The Devil's Kiss

Chapter Two



We arrived at a large log house surrounded by green grass, dozens of shrubs and trees. Enormous wide windows sat along the front side of the home where low lighting poured out into the night. Four chimneys had dark smoke drifting from them and there were no flowers in sight. Snow would make it a perfect Christmas escape.

“Your home is incredible,” I said to Valor.

“It’s home.” Valor sighed, obviously tickled to be home.

Couldn’t say I blamed him there. The house was nestled into mountains with miles upon miles of wilderness.

“Come this way.” Valor waved toward the house. “Briggs is waiting for us.”

Kyden and I followed him up the stairs to the front entrance. Valor didn’t hesitate and swung the door wide. The moment I stepped through the thick wooden door, my breath was stolen as I looked up. The ceiling had to be forty-feet high, with wood everywhere. The walls were decorated with large paintings of wolves frolicking.

Valor led us to a living room that was just off the entrance. A fire burned brightly with two oversized couches hugging around it. Briggs was sitting on one of them—concern tightened his normally lighthearted spirit. Not only was he Kyden’s closest friend, but he was also as mischievous as they come.

Usually, a smartass grin would fill his slender face, along with yellow eyes and high spiked brown hair, but that is not what I found tonight. As Valor’s Beta—his second in command—he was always strength personified. Now, his appearance led one to believe he was only a pack member with no ranking at all. As we stepped into the room, his head snapped up toward us and he stood immediately. “You have arrived.” His voice was hurried as he rushed over to me and pulled me into a fierce hug. His entire body trembled.

“Hi Briggs,” I managed through his tight squeeze.

He reached out touching Kyden’s shoulder and released me from his hold. “You doin’…”

Kyden interrupted him. “I am well, Briggs.” He examined his friend curiously. “You alright?”

Briggs never answered, just glanced over his shoulder.

I followed his gaze to see a small wolf cowering in the corner. Her eyes were frantic as she whimpered. “Ahh…poor baby,” I soothed.

Briggs’ gaze swung back to me. “She is not well.”

“Yeah, I see that.” I started to approach her and she yelped loudly. Her entire body trembled. I froze, meeting her terrified gaze, then I saw her injuries. Blood was seeping from too many wounds to count. “She’s hurt,” I stated harshly.

“We cannot heal her,” Valor said softly. “She won’t let us get close enough to offer aid.”

I glanced back at Kyden. “This may be harder than I thought.”

“She is very frightened.” His gaze locked on the wolf, in classic concern for Nexi protective mode.

“What can you do?” Valor asked urgently.

Before I had a chance to respond, Briggs shouted, “You must do something! Please, you have to help her.”

My brows furrowed a little at his unexpected outburst. “Are you okay, Briggs?”

He looked about ready to explode. He shook his head, his eyes tight with emotion I had never witnessed in him before. “You need to help her.”

“Do you know her?” Kyden asked the obvious question as he examined his friend inquisitively.

“Not until tonight. I had never met her before but…”

As the silence grew thick, my gaze lingered on the trembling wolf. Suddenly, a light bulb clicked on. Briggs was attracted to her. Which came as a shock, since he’d never seen her human form, nor had an actual conversation with the little wolf for that matter. I could only assume it was some wolf thing I didn’t understand.

“How’s fluffy doing?” A loud voice came from behind me.

When I looked back, a woman around my age entered the room. Her shoulder-length hair flipped out at the ends, brown eyes surrounded by thick beautiful lashes and a pouty mouth that people paid good money for. She was one of those—the naturally beautiful type—I wasn’t even sure she was wearing makeup. Instantly, I was envious of her. It was obvious from the pajamas she wore, she had just got out of bed. When I wake up, I look like something that came out of a tornado—nothing like this loveliness in front of me now.

Valor’s growl came loud and rumbled along the floor. “Isla, I told you not to come in here.”

She huffed at him, dismissing his remark with a wave of her hand. “Whatever, old man.”

Holding back my laughter was impossible, realizing just who she was. Valor had once said that I reminded him of Isla, his daughter. Immediately, understanding dawned.

Valor gave his daughter a reprimanded look, before he did turned toward me. “Nexi, this is Isla.”

Isla’s eyes widened. “Nexi.” She stuck her hand out hurriedly. “It’s great to finally meet you.”

