Page 95 of Burning Embers

It takes me a second too long to realize this unnamed emotion is possessiveness. I immediately want to slap myself across the face.

Just who does she think she is?

She’s a distraction, Ashton. Remember that.

I learned my lesson at an early age what happens when you let people into your life, what happens when you open your heart to others. It leads to nothing but bitter disappointment and loneliness. Everyone leaves you in the end. It’s inevitable.

My mother left me.

Most of my fathers left me.

My brother left me.

I berate myself for allowing my thoughts to drift down such a morose direction and focus back on the game.

“It’s fourth down,” Emery murmurs, jogging in place. I know he’s speaking more to himself than to me. “We need to make this fucking tackle. Come on, guys. Come on. Come on.”

“Even after all these years, youstilltalk to yourself.” I shake my head in wonderment. “Some things will never change.”

“Yeah…well…I don’t have my twin to talk to anymore. So why not do the second best thing?” Despite his light-hearted jesting, I can hear the undercurrent of pain he tries to hide.

I hate the distance growing between Emery and Ethan. They’re brothers, for fuck’s sake. Twins.

If I had a second chance with my brother…

But no. I can’t think about the past. Only my future matters now.

The Vipers’ quarterback throws the ball.

It spirals through the air and lands effortlessly in the waiting retriever’s hands. He takes off down the field without a backwards glance.

Beside me, Emery curses colorfully.

Kain chases after the player, but I notice that he’s jogging more than running. As a shifter, we have enhanced skills when it comes to certain things—speed being one of them. Of course, we can’t use the full extent of our gifts around the oblivious humans, but we do add just a little bit of juice when we move to give us an edge on the field.

So why the fuck is Kain moving slower than my now-dead grandma, who had a walker and was partially blind?

“Does the fucker want us to lose?” Emery snaps, obviously noticing the same thing I did.

The Viper skirts towards the sidelines, and I blow out a breath of relief. At least he didn’t make it all the way to the end zone?—

But my relief is short-lived when I notice that the player isn’t slowing down. He’s running…

Directly at Isabella.

Emery takes off before I can even get my bearings, but he’s too far away.We’retoo far away.

However, I’m close enough to see terror splay across Isabella’s face a second before she’s tackled to the ground.

Bones snap.

Blood wells.

I see red.

I can’t think through the sudden roaring in my ears. No, not a roaring. It’s too high-pitched to be that. I equate it to the whistling of a train.

Somebody grabs the back of the Viper’s uniform and yanks him to his feet.