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When he rounded the coffee table, Maeve met his gaze. He then assessed the table. “Think I can sit on this?”
“Yes. It’s sturdy enough even though you’re the size of a small truck.”
He chuckled. He then pushed the table back just enough so he could sit directly in front of her. He gently tugged at her forearms.
When she responded by sitting up, he took her hands in his. “You’ve needed Kiara’s counsel these past few weeks, haven’t you?”
She nodded. “I just need her safe. She’s my best friend. She’s hurting and I haven’t been able to do anything for her.”
“That’s not entirely true. You found her when no one else could have. But I’m not thinking about Kiara. What I mean is, you’ve needed a witch guide for what you’re going through right now.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
“Let me ask you this, what do you think happened in the shower, when the memories started to return?”
She rolled her eyes. “Duh. I started remembering.”
“I think it’s more serious than that. Or perhaps, more profound might be the better expression here.”
At that, her brows drew together in a tight pinch and her attention became more focused. “What do you mean?”
“Maeve, you may not understand this, but you’re an exceptional force here in Five Bridges.”
She laughed. “Hardly. Or do you mean because of the rescues?”
He shook his head. “The night you killed the witches, what do you think actually happened?”
“I’ve told you. I went berserk.”
“But why did you go berserk and how did you manage to take down two powerful women who had a helluva lot more experience than you?”
She looked away from him slightly. He could see she was thinking. “Mostly, I’ve worked hard to put that night behind me. I think I got really upset by what was happening and whatever witch abilities I’d been developing got away from me. I figured that was why I couldn’t recall all that happened that night.”
“Maeve.” She looked up at him.
Braden released her hands but placed them on her arms just below her shoulders. “You’ve reached a crossroads. Kiara’s plight may have prompted what’s happening to you or maybe even my appearance in your life. The cause doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you begin to focus on who you are as an Elegance witch with Alpha-mate capacity. Can you do that?”
“It’s hard to do something I don’t understand.”
He tried another tack. “What if
I told you this is the only way we’ll be able to free Kiara.”
“You mean, if I rise to some new level here?”
“Exactly. My gut tells me it’s the way forward. Only this isn’t going to be fun for you. My guess is that you’ll need to connect with what caused you to freak out that night. In other words, you need to explore your killing power. But I’m here. I can help you. I might even be able to anchor you while you cross this bridge.”
“I suppose ‘bridge’ is fitting.” She attempted a smile but it was replaced quickly with another tight frown.
He nodded slowly, his hands still on her arms.
She sighed. “If you’re set on this, if you truly think this is what I need to do, then I think we should go into my spellroom.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she added quickly, “It’s not just for spells. I…I sometimes live down there. I feel safe in my burrow and, pun intended, very grounded.”
His hands slid away from her arms as he glanced around. He knew they had to be at least twelve feet belowground as it was. “Are you saying you have a second space even deeper in the earth than these rooms?”
“I do.”
Something inside his wolf trembled. He took one of her hands this time and held it firmly. He stared into her eyes and felt the alpha-mate call once more. His response was part sexual, that couldn’t be helped. But another part seemed to come from so deep in his soul, he couldn’t fathom what was happening.
