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"Breathe, she's not here much longer. Then we can take her back to our school," Tristan said, lifting her to a sitting position and holding her steady while Van slid her dress off. We kept our eyes on her face as Cal slid the shirt over her body. The shirt reached just above her knees, fitting her like a dress.
"Go change or you'll get her wet again," Calev ordered, easily lifting her into his arms. She made a small noise at the jostling but didn't open her eyes. Van glared at him before rushing around the room in vampire speed to get changed. He was done within seconds, a breeze blowing around the room in his wake. He scooped her out of Calev's arms and sank to the floor with her in one graceful motion.
"Aes, can you light a fire in here?" he asked, pointing to the metal trash can. A Mage’s fire had a low heat to the touch, but emitted a steady warmth. Aeson hurried over, dumping the random assortment of papers from the floor into the can, and closing his eyes. A few seconds later, the purple arcane fire bathed the room in an ethereal glow.
The rest of us slowly joined him, sitting around the fire with our eyes locked on Lennox. Something about her just drew me in, and I tried to resist reaching for her for as long as I could. Focusing on Van alone, I projected how much it was bothering me. He clenched his jaw and let out a sigh, before reluctantly shifting her over. When my arms were wrapped around her, and I could smell her sweet scent of berries and vanilla, my thoughts finally calmed. The others were projecting so much that their emotions were overwhelming me despite my mental walls.
It would seem weird how protective of her we were, if we hadn't spent weeks keeping watch over her and stopping assholes from approaching her. At this point, we were invested in her and learning more about her. But it went beyond that. I wanted to be there for her, to hold her when she was sad, to be truly with her. I may not have the primal possessiveness that some species have, but she was mine now… ours. Now that she had come into a portion of her powers, she would need us more than ever. Even if our presence is the last thing she wants, she’ll need to learn to at least tolerate being around us.
Staring down at her peaceful face, I studied her like this would be the last time I'd get to hold her. The way she’d reacted last time, it was a bigger possibility than I'd like. Though my hope was that she'd see that it wasn’t just her, that we were in this together. I brushed a strand of her rich, brown hair out of her face as I studied her. She was gorgeous, a unique beauty that drew me in. Though they were closed, I knew she had gorgeous sea green eyes, accented by long lashes. They stood out against her high cheekbones and her adorably dimpled chin. She was a classic beauty, but it was more than that. Under that shattered spirit was an impressive strength, and until today, she had never lost her hope for a better future. This wasn't a loss of strength, it was just showing how deep her loneliness went, I reminded myself.
"What's the plan?" Lachlan finally asked, his bear at the surface again as he stared at her. This time, there was a protective gleam in his eye, like he'd be willing to tear down the entire building if he could. I couldn't blame him for that. I'd do the same. Unfortunately, as far as powers went, I was useful... but weak. Though in this team, I was constantly reminded that we each had our strong points,
which was why we all worked so well together.
"We can’t force her. We have to wait and see what she says. Not to mention, we're the only ones here for her now," Calev said. With that thought we all grew silent, watching and waiting for her to make the next move.
March 18
Morning
Lennox
Pain flared to life inside of me, pulling me out of my slumber. A whimper escaped as I tried to take in a deep breath, my lungs feeling like someone had stuck knives in them, each breath tearing free from their hold. Flashes of memory moved through my mind, a slideshow of depressing moments until the end. They saved me? Why?
"You still have to ask yourself that?" Tristan's voice broke through the jumbled mess that was my brain. I opened my eyes, blinking in the dim light for a few moments, before I focused on his sweet face. Did I say that out loud? I must be woozier than I thought.
"Yeah," I mumbled, not willing to lie to him. He gave a small, sad smile, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. My cheeks flared at the closeness I wasn't used to.
"If I'm making you that uncomfortable, I can move away?" he whispered quietly. I glanced up at his pretty bright blue eyes, studying the emotions behind them. I expected to find judgement, disgust, and annoyance. Instead, I only found relief, a hint of protectiveness, and indecision. He’s actually worried about how I feel. I can’t remember the last time someone actually cared.