I shook her hand and nearly had my arm ripped off by her fierce handshake. When she let go, I flexed it a moment just to get the feeling back in it. “Nice to meet you too.”

Isla’s chin lifted as if she’d just received the compliment of the year. “Kyden,” she said, keeping her eyes focused on my face.

“Pleasure to see you again, Isla,” Kyden responded, even though she didn’t appear at all interested in him.

“Now go back to your room,” Valor ordered.

She snorted, snapping her gaze to her father. “Get serious! I’m not going anywhere.”

Valor’s looked at me with perfect understanding. “I did tell you once, didn’t I?”

I nodded, laughing. “You did.”

Isla turned on him, squared her shoulders, her hands firm on her hips and even threw in a stomp of her foot. “What did you say about me?”

“Nothing of importance,” Valor laughed.

Through the laughter, came a low harsh growl. Then unexpectedly, Briggs shouted, “Isla, go back now. We do not have time for your games. Get out.”

Isla looked completely shocked, which was soon replaced by a pissed off beauty queen. “You don’t talk to me that way.”

Briggs stepped closer, glared down to her. “I will talk to you however I damn well please. We need to help this wolf and you are wasting time.” He pointed to the foyer. “Now go.”

Kyden reached out to Briggs, placed a hand on his shoulder. “Relax, Briggs.”

Briggs shook off his hand, full of something that was far past enraged. “We need to get on with this.”

“Okay.” I stepped in, trying to ease him. His body was wrapped so tight in fury, I was a little concerned he was going to lose it. “Listen, Isla, it was super nice to meet you. Briggs is right, though, we have to get back to this. Can I come see you later?”

She smiled innocently. “Of course.” Then, she glared at Briggs. “See dufus, you didn’t have to be such an ass about it.” With a flick of her hair, she growled at him and left.

Valor gave me an appreciative nod. “What are you going to do?”

That was the million dollar question now wasn’t it. I glanced back at the wolf that was now shaking worse than the last time I looked. Resolved, I met Valor’s eyes and started in the only place that made any sense. “I need some supplies.”

Kyden’s brow arched. “Supplies?”

“Yep, I need a pillow and a blanket.”

Before I had finished speaking, Briggs ran from the room, and was back a second later carrying the requested items. “Will this do?” he asked frantically.

First, I took the items from him then I hugged him. “I will do what I can to help her, Briggs.” He leaned away, not looking settled in the least.

“Alright, all of you, out.” They all looked at me as if I was nuts. “You heard me.” I pointed to the door. “Out.”

Briggs nodded, as did Valor.

Kyden leaned in, kissed my lips. “I will not be far. If she attempts to hurt you, yell for me and I will come.”

“I doubt she is capable of that right now.”

Kyden glanced to the wolf, his jaw tight, sending the muscles to flex deeply. Apparently, the idea of leaving me alone with her was not his first choice. “Young wolves can be unpredictable. Just stay cautious.” He followed the same direction Briggs and Valor had used, and I noticed a sliding door that would close off the room.

Just as he reached the door, I called out, “Close the door, will you?”

Kyden glanced back, his gaze met mine, then he shut the door. His expression was curious that was for sure. It appeared that he had no idea what I was about to do. To be honest, neither did I.

When the door closed, I glanced back to the little wolf. She was whimpering so softly my heart broke. God, this must be so terrifying. Turning into a furry creature with four legs had to scare the willies out of a person.

Instead of approaching her, I went over to the couches and pushed them to the other side of the room to give us some space. Just as I was about to sit down in the open space, I noticed the rug. It was a dead bear sprawled out with its mouth wide open. “Eww…this rug is sick!”

Nevertheless, it was better than sitting on a hard wooden floor. I put the pillow on the bear’s head so I wouldn’t have to look at it, sat down, and pulled the blanket over me. It was one of those soft velvety ones—snuggly soft.

Once I was comfy, I met her gaze again. Now that I was closer, she cowered further away. Her entire body shook and her bright silver-flecked eyes were wide open. She was such a pretty wolf with soft brown fur and four white paws. Very slender—petite.

“Hi,” I said in a quiet, I’m a friend, voice. “I’m Nexi. I really wish we could have met under different circumstances, but what do you do?” Her whimpering got louder. “Listen, I know you’re scared. Trust me I’ve been where you are.”

