Chapter 20
Wyatt
I cursed viciously as I jumped to my feet, pissed that Rafe shadow-walked without me, leaving me to run down to the basement.
I was thankful to be alone when I got to the heavy door in the utility room, grunting as I heaved it open before slipping inside. I’d missed one too many workouts since I’d broken every bone in my body. I pounded down the steps, hearing Skye’s muffled voice demanding to know what’d happened.
I stopped short at the foot of the stairs as I took in the scene. Levi was halfway off the bed, breathing heavily while Skye and Rafe stared at him. Some of the heavy medical equipment beside the bed was strewn across the ground, like he’d grabbed the cords and ripped them away from the wall.
Levi narrowed his eyes at me. “He’s staying here, now?”
My mouth opened to tell him no, but Rafe shot me a sharp look.
“They’re all staying here, they’re my Chain,” Skye said without hesitation. “What. Happened?”
“Your Chain,” Levi scoffed, dropping his gaze to the bed sheets. He used his arms to maneuver himself back into his usual sitting position while I moved further into the room. “I thought that was me and Zephyr.”
Skye tilted her head while Rafe surpassed a groan.
“You mean me and Zephyr,” Skye said slowly. “You haven’t been a part of anything for a long time.”
Levi pursed his lips. He began to shake his head, but froze when Skye spoke again.
“What did I tell you the last time I spoke to you?”
Levi’s dark eyes jumped to Skye’s face. We stood in awkward silence for several seconds while Skye stared Levi down.
“I’m…sorry.” Levi said finally. “He’s…” His gaze darted to Rafe. “He was right. I’m…depressed. Makes me lash out.”
Skye scoffed, but leaned down to pick up one of the monitors.
Rafe moved in to assist, still not speaking, which was surprising.
The last time we’d been here, he’d been needling Levi at every chance.
“And your lashing out includes destroying expensive medical equipment? Were you about to crawl across the floor?”
Levi’s eyes widened as he said quickly, “What? No.”
Skye shook her head. “Then why were you half out of bed?” She grumbled something else we couldn’t hear, but my heart began to pound. Slowly at first, then faster as her words replayed in my mind.
I looked to Levi, pointedly ignoring everyone’s stare, keeping his gaze on the sheets.
Why did he keep doing that?
“Is something wrong with your eyes?” I asked.
Levi’s head snapped up. “No.”
“Then why won’t you look up?”
Levi glanced at Skye, who ignored us as she continued tidying up the space.
“I’m a Healer. If something’s wrong, I can try to help.” I said.
“No,” Levi snapped. “You’re not better than my son.”
“You got me there,” I relented, my heart still pounding. I decided to go all in. I was feeling more confident after the moment Rafe and I had just shared with Skye. “But I am different. Why won’t you let me take a look at your legs?”
Skye didn’t react to my tone, but Rafe and Levi did. Rafe raised his eyebrows in surprise while Levi’s slammed his fists down angrily.
“No,” Levi spat.
“Why not?” I hedged, moving forward since Skye was still not reacting. She picked up another machine, then put all her focus into unwinding the cords.
Levi braced as if I’d just threatened to punch him.
“Don’t touch me,” he said, his voice quivering slightly.
“Why?” I asked, stepping forward again. “Why not let me try? Maybe I can get you on your feet again.”
“If my son couldn’t get me on my feet, then why would you?” Levi sneered. “He’s the greatest Healer of his generation.”
“I know,” I replied. Skye paused at my honesty, but still didn’t react, which was making my confusion grow. Did she have her own suspicions about Levi? None of this made any sense. Her inaction only made me bolder.
Zephyr, as a child, had been able to heal his fingers without setting them. He should’ve been able to heal Levi, especially after the practice and research he did with Skye during first term. It’d been bothering me for too long, now, and I was sick of his attitude on top of that.
“I still don’t fucking like you,” Levi snapped, trying to look menacing. “I don’t want you touching me.”
“Really?” I said. “You’d rather remain paralyzed than let an asshole touch you? Where’s the logic in that?”
“Just say what you want to say,” Levi said darkly. “Stop being such a secretive asshole. Isn’t that why she rejected you?”
“I rescinded my rejection,” Skye said, finally speaking as she turned back to us. She crossed her arms. “Zephyr told you that, didn’t he?”
Levi didn’t reply to that. Didn’t even look at Skye.
But I did.
She knew something more, though she wasn’t saying it. She was glaring at Levi.
Heads up, Aiden’s voice filtered through my mind, and I glanced at Rafe as he cringed.
“What’s going on?” Zephyr’s voice cut through the awkward silence as he descended the stairs. “What happened?”
