Page 62 of The Dragon's Captured Heart
He shut his mouth.
“I can’t do this, Callum. I can’t. You haven’t moved on. In two years, you’ve made no effort to. You can’t get rid of her things or the memory of her.”
“I loved her!”
“I know!” I shouted back. “I’m not asking you to forget her. Holy crap, I offered to help you solve her murder. I know she was taken from you against your will. But she’sgone, and if you want me to stay, if you want me to be a part of your life, you have tolet her go.”
“If you’re a part of my world, then she’s going to be a part of it,” he growled.
“Then maybe I’m better off back where I was instead of being brought here against my will!” I cried. “I know she’s a part of your world. But I won’t be held up against her and be judged, Callum. Because that’s not how you decide if you care for someone or not. If you aren’t ready to move on from her,fine. I won’t force you to because it would never be real. But I’m gone. I’ll go somewhere where I’m valued, like the family I had back home. The one you kidnapped me away from.”
He laughed.
“What the hell is so funny?”
“Listening to you go on about them,” he said callously. “As if they were the greatest. Except they weren’t. You told me about them, Madison. You told me what happened to you. How they shunned you after I didn’t kill you on the battlefield that day. They kept you apart. Trust me, I know what that’s like. When Noa was killed, and I stayed alive. My people gave me the same treatment. You know the difference between us, though?”
“Oh, this ought to be good,” I hissed.
“The difference,” he said, drawing himself up, “is that myfamilywere the only ones who didn’t treat me that way. Myfamily were the ones who kept me close. Who helped me. Your people, the ‘family’ you claim, theyloovvedddyou just fine. Loved you so much that they didn’t ask for your side of the story, didn’t trust you, they just assumed you were a traitor and shunned you. Shunned you so bad your government offered you up to uswithout even telling you.”
I glared, unable to find the words to reply.
He laughed. “Andmyfamily is the one you accuse of being dysfunctional. Yet they welcomed you in with open arms even though you were human. You need to open your eyes, Madison. Because you’re telling yourself a lie about them.”
“Yeah?” I spat, incensed by his words. “Well,youneed to openyoureyes and accept that Noa isdead, and she isn’t coming back, no matter how much you wish I was her!”
Callum’s face turned to stone. I knew the instant I said them I’d gone too far.
“Get out,” he said with a coldness I’d never heard before, moving out of my way and pointing at the front door.
“Cal, wait, I—”
“No more words. Just get out.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Callum
Iwatched from behind hard eyes as Madison disappeared into the hall beyond, wayward strands of thick black hair the last thing I saw of her before she was gone.
The door closed with aclickthat was far heavier than it had any right being.
Holding back the urge to go throw the lock, I stood and waited for the expectant return and protest of my throwing her out.
It never came.
The stone walls blurred, moving in on me, pushing down on my being. The sense of claustrophobia was nearly overwhelming, something I’d never experienced or thought I had any issues with.
Steeling myself against the increased pressure behind my eyes and the stiffening of my shoulders, I forced myself to breathe. In. Out. Repeat.
Gradually, the weight lessened until I could open my eyes without my pulse skyrocketing and even stand straight, unbowed by the weight as it pressed into me.
I was alone. But it had beenmychoice. It was what I wanted.
Wasn’t it?
All at once, the walls came rushing back in. Closing tight around me. Stealing the air, the very oxygen in my lungs, until they screamed in never-ending agony. I staggered. I reached for a chair, my fingers closing on the back of it—
