Alpha Hunter (16 page)

Though muffled, he easily made out the sound of her sobs. “Damn it.” He crawled off the bed and crossed to the bathroom. The door was locked, so he teleported inside.

She’d lodged herself into the corner between the stool and bathtub. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, her arms folded on top of her knees. Her forehead rested on her folded arms and harsh sobs shook her entire body.

Never feeling more helpless in his life, h
e knelt in front of her and stroked her hair. “It was
not
your fault.”

“It was.” She didn’t raise her head and her voice was barely intelligible. “I encouraged them. They only took what I offered.”

Them
.
They
. The words echoed through his mind as anguish tore through his soul.

Unable to leave her alone in her misery, he pulled her forward then swept her into his arms. Rather than return to the bed, he carried her into the common room and sat in one of the armchairs. He didn’t speak, didn’t try to find words able to soothe her. He just held her, supporting her as she cried.

She clung to him, trembling violently as her tears wet his chest. “I was flirting,” she whispered against his skin. “I always flirt.”

He didn’t rush her. She needed to find the words, to fi
ght her way back from the dark. He stoked her hair and held her close, making sure she understood she wasn’t alone.

“
It was a contest,” she went on. “They kept arguing about who I’d sleep with and I was enjoying the attention.”

He focused on his breathing, afraid she’d sense the rage building
inside him. Each word she uttered revealed her shame, which only made him angrier.

“W
e kept drinking and one said I didn’t have to decide; they’d just take turns. Then it wasn’t who’d get me, it was who’d get me
first
.” An especially harsh sob shook her shoulders and she was silent for a long time.

It’ll be all right
. The useless phrase formed within his mind, but he couldn’t force the words past his lips. It sounded hollow and insincere. She deserved better, but he didn’t know what else to say.

“
It turned ugly so fast. I tried to convince myself it wasn’t real. But that didn’t keep me from feeling every touch, every…” Her voice broke and she was sobbing too hard to go on.

The details didn’t matter, but her shame did. He rocked her until her sobs slowed and then gently raised her
head. “It was
not
your fault. Flirting with someone does not give them the right to take what they want from you.”

“But I—”

“No buts. You might have been unwise, even reckless, but you did not deserve what happened to you.”

Her lips trembled and tears trailed down her cheeks, but she didn’t argue.

“Tori said you were missing for a week. Were you with them all that time?”

“No.” She shuddered
, clearly repulsed by the idea. “I wasn’t going to go home, but I had nowhere else to go.”

That surprised him. She seemed close to her sister now. They’d both been grieving their mother. Why wouldn’t she have wanted to go home?

Apparently the question showed in his expression, because she replied, “I didn’t want anyone to see me like that. I tried to clean up, but…the more I fought the more violent they became. I couldn’t wash away the bruises.”

Not wanting her to misinterpret the fury burning in his gaze, he averted his
face and pulled her back against his chest. “Did you know them?” What he really wanted to ask was if she knew where to find them. Such cowardly abuse demanded retaliation.

She shook her head. “They were just some guys at a party.”

“They were monsters who abused a helpless female. They are beneath contempt.” The only way to explore the event meant exposing her to the memories. The possibility of revenge wasn’t worth dragging her back into hell. He’d either find another way of identifying the animals or he’d reluctantly let it go and focus on her recovery.

She pushed back far enough to look into his eyes. “This is part of the reason I never told anyone.” A wary sadness crept into her gaze.

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t want it to ruin anyone else’s life. If I’d told Tori, she would have spent the next ten years hunting them down.”

He concurred with the strategy. “Don’t you want them held accountable for what they did?”

“It was as much my fault as—”

“No it wasn’t!” He hadn’t meant to snap at her. His emotions were just too raw. “You were a traumatized child looking for comfort and they abused you in the worst way imaginable.”

“I wasn’t a child. I went to that party
knowing I’d hook up with someone. Things just got out of control.”

He didn’t want to take out his frustration on her, but she wasn’t making it easy to remain calm. “How old were you?”

She looked away and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I was on my own a lot, so I grew up fast.”

“I’ll ask Tori.”

“I was fifteen. All right? Can we drop the subject now?”

It was worse than he’d thought. He clenched his hands to keep from shaking her. How could she hold herself responsible for any of it? She was so damn young. Rather than repeat his objections, he stood, lifting her against his chest as he went.

He returned to the bedroom and placed her on the bed then crawled in beside her. Much to his relief, she snuggled up against his side and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Promise me you’ll leave this alone.” She pushed up with her elbow when he didn’t reply. “I will not be defined by this. It happened and it’s over. End of story.”

He wouldn’t give her a promise he had no intention of keeping, so he evaded the issue. “You’re all I care about. I’ll do whatever’s best for you.”

Her brows drew together as she stared into his eyes. “That wasn’t a promise.”

“My promises are sacred. I don’t give them lightly. I will investigate those bastards. Honor demands it. But I will not allow the issue to consume me or to distract me from helping you. You are, and will always be, my first concern.”

The compromise seemed to satisfy her. She relaxed and returned to her earlier position.

Knowing she couldn’t see his face, Blayne indulged in a fierce scowl. Ontarians had no tolerance for the mistreatment of females. One way or another, regardless of how long it took, Angie’s abusers would pay for what they’d done to her.

