fingers he gently touches over a few
of the pink scars. “I promise you, if I ever find this
Drake,”
he spits.
“
I will make him
suffer for all the pain he’s put you through.”

“You and me both,” Nixon
snarls from the other end of the dock.

I place my hand
on my chest as I try to catch my breath. “
Nixon, you scared the living shit outta
me!”

He walks
up
and kneels down next to me
cupping my jaw. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I should have. I’m
sorry. You two are the only ones that know about what happened that
night. Well, you know some of it,” I stammer.

“No, I saw the images
too… I saw everything. I felt your sorrow all the way from the
clearing of the woods.” Nixon grumbles.

“Yeah, I saw it too.”
Axel lifts his palms up. “It was before the pinkie promise
okay?”

“Well, I don’t
want anyone else to know
, so
let’s just keep it between us.” I look back at the lake as Nixon
gets comfortable to my left, leaning his feet over the edge
too.

“I know our healing is
pretty good and usually scars remain only lightly on the skin
but…your scars are deep and they still have that pinkish tone?
Judging by that bandage around your wrist, I’m assuming the Alpha’s
bite hasn’t healed either, has it?” Axel asks
sceptically.

I look at Nixon and he
shakes his head and his eyes widen a little.

“What aren’t you two
telling me?” Axel asks again.

“Don’t tell
him, it’s
risky. It will put
him in danger too, remember that.”
Nixon’s voice rings in my head.

“Don’t tell me what?” Axel
says.

“I thought you weren’t
going to try and get in my head!” I smack his arm.

“I wasn’t in yours! I was
in his!” He nods to Nixon.

“Tell me, you
know after the whole life threating rejection you saved me from,
you’re stuck with me. We’re going to be besties for life. I swear
it,” he says dramatically. I start laughing shaking my head.
Such an idiot.

I
feel Nixon’s silent laughter next to
me as his shoulders move against mine.

“Just tell the fool. It’s
his life at risk anyway,” Nixon says, through louder laughter as
Axel’s deep chuckles join in.

“I’m a
hybrid
... sorta,” I say
softly, waiting to see his expression.

His laughter stops and Nixon’s
laughter becomes louder. Axel starts coughing then stutters, “W…
what do you m…mean h… hybrid?”

“I’m half human, half
wolf, Axel.”

“W… What? H…How? That’s
not even possible.”

He looks
back
and forth between Nixon
and I. “Are you two fucking with me?”

Now
it’s my turn to laugh as I raise my
pinkie to him.

“You’re serious?” He asks
wide eyed. I nod.

“Damn,
that’s some crazy shit,” he says,
running his hand through his hair.

“You can’t
mention this to anyone
, man.
She could be in danger if this is leaked to the wrong person,”
Nixon says, leaning forward to look at him.

“Yeah of
course. No one will know.
Promise.” He points his pinkie at me and I tangle it with
mine then cross my other pinkie with Nixon’s then we kiss each
hand, fixing the promise.

The guys
walk me up to my room, and luckily
enough the house is silent again. The twins’ door is shut and I
can’t hear anything coming from inside. I shut my door and
immediately climb into bed, turning onto my side facing the window.
I put a pillow behind me and cuddle the one in front of me. I sigh
in contentment as I’m finally able to get comfortable and fall into
a blissful sleep.

****

The hair
covering my face is being removed and
tucked behind my ear. I make sure to keep the wall that keeps my
connection open locked up tight. The blanket is slowly pulled from
over my body, the cool air causing goosebumps over my skin. I keep
as calm as possible when I feel rough hands lifting my shirt. He
raises it just so that my breasts stay covered, but my hips, waist
and lower stomach are displayed. I hear the bed creak and the
mattress sink as he leans over me. I don’t dare open my eyes,
afraid it’s a dream, that if I open them he’ll be gone. His hand
gently touches the bruised area a few times then I feel his lips on
the sensitive skin. He kisses me three more times all over the
bruises he gave me, intensifying the goose bumps down my spine and
arms. He gentle tugs my shirt down and pulls the blanket up till
its tucked under my chin. He leans over me again, softly rubbing
his thumb down the middle of my forehead to the tip of my nose; he
does this a few times before brushing his thumb against my left
cheek bone. His scent is intoxicating, the need to pull him into me
and nuzzle his neck is strong. I don’t want the dream to end or for
that to scare him away so I continue to lay there motionless. I
feel his nose as he rubs it against mine lightly and then he rubs
his cheek against mine. Something light and wet touches the crease
of my lips; I taste salty liquid seeping through my lips and onto
my tongue.

He’s crying.