Chapter 32 #2
I’m already shaking my head before he finishes. “I’m not asking Zaros for help.” He may be an ally, but I know better than to owe a vampire king anything.
Anxo mutters under his breath before straightening. “I figured you’d say that. So I asked him to teach me instead. Took a few tries, but I’ve got it now. I can do it.”
I don’t know what to say. He went through all that trouble for me? Anxo always said he had my back, and I believed it to an extent, but this… this isn’t just words.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “So you want full access to my mind? You sure you can handle it?”
“I live with a crackhead.” He points to Nevaeh, who swats him, still grinning because she takes pride in how unhinged she is. “I know how broken minds work.”
Honestly, I don’t want him poking around in my head. I would’ve straight-up refused if it were anyone else. But even if he’s a close friend, I don’t want to subject the poor guy to the garbage running through my head day and night.
Everyone is watching me, waiting. Dean nudges me, and I know I can’t get out of it. It’s not like I have a choice. Not being able to link them isn’t even an option anymore. Not after the close call last night.
Anxo exhales in relief when I agree and moves to sit on the edge of the table before me.
Seiji couldn’t wait for a fist bump, and Anxo looks like he’ll need a written letter of consent to shake my hand.
Anxo waits for my nod before placing his hands on either side of my head, eyes falling shut in concentration.
At first, there’s nothing, then suddenly a sharp pain spikes through my skull, and I flinch.
“Anxo…?” I ask when the pain doesn’t ease up.
Anxo jerks back like I burned him. He takes another step away, anger flashing in his eyes. His jaw locks as he breathes out, something I know he does when he’s trying to swallow his anger.
He turns to Dean. “Call the healer.”
My stomach drops. Is he hurt? Did I hurt him?
Dean doesn’t question him, immediately linking Khatri to bring the healer.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, but Anxo doesn’t answer. “Hey, I think I deserve to know what’s so broken in my head for you to act like this.”
“There’s nothing broken about you,” Dean snaps, his voice sharp enough to make me pause.
I don’t get a chance to process it before Anxo starts pacing like a man unhinged. Back and forth. Faster with every step.
“How many times have I told you I wanted to help? I was ready to go to war three years ago. Are you really that stubborn, or do you just not trust us?”
Hold up. What the fuck is he talking about?
“Seriously, Hazel? You have been hurting this whole time and never said a word?”
But I’m not hurting…
“We’re your family, we care about you!” Anxo shouts, and the room goes still.
I’ve never seen him like this. Not even when everything fell apart.
“Angel, you’re freaking her out,” Nevaeh whispers, trying to calm him.
“She’s freaking me out! Look at her!” His gaze snaps back to me, pain and something close to betrayal burning in his eyes. “Do you really think we wouldn’t care that you were in pain? That you were covered in bruises all over?”
“Stop it, Anxo!” I push off my chair. “I don’t understand what—”
When he grabs my wrists and turns them over, I stop breathing at the sight of dark purple bruises spread across my wrists.
And then, like I’m seeing myself for the first time, bruises start showing up everywhere. One after another. Crawling and claiming space that I thought was untouched.
My throat tightens, the same suffocating pressure I feel every time Tiberius wraps his hand around my neck. I don’t need to check, I know there’s a bruise there.
I turn at a sharp inhale, and Dean is staring at me, horror filling his eyes.
He walks over to me, his finger brushing my chin, but then he quickly pulls back like it might hurt me.
I vaguely remember when Tiberius showed me all the ways he could kill everyone I love. He grabbed my chin, but… that’s not possible. The bruises always fade after the nightmare is over.
I look down at the blue and purple marks covering me, spreading everywhere.
How are they still here? And now that I can see them, every touch sends pain tearing through me.
“But how?” I look at Anxo. “They only last for an hour or two. I thought they healed.”
“The mind doesn’t forget, Hazel. It hides what hurts.
” Anxo touches my wrist again, and the bruises vanish like they were never there.
“Your Divine took the brunt of every hit. That’s why it’s so weak…
why you can’t shift. When I linked my Divine with yours to create the barrier, it revealed what hides under. ”
“So, the bruises… are they real or not?” Dean asks, his voice wavering.
“Sirens can trick their prey to ignore pain, make them think they’re safe,” Grace says softly, her eyes still scanning me even when there’s no hint of purple left anywhere. “I think Tiberius didn’t want you to realize how weak you were. Not until it was too late. He damaged your Divine on purpose.”
I look around, swallowing hard as I take in their faces, expressions ranging from hurt, pain, and guilt. Shame rises fast, threatening to swallow me whole, even though I never meant to hide anything.
The healer rushes in, and my chest tightens at the thought of her poking around to see what’s wrong. But before I can panic, Dean sends her away, promising we’ll come to her instead when I’m ready.
Dean pulls me into his chest, and I don’t care who’s watching. I bury my face in him, breathing him in.
“Don’t think for a second that I’m letting this go, Hazel. The healer will be seeing you tonight, and I swear to fates, I’ll lose my fucking mind if you don’t let them treat you.”
I swallow past the shame and nod. “I didn’t know.”
Dean kisses the top of my head, pulling me impossibly closer. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Count me in.” Anxo jumps in.
“I’m going to rip his fucking teeth out one by one, cut out his tongue, then feed him his own balls before I sew his mouth shut.” Nevaeh seethes, her eyes flashing gold.
“I think I like that plan.” I laugh.
Dean shakes his head. “I don’t know which one of you is crazier.”
“Not me,” Nevaeh and I say at the same time.
“Thank you for that image,” Seiji gags. “But I’m in.”
“Me too,” Jackson adds, completely unfazed by Nevaeh’s crude commentary.
When Grace turns a little green, Harvey shoots Anxo a look. “Control your little psychopath.”
“Who are you calling psycho, dumbass?” Nevaeh kicks his shin before turning to Grace with a sheepish smile, handing her a bottle of water. “Sorry, honeybunch. I forgot the little bean is making you extra human these days.”
“It’s okay.” Grace chuckles. “Even if that was… graphic, I’ll help however I can.”
“Oh, he’s gonna get what he deserves.” Harvey’s smile turns predatory.
And he called Nevaeh psycho.
I try to speak, but nothing comes out. It hits me all at once… how far they’d go for me. My throat tightens as tears build.
I turn to Dean, biting my lip, and he immediately pulls me into his chest.
“Don’t worry, hellfire. I’ve got you. Your tears are mine. Just mine.”
I press closer, placing a kiss over his heart.