Page 75 of Ruthless Moon
But I can’t feel that right now. I can’t grieve for Jackson in this moment. In this moment...right now...all I feel is the crushing reality that my father has Liam. My legs buckle. I collapse to the ground and curl into myself. The screams are silent. I hear them in my head, but nothing is coming out of my mouth.
The texture of the dirt, the silkiness of my dress against my cheeks—they’re sensory anchors in a reality I can’t accept. The horrifying images of Liam in my father’s house assault my mind relentlessly.
“We’ll get him back, Gen.” Aiden’s confident voice cuts through the torment. His arms scoop me up, sharing his physical strength like an anchor in a stormy sea. “We’re going to get Liam back.”
His words are an offered lifeline. But I know my father. His ruthlessness. His vengeance. The true cost of defying him. My mind paints an image of the morbid spectacle he’s no doubt orchestrating right now—me watching Liam die.
But I can’t bring myself to crush Aiden’s hope. So I just nod, pressing my face deeper into the fabric of his shirt, allowing despair to wash over me once more.
Aiden carries me across the coven grounds and into one of the quaint stone cottages that dot the space. The inside is homey and soft. Floral wallpaper, a rustic wooden kitchen table, and soft throw rugs make the space inviting.
Lila’s voice ripples through the quiet space. “I’ll go fetch some fresh clothes for Gen.”
“Bring her here, Aiden. I need to get her out of this dress.” Alice gestures to him to follow her behind a room divider.
Aiden lets my feet drop to the ground in the bedroom, but I struggle to stand. I can’t think. I can’t see past the looping future vision in my mind of my father torturing and killing Liam.
“Hold her up.” I’m aware of Alice undoing the buttons and laces down my back. The weight of the dress falls away from my body, leaving me in nothing more than a corset and panties, vulnerable and laid bare, just like my soul.
The other men who brought me here, Aiden’s mother—their voices are distant. I can’t hear Bast. Rachel took him somewhere else.
Aiden shifts his weight, holding me gently under my arms like I’m a toddler testing standing for the first time.
The dirty dress at my feet disappears from view and Lila, Alice’s mother, appears next to me with a dark mug in her hand and an armful of clothes. She holds it to my lips and tips it forward. “Drink, love, it will help.”
The smell is bitter, and the taste is worse, but I swallow it all. I don’t feel anything. Certainly no help.
Alice removes the rest of my clothes, but I still can’t feel anything past the pain inside my mind. I’m numb. Barely present.
“These should fit.” Lila hands Alice a pair of jeans and a fluffy pink sweater.
“Aiden, lift her off her feet a little.”
He lifts me and my toes don’t touch the ground for several seconds. The fabric is soft, the scent of flowers is soothing. I want to thank them, but I can’t find the words.
Then I hear Bast and Rachel talking. They’ve come back into the cabin, but I can’t see them.
“Move her to the bed. Give her a little while. Her mind isn’t with us right now.” It’s Alice again, I think.
Aiden carries me across the room, this time laying me gently on a soft mattress. He covers me with a blanket before backing away.
Aiden’s voice is low but clear from the other side of the cabin. He’s arguing with Bast and the other men. The door closes and the voices change to a dull roar in my ears.
“What did you give her to drink, Lila?”
“Something to help her see past the pain. She’s stuck in a loop right now. If you’re going to get that boy back from Oliver, you’re going to need her help. No one knows that tyrant or his house better than that young lady right there.”
My help.Lila’s words sink deeper, past the fear. My head clears just a little.
Liam needs our help.My wolf pushes against the images freezing me inside my mind.
Our mate needs us.
Get.
Up.
He’s not dead.