“I think they forgot we are in the room,” Haven murmurs.
Rylee blinks. “Uh…” She focuses on my sister. “He didn’t touch me.”
“He didn’t have a chance,” Heath mumbles, slapping me on the back.
“Shit, these parties are the best,” River drawls.
“Right?” Sally chuckles.
I ignore all of them and pull Rylee close. I intended to defend my mate.
Her desire is just a bonus.
I made it forty-five minutes before the crowd, and Rylee’s simmering desire made me drop hints about leaving. It took fifteen more minutes for the round of goodbyes. I settle Rylee in the passenger seat, and my tension remains. As I drive away, I decide to share my experience with a lion.
“Ezra, what’s wrong?” she asks, curling her hand over my thigh.
“I need to explain.” I clear my throat.
“About the lions,” she guesses.
“Yeah.” I hate thinking about it. “When I was seventeen, a new student arrived at school. He seemed shy and awkward. I showed him around town and introduced him to my friends. After some time, he opened up and relaxed. We had a lot of things in common, so we spent a lot of time together. His home life wasn’t the best. I wanted to be someone he could count on, since he didn’t have anyone else. My group of friends welcomed him. We did all the things teenage boys did. Talking about girls was high on that list. He admitted he didn’t have experience, but most of the guys bragged about their girlfriends. Some of the crew were human, so we were careful about our world. Wecouldn't talk about having a mate someday. He stayed over at our house a few times, and one of those nights, he asked about being a shifter. Dennis had a difficult time shifting, and always had. He wanted my advice, so I tried to guide him. Even though I didn’t have experience with being a lion, the basics are the same. We shifted together.
“Sometimes Issy came with us. She’s always been full of energy. All my friends liked her, and I threatened them never to cross the line with her. They treated her like a sister and watched out for her at school. I was never the kind of brother who didn’t want it known she was my sibling. Everyone knew she was my family, and no one fucked with her. I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother.
"Dennis fit in with us, and I considered him the closest I was going to get to that; I hadn’t met Shade yet. He’d been around for six months and was a regular guest at our table. Mom treated him as if one of her own, and he soaked up her attention. I’d never met his parents, and he refused to introduce me.” I grip the wheel tight. “I thought he was embarrassed by them, so I didn’t push it.
“He joined the football team, and Issy was a cheerleader. I cautioned him to be careful. He had to take the hits as the humans did. It was a risk, but he loved being part of the team. I went to the games to see Issy and to cheer him on. One game I couldn’t make it to. I worked at a grocery store, and I had to pick up a shift. The game was out of town, two hours away. I asked him to bring Issy home after.” I park in front of her apartment and turn off the car. “I thought I could trust him,” I whisper.
“No,” Rylee says softly, and I stare out the window.
“Unfortunately, I was wrong. He attacked Issy that night. Dennis assaulted her on the side of the road and drove her home after. She was terrified.” I ball my fist. “She thought I wouldn't believe her because I was his friend. Dennis threatened her. Hetold her I would call her a liar, and it would break up the group.” I drop my head back. “I got home from work and checked on her. Her door was locked, and she told me she didn’t feel good. Said she ate something bad at the game. The next day, she stayed home from school. Dennis waited for me before class.” I turn my head. “The motherfucker looked me in the eyes and bragged about winning the game. He looked me in the eyes,” I growl, and Rylee’s eyes fill with tears. “The day was the same as any other. We hung out between classes, ate lunch together, and shook hands after school. My sister was sitting in the shower, scrubbing her skin raw while I laughed with her attacker.
“When I got home, she was still locked in her room. Mom was worried. I demanded she let me in, and she gave in. Her eyes were shattered. I knew it wasn’t something she ate. She couldn’t hold my stare, and she had her arms wrapped around her stomach. I could smell her fear. I was her brother, and she didn’t fear me, but my reaction.” I face forward. “She broke when I grabbed her shoulders. The story came spilling out, and it took every ounce of control I had to keep it together. The moment wasn’t about my feelings. I wanted to give her a safe space to let out all her emotions. Mom joined us, and we held her until her sobs ended. She fell asleep curled up in bed, held safe in our mom's arms. I stood watching them and made a decision. Mom nodded at me, and that’s all I needed. She gave me permission.
“I left the house and called Dennis. There was a piece of land on the edge of town that we often went to for parties or just to be away from our parents. It had several abandoned buildings scattered across it. I told him I was going to call the guys and have a party. He agreed to meet me. I know by his behavior that day, he wouldn’t suspect that Issy told me. Before I left the house, I went to the garage. I liked knives, and Mom bought me a new one on every holiday. She trusted me, and I kept most ofthem on a shelf in front of the cars. I grabbed my favorites and planned how I was going to kill him.
“Dennis didn’t know I could shapeshift. I didn’t share that side of my power with anyone except Mom and Issy. Before he showed up, I shifted my face to look like Issy. It gave me enough time to knock him out and carry him to one of the buildings. I prepared chains inside, a chair, and tape.” I’m transported to that day, and I remember everything about the moment. “He was wearing a hoodie my mom bought him. While he was unconscious, I cut it off his body. The nail marks were still visible on his chest. She fought hard. I taped his mouth and attached his arms and legs to the chair. I waited.
“When he became aware of the situation, I was twirling my knife in my hand. It was odd.” I shake my head. “He wasn’t afraid. I had all the advantages, yet his eyes crinkled. It was a big game to him, and even though he was going to die, he thought he had won. I spent four days torturing him. I pulled off his fingernails. He didn’t scream. His expression was filled with pain, but he didn’t make a sound. I decided to see how far I could go. He needed to be in as much agony as my sister. After every cut, stab, and slash, I let him heal slightly. In the end, he screamed.
“Mom and Issy tracked my scent. They were worried about me.” I look at Rylee. “She was worried about me. Fuck.” I rub my eyes. “When Issy saw the body, she grabbed my knife and lunged toward him. Dennis was dead, but I didn’t stop her. I let her stab him over and over. She cried and yelled. Afterward, they helped me bury the body. I didn’t want them to, yet they insisted. Foxy, I am amazed at the strength of women. Their hands were covered in blood and dirt, determined to participate in the murder of a shifter. He betrayed all of us, but violated Issy as if it were normal.” I bow my head.
“Oh, Ezra.” She climbs over the console and onto my lap. “Issy took some of her power back.”
“She shouldn’t have had to,” I growl, burying my face in her hair. “After that day, I hardly let her out of my sight. It was another man who hurt my family. I would kill Dennis again and again for Issy. Yet, I couldn’t understand why I had to.”
“You’re a good man.” She wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Of course, you can’t understand it. They are lucky to have you.”
“I tried to make up for it,” I say softly. “I didn’t fight with her. I took her to and from school. When I graduated, I stuck around. I didn’t want to leave her there. I was treating her as if she were fragile.”
“What did she say to that?”
“She set me straight. I still saw her as she appeared that day. Broken. Abused and angry. We talked, and she explained how she was feeling. She wasn’t ignoring what happened, but trying to move on from it. I wasn’t helping,” I sigh. “So, I backed off. I didn’t grill her when she left the house. I gave her space.”
“Did she talk to someone about what happened?” she asks.
“Mom found a therapist, and it certainly helped more than me following her around every minute of the day. I glared at every boy who came within two feet of her.” I laugh. “I get why she was tired of me. We moved on, and she healed as much as she could.”