“Someone’s throwing another tantrum,” Skye said flatly.
Levi glanced up at her in shock before dropping his gaze and glaring into the sheets.
Aiden emerged from behind Zephyr, looking around at us warily. I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop him.
You’re fine, Skye reassured him.
“Wyatt offered to help Levi get back on his feet,” Rafe said cheekily. “Levi seems content to never be fully healed.”
“There’s nothing to heal. If it was possible, my son would’ve done it.” Levi insisted.
Zephyr rubbed the back of his neck.
“He didn’t know I rescinded my rejection of Wyatt,” Skye said to her brother.
“I…” Zephyr trailed off, his jaw hanging open. “I never told him you rejected Wyatt in the first place.”
Silence.
“Are you sure?” Rafe asked. “He seemed very aware of who Wyatt and I were when we came to question him.”
Levi’s eyes darted toward Skye, as if trying to gauge her reaction.
“Don’t worry, I know all about their interrogation,” Skye said. “You know, the one where you admitted you’re mad at me for not saving mom’s life?”
More silence descended, only this time, it was eerie.
That statement was a punch to my gut and it wasn’t even directed at me.
Levi stared at Skye like he was seeing her for the first time, and maybe he was.
I had a sudden realization. If the Crusader had reacted so viscerally to Skye’s appearance resembling that of her mother, maybe…
maybe Levi’s inability or unwillingness to look at Skye for too long was for the same reason.
Maybe it was painful for him. Or maybe in his mind, she was still twelve years old and he couldn’t accept that she’d grown.
Levi took a very measured breath before he spoke.
“I told you to pay attention to your intuition.”
“Dad,” Zephyr breathed, aghast.
“What? I did! She never listened!”
Skye scoffed, not sounding hurt in the slightest while a few shadows skittered across the floor.
Red tinged my vision as Levi’s words sank in. A strange sensation shot up my spine.
Something beyond irritation flared inside me, and I just…snapped.
I lurched forward, slamming my hands down on Levi’s leg closest to me.
Zephyr shouted, lunging for me. I braced for his blow, but it never came, and I glanced over my shoulder just long enough to see that Aiden of all people had taken Zephyr to the ground.
Rafe was at my side in an instant, his hands on Levi’s shoulders to hold him still while Skye only stared at all of us in utter shock.
It was very telling how she hadn’t moved to stop Aiden on Zephyr, or me on Levi.
Rafe was right. We were a functioning Chain. Whether she realized it or not, Skye’s trust in us had exceeded that of her family.
And with that realization, I sent a massive surge of my healing affinity into Levi’s spine, then legs, enough that it should have hurt a little.
The warmth from my hands felt similar to Aiden’s arms when he got pissed, though mine wouldn’t burn.
Levi sucked in a breath through his clenched teeth, and my jaw dropped.
“You feel that, don’t you?” I hissed, sending even more up into his thighs. I felt my affinity radiate around to his back, sliding over his tailbone and then into the base of his spine.
Where…nothing was happening. Nothing at all. Almost like…there was nothing there.
“You motherfucker!” Zephyr was shouting behind me. Somehow, my Link-mate had him pinned. Their friendship must’ve been keeping Zephyr from hurting Aiden to get free. “Stop, Wyatt. I fucking swear to God, if you hurt him–”
Hurt him? I wasn’t even healing him.
Nothing was happening.
I flinched away from Levi suddenly, my hands trembling, but not from exertion. The two of us stared at each other in shock for several moments while we panted, ignoring Zephyr’s yells from behind us. Rafe followed my lead, letting go of Levi and taking a few steps back.
I looked to Skye, who had a hand on her chest while it heaved with each breath, then settled my gaze on Levi.
“Get up,” I said lowly.
Levi froze. Didn’t even breathe.
Zephyr stopped thrashing behind me, and silence descended across the room like a fog.
I shook my head with a sardonic laugh. “Get up,” I repeated.
Levi looked over my shoulder, and his expression went from shocked to resigned. His shoulders slumped as Skye appeared in my peripheral, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Skye,” Zephyr’s voice broke. “No.”
Rafe chuckled darkly. “Oh, this is something else. Come on, Levi. Get up.”
A shadow whipped the blanket off Levi’s lap, another prodding at his knee, then twirling around his foot.
Levi’s leg jerked away from the shadow.
Everyone gasped.
“No,” Zephyr shouted, now on his feet. Aiden hovered behind him, ready to tackle him again. “You’re fucking kidding me. It’s a lie.” He turned his angry glare on me. “Explain this, right fucking now!”
I opened my mouth, not even sure what the fuck I could say, but then Levi dropped his head in shame before he spoke. “It’s not a lie…not his lie.”