Page 131 of Pretty When She Breaks

“What the fuck, Kaos?” I said as I unsuccessfully tried to escape his arms. First Finch apologizing and now this? “One night can’t change everything between us.”

He laughed as if I’d told a joke. “Of course it can, silly,” he said, stepping back and slipping his hand into mine. He looked down at me, his black eyes wide with wonder. “You look beautiful,” he said, and I was sure my cheeks were crimson now.

I swallowed, not sure what to say. A selfish part of me didn’t want to say anything. The wayhe was looking at me, his hand in mine…it was making butterflies swarm in my chest.

Time to break out the bug net.

I pulled my hand out of his. His forehead creased, and he looked at me, confused.

“What’s your game?” I said, my voice wobbling a bit. Was this some sort of new cruel joke he was playing on me? Now that he’d seen how vulnerable I was last night?

But he had held me. Purred for me. Scent-marked me and stroked my hair until I fell asleep. And I could feel him in the bond, smooth and calm and happy.

“No game,” he said softly. “I just realized you’re my angel.”

I shook my head, because that couldn’t be true. “You’re wrong,” I said, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “Not me. Find someone else, Kaos, because I’m too fucked up for that.”

Kaos laughed in delight, his eyes sparkling. He took my hand and raised it up, pressing his palm to mine and spreading out our fingers. “I said you were my angel,” he said. “Don’t you see? I’m a fighter. For so long, I hated that. I was trying to run away from myself. I thought that I was a monster who deserved to die and a burden who refused to. But last night, I realized that maybe a monster is what you need. To protect you from your own demons.”

He laced his fingers with mine, and I couldn’t look away from his eyes and the joy shining in them. “You’ve helped me rethink how I see the whole world. Given me hope.”

I swallowed as I looked at him, my eyes stinging.

They had given me hope too, I realized. Since Jule left, my world had been so dark and bleak. But now I was starting to see that my father isn’t the end of everything. That I don’t have to be trapped in his cage.

Escape was still a faint hope, but seemed more and more possible every day.

There was one thing that had been nagging me, though, a tiny suspicion that I wanted confirmed. “Could we stop by this clinic on the way home?” I asked after I’d strapped in, showing Kaos the address on the screen.

He nodded and started the car.

SEVENTY-TWO

OCEAN

The heavy portcullis door creaked open, and I looked up, hoping it was Laurel to see me again. Instead, my heart sank as Prince, Dax, and Madison walked into the pens, following one of the security guards as they made their way over to my cell.

I stayed seated on my cot, eyeing them warily. I twitched in my seat, failing in my plan to stay still. Even though Laurel had brought me some sanity last night, my mind felt sluggish. Instincts that had been nothing more than annoyances since I claimed my aura were now shaping my thoughts before I could stop them.

Simple thoughts. Easy thoughts.

Sometimes it was hard to remember why I was fighting their pull.

No, it was because of them. My pack. I opened the bond in my mind, closing my eyes and finding them.

Voices interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up, finding Dax’s face. He was an enemy, and he was sneering at me in achallenge. This was the asshole who’d helped hurt Laurel. I snarled, launching myself at him.

There was something in my way, something hard and metal, and Dax laughed as I struggled to reach him. Red bled into my vision as I tried again and again.

“Ocean,” a voice said.

I blinked and looked over. Everyone outside my cell was gone, and it was Hugo who was calling me. His face was creased with concern. My arms hurt, and my chest felt raw against the metal bars. How long ago had Dax left?

“There you are,” he said gently. “Come on, boy. Time to go through your exercises.”

He stood in his cell, settling into a fighting stance, and I felt myself relax as I followed suit, my heart beating wildly in my chest. I didn’t want to think too hard about what had just happened.

This was good.