Chapter 53
Rafe
Wyatt paced back and forth like an angry dad about to punish his children while Aiden and Skye sat side by side on the couch. Skye had her adorable feet tucked up under her as she leaned into Aiden’s side, and Aiden held one arm around her while the he glared at Wyatt.
I stood in the corner, mostly covered by shadows.
I felt sick.
Why? Why hadn’t she told me? I’d suspected something…I’d thought if Wyatt and I apologized properly…gave her space…
I looked away sharply at the memory of something Levi Aria had said.
Some bullshit about like mother like daughter.
I curled my hand into a fist, wishing I could put it through that fucker’s jaw. Maybe the next time we spoke with him, I would.
“So let me make sure I completely understand what’s going on, here.
You both knew,” Wyatt started his lecture.
“You both knew River was capable of stealing affinities, and you both knew he could teleport. Aiden was aware you’d been sneaking off to hookup with someone out of the Chain, and assisted you in lying to us. ”
Neither one responded.
Granted, I didn’t like this scenario. Skye and Aiden weren’t our children, and the way to handle this shouldn’t have been a lecture. We were all hurt, all confused…
“Skye,” I said gently. Her silver eyes met mine.
They were expressionless.
No pleading. No wide look of innocence. Nothing but defeated resignation.
The sick feeling in my gut grew.
I uncrossed my arms, relaxing my stance.
“Darling,” I whispered. “Will you come here?”
Wyatt froze, his lips parted in shock. Aiden seemed suspicious of me, but he still reached out and pushed Skye’s lower back to help her off the couch cushions.
She ignored Wyatt, keeping her head down as she crossed the room, looking so small and ashamed, I couldn’t fucking stand it.
Her steps slowed, but I moved forward to meet her.
And pulled her into a tight hug.
Skye was shocked, her posture rigid with her hands trapped between us. Aiden raised his eyebrows, while Wyatt’s jaw dropped nearly to the floor.
“You’re kidding?” Wyatt blinked several times. “You’re okay with this?”
“No,” I murmured. “But she’s not some unruly child for us to punish.”
“We need to talk about this,” Wyatt argued.
“But we weren’t,” Aiden said. “You were laying into us.”
Wyatt’s mouth was still open as he turned back to Aiden, but then he snapped it shut.
“What happened tonight, darling? You went to see him, but clearly it didn’t go well.”
Skye shook her head, her lost gaze on the floor, refusing to truly look at anyone except Aiden.
How had I lost her trust? Did this go back to the dungeons, when my shadows had trapped her when she meant to run? Or maybe even earlier, when I’d stalked her. Had she ever really trusted me in the first place? Maybe her insecurity over our delayed meeting affected her more than I’d thought.
Aiden had explained how he’d found Skye after her first encounter with River, and what’d happened to his knowledge while we’d been gone in the Gulf.
It was a punch to the gut to learn Zephyr also knew what’d been going on, but I couldn’t fault him for guarding his sister’s secrets, especially given their upbringing. Knowing what we all knew now about Levi…I wouldn’t tell my hypothetical sister’s Links what was happening, either.
“You guys freaked out the other night and all she’d said was that she liked someone,” Aiden said. “You guys ignored her for weeks. Do you have any idea what that does to her?!”
“I…” Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck. His hazel eyes flashed toward me for backup and I cringed.
“I…admit I wasn’t thinking too clearly at the time.” I admitted. “But stop including me with Wyatt. I wasn’t pissed like he was, I just…”
I trailed off at how rigid Skye had gone in my arms, her breathing so shallow she barely moved, as if she were afraid I’d turn my ire on her physically.
I hated that.
“What if he’s one of us?” Aiden argued. “He could be a Link-mate, and you’re–”
“He’s not.”
We all fell silent as Skye finally spoke. Of course, it was a broken, ragged whisper that was barely audible, but she’d spoken.
“He’s not one of your Links,” I repeated slowly.
“No,” she whispered. “He’s a Key. He…he told me his Links are dead.”
The air changed immediately. Wyatt and I made eye contact across the room, sharing pure devastation between us. I didn’t like the little shit, but his Links were dead?
“River’s the missing kid from the massacre,” Skye whispered next. “He’s not in that cult because he wants to be. He’s a prisoner.”
“A prisoner that tried to kill your Links,” Wyatt said.
“He didn’t have a choice!” Skye cried.
“There’s always a choice,” Wyatt argued.
“You know that’s not true,” Aiden interjected. “You of all people know that a kid growing up in a cult has no control over anything.”
“They could’ve brainwashed him,” I said with a sigh.
“He doesn’t seem very brainwashed,” Wyatt argued, but I wasn’t listening. Things were slowly piecing together in my mind, and suddenly, I scoffed at myself. Skye went rigid in my arms again, and I pulled back quickly.
“He’s being compelled,” I said.
The room went still.
“He’s being compelled into submission but he’s nearly strong enough to resist it.” I went on.
Skye sniffled, turning away from us. Fuck. What’d I say this time?
“He’ll never be able to resist it,” she said, her voice shaky. She turned back to face us, shaking her head. “His Links are dead. He’ll never be able to break free.”
“They killed his Links on purpose,” Wyatt said, shaking his head. “To keep him compliant. Jesus.”
Aiden finally stood, coming to pull Skye into his arms while I sighed deeply. I flopped down into one of the armchairs, once again feeling sick. I ran my hand down my face, squeezing my eyes shut to try and reset my mind.
