Page 17 of Wrapped in Their Arms

“You have to be strong now, son.Andstay with your brother—no matter what, stay with him!”

Then a shadow dragging someone away.

Burn blinked and clenched his jaw so hard it felt like it would crack.Heforced the images down, burying them under the hot, sick wave of anger rising in his chest.

Not now.Don’tthink about it now.

But his mind didn’t listen.

Another flash.

One of his fathers’ voices—cut off mid-sentence…a choked sound…a thud…a metallic smell in the air.

How much of it was real?Howmuch of it was memory and how much was imagination?

Burn stumbled a half step before catching himself as the mental fragments battered him.Gods, he couldn’t even fucking walk straight anymore!Hejust wanted to shut his brain up…but he couldn’t.

Bright glanced at him overNoelle’shead, clearly worried, but said nothing.Hedidn’t ask what was wrong…he never did.Brightknew better than anyone—some pain was too deep to talk about.

Noelle looked up atBurnthen, her big brown eyes wide and frightened, and something inside him snapped into sharp, painful clarity.

It’s happening again.Anothership.Anotherattack.Anotherfamily being ripped away right in front of you.Andyou’re helpless.Again.

His breath hitched, and for a second he couldn’t see the corridor at all—just fire.Smoke.Shapesmoving behind it.

His mother reaching out—then disappearing.Hisbrother shouting his name—then silence.

Burn’s stomach lurched.Heswallowed hard.

Not again.Notfucking again.

He forced the memories back down—slammed a mental door on them—just as theSkowshoved the three of them into a huge, cold chamber.Thecargo hold.

The air inside was freezing…damp.Ittasted like metal and fear.

Around them were cages—lined up like livestock stalls.Somewere full, some empty.Shapeshuddled in the darkness…eyes stared at them without blinking.

Burn feltNoelleshiver beside him and moved closer to the little human automatically.

He shouldn’t have.Thecuffs theSkowhad put on him crackled, tightening around his wrists, vibrating with warning.Abright pulse of pain shot up his arms, but he didn’t back away.

Noelle pressed into his side, tiny compared to him, and he leaned slightly, instinctively, so she could borrow his body heat.

He didn’t speak…he couldn’t.Histhroat felt like it was closing.

“In you go!”a guard snapped and the three of them were shoved into a cell and the door slammed behind them with a hiss of deadbolts.

“It’s all right, sweetheart.We’regoing to be okay,”Brightmurmured, placing a steadying hand onNoelle’sshoulder, as he also ignored the crackling of his cuffs.

Burn just stared at the metal wall, fists clenched so tight his knuckles ached.

This place… this smell… this sound… the way they took us.It’stoo much.Toomuch like?—

His heartbeat thundered in his ears as he pushed the thought away.

He felt the phantom pain and numbness as though half of him had been amputated…heard the distant echo of someone crying for help…the rasp of strange voices speaking words he didn’t understand.

He shook his head violently—almost snarling at the memories.