Read Online Haunted Sanctuary (Green Pines Sanctuary) by Moira Rogers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Moira Rogers
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But I do work in the building with all the books, even dirty ones. Good luck shocking me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of trying, Ms. Green. Not for a moment.”
Jay woke with a start. He watched the ceiling fan turn slow revolutions above him, every sense on high alert.
In his bedroom, Eden whimpered, a sound cut short by a sharp gasp. He shot off the couch, kicking away the blanket that tangled around his legs.
She was staring at the ceiling, wet lines of tears tracking down her face to disappear in the damp hair at her temples. Jay knelt by the bed. “Eden? What happened?”
She wiped at her cheeks with trembling hands. “Nothing. Just…dreams.”
Nightmares. “What do you need?”
“I was going to turn the lights on, but I guess I don’t need them anymore.” She reached for him with one hand. “You were right. I can see in the dark.”
“It takes some getting used to.” He tucked her hand between his. “Family stuff?”
Eden wiped at her cheek again with a watery little laugh. “I guess that’s where it all comes from, but it’s never that clear. I don’t dream about the past. Just about the farm. Being trapped there with ghosts or serial killers or monsters…”
And he’d brought it all to the surface, poking around in the shreds of her past. “You have a chance to reclaim that place now. Turn it into something good instead of what you remember.”
She just stared at him. “Do you believe in ghosts?”
He believed in echoes, the kinds that followed people no matter where they went. “I think we can be haunted by things, yes. By the past.”
“I always thought the farm was haunted.” She rolled to her side and reached for him with her other hand. “The whole pack has so much to be haunted by. I hope there’s room in the house for all the new ghosts.”
Jay hesitated, then crawled onto the bed and curled up behind her. “There’s no ghosts, honey. Just pain, and that fades in time.”
Her wolf’s power seethed just beneath her skin, wounded and wary, but Eden squirmed back against Jay in silent acceptance of his protection. “You never told me your secrets.”
No, he hadn’t, and now he found himself more reluctant to do so than ever before. More ghosts, more pain. “When I said I understand what you went through, watching what happened to Zack, it wasn’t entirely true. To be honest, I’m more familiar with his side of the whole equation.”
She twined their fingers together. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” The words came automatically, a reassurance he couldn’t help but offer. “I’m glad Zack had your mom and dad, not to mention you. Family who cared.”
Eden rolled over and stared up at him. “He made me promise never to tell. Made me swear when I was so young I can’t even remember doing it. And he was my hero, my protector. I think I would have told any lie he wanted me to.”
All he could give her was the brutal truth, layer one more blanket of cruelty on her world. “You couldn’t have stopped what was happening to him, Eden. It isn’t as though no one knew. There were investigations, examinations. They figured Albus couldn’t be beating Zack because he always healed too fast. They wouldn’t have listened to the truth.”
“I could have told my parents. If they’d known how bad it was…” She clenched her hand around the blankets. “It’s not right that people can know and not fix it.”
“No,” he agreed. “But when you have to hide away, you lose some of the protections people take for granted. Look at what happened in Memphis.”
“Zack talked like all the cities are like that. Is it really that bad everywhere?”
“Not in the smaller towns.” And not in the sanctuaries.
The import of what they were about to do hit Jay like a punch. As soon as his friends arrived, they’d be making a stand, probably even traveling to Memphis to deliver their message in person. From now on, Clover would be a safe place, a haven where
“I wouldn’t dream of trying, Ms. Green. Not for a moment.”
Jay woke with a start. He watched the ceiling fan turn slow revolutions above him, every sense on high alert.
In his bedroom, Eden whimpered, a sound cut short by a sharp gasp. He shot off the couch, kicking away the blanket that tangled around his legs.
She was staring at the ceiling, wet lines of tears tracking down her face to disappear in the damp hair at her temples. Jay knelt by the bed. “Eden? What happened?”
She wiped at her cheeks with trembling hands. “Nothing. Just…dreams.”
Nightmares. “What do you need?”
“I was going to turn the lights on, but I guess I don’t need them anymore.” She reached for him with one hand. “You were right. I can see in the dark.”
“It takes some getting used to.” He tucked her hand between his. “Family stuff?”
Eden wiped at her cheek again with a watery little laugh. “I guess that’s where it all comes from, but it’s never that clear. I don’t dream about the past. Just about the farm. Being trapped there with ghosts or serial killers or monsters…”
And he’d brought it all to the surface, poking around in the shreds of her past. “You have a chance to reclaim that place now. Turn it into something good instead of what you remember.”
She just stared at him. “Do you believe in ghosts?”
He believed in echoes, the kinds that followed people no matter where they went. “I think we can be haunted by things, yes. By the past.”
“I always thought the farm was haunted.” She rolled to her side and reached for him with her other hand. “The whole pack has so much to be haunted by. I hope there’s room in the house for all the new ghosts.”
Jay hesitated, then crawled onto the bed and curled up behind her. “There’s no ghosts, honey. Just pain, and that fades in time.”
Her wolf’s power seethed just beneath her skin, wounded and wary, but Eden squirmed back against Jay in silent acceptance of his protection. “You never told me your secrets.”
No, he hadn’t, and now he found himself more reluctant to do so than ever before. More ghosts, more pain. “When I said I understand what you went through, watching what happened to Zack, it wasn’t entirely true. To be honest, I’m more familiar with his side of the whole equation.”
She twined their fingers together. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” The words came automatically, a reassurance he couldn’t help but offer. “I’m glad Zack had your mom and dad, not to mention you. Family who cared.”
Eden rolled over and stared up at him. “He made me promise never to tell. Made me swear when I was so young I can’t even remember doing it. And he was my hero, my protector. I think I would have told any lie he wanted me to.”
All he could give her was the brutal truth, layer one more blanket of cruelty on her world. “You couldn’t have stopped what was happening to him, Eden. It isn’t as though no one knew. There were investigations, examinations. They figured Albus couldn’t be beating Zack because he always healed too fast. They wouldn’t have listened to the truth.”
“I could have told my parents. If they’d known how bad it was…” She clenched her hand around the blankets. “It’s not right that people can know and not fix it.”
“No,” he agreed. “But when you have to hide away, you lose some of the protections people take for granted. Look at what happened in Memphis.”
“Zack talked like all the cities are like that. Is it really that bad everywhere?”
“Not in the smaller towns.” And not in the sanctuaries.
The import of what they were about to do hit Jay like a punch. As soon as his friends arrived, they’d be making a stand, probably even traveling to Memphis to deliver their message in person. From now on, Clover would be a safe place, a haven where
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