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Ellen shook her head. “Nothing would ease that. Save Cyrus’s demise.”
“That’s the only option?” Dante asked.
Mal rubbed his hands together. “Sign me up. I’m ready.”
“Is there anything in the book that can help us?” Anders asked. “Defeat him, I mean?”
“Not so far,” Hollis said.
“You didn’t know the book was there?” Finn asked Hollis.
“No idea. It’s been hidden in the trunk for years.” Hollis’s thumb brushed along her knuckles. “The things in the vault—spoke to her.” She appreciated the effort he was making to keep touching her. Did he know his touch eased her? Or was his wolf publicly staking his claim on her? Neither was bad.
“How does that work?” Anders piped up. “Books don’t talk, normally, you know. I’m not saying I don’t believe you cuz I’ve seen enough shit to know things aren’t cut and dry.” Anders had a way with words. “But this is right up there with the whole turning into a wolf thing.”
“If you’re a reader, you tend to be in tune. Alive or dead, past or present, written or spoken—I hear what needs or wants to be heard. Animate and inanimate objects, too, it seems,” she murmured. “It was useful for identifying wounds, their causes, and treating them.”
Olivia nodded. “Like having a built-in CAT scan.”
She nodded.
“You were born with it?” Finn asked. “Not taught?”
“I’ve never known a turned wolf to have the gift.” She paused. “From what I remember.”
“Back up, I’m betting that went over well.” Mal snorted. “Having someone get into your head. Most people wouldn’t like that.”
“No, they don’t. And I wouldn’t—don’t.” Ellen said.
“Cyrus knew?” Finn asked. “And used you power for his benefit?”
She stiffened but nodded.
The change in mood was palpable. Anger, fear, the call to hunt—all justified.
Finn leaned against his desk, his gaze searching her long and hard before he drew in a deep breath. “How did you lose your memory?”
“She sustained a massive head trauma,” Hollis interrupted, the edge in his voice growing. His wolf, ready to defend and protect her.
“What happened?” Finn kept his gaze pinned to her.
“Cyrus. He—the day my pack was wiped out.” She paused, awash in pain.
She avoided the screen then, needing to stay strong. It would be natural for Finn and his pack to panic over her words. They should. But knowing what Cyrus was capable of would ensure the same fate wouldn’t befall them.
“Your pack?” Mal growled.
Olivia’s voice wavered. “All of them?”
Her memories were still hazy, but she and Hollis had been able to piece together much of what happened. “We had tried to make peace, to make allies with the Others’ pack. William was the Alpha then, his brother Cyrus his second. Our pack’s abilities made us an asset or an enemy. To avoid bloodshed, William and I agreed to become a mated pair.”
“Wait, you can choose?” Anders sat forward. “Then why has Finn, Mal, and Hollis all lost their minds over their mates? It’s scary as shit. Couldn’t they choose not to bond? And, you know, stay sane.”
Ellen smiled. “Bonds are different. Your pack has true mated pairs, unbreakable for life, making their beasts stronger. William and I chose to for the good of the species—for peace. Once Cyrus realized we could use reading beyond healing, he became…obsessed.”
She took the glass of water Hollis offered her and smiled at him.
“Say what you will about Cyrus, he can weave a spell with words. He convinced the Others that we were witches, capable of mind-control. They’d all seen us reading—it wasn’t too great a leap. No matter the species, we fear what we don’t know.” She paused. “All who opposed him were killed—my mate and my daughter as well.” The quiet that fell was too heavy with fury and sadness.
