30. Shya

Chapter thirty

Shya

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The softness of my childhood mattress felt wrong, like I didn't belong here anymore. My mind raced. Tristan's face kept popping up in my head. I clenched my fists, anger bubbling up. How could he have done this to me? To my family? There was a time, when he was the Beta here, when we were dating, when I honestly thought he cared for us, for me. I saw a future of him and me leading this Pack, of Mom and Dad abdicating and living next door. I'd thought Tristan would be my partner for life, when all he really wanted was the power that came with being my mate. And he was willing to do anything, even killing Dad and getting a witch to mess with my mind and feelings, to get it.

I forced Tristan's face away as Mason's face swam before me. The way he'd looked at me, held me. He was sure, just like Tristan had seemed sure, that we were destined to be together. My parents had believed that Edmond was more suited to me. That as soon as we mated the mating bond would snap into place. It was all so confusing.

The door creaked open, and Mom slipped in, her face drawn and tired. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in its usual neat knot, but stray wisps escaped around her face. She had her usual expertly applied makeup, but it couldn't fully conceal the deep shadows under her eyes. Despite this, her petite frame stood straight, shoulders squared in a deliberate show of strength, but I could see the slight tremor in her hands that she tried to hide by clasping them tightly. It was as if she was held together by sheer willpower, and my heart ached to see her struggling so hard.

"Hey," she said softly. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Confused, overwhelmed, scared. Really, really angry."

Mom nodded, perching on the edge of my bed. "It's okay to feel that way. You've been through a lot."

"Everything is all so mixed up in my head."

She reached out, squeezing my hand. "We're going to figure this out, Shya. I promise."

"How?" I asked, hating how small my voice sounded, scared that my feelings would always be jumbled up this way.

Mom hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Actually, that's why I came up. There's someone here who might be able to help you."

I sat up straighter, suddenly alert. "Who?"

"A witch," Mom said. "It's possible she might be able to break whatever spell Tristan put on you."

My heart raced.

"I don't know, Mom," I said, my voice shaking. "Another witch? After everything …"

"I know it's scary," she acknowledged. "It is your choice, Shya. You are in control of this. Me, Edmond and Mason will all be there. If she tries anything, the witch will be dead before she can blink. If it works, though, you'll be free of whatever Tristan did to you."

Free. Free from Tristan once and for all. I wanted it so badly. But enough to make myself vulnerable again, to let another witch mess with my mind?

"How do we know we can trust her?"

"We can't trust her; she's a witch. Never forget that, Shya—they cannot be trusted. But Mason called her. The witch has been staying with the Three Rivers Pack. They are vouching for her." She took my hand, her grip warm and reassuring. "I understand your fear, sweetheart. No one's going to force you to do this."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay."

Mom squeezed my hand. "We'll all be there with you, I promise. And I'll be right behind the witch. If she does anything … "

There was a fierce light in her eyes that I hadn't seen before. Mom had never hated witches before, but now, I felt the ground shift under me. She looked keen for a fight. Like she wanted to kill, to get revenge for what had been done to Dad, to me, to our Pack and family, and it didn't matter who stood in front of her.

"Mom, are you okay?"

She startled at the question before brushing it off. "Of course. It's you I'm worried about. Are you ready for this?"

I took a deep breath and nodded.

The study felt crowded when I walked in, with so many people in it, but also strangely empty without Dad there. Jem Parker stood over to one side, and I didn't need to study him to instinctively know he was a grimmer, more serious, and much more dangerous werewolf than he had been previously. He'd been through so many ordeals and had very little to lose now. Jem Parker had become a wild card, unpredictable and potentially volatile.

Beside Jem, a teenage girl hovered protectively. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, revealing a gaunt face that seemed too mature for her years. Despite her thin frame, there was a resolute set to her shoulders as she watched me with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

Edmond was there, too, his posture rigid and controlled as always. His blue eyes met mine briefly, a flicker of concern passing over his features before his expression smoothed back into its usual calm mask.

I frowned and turned to Derek, who was leaning against the wall, his muscular arms crossed over his chest. His gray eyes roamed around the room, ever vigilant.

And then there was Mason. I'd felt his eyes on me the moment I'd entered the room, but I only now met his gaze. My heart didn't just skip a beat, it practically somersaulted in my chest just looking at his vision of raw masculinity—tall and powerfully built, his muscular frame straining against his fitted T-shirt in a way that made my mouth go dry.

His close-cropped black hair practically begged for my fingers to run through it, while his sharp blue eyes seemed to undress me where I stood. I felt the heat rise in my cheeks under his intense stare.

I felt rather than saw Edmond scowl at me, and I made myself look away from Mason and step further into the room.

As I did, a sudden movement behind me caught my attention. I turned to see Tucker slipping through the door, his eyes wide with excitement and mischief.

"Tucker!" Mom's voice rang out sharply. "Out, now! This isn't for you."

Tucker's face shifted to an exaggerated look of innocence. "But, Mom," he protested, "I just want to see the magic! Please? I'll be super quiet, I promise! You won't even know I'm here."

Before Mom could respond, Henry opened the door, his eyes landing on Tucker.

"There you are! Come on, Tuck, I have a game all set up for—" He broke off suddenly, his eyes widening as they landed on the teenage girl. "Oh, hello! I don't think we've met before. I'm Henry." Henry strode into the room, his eyes fixed on the girl, his hand outstretched.

The girl looked at his hand and then glanced at Jem. Jem nodded once, and she reached out and shook Henry's hand. "Hello, Henry. I'm Esme Parker."

"Esme? That's a … er, that's a beautiful name."

A beautiful name? Oh dear, I really had to give Henry some pointers when it came to talking to girls.

"Thank you, Henry," she replied shyly.

Henry didn't say anything, just continued to stare at Esme, his mouth slightly open. I wanted to nudge him, but I was too far away. Jem cleared his throat loudly, stepping between Esme and Henry and glowering darkly at my brother.

I had to save him. "Esme, I'm Shya. I'm the one who needs your help."

"Yes, I know. The shadows in your mind are bright in the daylight. They're poised there, ready to pounce, you know. I can pluck them from you, though."

I felt myself pale.

"The sooner I chase them away," she continued, "the sooner you'll feel better. You want to feel better, don't you?"

Everyone looked at me.

Of course I wanted to feel better, but plucking things from my brain didn't exactly sound fun. I had been raised to be diplomatic, though, especially when all I wanted to do was swear at a teenage girl and run as far away from her as possible.

"Maybe you could explain how this is all going to work first?"

"Oh, I have absolutely no idea!"

I blinked and then turned and looked at Mason. He shrugged one shoulder.

"I know you're scared," Esme continued. "I am, too, moon star true. But I want to help. My magic … it can do good things. Healing things." She looked directly at me, her eyes earnest. "I can't promise it will be easy, but I promise I'll be tippy-toe careful with your mind, Shya."

I paused, considering her words. In the silence, a young voice from the back of the room spoke up. "Try it, Shya! I want to see the magic! Don't be worried; if she does anything you don't like, I'll bite her!"