And that was the beginning of a conversation that went on for hours. I laid it down. Told her everything that had happened over the past months—how I came to arrive in the Otherworld and just all the crazy shit I’d been through since.

I didn’t leave out a single detail and gave strong emphasis on just how I felt through it all, in hopes she would come to see that I understood what she was going through. Well, as much as I could, as a non-werewolf.

As each hour passed, she seemed to shake less and even inched forward a little. By the time I was done, she had actually lain down and rested her head on her paws. She looked utterly exhausted.

“Okay, you must be tired. I know I am.”

The sun had come up some time ago and my eyes were beginning to sting. Sticking to vampire time, means daylight is a night gone on too long. “Now, I know you’re scared and you must be cold.” I reached out to her. Her head shot up and she yelped. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I soothed. “Sometimes you need to trust, even when it’s hard to.” Had I ever learned that lesson? “This is one of those times.”

She sat for a few minutes, then slowly crawled toward me. With small movements, I moved in very slow and smooth motions, not wanting to startle her. When she was just a foot away, I leaned forward and rubbed the side of her belly, stunned to realize how soft wolf’s fur is. It was like peach fuzz on her belly. Within minutes, she relaxed.

“You’re badly hurt. Will you let me help you?” She bobbed her head eagerly. Obviously, her pain was bad. Never had I expected her to be so compliant, but I was glad she was. Watching her in pain was excruciating. I was desperate to help her and my gifts as a Spirit Witch meant I could. “This is going to be weird, but I am going to use my magic on you. Just close your eyes. It will only take a second, then you will feel all better. Okay?”

When her eyes shut, I drew on Spirit. Months ago, this would have been a strain on me. Now it was like nothing more than breathing. Warmth and adrenaline poured through me as it always did when the Spirit element rose. Only seconds passed before the adrenaline peaked, then with my hand on her belly, I released the magic.

She instantly yelped, cowering backwards.

“It’s over now,” I said quickly. “I know it hurt, but you feel better now right?” It always hurt, especially deep wounds. With that, I could sympathize.

She looked down at her paws to see the blood was gone and moved around, obviously to test that her extremities were no longer restricted in pain. Then, she met my eyes in bewilderment and gave a little bark of apparent thanks.

“Yeah, I know, freaky. Took me a while to get used to it too,” I waved her forward. “Now come on, let’s get some sleep. I’m bushed.” She inched her way back up toward me and lay down at my feet. “Come closer.” I waved her to come closer again. “We’ll share the blanket.”

Whenever I’m scared, having someone to cuddle up with always made things better. I hoped it would comfort her in the same way. Truthfully, there was also an ulterior motive behind my actions. I hoped the tender touch would calm her enough to allow the shift.

She slowly crawled forward, inching up to my side. When she settled down in front of me, I snuggled into her and pulled the blanket over us. This would be, in any normal situation, considered weird, but I felt compelled to help her. Could be due to Briggs’ reaction to her—if he wanted her better, I wanted it too.

Nestled against me, she growled a low sleepy sound and her breathing evened out. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

Suddenly, the door to the room slowly opened. I quickly glanced at the wolf in my arms, glad that the sound of the door hadn’t awakened her.

I glanced up to find Kyden standing in the doorway. I raised a finger to my lips, a silent command for him to keep quiet. If he woke her and frightened her all over again, he’d be dead.

When he saw the wolf snuggled into me, warmth washed over his features. He gave me a soft smile, then closed the door again. I glanced back to the young wolf. She was sound asleep in my arms—peaceful. Everything would be alright.

It had to be.

* * * *

A poke to my face woke me. When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t pleased to see the sun still in the middle of the sky. Only a couple hours sleep never stood well me.

Another poke came. When I looked away from the window, to say I was shocked was an understatement, as I found myself wrapped around a woman. She looked to be about my age and the softest thing I’d ever held. She had long baby-soft brown hair, deep silver eyes and porcelain skin with perfect rosy cheeks.

“Well, this is a first I have to say.” I laughed quietly.

She smiled softly and her eyes grew more beautiful by the second. “Me too.”

Slowly, I eased my arms from around her and cuddled up with the blanket. “I see you shifted. That’s very good.”

