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“You would really kill him again?”
“With no regret after what he's done. You think I betrayed you by taking him from you, but I wasn't going to let him take you from me…. I was the one there. I was the one who kept you safe, I wasn't going to let him steal you away from me.”
“But he was also my mate! You could have shared!”
“I was done sharing with him! He doesn't deserve you.”
“And what, you did?”
“I've fucking killed for you.”
“Oh, don't I know that? Any boyfriend I had mysteriously wound up dead. Anyone who looked in my direction wound up dead, Casen!”
“To keep you safe!” I snarl.
“No, you just wanted to make sure no one else could take what was yours! You were just as bad as her! Always smothering me! I was a kid. A fucking kid, I was your prisoner,” she screams at me. Her words sting, and I swallow guiltily, Rose had a very sheltered childhood, but had I smothered her the way her mother did? Was I really that overbearing that I ruined her childhood, her teenage years?
She says nothing else, her silence speaks louder than any words. Then, we hear the patter of tiny feet. Casey, our daughter, enters the room in her pajamas, her eyes wide.
“Mommy?” she murmurs, her eyes wide as they go from Vince, to me, then her mother. “It's okay, sweetie. Go…”
Without a word, I scoop Casey into my arms. She clings to me, her tiny fingers curling into my shirt. Rose's protests fill the room, her voice desperate as she tries to reach for her daughter.
“Give her to me, Casen,” Rose cries out, lunging at me, but I step back, my gaze hard on hers.
“No, Rose,” I say, holding Casey tighter.
“This ends now, Rose,” I say, my voice low and determined. “I won't let my daughter stay in this toxic place. If you want her back, get your father to banish Vince. Or let me handle him.”
Silence blankets the room, punctuated only by the quiet sobbing of the little girl in my arms. Rose stands still, her expression pained and her eyes teary. She doesn’t say a word, but her silence speaks volumes. Turning away, I stride out of the house, Rose's cries of protest dying away behind me while Casey thrashes in my arms, wailing for her mother.
I don’t know what will happen next, but I'm determined to do whatever it takes to keep my daughter safe.
“Shh, Casey.” I try to calm her down. But she is inconsolable, her cries echoing through the night.
“No. I want my mommy.” She thrashes harder, kicking her little legs; when I see Andrei standing at the entrance to the pack house, he nods once as I kidnap my wailing daughter. When I hear Rose yelling for me to give our daughter back, I move faster toward Malik's place, not wanting to draw any more attention to us than necessary.
The lights are still on inside, and I can make out his distinct silhouette leaning against the railing. He opens the door, and his face falls when he sees me carrying a sobbing Casey in my arms. I don't need to offer any explanation, however, his eyes move to behind me. Casey's arms reach out for her mother as her wails fill the room.
He stands straighter, his hands reaching for Casey the moment I climb the steps; I let him take her just as I feel Rose grip the back of my shirt. Spinning on my heel, I walk back down the steps toward her, and she backs up.
Rose and I stand in the middle of the lawn, neither of us speaking, as she looks up at me with fear and confusion in her eyes. The only sound is Casey's muffled cry as she sobs in Malik's arms.
Finally, I break the silence. “You choose whose side you're taking, and until you choose the right one, you don't get her back! You know where I am when you want me to handle him for you.” With that, I walk inside, leaving Rose to make up her mind. I am not going to fight for her if she doesn't fight for herself.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
Eziah
As everyone parts ways, I lead Temperance down the halls, navigating our way back to the guest bedroom. The manor falls quiet, like the house is absorbing all sound. The manor's ancient walls seem to close in as I lead Temperance back to the room. When I woke up, for a few moments, I thought she had taken off, and I was back to having to look for her all over again. Shutting the door, she stands awkwardly, rubbing her arms against the coldness of the room.
“I don't like it here,” Temperance tells me. Her fear emanates through the bond and I nudge her toward the bed. She refuses, eyes stuck on the door.
“Have I hurt you?” I ask her and she shakes her head. “Have I let anyone hurt you?” I ask her and she shakes her head again. “And that won't change, so hop in bed,” I tell her, nudging her again. She chews her lip and my eyes immediately dart to the action. It takes me forever to convince her to climb into bed. Reluctantly she climbs in and I sit beside her.
“What's a Gemini twin?” she whispers as I lay down facing her. I sweep her hair back behind her ear.
“I'm a Gemini twin, same as Marabella, just like Dominic believes you are,” I tell her.
