Page 3 of Ensnared
Princess Penny, curled up like a fuzzy snail on her doggie bed, whines sleepily as I let myself in. She sees it’s only me, so she tucks her snout back down and falls asleep again. My heart breaks: she’s just gotten used to this new home and she’s been eating more since we came here. Her fur has grown glossy with health, and she’s adopted the guys as part of her strange, mismatched pack.
It’s the final thought that brings me down completely. I manage to grab my bracelets from the kitchen table and shove them on my wrists, then collapse on the couch, boots still on, and cry.
I hadn’t cried much after I heard that my family had disowned me. I’d wiped away my tears and got back to my feet. But here, I thought I’d made friends. Turns out, I really should have told them what I was from the start. Then maybe Ty would have avoided me, and I wouldn’t have fallen for him, too. I can’t ever tell him how much he means to me, not after the horrified, disgusted look he gave me.
Sobs rack my body, and I let myself feel all the pain. I deserve it. I brought this on myself by thinking things could be different here. I blindly pat around me for tissues. Finding none, I wail harder, then get up and shuffle to the bathroom to find toilet paper. This is it: there’s no going back from this point, and tomorrow morning, I’ll be on that tiny bush plane, flying back to Anchorage.
I glance at my reflection in the mirror and immediately wish I hadn’t. I dip my head and splash cold water on my face, though my shoulders are now shaking from hiccups. Then I return to the main room of my cabin and survey the scene around me.
I hadn’t brought a lot with me to Alaska, thinking I would only remain here for two weeks. The men bought me enough winter gear to last for months, though, so my belongings suddenly doubled. But I won’t be taking any of that with me. Some of the items, I hadn’t even unwrapped because the really bad weather hasn’t hit yet. Someone will be able to take them back to the shop and return them, I’m sure. I stack those on the kitchen table, folding every piece neatly. I won’t leave this place a mess.
My own clothes and Princess Penny’s gear go into my two pink suitcases. Jack had goggled at me when he’d first seen them at the airport. It seems like an eternity has passed since that first day. Jack and Ty have found a place in my life so seamlessly, it feels as though I’ve known them forever. Even Aiden, who I can’t figure out no matter how hard I try, has become…a friend. He’s shown me that my magic can be controlled. What a mistake we’ve made.
I only wish I had more time with them. To learn more from them. To love them better.
I sniffle and put my teal Adidas sneakers on top of my folded clothes. Tomorrow morning, I’ll grab whatever is left before someone flies me to Anchorage. I wonder who will draw the short straw. I’m not sure Ty will want to spend several hours in close proximity to me, so it’ll probably be Aiden.
Collapsing on my bed, I only manage to draw the covers over myself, then sink into deep, dreamless sleep.
Two
Aiden
Skye’s footstepsrecede down the corridor, leaving me alone with my two best friends. One is unconscious on the bed, and the other furious enough that he’s shimmering, on the verge of a shift.
I fucked up so badly, I can’t even begin to form an apology that won’t sound like complete bullshit.
“Want to explain to me what’s going on?”
Ty’s speaking through clenched teeth, but his voice is deceptively quiet. He steps around the bed and faces me, his hands clenched into fists by his sides. He’s vibrating, one breath away from shifting.
“I’ll tell you everything, but you need to calm down.”
His strong hands land on my shoulders, and he slams me into the wall.
My head smacks against the wood. I groan at the impact. He’s not holding back, and if I don’t deescalate this, he might shift and hurt Jack or himself even worse.
“Please, man.” I hold my hands up even though I really want to wrestle him to the floor and keep him there until he fuckingbreathesfor a minute. “You can’t shift here, you’ll hurt Jack…”
“Don’t talk to me about hurting Jack.” Ty points at me. “You’ve been keeping secrets from us, that’s what hurt Jack. And that…that…”
He can’t even finish the sentence. He snarls and whirls away from me, his hands at his hips.
“What Skye did was an accident,” I say. “I’m sure of it.”
And I am. I may be an idealist, but I’ve spent enough time with her over the past couple of weeks to know that she wouldn’t hurt Jack on purpose. With that old dog of hers and her crazy rescue mission that led to her arrest in San Diego, she showed her soft heart. I’m pretty sure she’s in love with Jack, and Ty as well—I see how she looks at them when they aren’t watching. She’s a woman who falls with her entire heart, a witch who would rather strangle her own magic forever than cause distress to those around her.
Ty doesn’t want to listen to any of that right now. And I understand that. He’s pissed, scared for Jack, and probably feels betrayed—by both me and by Skye.
“How long have you known?” he asks, his voice broken. “Was it something she did here? How did you find out?”
I take a deep breath, because I’ve been anticipating this. Ever since I invited Skye to Amber Bay, I knew all the secrets would come to light eventually. I just hadn’t imagined I’d be having this conversation with Ty only while Jack was unconscious between us.
“I knew before I contracted her,” I say. “It’swhyI picked her and not some random human IT tech.”
He stares at me. Blinks. Then launches himself across the room and slams his fist in my face.
We go down in a clatter, and he rears above me, fist raised to strike again. Blood rushes in my mouth, blinding pain radiating into my skull, and I know my nose is broken. Still, I don’t fight back. If swinging at me will make him feel better, I’ll take a hundred punches. A thousand. I’ve betrayed his trust, and I don’t know how to make it right.
