AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I can’t do this,” I finally said.
“What?”
“All of this. I’m not a pawn that should be used for a power play. I’m not here to give you or Turk or anyone else some kind of power boost.”
Bishop was getting angrier, his power growing in the room. At least that meant that his power was back. A part of me wondered if some of that power had come because of our bond.
“I think you should leave,” I said to Bishop. “I wanted to make sure you were okay, but now that I know you are, you should go.”
“You’re just kicking me out?”
“I need time to think.”
It was Bishop’s turn to look insulted.
“Look, I don’t need this shit. If you’re not interested in playing this game, you tell me so loud and clear, and I’ll fuck off. I didn’t start this because I had some inherent need for someone in my life. In fact, being with someone makes me weaker, not stronger.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” I said sarcastically. “Thanks for informing me that I’m your weakness.”
Bishop threw his hands in the air. “What the hell do you want from me? If it’s about your power, you’re mad. If it’s about a weakness, you’re mad.”
“It’s not about either of those things!” I barked back.
The truth was, I didn’t know what anything was about anymore. I was just angry that the whole thing had happened in the first place. I felt bombarded by the fact that using me as a pawn had been a topic of interest. I was pissed off that Colter didn’t trust me, and I was angry that I’d come here on a mission and nothing I’d done had worked.
None of what I felt was fair to take out on Bishop, but could he really tell me that he wasn’t using me? He’d said himself that he wanted power over love.
“This was a mistake,” I said.
Bishop pursed his lips, anger flashing in his eyes, but he nodded.
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” he said. “I’ll let myself out, then.”
He turned his back and left.
I hated that he was walking away, but damn if I would be the one to admit that I was wrong and call him back.
It turned out that Bishop wasn’t the only one with pride.
When the door slammed, the sound jerked through me. The silence that remained in Bishop’s absence was deafening.
I sat on the couch, trying to let the facts sink in for a moment. What now?
The truth was that Turk wasn’t missing, which I had already learned. But Bishop had lied to me, or at least omitted the truth, when he knew why I was in town. Whatever the fuck was going on, it had nothing to do with me, and that shifter didn’t need saving.
Why was I still here, then? I could go home. I suddenly wanted to go home so badly, to leave this whole nightmare behind, and sleep in my own bed again. I hadn’t come here to be used as a puppet, to be told by everyone how to do things differently than how I did it.
I didn’t come here to get my heart broken.
How the hell had it happened, anyway?
21
RORY
“Rory!” Elaine called when I walked into the clinic. “There you are.” She came toward me. “Where have you been?”
“I had some… personal issues to take care of.” I couldn’t explain everything to her right now. “I want to talk to you. Can we have lunch together?”
