Page 42 of Hollyhocks

He grunts in response. “I’m going to change these tires since you have been doing nothing all day.”

I bite my tongue to stop myself from lashing out.

“Don’t ever be afraid to talk to me, Fitz. We’re brothers. I’ve got your back even if you do smell bad. Go home. Call me later.”

I dig my keys from my pocket, nodding in defeat. “Yeah, thanks, Rhett. I’ll talk to you later.” I drag my feet toward the back door.

“I’m serious, Fitz. Everything will be okay.”

I want to believe Rhett, I do, but I don’t. Nothing ever is when it comes to my dad. Pushing the door open with my shoulder, the fresh air hits my face.

“You won’t need security. You have me. No one will touch you, Doe Eyes. I’ll make sure of it.”

I’m not going to fight the voice in my head. Whatever I’ve made up in my head, the voice is there for a reason. I like the extra layer of protection. Maybe it’s my subconscious gearing up for war. I’m not sure.

I no longer care.

I’ll fight the enemy even if it kills me.

The way Rhett and Creed acted when they smelled Fitz made me happy. They are going to go insane when they come to work every day and smell me everywhere.

Not only does Fitz smell like me, but so does their entire shop. My sweet mate thought he made a mess from the oil droplets but those weren’t from oil. The mess was made by me. Watching Fitz get angry at his dad had my tentacles dripping. It didn’t take long for my ink to pour from me, so I made use of it.

I added it to every single oil container they had, every grease jar, and anything else dark I could find. Then, in every corner, in every room while Fitz, Rhett, and Creed were arguing, I swiped my ink on spots in the room they will never be able to see.

Fitz is fucking mine. That means wherever he is, he has to be protected. Where he works has to be marked so others know not to mess with him. I’m sure he would have been fine consideringRhett is his friend and has probably marked this place too with his own scent.

I growl internally. That means Rhett will probably want to remove my scent and will mark his shop again. That’s what I would do, and it seems he is more like me than I initially thought.

I don’t get in the truck with Fitz when he leaves. Instead, I launch myself in the air to fly home. My wings need to stretch. I soar high above Fitz until his truck is nothing but a speck in my line of sight.

Seeing him so disgruntled about his dad worries me. I don’t like seeing Fitz unhappy. He doesn’t deserve to frown when his energy makes people smile.

I’ll fix this. Any problems he has, I’m the solution. He will never have to lift a finger again.

In a world full of chaos, I will be his sword that spills the blood that causes dismay to him.

In his kingdom of light, I will be his queen of darkness.

Our love will be considered royalty. I don’t care who I need to kill to make sure our crowns are lifted in the air as high as possible. I will stack the dead bodies of his enemies beneath us so we can stand on their backs. Our reign will be loved and feared.

Through the ones that dare to try to overtake us, I will fly them high over our land and drop them from miles up in the sky. So they can see that their only hope of survival is me.

And I will not give them any hope.

Fitz stopping at a red light yanks me from my dream. He is only a half a mile from home. I’m going to continue without him so I’m there first. I’ll grab some clothes and then pretend to do something outside to grab his attention.

The cool wind ruffles my feathers as I flap my wings. I spin and flip, loving that I’m getting this flying thing under control. It’sfun. I don’t think there is anything in the world that could give me more freedom than this.

The world from up here is so hypocritical. I can see how big and vast the planet is. The sky spans across a never-ending threshold while the town I call home is nothing but a fly on the wall when I look down. The dichotomy is beautiful.

Even though the distance between the red light and home isn’t far, clouds not too far from here are churning from a fluffy white to an ominous graphite. Thunderclaps from miles away are felt in my bones, the vibrations reverberating off my ribcage.

Panic swells in my chest at the thought of being caught in a storm. An onslaught of memories assaults me. I was strapped down and forced to do unimaginable things. I was pumped full of DNA that changed me forever. The pain. The torture. My screams echo in my mind.

I lose complete vision of Fitz. A gust of wind takes me by surprise, side-swiping me from the left. I tumble through the air, my wings trying to extend to find their rhythm again.

I’m right above the highway and I’m falling directly into it. I can’t have that happen. Too many questions will want to be answered. If people see me, I’ll be a freak. I’ll be taken and tested on. I can’t live through that again. Anxiety spills through my nerve endings. My blood is replaced by the fuel of fear.

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