“But why me?” I ask softly. “How could the spell possibly choose me? You really expect me to just fall in love with Shane, just like that?”
“Of course not,” Sadie says. “I don’t have the answers, Hyacinth. Just like you, I’m trying to find them.”
“We should visit the pack soon,” Trina says. “Once you begin to meet them, then you’ll understand why this is so important. Innocent people are dying, Hyacinth.”
Pain turns over in my chest, and I feel genuine compassion for the people who are being hurt by this. A sliver of resentment still remains within me, though, and I can’t help wondering if they even deserve absolution after what happened to Lynette.
This curse contains her desire for love, but it was made from her thirst for revenge.
“What happened to Darian?” I ask, mulling over the history I already know.
“I’m working on that,” Sadie says. “It might not be important, though. The curse was broken for each pack when we committed to our love and our lives together. That’s all that matters, I think.”
“And that’s what you expect me to do?” I ask. “And I’m supposed to start by fucking him?”
Sadie narrows her eyes at me, and I meet her gaze. An icy sliver of resentment has pierced my heart, and the chill seeps through my chest like poison.
He brought me here, trapped me… I hate him. But I want him! I…
“Hyacinth.” Trina gets up and comes over to me. Her arm around my shoulders feels more like she’s keeping me prisoner than comforting me. “No one is telling you what to do. I’ve been in your position, and I felt the same way—but you should alsoknow, I made things worse for myself by not accepting my own feelings.”
“What are you suggesting?” I ask.
“What we were talking about before,” Sadie says. “You admitted that you were drawn to him.”
“Yes,” I answer. “But that’s all the more reason to be cautious.”
Sadie tilts her head, and I get the feeling she can see right through me, as if she’s rifling through my emotions.
“What happened to you, Hyacinth?” Sadie asks.
Something in my chest breaks, and I look down into my lap as hot tears fill my eyes. I almost spill the whole story right then and there, but the cold sliver in my heart doesn’t melt, even under the burning wave of shame that floods through me.
I feel like she’s manipulating me. Getting under my skin. I’ll be damned if I let her work her magic on me!
“Seriously, Hyacinth,” Trina says, hugging me again. “I know how you feel, and now I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Just go with it. Allow for the possibility there could be something wonderful here.”
I shake my head, wiping away my tears. The hot rush of shame fades, and the cold, stubborn lump in my chest helps me bring myself back under control.
“I know that neither of you understands, but I promised myself a long time ago that I would never give up my body unless I was absolutely sure I was doing the right thing. You can sit here and tell me all the stories you like—it isn’t going to change my mind. It doesn’t matter if I’m attracted to him. I’m not sleeping with him.”
Trina rubs my shoulder again, trying to comfort me. Sadie gives me one of her calculated looks. I stare right back at her, almost daring her to read my heart and speak out loud what she sees in it.
Chapter 13 - Shane
When I arrive home, I can hear the girls talking in the living room. I pause by the front door, trying to gather the courage to go in.
This whole situation is insane. I’m afraid to walk into my own house. My people are dying. I don’t know if I hate Hyacinth or if she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
I rub my temples a little, then take a deep breath and go into the living room. Sadie and Trina look comfortable and composed, but Hyacinth turns her big violet eyes to me with a completely cold, blank face.
A trickle of discomfort runs down my spine. I could swear that I feel power emanating from her, just like I’ve felt from Sadie and Trina on occasion.
But they tested her for powers, didn’t they? If she were showing any sign of magic, Sadie would tell me.
“Hi, Shane,” Sadie says. “How are things with the pack?”
I shake my head. “Not great.”