“I don’t remember doing anything,” she said. “I remember going to sleep and when I woke up, I was back to normal.”

“I’m guessing it’s because you relaxed. Valor said something like that, but really, don’t ask me. I’m no expert in the wolf department.”

“Valor is the big one?” she asked, curiously.

“Yeah, he’s the Patriarch.” When she looked so confused by the word, I laughed. “Don’t worry. They’ll explain the ins and outs of the wolf world to you later.”

She gave her head a little shake, apparently dismissing her further questions. “Thank you for talking with me last night. I…well…I was…”

“Scared shitless,” I finished for her.

She laughed. It was so sweet and soft. “Exactly.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been there too.”

“So, it’s true what you told me?”

“Every last bit of it. You are now in a world that will amaze you every day. Trust me on that. But it’s good. Really good.”

“Are we alone here?” she asked, glancing around.

“No. They are here…”

Just as the words left my mouth, the door flew open. Briggs stood, wide-eyed and speechless. I sat up as Kyden entered.

Kyden laughed and gave Briggs a slap on the back. “You could have knocked, you wanker.”

“Hi. This is…” I glanced back to her. “Gosh, I never asked your name.”

She was staring at Briggs, a little wide-eyed herself. “I’m Rynn Murphy.”

“Rynn—pretty name.” I looked back out at Briggs and Kyden. “Everyone, this is Rynn.”

“Are you well, Rynn?” Valor asked, from the doorway.

“Yes.” Her voice was quiet and reserved. “Nexi fixed the wounds last night.”

Valor smiled, genuinely. “Wonderful,” he exhaled.

The meaning of that sigh was clear. He finally relaxed, knowing he wouldn’t have to destroy her. His whole body seemed to decrease in size as the tension left him. Even I let out a relieved sigh.

Briggs reached out his hand to Rynn. She hesitated for a moment, but then took it. When she stood, he wasn’t the only one a little taken aback. This woman was beauty personified. Her figure was flawless. She was a petite little thing that came up to Briggs’ chest and her curves were rounded and soft.

Briggs stood dumbfounded.

Kyden stood to the side, laughing quietly. As was Valor. Obviously, this wasn’t the norm for Briggs. I cleared my throat. “I think this is our cue to leave.”

Rynn grabbed my arm frantically, nearly begging. “Do not leave me.”

“Okay.” I took her hand and she grasped it tightly. “I’ll stay.” Then, I glanced to Valor. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

Valor gave Briggs a hard shove in an apparent attempt to get him to snap out of it. “Come on, Briggs, let’s show them around.”

Through the house, we passed a proper dining room, sitting room and a sizeable kitchen. French doors sat at the end of hall and led out to the back. Once outside, I looked around at Valor’s spread a moment. Behind the house was a small barn with horses grazing the fields. It was endless beauty here—mountains, green valleys, rolling hills. “So, where are we exactly?”

“Cache Valley in Utah,” Valor answered.

Now here, I could understand Utah’s whole Adventure Awaits get-up. This city was paved for just about every outdoor activity ever made. As we made our way around the grounds, Rynn stayed glued to my side, her hand tight in mine. The way I figured it, she was probably going to stay close for the next couple days or so. I didn’t mind. She was sweet. My instinct to protect her was fierce, and if that meant, lending her a little of my strength as she tried to make sense of her new life, I was perfectly fine with that.

“It’s amazing here,” Rynn commented.

“This will be your home now,” Valor smiled. “So, it is good you think so.”

Rynn froze, tension rippled through her. “I’m not going home?” she questioned, her words slow and forced.

Briggs moved closer to her, his stance protective. “Your home is with us now.”

Tears formed in her eyes. “But…”

Valor shook his head, searching for words. “We know of your life, Rynn. We know your only family is your grandfather who is ill.”

She wiped the tears away from her face, but more welled up in her eyes. “I need to pay for his care. I have to get back to him.”

Valor shook his head, his tone soft and reassuring. “Do not worry yourself with this. I have already moved your grandfather into a wonderful facility closer to us where he will get the care he needs. As for the cost, it has already been taken care of.”

“You paid for his care?” She looked shocked. Her eyes wide as the rest of the tears spilled out. “He is somewhere nicer?”