Angie woke up alone the following morning. Blayne’s scent lingered in the air, so he couldn’t have been gone long. She quickly showered and slipped into one of the dresses Aria had given her. The style was simple, the gauzy skirt falling in soft pleats from
a wide waistband. It was nothing she ever would have chosen for herself, but she was grateful for the clean outfit. Aria had provided slip-on shoes as well, but they were too small, which left Angie no choice but to wear her low-heeled motorcycle boots with the dress. The rebellious quirk made her feel more herself as she left the suite and headed downstairs.

She enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with Aria
, the conversation light and amusing. The servants had just cleared the table when Blayne walked into the dining room.

“
We should probably return to training, if you’ve finished your meal.” He sounded stiff and professional.

Aria shot her a curious look, apparently noticing his formality.

Angie pushed back from the table and stood. “I’m done.” She smiled at Aria. “I’ll see you later.”

Rather than return to their suite, Blayne took her outside. The backyard was massive, edged by mature trees on two sides and a manicured flower garden on the other. The late
-morning sun was warm, but the breeze was cool and she rubbed her hands over her bare arms.

“Do you need a sweater?”

“Maybe. Let’s get started and if I’m still cold, I’ll let you know.”

“All right.”
His gaze subtly ran the length of her body and then his lips curved. “Nice boots.”

“Why thank you
, kind sir.” She flashed her best flirtatious smile, but he remained solidly lodged inside his stoic teacher role.

She’d hoped Aria was the cause of
Blayne’s distance. Unfortunately, it continued throughout the day. He was polite and patient, yet the intimacy they’d built the previous day had vanished. Angie was disappointed, but she wasn’t surprised. She didn’t need their psychic connection to understand his emotional withdrawal. He knew her secret now. She was damaged, ruined—broken. No man would ever want her for more than an anonymous night of sexual release. Apparently, Blayne didn’t even want her for that anymore.

She mastered each skill he transferred to her within a few hours.
He taught her how to use visualization as a launch mechanism for her farseeing. She linked with Drakkin and Aria, then random people in the nearby city. Only Drakkin reacted to her intrusion and she suspected she only completed the connection because he lowered his shields. Everyone else was oblivious to the voyeur who had hijacked their senses.

Blayne
seemed pleased by her progress. Still his encouragement didn’t ease the ache in her heart. They’d been on the verge of something meaningful and with every moment she felt it slipping away.

Once the sun set, they moved back into the house. After a semi-awkward dinner with Drakkin and Aria, Blayne took Angie
back to their suite. He remained focused on her training, so she tried to do the same. Learning to control her abilities was why she’d come to Bilarri, not to begin a turbulent romance. It was better that the spark had extinguished before it caught fire.

“
Can Drakkin arrange for me to speak with Tori?” she asked as Blayne prepared for the next exercise. They were in the common room, alone for the first time that day.

“He can, but I think you’re ready to make contact yourself.”

“Really? I thought my gift only allowed me to
see
through other people. The gift is passive. How will she know I’m there?”

“
This will require you to combine your abilities, which is the next step in your training. You farsee into her mind and then establish a telepathic link. That sort of contact is easiest to accomplish with family members or those you have a strong emotional connection with already.”

“
She’s on another planet. How do I even begin?”

He ambled toward her and took one of her hands between his. It was the first time he’d touched her
since the night before and her pulse leapt at the simple contact. Her mind might have accepted his withdrawal, but her body disagreed. “You’re much stronger than you realize. Contacting your sister won’t tax you at all.”

She started to speak and then stopped. He’d made his position obvious all day. He was her mentor and nothing else. Why would she want to make herself vulnerable again?

“What’s the matter?”

“
We’re going to pretend last night didn’t happen?” She looked away as the question ended, unable to hold his gaze.

He cupped her chin and tilted her head until she looked at him again. “I wanted to give you time to process the emotions. I don’t want you to feel pressured by the intensity of my feelings for you.”

“What feelings?” A nervous laugh escaped despite her determination to remain indifferent. “You’ve been cold as ice all day.”

In a flash she was in his arms and his mouth was moving hungrily over hers.
I knew if I got you alone, we wouldn’t accomplish anything.
His desire blazed into her mind, ravenous and demanding.
Does this feel like I’ve lost interest?

She tore her mouth away with a pleased
smile. “All right. I stand corrected. You were just trying to slow things down.”

His
gaze still smoldered and one arm kept her anchored against him. “Nothing in your past could change the way I feel about you. It breaks my heart to think of all you’ve suffered, but you are blameless. And I’m going to keep reminding you until you believe it.” His second kiss was slow and gentle, filled with affection and tenderness. “Now, do you want to talk with Tori before or after?”

She grinned, thrilled by the sensual threat in his tone.
“Before. If you kiss me again, I’ll forget I have a sister.”

“Then picture Tori with as much detail as you can. Let the image form in your mind then
throw it into space with as much force as you can muster.”

After a day of projection, she understood what he meant. She closed her eyes and pictured Tori
’s auburn hair, the faint lines around her eyes and the gentleness of her smile. Angie knew her actions irritated Tori more often than not, but they loved each other deeply. Would their emotional connection really allow her to contact Tori on another planet? It still seemed impossible.

She combated her uncertainty with all she’d accomplished today and Blayne’s confidence that she could do this.
Once the image was specific and concise, she flung it outward with a surge of energy. Then she followed the pulse, letting the image guide her.