“That’s a big secret for a ten-year-old to carry around.”
“Yeah, but you know Mav. He’s a stoic old man in a little kid’s body. He’ll take it in stride.”
I knew Maverick was super serious, and really mature for his age. But still… what he knew now, no kid should have to deal with.
But what John had done caused ripples to resonate through my family and friends, whether they knew the truth or not. There were consequences for everyone when people got hurt, not just the victims. I could try to shield my loved ones from the damage, but no matter how much pain I took, there would always be pieces that fragmented off to cut them.
My shoulders relaxed. “I’m really glad you’re here, Ez. It’s nice to have family around. Even though I wished you’d kept your freedom, your presence makes me feel like I’m not alone.”
“You’re never going to be alone. You’ll always have me,” Ezekiel promised.
Ez stood. “Now, where’s the cafeteria? I’m starving.”
That was Ez— always worried about food. “I’ll warn you, it’s not Mama’s cooking.”
“I don’t care. I’m so hungry I could eat a moose.Twomoose, even.”
I laughed, but the sound was wary. Ezekiel didn’t know what he was getting into at the Institute. This place wasn’t a game. There was only so much I could protect him from.
But at least he’d shown he could defend himself. It would be enough to keep him alive in here.
I hoped.
Chapter Five
Charlie
Ava had me worried earlier. Sometimes, she wouldn’t talk for hours, which was so unlike her. But the second her brother Ezekiel arrived at the Institute, it was like a switch had been flipped inside of her. I didn’t know if it was her bipolar— and if it was, how long it would last— or if that was just the effect her brother had on her. I could feel through our bond that she was more at ease around him, and I noticed she was eating more at dinner.
Oberi had picked up on it, too, as he constantly begged her for a grooming. I didn’t know if she’d noticed, but he didn’t bother her much when she was down. It was one of the ways I assessed her mood, even when she wouldn’t outright tell me how she felt.
Ez was great and easy to get along with. He quickly melded into our group and ate with us at every meal.
“How’s your first week been?” Marcus asked Ez at breakfast one morning.
He hesitated. “It’s, um… interesting.”
“Interesting how?” Kallie asked.
“I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest,” Ez admitted as he poked at his food, the fork scratching the plate. “Some people are really nice, like you guys. Others are… a little scary.”
I heard the hesitation in his tone and realized he must’ve been shooting glances around the cafeteria.
“Pft.” Ava blew a breath. “Forget about Mad Dog. We kicked his ass during the Games, and that’s not even the first time.”
“And probably won’t be the last,” I teased.
Kallie clapped Ez on the back. “As long as you stick with us, you don’t have to worry about him. He’s not coming anywhere near us.”
“Though you might want to steer clear of Deuce and his goonies,” Marcus added.
“Why’s that?” Ez sounded instantly intrigued.
I nearly winced. “We had a confrontation during the Games. His team stole our first-aid kit, and I choked out a merman on their team. I don’t think he’s the kind to drop it.”
He was also in the fight club alongside me, though we trained at different times. I tried to avoid him as much as possible.
Ava swatted me lightly. “Don’t go scaring my brother. Deuce has left us alone for weeks. We can handle him.”