“You are one of us now,” Valor answered her. “We take care of what is ours. You will learn that about us soon enough. Fear not, young one, your grandfather is well. I will personally take you to him as soon as you can manage it. At this point, the chance of you shifting in front of him is great. You do not have control yet. It is best not to see him until you are in full control of yourself.”

“But…” Rynn squeaked.

“You might endanger him,” Valor said firmly. Then, he reached out to touch her arm, and she screamed a little, flinching. He immediately drew back, eyeing her curiously, and he wasn’t the only one. Her reaction was quite peculiar. She was afraid of his touch, and not in a he’s a wolf kind a way. It was more a he’s a male type reaction.

Instantly, I was befuddled and not the only one. Valor and Kyden watched Rynn with complete confusion. Briggs only looked worried. Nothing made sense. Rynn had let Briggs touch her earlier and hadn’t reacted that way to him.

The need to find the underlying cause of this mystery, I tightened my hand around hers and used my magic to read into her. Just another perk to being a Spirit Witch.

The moment I did, however, I wished I hadn’t.

My breath hitched and tears filled my eyes as I witnessed firsthand what happened to this young woman. Without thought, I hugged her. She began trembling in my arms. Probably, reliving the night of her attack, and it was more horrible that I could have imagined. That night, the wolf raped her before he shifted and attempted to kill her. Judging by the pain she was in, it was more than horrific.

Without a chance to say a single word, Rynn fell from my arms and shifted into her wolf. Valor’s words to her suddenly made a whole lot of sense. If her emotions ran high, she would be unable to control the shift.

“I am sorry for what happened to you, Rynn,” I said, kneeling next to her, stroking her head.

Even in her wolf form, the humiliation in her eyes was evident. She tore her gaze from mine, whimpered and ran off. No one went after her as she met up with the horses. Obviously, she needed time and no one here was going to deny her that.

“What was that about?” Kyden asked, nudging my arm.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and glanced up at him, heartbroken. “He raped her.”

Briggs went from concerned to boiling with rage in two point two seconds. “He did what?” he said through gritted teeth.

“When I was holding her, I read into her a little. The reason she was afraid of Valor’s touch is because the wolf raped her.” I glanced over toward where Rynn had run and then back to them. “She was still a virgin.”

Briggs growled, low and deep. “If he was alive I would skin him.”

“Sweet thing,” Valor said in a soft whisper. “How horrible. So much innocence there and now…”

Kyden wrapped an arm around me and I sank against him, needing the extra warmth. “How badly is she traumatized?”

“I can’t even imagine what she is going through. A lot of what I saw is her fear and confusion.”

“Did you read anything else?” Valor asked.

“You were right. She only has her grandfather. He raised her. Her parents were junkies and they have long been out of her life. She has spent the last year taking care of him. When he got too sick, she had to place him in a home. He’s got a severe case of Alzheimer's and doesn’t remember her.”

“They mentioned that when I went to transfer him,” Valor said, his tone regretful.

Kyden tightened his arm around me, his expression was full with pain for Rynn. “She has had a rough go of things.”

“You’ve got that right. She works three jobs to pay for his care and keeps to herself. No friends or real happiness. Just the need to take care of her grandfather. I can tell you this though, she is a lot stronger than she gives herself credit for.”

“We need to get her bonded to the pack immediately,” Valor said with a deep sigh. “We will help her through her trauma.”

“Huh?” I wasn’t sure the benefit of exposing her to too much at once.

He laughed a little, as he and everyone often did at my lack of knowledge. “Packs have magic that surrounds them. It’s what bonds us together and once you are welcomed into it.” He glanced back to Rynn. “It’s very hard to feel alone. We will help her through this. I will call a gathering immediately. It should aid her greatly.”

Suddenly, Rynn ran back to us and sat at my feet. Her eyes had returned to their normal softness. I rubbed her head and she leaned into my hand. This time, I chose not to read into her any further. It was my rule—stay out unless needed. Personal privacy and all.

Valor knelt down in front of her. “I will help you change back, Rynn. Consider this your first lesson.” She gave a little bark in agreement. “Close your eyes, sweetling.” She complied. “You have the ability to change at will. It is a power that lies within you. You need to settle yourself, calm your mind. When you feel peaceful then release the wolf within you. Find your human form and remember it. Remember what you look like. Feel the magic running through you.”

