that. Thank you for helping me to feel good again. I’ve been lost for years, Colton. My readings never made any sense; they sent me in a thousand different directions. None of my spells helped clear up the confusion. I had no idea what I’ve been searching for, what I’ve been yearning for. Now I know. I’ve been searching for you, somehow my inner-self knew you were out here somewhere. It guided me here – it led me to your woods when I escaped. Don’t freak out on me – I’m not talking some lifetime commitment or love here. Hell, we’ve only known each other for less than a week. But what we shared, what you’ve given me, is peace. I’m at peace now. I don’t need anything more from you, I’m content now,” she said as she felt a tear slide out of her eye. This was a huge emotional release for her. She knew that he would probably close up emotionally and push her away, but that was okay – or so she tried to tell herself.
He had listened to all of this and tried not to react. He didn’t want her to think that he was reacting to the wrong parts. Yes, it was frightening to hear her round-about way of saying that she was in love with him. He had shut himself off so completely to the emotional world that he wasn’t sure that he was capable of love anymore. She had shown him otherwise. And he was surprised at how easy it was, how natural it felt, to love her. And he did love her, he knew that. It terrified and thrilled him at the same time. But that’s not was he was trying to not react to. It was the other part. The part about readings and spells. She was a witch. That explained a lot. Actually, it explained everything. It explained how she was able to pull him to her – even if she didn’t realize that she was doing it. And it explained why the wolves had chosen her – and he had no doubt that they had targeted her. A werewolf with magical abilities? The only thing stronger would be a vampire with magical abilities. A werewolf-witch would give them powers that he shuddered to think of. He knew then that he had to tell her everything – even though it would probably trigger her memories of the kidnapping and rape. He unwrapped his arms from her, turned and sat on the bed, “You’re a witch,” he whispered.
“Yeah, and you’re a vampire. You got a problem with witches? What? Are you a racist vampire?” she said defensively.
He smiled sadly at her, “No, Tess, I’m not a racist vampire and I don’t have a problem with witches. But I do have a problem with werewolves – at least with werewolves who kidnap witches and try to turn them into super-werewolves.”
He watched her eyes as her brain registered what he had just said. He watched as recognition flashed in them. He watched as the terror of the attack forced itself from her repressed memories and into living, excruciating color. She screamed, “No!” Then she turned and crawled to the other side of the bed, trying desperately not to get away from him, but from the memories. He knew her instinct would be to run, but he also knew that her ankle would prevent her from doing it. The second both feet hit the floor, she cried out in pain and then fell to the floor on her hands and knees. He got up and walked around to her. Her lungs were desperately trying to pull in air, but she was hyper-ventilating. She was gasping for breath and trying to sob at the same time. He squatted next to her and reached his hand out to hers. She swatted his hand away and rasped, “Don’t touch me!” Then she fell over onto her side and curled up into a ball as the sobs finally broke free. She sobbed, she wailed actually, but she didn’t protest as he picked her up and cradled her to his chest. She cried endlessly, her tears raining down his stomach and arms, as the moment of the attack played over and over in her head, like some cruel scene-looped joke. He knew that nothing he could say right now would help, but he had to try. “Shhhhh, it’s going to be okay, Tess. I promise. I’m going to take