Page 76 of Change

But she wasn’t there.

The almost-empty room was darker than the rest of the house, as the only window was half-covered by a piece of plywood. A faint line of light trickled through the finger-width gaps above and below the frame, barely illuminating the dusty space. No carpets or rugs covered the pock-marked wood floors, and the blue and once-white wallpaper had been long neglected to a state where it barely even covered the walls anymore.

The smoke and fire damage that had spread through the rest of the house hadn’t really touched this area.

Centered on the floor under the window was a small, thin mattress. There were no sheets or blankets—not even a pillow. And on the other side of the space, a chair lay broken.

“She’s not here.”

She’d told me about this room. Her tearful words rang through my memories. Was it in this room where she’d gotten that scar?

“She is,” Titus replied, spine straightening as he shut his eyes and raised his face to the ceiling. The corner of his jaw twitched as his nostrils flared. “She’s…” he began, but his statement came to an abrupt end as he jerked his head to the right, crimson eyes cutting through the shadows as he focused on the opposite end of the room.

“There?” But there was clearly nothing. “Where—”

Titus pushed past me, crossing the space within four long-strides and kneeling on the floor as he faced the corner.

Before I could question him, his arm shot out, hand grasping at the air.

“It’s over,” he said.

I stared at him, growing increasingly concerned that I might need to intervene. Had the unfilled mate-bond damaged his mind?

But then his fingers wrapped around something solid, and the dusty light shimmered. I held my breath as the air seemed to move outwards, and then, where a second before had been nothing, was Bianca.

She was curled into a ball, knees drawn to her chest, and hands folded in between her legs and her stomach. She didn’t move, and she might as well have been carved out of stone, except for the fact that her large eyes shimmered with confused wariness.

Her makeup had smudged, accentuating the dampness of lingering tears.

But, still, that look was not one of recognition.

I peered at Titus. The dragon’s face was an unmovable picture of grim determination. However, I had no idea what he was thinking, or why he was pressing forward.

And, despite the situation, a sense of jealousy stirred in my chest.Ishould be the one in his position. I should be the one bringing her back.

I didn’t understand it; something existed now that had never happened before: an all-consuming need to take care ofher. This feeling wasn’t something that I could easily shake—and I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to.

She seemed so small—fragile—as she remained tense, terror radiating from her every pore. The russet-colored floppy hat she’d picked out today was lopsided on her head, hanging over one ear, as strands of flyaway hair framed her red-streaked face. When we’d arrived, she’d been well-put together and poised, and I thought, perhaps, that I’d underestimated her.

But now she looked lost.

That’s what always threw me off.

“No more running.” Titus didn’t even allow her to cower; and she would have, too, for there was still no recognition in her otherwise alert gaze. “I’ve got you.”

Titus moved back, and her hat fell to the floor as he pulled her to him. She made a low sound—almost a whimper—as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and her final method of escape was closed off.

The floor hummed in a low vibration that only those who were familiar would be able to place—Titus was now actively using his abilities to block hers.

My breathing began to pick up as uncertainty caused my skin to grow clammy, and I watched the two of them with a growing sense of apprehension.

I’d had no idea before now how Titus had planned on handling this situation, but I was a bit surprised, and proud, that he wasn’t fucking around with this confrontation either.

Julian was wrong; Bianca needed a more direct approach in regard to certain things. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be aiding in her recovery at all.

And it looked like Titus was on the same page.

She buried her forehead against his chest and tried to push her fists against him, but the dragon didn’t let up.