It took a very long time, but eventually the air shimmered and she returned, kneeling in front of Valor. He reached out, not touching her, just held out his hand to her, patiently. Rynn just stared at it as if she was looking down the barrel of a shotgun.

This was getting us nowhere.

Slowly, I knelt beside her, put my hand in Valor’s. He raised a brow at me but when I smiled in return, he focused back on Rynn. We sat like that for a very long time before she hesitatingly reached out and lay her hand on mine. With gentle care, I removed my hand and leaned back.

Rynn stared at her hand resting in Valor’s for all of one second before she burst into tears. Valor immediately lunged forward, wrapped his arms around her while she cried and screamed for all the wrong done to her.

It surprised me that she hadn’t shifted, but then it quickly made sense. Valor said pack magic could help her. His contact must have forced her to stay human.

Watching her sob with such fierceness, I couldn’t help but cry right along with her. It was just so sad. How the world could be so cruel to someone as sweet as this one is such a travesty. The only relief I had was that from this day on, her life was going to get better. Valor would see to it.

Her sobs eventually quieted and her shaking lessened. Valor hadn’t let go of her for a second. Her arms were tight around him as she used all his strength to release her terror. Only when she backed away, did he loosen his hold. “I have made a mess of your shirt.” She wiped the tears from her face.

“That is not of any concern. Are you feeling up to seeing more of my home?” Valor asked her.

It was clear what he was doing. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of her breakdown. Didn’t want her to feel ashamed for having done it. It was the right thing to do.

Rynn nodded.

Briggs came over and reached down to help her up. Again, there was no hesitation in her touching him. Valor had her scared silly. Briggs, she welcomed. Something was funny here, and it was something I was going to get to the bottom of.

Rynn came over to me and tucked herself close to me. I took her hand again as we approached the fenced pasture. The horses were the most beautiful creatures I’d ever seen. They looked similar to a draft horse with broad chests, heavy hips, and strong shoulders, but they held elegance. Their manes were long with hair that started at the knee and reached over their hooves.

“Gosh, Valor, what type of horses are these? I’ve never seen anything like them.” I asked.

He whistled, and they all came charging toward us. “They’re Gypsy Vanners. Quite beautiful are they not?”

Kyden reached up and ran his hand along a strong face. “Very.” He was smitten over the white stallion. Tough guy has a soft spot.

Rynn released my hand and walked over to one of the smaller horses. She was a lovely chocolate bay color. The horse neighed a little and snuggled into Rynn’s face, sending her into giggles.

“You have made a friend there,” Briggs remarked as he made his way toward her.

Valor followed close behind. Rynn had better get used to having everyone close to her because I was sure these two wolves would stay glued to her for the next little while.

Once they were a safe distance away, I snatched up the opportunity needed. I quickly glanced at Kyden. “What the heck is with Briggs? He seems bitten by the love bug.”

Kyden laughed. “She’s his mate.”

The stunned shock on my face only made Kyden laughed harder. “Wolves are different than us. Their mates are not chosen as such. Their souls search out their desired mate and when they find it, it’s immediately known to them.”

I glanced back at Briggs and Rynn who stood together petting the filly. “Well, that makes things less complicated. No need to get into the dating scene then.”

“They still date,” Kyden smiled, “and such, but they usually will not bond with someone who is not their destined mate. That is the way of the wolves.” Then, he pulled me into a tight embrace. “You did wonderful in helping her, Álainn.”

Álainn, Kyden’s pet name for me, means beautiful in Gaelic. It was just a whole pile of sweet, wrapped in a little blanket of love. “I like her a lot. I only wish I could do more for her. Sad, isn’t it?”

“Indeed it is very sad. Briggs will make it right.”

When I looked back at Briggs, I saw the truth in that. The way he positioned himself around Rynn was obviously protective. He would guard her with his life and do his best to heal her. “Does she know that he is her mate?” I asked, meeting Kyden’s gaze.

He shrugged. “I am sure she feels it, but she wouldn’t understand what it is exactly. Briggs will likely explain all this to her when she is ready.”

The message was loud and clear. This wasn’t something I was supposed to tell her. Mum’s the word.

A little while later, they came back to join us and Rynn surprised me by saying. “Do you all mind if I have a minute alone with Nexi?”

