25. Anna

25

Anna

"Damn it, Lunessa, that hurt," a male voice growled from the darkness.

I inhaled sharply. I should have been afraid, but that voice. It sounded so familiar. "Momma? Daddy?" I asked quietly. "Who is that?"

"He'll hurt you, Andrea," her mother said urgently. "Get rid of him while you still can."

Why was it so dark? Why couldn't she see anything? "Why can't you get rid of him?"

"Because you let him in."

"Anna." The man's voice wrapped around me, tugging at something inside of me. Something warm and comforting. "Anna, baby, I'm right in front of you. Take my hand."

"I can't see you."

"It's all right. I can see you, and I have you. I'll always have you. Just stretch your hand out and take mine."

Sucking in my bottom lip, I looked frantically around. "She says you'll hurt me."

"Never willingly, Anna." There was so much pain and desperation in his voice. "Never again. I'd carve my own heart out first."

"Andrea, don't do this!" my mother wailed, but for a second, I knew that nothing would stop me from taking this man's hand. I reached out and held my breath. Fingers clasped around mine, and as soon as we touched, the darkness receded.

Still clutching his hand, I gasped and looked around. Everything about our home was still the same. My father was still in his chair. My mother was still standing in front of him. The fire still roared.

But the man in front of me did not belong here. Staring up at him, I took a step closer. "Why do you call me Anna?"

"That's your name."

"Her name is Andrea," my mother snapped, and the house shook. With a squeak, I ducked under the man's arms, and he pulled me closer. I'd seen my mother angry, but never quite like this. At the sight of my fear, her face softened. "I'm sorry, Andrea. I didn't mean to scare you, but you need to trust me. This man is going to ruin everything."

"Is that…Anna, is that Dirk?"

Dirk? I'd never heard that name before. I looked over to where the man was pointing. "That's my daddy. He's a werewolf. My momma calls him Dane."

"Dane. And you're Andrea. Someone wasn't very creative in renaming the two of you, were they?" His breath was warm in my ear as his arms circled around my waist. "Is that your mother?"

"Yes. Isn't she pretty?"

"Not as pretty as you, Anna, but listen to me. None of this is real."

Unable to help myself, I laughed. "You're funny."

"Are you sure this isn't getting too scary for you, sweetheart?" my father said suddenly as he looked over at me. "If it's going to give you nightmares or keep you up at night, your mother can read you something else."

"Now I know it's not real," the man said darkly.

I was confused. "Daddy, do you know who this is?"

"I know you're brave, honey, but you don't have to be brave. You're only five years old."

Five? I looked down at myself. I really did grow.

"See?" the man said behind me. "See, it's not real. You're not five years old, Anna. We need to find our way out of here so I can save you."

My mother laughed sharply. "Is that what you think you're doing? Saving her? That's what I'm doing. I am her mother."

"And you're dead," the man said steadily behind me. "At least, you better be because if you're not, I'm coming for you next. No mother should let her child go through what Anna endured, and none should trap them in her mind."

"You don't know anything," she snarled back.

My mother was dead? But she was standing right in front of me. She was so pretty. So kind. So gentle.

And I knew nothing about her.

As soon as the thought entered my head, I frowned. That didn't make sense. Of course, I knew everything about her. She was my mother. She read me stories. She had the kind of magic that could shake the house.

Except, I only knew that because I just saw it. I just experienced it.

I turned to the man who was still carrying on a conversation. My father. Dane. Dirk.

He was dead. I watched him die.

I was glad he was dead.

"You killed him," I whispered to the man behind me. "You killed my father, and then I became yours."

"I became yours," he said fiercely. "Remember, Anna. Remember who you are. Remember who I am. This isn't real."

"My mate," I breathed and turned in his arms to stare up at him. "You're my mate."

Slowly, he lifted my chin with his finger, and my mother laughed from behind me. "Mate. A word you wolf shifters like to throw around. Like your wolf choosing someone is the happily ever after that everyone should dream of. Where is that bond, Anna? Do you feel it?"

I didn't. It was empty. Other than knowing who the man was, I felt nothing. Still, I didn't let him go. "My wolf is gone. I have no mate."

"Your wolf is not gone, Anna. She's here somewhere, and we need to find her. You need to remember who you are. You need to take control." The man looked up at my mother. "You've stripped her of her wolf. You've trapped her here. I won't let you keep her."

"Listen to him, Andrea. He wants to take you away from me. Away from your mother. I know what's best for you. I can keep you safe. You just have to let him go and come to me. Go sit in your father's lap. He loves you so much. I'll finish reading to you. It'll be such a lovely night."

"But my wolf." Tears filled my eyes. "She's gone. I have to go look for her."

"She's free, now. No more pain or fear. She's fine. Come back to me."

Reluctantly, I pulled away from the man and walked to the door. If I opened it, he would disappear. I didn't know how I knew, but I did. "My wolf is gone. I don't have a mate anymore."

"Oh, Anna." He sighed. "You can open the door if you want. Make me disappear, but I'm not leaving. Haven't you learned that by now? I'm not letting you go. I'll be back, again and again, to do whatever it takes to remind you what we are together. I won't leave you trapped here. Your wolf was my wolf's mate, and we both fought it every step of the way. I couldn't believe he'd chosen you. He'd bonded with you.

"I pushed you away even as I did whatever it took to protect you. You pushed me away even as you came running whenever you needed me. We were and are wolf mates, but we are so much more. You just have to remember. Remember how right it feels when we're in each other's arms, how strong we are together. Remember the trust we've built. I love you, Anna. I love you and your wolf, just as my wolf loves both of you. Everything about you humbles me. Your heart and your strength."

My hand was so close to the doorknob. I just had to touch it. Just turn it and pull, but I was frozen as he stepped toward me. Everything that he said sounded right.

Pain struck deep in my chest, and I looked down. I was bleeding again. "What's happening?"

"It's not real, Anna, but I am. Trust me one more time." He touched my face and tilted my chin. "Remember."

His lips touched mine, and my mother screamed in fury. The pain, the uncertainty, it all evaporated as my arms wrapped around his neck. These were lips I knew well. The shape and feel and taste of them. The way they could infuriate me and the way they could weaken my knees.

His kisses brought life back to me. His touch had crumbled my shell. His love for me was everything.

"Jax," I whispered. "Jax, I love you."