“Silas, please.”
Ella’s voice is like a gentle lull in a roaring storm. She approaches us hesitantly and kneels beside Parker. Parker thrusts Matthews back against the wall, but releases him. Getting to his feet, he moves away, as if he can’t bear the sight of Matthews and Ella together.
“You’ve been lying to me for almost a year,” Ella says to Matthews, her voice unsteady. “Please tell the truth now. How do you change the past?”
I nearly choke. Not only because he’s done the impossible and changed the past, but he’s integrated himself into her life for one whole year?Why?
Every tense line in Matthews’ face eases as he stares at Ella. “I’m not telling them anything until I know they won’t run straight back into the past and undo the changes I’ve made,” he says slowly, his deep, smooth voice laced with sedative.
“If you’re so adamant about saving her, why did you shoot her?” Parker asks, his voice breaking.
Matthews slumps back against the wall, his sluggish gaze crawling between Parker and Ella.
“Don’t bother denying it,” I say, jerking my head toward Ella. “She’s seen Parker’s memory. Why did you shoot her?”
“She told me to,” Matthews says, his eyes rolling back in their sockets.
“Just like she told you to insert yourself into her past and take advantage of her?” Parker says, a humorless smile on his face.
Matthews shakes his head. “I barely touched her. I’d never stoop to that,” he says, and Ella gets to her feet, chin trembling as she moves to stand beside Parker.
“What do you want, a medal?” I ask Matthews. “Youchangedher past. Replaced my memories. It goes against everything the Alphas stood for.” I take in his handsome face, the harsh lines eased by the strong analgesic flooding his system. Once I thought he was a good man, with a rare decency so few possess. Once I’d looked up to him. The thought makes me sick. You don’t survive on the streets without being a sound judge of character.How was I so wrong about him?
“She would’ve been ashamed of you,” Parker says, fire behind every word.
Matthews laugh is low and cold. “Don’t pretend like you knew her,” he says slowly. “Wrapped up in your own self-pity. Drinking. High. Missing sessions. You hadno ideawhat she went through before Neurovida. What happened to her.”
“What are you talking about?” Parker says, turning to me. “Rose?”
I shake my head. “All my memories of Ella’s ex-boyfriend are gone.”How the hell did Matthews erase them?
“Neurovida wrote the oath to stop us getting too close to each other,” Matthews slurs.
“They wrote the oath to stop our memories splitting and to keep us safe,” I say.
Matthews laughs, and his eyes drift shut, the tension bleeding from his drawn, scarred eyebrows.
“Wake up,” I yell. “What happened to Axis and Bandit after we left?” I demand, shaking his massive frame. “Axis and Bandit. Where are they?”
He slowly opens his eyes and mumbles, “Gone.”
“You killed them,” I whisper. My chest feels like it’s caving in on itself. Gritting my teeth, I hold back the tearsstinging my eyes. I grip the front of Matthews’ shirt and pull him toward me. “Tell me how you change the past.Tell me,” I scream into his face.
Matthews’ head slumps forward. “I won’t.”
Pressure builds in my chest.I want to hurt him. I want him writhing in pain for what he’s done.“If you don’t tell me, I swear to fucking God, I’ll kill you.”
Matthews’ eyelids close, and my brain splits in agonizing pain.He’s trying to travel away.Crying out, I crumple to the floor, fighting to keep contact. Even sedated, his strength is incredible, but I grit my teeth and hold him in this time, my vision blurring.
“What’s happening?” Ella cries.
Parker stumbles toward us, hands landing beside mine on Matthews’ shoulders. Power surges from Parker, warm energy gushing through Matthews and returning to Parker’s hands, white-knuckled beside mine. Parker’s influence thrums against my palms, a silent request to be let in.
I draw it toward me, and the moment it passes my fingertips, it cascades up my arms and into my chest, gathering and melding with my own power before surging back toward my hands. Our combined influence barrels into Matthews, amplified tenfold, coursing through his body like an avalanche of power.
Matthews relents, and the searing pain abruptly ceases. I slump back against the wall, gasping for breath. Sweat shines on Parker’s brow, and Matthews is breathing heavily, as affected as we are by our mental game of tug-of-war.
Parker moves away, but I can still feel his power flowing through Matthews, his influence licking at the spot where my hand clutches Matthews’ strong shoulder.