“He doesn’t have Stockholm Syndrome,” Wyatt went on. “I’ve spoken to him quite a bit about his adoptive family. Everything he shares is angry.”
“Was his age relevant when they kidnapped him? Did they only want him for his affinity, or was it his young age that sweetened the deal? More chance of easy compliance if he’s semi-raised by them.” I murmured.
“Hard to say,” Wyatt replied, his tone clinical. Probably his only defense so he didn’t freak the hell out. “They may have killed the Links when it became apparent he wasn’t going to do what they ordered, but killing the Links completely also means he’d never get stronger.”
Wyatt and I went silent. Aiden was still murmuring to Skye, trying to get her react to something, but she was still staring off into space.
“They don’t want him stronger,” Wyatt whispered.
That got Skye’s attention. “What?”
“Maybe his getting stronger is…not conducive to what they have going on,” Wyatt said. “Killing the Links for compliance doesn’t make sense. They wouldn’t have any leverage over him.”
“Levi told us Iris was immune to the compulsion,” I murmured, ignoring how Skye sniffled at the mention of her mother’s name. “Was that because she was strong or because they were connected?”
“No way to know for sure,” Wyatt said. “Levi…did make sure to say all of your affinities are genetic.”
Skye shook her head. “My mother never teleported–”
“How can you be sure?” I cut her off. “Skye, darling. There’s a lot you don’t know about your family. How can you be sure?”
“I’m not,” Skye whispered brokenly, her shoulders shaking. “I’m not sure of anything. I just know I love all of you and I’m sorry but–”
She stopped abruptly, but understanding had already dawned for me.
I pulled her back from Aiden, ignoring his glare. I tightened my arms around her, giving her the fullest hug I could muster. I breathed her in, running my hand down her back soothingly.
I’d always known I’d have to share my Key. I’d never cared. Was I hurt she hadn’t told us what was going on? Of course.
But now I was thinking of her mother, rejecting a man she loved because the other men she loved wouldn’t accept him.
I was thinking of Wyatt’s mother, rejected by a man she loved because he didn’t want her around the woman he wanted.
I was thinking of my mother, hiding a man she loved in plain sight because he would never be accepted by her father.
Each of our parents had made their choices, for better or worse. And in this moment, I was making mine.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I murmured into Skye’s hair.
“I’m missing it, whatever it is,” Wyatt snapped.
Poor Wyatt. He’d be the most upset about this, and even more upset as to why he didn’t quite realize what was going on.
He was in love with Skye, absolutely, but he hadn’t told her, and I wasn’t sure if Skye was quite in love with him back yet.
Wyatt didn’t know what to look for in Skye.
He couldn’t see what Aiden and I saw in her when her feelings for us had changed.
Even now, Aiden’s warm brown eyes watched me carefully, his demeanor subdued. He knew what was going on, and he knew Wyatt was about to get pissed.
“Hello?” Wyatt said. “Skye? Anyone?”
“She’s in love with him,” I said softly.
Wyatt’s expression morphed from stern, to angry, then relaxed into shocked realization.
“You…love him?” he whispered.
Skye looked absolutely miserable. “I don’t know. I…I know I’m being selfish–”
“You’re not,” Aiden insisted forcefully.
Wyatt stared into the floor, shaking his head, before looking to me.
“I know it’s hard for you, Wyatt. I know your parents are among the worst examples of a relationship.
But loving and supporting my Key means I’ll do anything she needs of me, including this.
” I sighed. “If she wants him…then I want her to have him. I won’t be the reason she suffers this heartache.
I don’t want you to be that reason, either. ”
Wyatt ran a hand down his face.
“How did this start?” he asked.
Okay. That was good. He wasn’t still in dick mode.
“It just…happened. I confronted him about the gala, and we argued, and one thing led to another. We kissed and messed around and he ran like his ass was on fire. Then Aiden jumped him, and he was mad at me, but he got over it. He told me–” Skye’s voice hitched, and she took a moment to breathe before continuing.
“He told me I’m the only Telepath that’s never hurt him. ”
Shit.
Wyatt’s expression crumpled even further. He had major Telepath trauma from his father. Knowing River may have suffered the same seemed to help Wyatt’s anger.
“He said he was all in,” Skye said. “I swear. He told me he was all in, and he was going to figure his shit out so he could be with me. With us. But tonight…something happened. He was different tonight. Something must be going on with the cult.”
“When did he find out about his Links?” Aiden asked.
“I…” Skye blinked several times. “He must’ve just done his testing. He’d been so against it every time I brought it up. He must’ve done it after…the other night.”
Wyatt buried his face in his hands, then rubbed his eyes harshly.
“So, let’s get on the same page. Skye’s maybe real dad started a cult after his Key rejected him in favor of some other Chain.
At some point, he hooks up with the psycho of all psychos, Regina Wilson, then they kidnap a kid and cause a massacre.
This kid can steal affinities, and now they’re…
what? Using him? He’s a weapon?” Wyatt said.
“I don’t know.” Skye said brokenly. “I just know he doesn’t want to do whatever it is. If he is being compelled…”
“Then he’s not safe,” I said. “Do you understand me, Skye? He could be compelled to get close to you.”
“No,” she whispered back harshly. “No, I don’t believe that.”
“He could be compelled to hurt you,” Wyatt said. “He could be compelled to…”
He trailed off.
The room fell silent.
Skye wept quietly, because now she understood the true gravity of the situation.
He could be compelled to kill one of us.
Or her.