Page 43 of Prey

ETHAN

As we walk through the basement door back into the kitchen, Eloise comes running down from upstairs, hair wild, in a panic. She must feel the mate bond again.

“Where is he?” she whispers to Shasta.

Shasta gathers her mother in her arms and they sink to the ground. “He's at Supe Gen getting treated by Jessa. We came to drop Logan’s dad off and pick you up.”

Eloise looks at Shasta as if she can’t believe what she’s saying. “He’s really alive? This whole time?”

She is sobbing. I can’t even imagine what she must be feeling right now. After over twenty-five years of thinking your mate is dead and to suddenly feel the bond come back to life? The minute I walked out of that building with him and handed him to Desmond she must have felt it.

Winnie kneels beside them and wraps them both in her arms. She just rocks them, whispering soothing things in Eloise’s ear until she calms. I see Shasta’s hands glow as she rubs her mothers back. She must be soothing her with magic. How many times over the years have the three of them done this very thing?

How many times over the years did Shasta have to be strong for her mother? How many times did Winnie have to watch her daughter come apart over and over while she grieved for her mate, unable to even care for their daughter because of her pain?

How could I have ever thought witches were even in the same category as the Society?

I am such a fool.

Kadi nods at me as if he can tell what I’m feeling. I’m sure my feelings are written all over my face. My heart is breaking for mylittle mate and her family and the pain they have had to endure. Yes, they have him back now. But after over twenty-five years of torture what kind of shape is her father going to be in? It’s going to be a long hard road ahead for them.

Loki pops in and walks over to them, climbing into the middle and emitting a soft glow. All I hear is loud purring. After a few minutes, Eloise’s tears begin to subside. That demon cat is really something else.

Shasta turns to me, a soft smile on her face. I realize then that she could feel the myriad of emotions I had going on while also feeling hers. I shake my head and swipe a hand down my face.Immersion therapy indeed.

Kadi and I help the three of them stand. They hug each other tightly and after a minute or two, Eloise clears her throat. “I’m ready to go now. Please take me to my mate.”

“I’ll drive her and we can follow you all over there,” Winnie says. She looks pointedly at Shasta and I nod. Message received. It’s great that Eloise has her mate back, but now we have to deal with our mate’s feelings about finding her tortured and battered father and then killing someone for the first time.

Kadi takes Shasta’s elbow and leads her to the SUV. I follow quietly behind them trying to gather my thoughts. What do you say to someone in this situation? I’m not good with things like this. Need someone killed for some reason? I’m your man. Need some other morally gray shit done? Again, pick me. But when it comes to deep emotional damage? Clearly I’m not the one to get advice from in that situation. Kadi is much better equipped for that. Hell, he’s been dealing with my dumb ass our whole lives.

But she isn't just Kadi’s mate. She is also mine, and after the rough start we had, I need to be the one to do this. We load up. Kadi drives and I sit in the back with Shasta. She looks…like a shell of herself.

“Hey, Little Witch,” I say, tipping her chin up so I can look her in the eyes. There is nothing but pain there. Rage. Hurt. Loathing. Not directed at me. But having gone through what I did with my parents, I recognize who those emotions are directed at.

“Let’s talk about it? Where do you want to start? Your dad or Logan’s mom?”

“I won’t feel bad for what I did,” she stubbornly says.

“You don’t have to. She deserved every single bit of what happened to her, and I will never tell you otherwise,” I say, swiping my hand down. “But you took a life today. You aren’t a killer like we are. No matter how strong you are or whatever your reasoning may be, you are going to feel the life you took forever. I don’t know you well yet, but I know that. You aren’t someone who’s going to do that recklessly and with no thought. You don't have to deal with it today, tomorrow, or even next week; but youaregoing to deal with it in a healthy way. Therapy, talking to your family, whatever way you decide to do it. Kadi and I are here for you. Hell, you can take your anger out on me whenever you need to. I deserve it after the way I treated you and the other witches all these years. The guys and I have always had each other to fall back on for things like this. They don’t call it ‘Brothers in Arms’ for no reason.”

She stares at me for a long time while she thinks. I don’t know what she’s looking for. Maybe to see if I mean what I say. But whatever she’s searching for, she must find it because she closes her eyes and a tear drops slowly down her cheek.

“Am I a bad person now?” she whispers quietly, fiddling with her own fingers in her lap.

“Never. You didn’t go there with the intent to kill her, Shasta. You killed her in self defense. You killed her trying to get your father away from them. You did it saving someone you love. That is never a bad thing. But you can’t let it eat at you forever and ifyou do nothing to come to terms with it, that's what will happen. It will eat you alive,” I say gently.

I lift her into my lap and just hold her while she cries. Kadi looks at me in the rear view mirror, sorrow etched into his features for our mate.

“Do you know what the lionesses in the pride do, Shasta?” he asks her.

She shakes her head and looks up at him.

“They hunt, they take care of the pride, and they are the main leaders of the Pride. But the biggest role they play is to defend our Pride. You did today what any lioness would do. You protected your Pride. You protected the weakest member and you showed them that we aren’t to be trifled with. What you did wasn’t wrong, but not feeling bad about it is. You don’t have to feel bad for her, but I want you to feel bad for yourself and not take that death lightly. I could give two fucks about that bitch. But I care about you. No,wecare about you. You did what you did to protect, not out of malice. That’s the difference. You understand?”

I can feel the emotions loosen inside of her. She is still angry, but the loathing is not as bad as it was, and it confirms my suspicions that the loathing was directed at herself. I felt that way for too many years not to recognize it in someone else. She can act tough all she wants and pretend like it didn’t bother her, but it did.

I squeeze her. “Are you ready to go see your dad?” I ask her.

---