Plagued by nightmares of her father's imprisonment and Kellan's disappearance, Wren enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth.
But can she be honest with herself? Promised in marriage, she faces the toughest decision of her life--which gu...
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The bond between Kellan and I twisted and yanked at my core, demanding I chase after him. A wave of nausea rolled through me when I resisted, making me wonder just how much control our link had over me. Determined not to chase after him like some schoolgirl crush, I snatched a pillow from the headboard and clutched it to my chest, rocking back and forth.
Just breathe, I chanted. I sucked in a soothing gulp of air, trying to calm the sense of panic washing over me. Hell, Kellan hadn't been gone five minutes, and I was already shaking like an addict looking for their next fix. Breathe.
A baby-blue speckled stone on my necklace glowed faintly against my chest, and a soothing warmth radiated through my core, clearing my muddled thoughts. Even though my arms continued to tremor, at least the desperate need to strip naked and throw myself at Kellan subsided.
Wren? Are you there? Jaxon called out in my thoughts.
My stomach plummeted like an elevator with its cables cut.I was barely holding together without facing Jax. I had no idea what to say, where to begin, or if I should say anything at all. My mouth went dry, and two more stones lit up on my necklace. With my emotions soaring, with my luck, I was likely to blow something up.
Are you okay? he called out again. Wren? I know you can hear me.
In the periphery of my core, he tugged at our bond, attempting to access my senses. Given his weak pull on our link, it was clear Jax didn't have control over his powers yet. I closed my eyes and focused all my energy on limiting his access to my thoughts. While I couldn't hold him off forever, I might be able to buy some time before I'd have to explain everything to him. A massive lump of guilt stuck in my throat, and I squeezed my eyes shut. No words I could drum up would give him the answer he'd want to hear.
He tugged on the strand, over and over. If Kellan's done anything to you, I swear I'm going to kill him.
Sweat beaded my brow, and I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth together. I'm fine.
A thick silence hung in the air.
I don't believe you—something is wrong. Jax yanked harder on the link, making me cough.
If you must know, I've gone to rescue my father, I blurted out through our link, hoping he'd stop his assault.
The tension on the cord slackened. You went without me? Disappointment laced his words, and he paused as if thinking. You didn't go alone, did you?
Guilt flooded my thoughts, and another stone on my necklace lit up. Tapping into the circle was becoming an annoying habit I wished I could break. My grip on space slipped another notch, and if I didn't pull it together, I'd end up leaping to who knows where. I tightened my grip on the pillow. I'm planning on breaking my dad out of a Fire Circle stronghold, of course, I took friends.
