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The rubble came from there. And it was in black and white on the document Decebal had dug up on my past.
Dusk used those files as motivation: a prize for the moment we were free. I would never look. I’d burn them the second Decebal handed them over.
That hadn’t changed, but the reason…Shatterhad changed the reason.
Before, I knew there was no point to knowing. Now, I didn’t want to because I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t risk breaking again, when I had something to heal for.
“We’re going back tomorrow,” she said quietly. The silence had stretched for a long time. I drew her closer.
“I promise, Nightshade. You won’t be rushed into anything.”
When we returned to Rookwood Academy, she wouldn’t face her monsters alone.
TWENTY-EIGHT
DUSK
Decebal had got everything sorted with the Dean. Shatter was going to stay in the apartment with Ransom for the week under the guise of catching him up with course work. Well, shewouldalso be doing that since we were committed to the Academy for longer now.
Beyond that, I wasn’t sure. I would be damned if the Lincoln pack ruined her studies. We’d never planned on actually staying at the academy after we got what we needed, but she was our omega now, which meant if she wanted to see her classes through to the end, that’s what we’d be doing.
“Dusk?” Decebal caught me in the doorway as I was making for the car. The others were in, and we were ready to leave.
“Yeh?” I asked.
“I just had a thought. You said Shatter was different to any omega from the first time you met her?”
“Understatement,” I replied.
“Now she’s woken Ransom, and saved you and Umbra after Flynn touched you.”
“Right.”
“What if it’s because of what happened to her at the facility? She got injected with something she shouldn’t have. The poison they were using while you were there—her scent even matches it. What if it’s tied with how she’s healing you?”
“What are you getting at?” I asked.
“Vandle.”
I froze, staring at him. “You think her scent?—?”
“She brought you back. What if she could?—?”
“Iwon’ttake her into that place.” My voice was low. “Even if we wanted to?—?”
“We wouldn’t have to,” Decebal said. “All we’d need was her scent.”
Shit. He was right.
“Alright. Book a visit.”
I was left to ponder that as I drove us back to the academy. Shatter was in the back with Umbra, playing cards and Ransom was at my side. He was quiet again, but I thought he was less down. I hoped he’d heard me. I got it, feeling helpless, I really did, but he’d suffered enough.
The closer we got to the academy, the more nervous Shatter was through the bond. Umbra noticed, too, because he even let her win a game. Iknewhe had because that was a trick deck, and she literally couldn’t win unless he wanted her to.
Upon her victory, they stopped playing, and she curled up under his arm, fading away in the bond as if she didn’t want us knowing how she felt.
I still hadn’t surfaced either. I should, I knew that, but I hadn’t got a grip on my own feelings about dark bonding her, and she was so happy to be a part of our pack, I didn’t want her getting a flicker of it.
