Page 25 of Captive Hybrid

I climb off the bed, pointing at the door. ‘Out.’

Jana folds her arms over her chest. ‘Nope. Not until you tell me.’

‘Why are you so moronically stubborn?’

She smiles.

‘I can pick you up and throw you out.’

‘You could.’ Her eyes widen. ‘But you wouldn’t.’

I loose another growl. ‘Fine. Damn you. I did do that. But not now. I was here a few years ago. I was… going through a rough time. I was angry. So I punched it.’

Jana holds my gaze as she gets to her feet. ‘No, it’s more than that. Tell me.’

‘You—you can’t tell me what to do.’

Jana holds her hand out, a ball of pink light exploding from her palm. The bright light scatters my vision. ‘Tell me. Or I will cover you in pink glitter.’

‘Is… is that a threat? Turn that damn light down.’

She obliges. ‘Come on, wolf, just tell me.’

Anger boils through me. I grab her shoulders, shaking. ‘Stop it! I don’t want to talk about Zenna!’

Jana’s breath rushes out in a gasp. The pink light disappears. ‘Zenna?’

‘I came here after I rejected her. I thought—I thought it was a mistake. I didn’t want her to go.’ My voice is raw, and I hate it.

‘You went after her.’

My grip on her shoulders is too firm. I try to loosen it, but I can’t. ‘Yes,’ I say weakly. ‘I loved her.’

Jana rocks back, out of my grasp. ‘What?’

My arms hang loose by my sides. ‘I always loved her. I just… I wasn’t allowed to be with her.’

Jana’s eyes are wide. ‘Are you serious?’ Her voice rises. ‘You shithead! Do you have any idea—’ At a loss for words, her hands ball into fists, pink sparks dancing from her hands. ‘You bloody asshole.’

I lower my gaze. ‘I know.’

‘She doesn’t know. She doesn’t know you’ve loved her this whole time?’ Jana picks up a lamp and hauls it at my head.

I don’t even try to catch it. The porcelain cracks on my forehead, the lamp falling with a thud. Something wet trickles into my eyebrow.

‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ She’s nearly screaming.

My throat threatens to close. ‘I—faeries killed my grandparents—’

Jana stalks up to me and cracks her hand across my face. ‘No. Enough. Zenna has never hurt you. You throw away that bullshit your father taught you. You love someone, you go after them. You dumb idiot.’

A harsh laugh rips from my throat, startling us both. After a moment, I hang my head. ‘I need to go after her. My mother insists I escort the pack the rest of the way—’

‘Screw that. Your mate comes first.’

I meet her gaze. ‘Will you come with me?’

Jana scoffs. ‘You couldn’t stop me.’

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