"Why did you do it?" Calev's harsh question startled me out of my stupor. Panic welled in me as I processed how to answer that without lying.
"You're sending her into a panic." Tristan's voice was hard as he spoke, glaring at Calev. Despite the protest, Calev never tore his dark gray eyes from me.
"No, she's strong enough to answer. I want her to trust us before this goes further," he countered, his eyes boring into me. There wasn't a single hint of judgement in his tone, which was the only reason I answered.
"After Clara read the letter, I needed space. I threw my stuff and took off, running to the only place that calmed me," I explained, taking another shaky, painful breath. Aeson's arms reached out for a second before he retracted them.
"The bridge," Calev encouraged, getting me back on track. I nodded slowly, closing my eyes against the tears threatening to spill free. One tracked its way down my cheek, and I angrily wiped it away. I didn't want to show weakness, not to them, the only people who weren't judging me. Maybe I should have let myself be weak around them, knowing they’d be there to help, but I just wasn’t ready for that.
"Yes. Something about that spot resonates with me, it always has. I know it sounds crazy, but it pulled me in, consuming me until I complied. My mental strength was broken from the letter, and I didn't have enough left to think through what was happening, it just all felt so bleak. So, when I got to the edge, instead of sitting, I walked off it," I finished with a sigh, looking down at my arms to see if the scales were still there, or if I had imagined them.
"They faded before we brought you inside. Aeson kept you and Evander warm until then," Calev explained. My eyes shot up to his face, startled. They saw me with scales, and they're not freaking out? Why?
"Because we aren't your average bears either, Goldilocks," Lachlan said, the serious look I was getting used to seeing replaced by an amused smile.
"How do you keep answering my thoughts? Can you hear everything I’m thinking?" I asked, scooting further away until my back hit the wall. I may have scales, but I had no clue if I could trust them.
"I can read them, but only when you're panicking or really focused on them. I don't get every single passing thought, just the strong ones. I get emotions, too. I can also open up a link between people or groups. Don't worry, I know you were checking us out," Tristan joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Prove it," I challenged, determined to see if they were actually as willing to trust as they said. I didn't want to trust them, to just take this. But I fucking grew scales, and that's hardly normal, so what was a little mind reading? If these guys were telling the truth, if they had answers, it would be stupid to turn them away.
"Remember you asked for this. If you scream or act a fool, we will leave you to deal with this on your own," Lachlan challenged, his voice hard. I met his challenge with determination. If they thought I was weak, I'd prove them wrong. Lachlan smirked at the fire in my eyes before turning around and taking his shirt off. As he reached for his belt, I yelped and covered my eyes, but not before I got a view of his perfectly toned, pearly white ass. Well, I was not expecting that.
"What, your superpower is getting naked?!" I squeaked out sarcastically, rubbing my chest as my lungs continued to burn. Deep chuckles filled the room, before a huge thud had me peeking out from between my fingers. A strangled cry started before I cut it off, remembering my promise. Lachlan was gone, but a huge bear stood in his place. The bear had vibrant green eyes, and his thick fur was a deep copper, reminiscent of Lachlan's hair in the light. "You're a fucking bear?" I asked in awe, forgetting my fear in the face of this badass power. Not wanting to startle him further, I projected a thought to Tristan. ‘Can I touch him, or is that the perfect way to become a snack?’
"You can, just no sudden movements until his bear trusts you," he answered quietly, everyone's eyes trained on me. Shutting out the attention, I focused only on Lachlan. Sliding slowly up the wall until I was standing, I took a tentative step forward, my arm outstretched. I stopped inches away from his snout, opening my hand palm up, letting him make the first move. With a low grunt, he stepped forward and nudged my hand. I giggled, in awe of the magnificent creature in front of me. My fingers shook as they ran through the thick, coarse fur, gaining confidence the more he became putty under my scratches. It’s a lot easier to let go and be close to a bear than it is to another human. What does that say about me? Trying to ignore the path my thoughts were going down, I giggled again as he nuzzled his head into my side.
