What did they mean? I knew who I was, didn't I? I was Rosalia Mallory, a girl left on the doorstep of our town's foster agency to find a new home. From there I went through three homes before at the age of 16 instead of having to live in the group h...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Hunter's POV:
Silence. That's what follows Rosa's words and it's not a shock to me. What is a shock however is the way both Ebony and Laurel react to the words. Now, I'd expected Ebony - sorry my mother - would have been worried but I wasn't anticipating Laurel's actions either. "I believe what I've done is force you into checkmate," Rosa repeats her free hand finding mine and lacing her fingers through mine, trying to telegraph her support. It's ok. Her words reassure me ever so slightly, enough to keep my head in the situation and not let worries about her distract me. She laughs. I think I can handle myself thank you very much, Hunter. She laughs again and then her thoughts look to become more contemplative, eyes looking between me and my closest brother.
What's wrong? I ask her, sensing her hesitation and my mind returns to some small, offhand comment my mother or Laurel had made earlier. Is it what my mother said - about you and Ash? Worriedly her eyes take on a haunted look, like a deer in headlights and my heart threatens to sink to my feet. Taking a deep breath I try to pull away but her hand tightens around mine until I'm forced to look back at her. Eyes wide and glowing she looks at me with a pleading expression that threatens to break my heart. What happened between you two? I ask, hearing the heaviness in my tone.
Eyes shining with tears, her hands don't move - one being occupied with the weapon to hopefully take down my mother and the other around mine, fingers interlaced. Nothing happened. She whispers the words into my mind so only the two of us can hear them. Nothing else happened other than that he allowed me to pull myself together and train me to be able to face your mother. Her eyes focus on me and I inhale a low breath when she drops her mental guards, letting me see fully into her mind for those six dark months when we were apart and I didn't remember her.
I...I had no idea. I eventually manage to reply, seeing some of the weight disappear from around her shoulders until she slumps against us. I...I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I whisper the words back to her, seeing a small degree of sincerity in her eyes that made me feel even more like an idiot than before. Forgive me? I ask gently broaching the question.
She laughs out loud, the sound startling me. It's low and musical, like a stray beam of moonlight shining out from behind an oppressive cloud it manages to shed a light on even the darkest part of my life. There's nothing to forgive my love. She responds, her tone rich with love and devotion. Love and devotion that even now I can't seem to believe I deserve. Of course, you do. She continues to whisper loving words to me and I struggle to reconcile the way I've seen myself for over three centuries and the man that she seems to see me as...how do I do that. By being true to yourself. The way you always have been and always will be. I believe in you.
We all do. This time it's Eris and Ash's voices that I hear inside my head, both blending seamlessly with Rosa's to create a mix of words by people I treasure more than anything in the world. And it makes me smile.