Briggs smiled softly. “No problem, darlin’. We’ll go start lunch. Come in when you’re ready.”

Kyden lowered his arms and began to back away. I quickly grabbed onto his forearms and squeezed ever so slightly. His grin was devilish, reading my intention. Slowly, he lowered his head and I leaned up to kiss him. To observant eyes, it would be appropriate, but the touch against my lips was anything but. It was filled with heat and the pressure wasn’t a soft kiss good-bye, but a statement of pure lust.

Lord, how I missed those lips.

Since finding one another, we’d never been apart from each other. Right now, I was suffering Kyden withdrawal. As he walked away, he glanced at me over his shoulder. With the heated look he shot my way, his thoughts were definitely in sync with mine.

“How did you know about what happened to me?” Rynn asked, bringing my attention back to her.

“It is an ability I have,” I stated, before sighing away the longing and focusing on non-Kyden related things. “I can read into people. I am sorry I did that without asking.”

She shook her head quickly. “I’m actually glad you did. It feels better to have someone know.”

As much as I didn’t want to go where I was about to, it was the best choice. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. I. Don’t.” She said firmly. “But I think I have to.”

That I could understand. She sat down next to the fence, so I took a seat in front of her as the horses went galloping off, bucking and chasing each other. “Whatever you tell me stays between us, Rynn,” I told her.

Rynn smiled, but there was no happiness in it. “I figured it would.” She reached down, plucked a piece of grass and then looked back to me. “I was working that night.” The color of her eyes faded a bit as she relived that terrible night. “A man came in and there was something about him—something dark. I had no choice but to serve him. It was really creepy. His eyes followed me the entire time he was there. It was just scary, you know?”

I nodded, my voice as soft as my nod. “I bet it was.”

“When my shift ended I began to walk home. I can’t afford a car and my place really isn’t that far so I wasn’t really worried about it. Now looking back, I realize I should have been.” She drew in a deep wavering breath. “I was halfway home, walking past a school when I heard loud footsteps behind me.”

This wasn’t something she had to tell me, I’d seen it in her mind, but I couldn’t stop her. She needed to get this off her chest.

“It all happened so fast,” she continued. “One moment I was walking and the next he attacked me, pulled me into a wooded area near the back of the school. I should have screamed, called out for help, but I was too afraid. Too scared he would kill me.” She gulped deeply. “He told me how pretty I was. How he couldn’t help himself.” She began to cry, her breath gasping through a slightly open mouth, her face growing redder as the seconds passed.

I grabbed her hands tightly and squeezed, wanting nothing more than to erase this pain she suffered, but kept quiet to let her shed the horror.

“I’d never been with a guy before and…” She sobbed harder. “It just wasn’t supposed to be like that. I was waiting for, you know, the right guy.”

She held onto my hands as if they were her lifeline. I gripped them tighter in return, wishing I could have been there to help her. My skills as both Guardian and Witch could have stopped this. Unfortunately, what was done was done. Helplessness surrounded me.

“It hurt—really hurt. He was disgusting. I can’t get the image of him inside me, on top of me breathing heavy. I shut my eyes. I couldn’t look at him while he did that to me. When he was finished, he growled or something like it, and then all I felt was fur. That is when he bit me, then he was gone.” She shuddered deeply. “I just feel so…dirty.”

“You’re sweet and lovely, Rynn. Don’t let him take that from you.”

“I think I’m already gone.” She looked up at me only for a moment before she glanced back to the ground. I had to gulp deeply, her distraught emotions mixing with my own as I shared the torment of her ordeal with her. She felt empty, soulless.

“You’re not! You’re still there. You’re just a little lost right now, but you’ll get it back. You deserve it.”

“How do I get it back, Nexi?” she pleaded, meeting my gaze.

“Don’t allow him to win and continue on with your life. Know you deserve to find that one man who adores you and treats your body as it should be treated.” As much as I wanted to tell her the man who would love her like no other was just a few steps away, I couldn’t.

Rynn smiled softly, the emptiest smile I’d ever seen. “What kind of life can I have now?”

Tears fell down my face as I searched for words that would comfort her, but there weren’t any. There wasn’t anything I could say that would make this better or make it right. What happened to her would be everlasting. All I could do was hug her and pray that Briggs had enough in him to heal her tormented soul.