Page 23 of The Hunt of Night

She presses her lips together, eyeing me with a level of uncertainty that is almost unsettling, and I haven’t even opened my mouth to say what I brought her here to discuss yet.

“So, what’s eating away at you?”

“You’re askingmethat? You?” she blusters, wiping the crumbs from her hands as her eyes remain locked on me. Instead of responding, I turn to her with a pointed look, earning me a sigh as she turns away. “Nothing.”

“Bull. Shit.”

She scoffs, shaking her head as she stares through the trees, intent on looking everywhere but at me. “Nothing I want to talk to you about.”

“Well, I’m glad you clarified, but that doesn’t mean I give a shit about who you would prefer to have this talk with.”

“Good to know.” I can’t see her eyes, but I know she rolled them to the back of her head. “So,” I push when she doesn’t miraculously unravel her torments on me.

“So,” she repeats, clearing her throat as she slouches in her seat on the log.

“Dumb doesn’t suit you.”

“Thanks.” She preens, lips twisting with amusement, but I don’t focus on it, not when I can still see the shadow in her eyes.

“Is it worry over your family?”

Silence greets me.

“Is it Raiden being…Raiden?”

Her nose twitches, but still nothing.

“Is it whatever Bozzelli said?”

It’s a long shot, but the stillness that continues to greet me confirms that she didn’t falter under that bitch’s threats.

My jaw tics, the options diminishing to almost nothing as I assess her. I’m shocked I’ve come up with so many reasons already, but thinking of any others is growing even more difficult. Except for one thought.

“Is it the whole wolf thing?” Her spine stiffens, confirming what’s gotten under her skin the most. “It’s the wolf thing.” She looks off into the distance, avoiding my gaze even more. I try to see the situation through her eyes, but I can’t see past the end of my own fucking nose. There’s no point wasting further time on it when I could just ask her instead. “What about it is causing you issues?”

She snickers, her nostrils flaring as she shakes her head. “What partisn’tcausing me issues might be the easier question,” she grumbles, and I grip her chin, immediately pulling her gaze to mine. Her eyelids fall to half-mast, sadness seeping from her, so I tighten my hold, forcing her to look me in the eyes.

“Whatever you’re worrying about, we can make it all go away. Talk to me and maybe it will help you wrap your head around it.” It makes sense in my head, but saying it out loud…fuck.

“How am I supposed to wrap my head around the fact that my mother is a wolf, making me…whatever I am? It changes everything about me.” I can’t tell if the words are directed at me or herself. Her eyes might be on mine, but she’s not focused.

“How?” I grunt, desperate to bring her back to the present.

“What?”

“How does it change everything about you?”

She blinks. Once. Twice. Her eyes settle on mine, a frown pulling her eyebrows together. “It just does.”

“Be specific,” I push, watching her nostrils flare with irritation.

“Back off, Cassian.” She knocks my hand away, but her success is short-lived when my hold comes back stronger.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the issue is.” My grip on her chin tightens, making her jaw fall slack, but she still doesn’t falter.

“I’m not saying there’s an issue. I’m saying the rug has been pulled out from under me and I don’t know how to standon my own two feet right now. Apparently, I’m half-wolf, yet it’s never triggered anything inside of me. How is that even possible? Where am I even supposed to find my place here, at the academy?”

There it is. It hangs heavy on her shoulders, tainting the air around her.

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