Page 23 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

“Is there anything they can do to help you achieve that?”

“They were asking Christopher to stay with me.”

“How do you feel about that?” she asked, and I scoffed.

“Like the man already suffered enough for opening that door first. He doesn’t deserve it. It’s not his fault I imprinted on him and consider him the only safe male outside my family.”

“It’s not your fault either. Why do you want to help Bells so desperately?”

“Because I love her, and she needs help.”

“Have you considered that maybe that is why Chris is always willing to help you?” she asked.

“Christopher doesn’t love me,” I assured her.

We rarely spoke, even as kids.

“Maybe he doesn’t love you like you love your sister, but you did grow up together. He’s known you since you were a baby, and he is trying to help the only way he can. And right now, that’s by helping you feel safe when he guards you. That’s alsoultimately his job. He is a warrior for his pack, and his pack member and friend needs his protection.”

Friend might be stretching it a bit. I was simply the younger sibling of his friends, who often tagged along and usually ended up sitting in a corner, reading a book.

“You said I shouldn’t let the imprinting cement itself into a permanent thing,” I reminded her.

“A true imprint would make you need to be around him, Violet. That’s what happened when you were first rescued. Not even your parents could touch you, and you couldn’t be anywhere without Christopher. Those feelings have gone away, haven’t they? You’ve been fine without him in your life for most of the last year.”

“But I still feel safe with him,” I argued.

"You always felt safe with him, Violet. Just like you felt safe with Cory, and now you feel that way again.”

“Why only him?” I asked.

What made him so special that even after the imprinting went away, I still felt safe with him.

“Maybe it’s because, outside of your family, he’s the only person that’s been near you since you were kidnapped, and that you’ve given the chance to prove he’s still safe.”

Her words made my mouth drop open. She was right. I couldn’t even be near my family after I was raped, but I forced myself to do it because I couldn’t bear to recoil against the people I loved the most. I hadn’t let anyone else do that, but because he was the one who found me, I already considered him safe enough to approach.

“Shit.” The word escaped my mouth in a whisper before I could stop it, and to my surprise, Dr. Campbell chuckled. “So, I wouldn’t be taking advantage of him if he were to stay and guard me?”

“He is a warrior. Is that not his job?”

I didn’t answering the rhetorical question. Instead, I continued to think about everything we’d just discussed.

“Are you still there?”

“Oh, sorry! Yes. I was just thinking.” I answered.

“It’s alright. It’s just harder to read you over a silent phone line.”

“I’m going to try to stay. I have to give it a try, at least. For Bells, and for me.”

“Atta girl,” Dr. Campbell praised and it felt oddly good to know she approved.

We talked more after that about setting goals and small wins. After my conversation, I decided to talk to my brother before I could chicken out.

‘Cory, can you come to my room?’ I reached out via mind-link.

‘I’m out in one of the houses. Give me ten minutes?’

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