beaten. Rayna had the ability to make me feel that way. She was one of the pillars Grams had spoken about, always there holding me up and carrying me when I didn’t feel I could walk.
“Marcus is putting together what food we have. He wanted me to come get you.”
“I can’t think about food right now. There’s too much to do.” I looked out over the lake. The water had gone still, but I could feel the wetness between my toes. It had soaked through my shoes and my socks were now damp. I hated that feeling.
“You need to eat.”
I didn’t respond. My eyes were lost in the stillness of the water and Willy’s face seemed to be looking back at me from the reflection. Rayna pulled my hands forward and the trance was broken.
“Sorry,” I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “It’s like I see him everywhere. His face is in the water and in the bark of the trees. I see it when I close my eyes. He’s screaming for me to help him and I can’t. I thought seeing him would make things better, but it didn’t. Now all I can think is ‘what if I could just talk to him?’”
“You weren’t supposed to see him, Chase. That’s not the way things work. We’re all sad that he’s gone, but we have to focus on all the good things Willy gave us. His death is not something only to be mourned; it’s a life worth celebrating too.”
“Celebrating? He’s dead , Rayna. Gone. I can’t celebrate that.” And just like that, the moment of bliss was gone. “I never should have forced him to go anywhere. I should have left his condo the day he saved me and never looked back. He had no business in this fight. He wasn’t strong enough. He wasn’t a soldier.”
I’d never seen Rayna move so fast. I heard the crack of her hand before I felt it. The slap seared my skin and sound almost amplified the pain. I cringed; the sting resonated instantly, intensifying with each passing second. I was too shocked to be angry, but when I looked at Rayna, anger stared back at me.
“How dare you!” Rayna snapped, and a primal force rubbed along my skin. Her beast snapped in the air, the green of her eyes became more intense, and the power was nearly suffocating. “Do you think everything is about you ? We’re all hurting. It’s a knife stuck in our hearts and the blade doesn’t stop turning. Every second is a fight not to break down because we’re trying to stay strong. You can be sad, Chase. You can even cry. But don’t you dare betray his memory by saying he wasn’t a fighter—that he wasn’t strong.”
Both her hands hit my chest and I felt the pressure of her beast pushing outward. Bones began to crack, but instead of crying out in pain, a growl resonated through her lips. I stumbled back, barely keeping my balance.
“Willy was our friend—our family. He had more loyalty than any person we’ll ever meet.” She stormed forward, pushing me again. Even though I was prepared for it, I still stumbled. “When it went against what he wanted, he fought . When he was hurt or felt weak, he fought . When he was scared, he fought . Willy was brave, he was strong, and right now, you’re tearing down everything that he was. Willy died so that you might succeed. He wasn’t a soldier ? Willy died as more than a soldier . He died a hero. How dare you try to take that away from him!” Rayna gave me a final shove and a primal power burst between us. I hit the beach hard, slamming into the stones like a Mack truck had driven me into a wall. By the time I’d recovered enough to lift my head, all I could see was her back walking into the woods.
My heart pounded and Rayna’s words screamed through my head. Branches snapped as she vanished into the trees and I was left on the shore with only the clapping of water to break the silence.
“Leave her. She is of no use to our cause!” a male voice shouted inside my head.
“No, she is the one; she is part of the end ,” said another voice. This time it was quiet and gentle.
“We need
“Marcus is putting together what food we have. He wanted me to come get you.”
“I can’t think about food right now. There’s too much to do.” I looked out over the lake. The water had gone still, but I could feel the wetness between my toes. It had soaked through my shoes and my socks were now damp. I hated that feeling.
“You need to eat.”
I didn’t respond. My eyes were lost in the stillness of the water and Willy’s face seemed to be looking back at me from the reflection. Rayna pulled my hands forward and the trance was broken.
“Sorry,” I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “It’s like I see him everywhere. His face is in the water and in the bark of the trees. I see it when I close my eyes. He’s screaming for me to help him and I can’t. I thought seeing him would make things better, but it didn’t. Now all I can think is ‘what if I could just talk to him?’”
“You weren’t supposed to see him, Chase. That’s not the way things work. We’re all sad that he’s gone, but we have to focus on all the good things Willy gave us. His death is not something only to be mourned; it’s a life worth celebrating too.”
“Celebrating? He’s dead , Rayna. Gone. I can’t celebrate that.” And just like that, the moment of bliss was gone. “I never should have forced him to go anywhere. I should have left his condo the day he saved me and never looked back. He had no business in this fight. He wasn’t strong enough. He wasn’t a soldier.”
I’d never seen Rayna move so fast. I heard the crack of her hand before I felt it. The slap seared my skin and sound almost amplified the pain. I cringed; the sting resonated instantly, intensifying with each passing second. I was too shocked to be angry, but when I looked at Rayna, anger stared back at me.
“How dare you!” Rayna snapped, and a primal force rubbed along my skin. Her beast snapped in the air, the green of her eyes became more intense, and the power was nearly suffocating. “Do you think everything is about you ? We’re all hurting. It’s a knife stuck in our hearts and the blade doesn’t stop turning. Every second is a fight not to break down because we’re trying to stay strong. You can be sad, Chase. You can even cry. But don’t you dare betray his memory by saying he wasn’t a fighter—that he wasn’t strong.”
Both her hands hit my chest and I felt the pressure of her beast pushing outward. Bones began to crack, but instead of crying out in pain, a growl resonated through her lips. I stumbled back, barely keeping my balance.
“Willy was our friend—our family. He had more loyalty than any person we’ll ever meet.” She stormed forward, pushing me again. Even though I was prepared for it, I still stumbled. “When it went against what he wanted, he fought . When he was hurt or felt weak, he fought . When he was scared, he fought . Willy was brave, he was strong, and right now, you’re tearing down everything that he was. Willy died so that you might succeed. He wasn’t a soldier ? Willy died as more than a soldier . He died a hero. How dare you try to take that away from him!” Rayna gave me a final shove and a primal power burst between us. I hit the beach hard, slamming into the stones like a Mack truck had driven me into a wall. By the time I’d recovered enough to lift my head, all I could see was her back walking into the woods.
My heart pounded and Rayna’s words screamed through my head. Branches snapped as she vanished into the trees and I was left on the shore with only the clapping of water to break the silence.
“Leave her. She is of no use to our cause!” a male voice shouted inside my head.
“No, she is the one; she is part of the end ,” said another voice. This time it was quiet and gentle.
“We need
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