Chapter Five
The silence after Brielle’swords felt like a thunderclap.The kind of silence that echoed and burned.
“I can’t be your mate,” she said again.
Hunter blinked, sure he’d heard her wrong.“What?”
Brielle’s chin lifted, her eyes bright with emotion.“I can’t.Whatever fate, goddess, or cosmic joke is trying to tie me to you—it’s wrong.It can’t be me.”
The air on the roof pulsed, thick with disbelief.Lennox stiffened beside him, his jaw tight enough to crack.Hunter forced himself to breathe.“You mean you won’t.Not that you can’t.”
Her shoulders sagged.“Maybe both.”
He took a careful step closer, keeping his tone steady.“Brielle, whatever this bond is, it’s not something we control.It’s ...ancient.It chose us.”
She gave a bitter laugh.“That’s the problem.I’ve spent my whole life being told who I should be, what I should feel.I’m done being chosen for.”
Lennox cursed under his breath.“Then maybe you should stop fighting it and listen to what your heart’s already saying.”
Her eyes flashed.“My heart’s a terrible judge of character.”
Hunter couldn’t argue that—not when pain still lingered in her voice.“You’re talking about Caleb.The guy who attacked you at the Boutique.”
She hesitated, the weight of the name hanging between them.Hunter saw the tremor in her hands, the way she drew in a breath like she was trying to steady herself.He softened his tone.“You don’t have to carry that alone, Brielle.Let us take some of that weight.”
Her gaze flicked up, wary.“You don’t know what that means.”
He held her eyes.“Then tell us.We can’t protect you from ghosts you won’t share.Whatever he did—whatever you’re afraid of—we can handle it together.”
She nodded once, her throat working as she swallowed.“Caleb was ...charming at first.The kind of man who could make you feel seen, wanted.He said all the right things.I thought I’d found someone who understood me—someone who wasn’t afraid to show me how he felt.”Her voice cracked, and she looked away.“But it changed.Slowly.He started wanting control.Over everything.Over me.”
Lennox’s growl was low and dangerous.“Control how?”
“He’d tell me what to wear, who to talk to.He’d check my phone.Track my movements.He wanted to own every part of my life.”Brielle’s lips trembled as she spoke.“The first time he hit me, I convinced myself it was stress.The second time, I told myself it was my fault.By the third, I was planning my escape.”
Hunter’s fists curled, the muscle in his jaw ticking.“You shouldn’t have had to live through that.”His voice came out rough, tight.“He’s still out there, isn’t he?”
She nodded.“Officer Walker has been trying to track him.But he’s careful.Knows how to disappear.”
Lennox muttered a curse that vibrated like thunder.“Then we’ll find him.And when we do—”
“Lennox,” Brielle cut in sharply.“No heroics.And besides, if I get the chance, it will be me that ends that man’s life.”
Hunter crouched slightly, catching her gaze.“That’s not your responsibility, baby.None of this is.You didn’t cause what he did.”
Her eyes filled, but she didn’t look away.“After that, I promised myself I’d never let anyone close enough to hurt me again.Never trust anyone who said I was theirs.”
Hunter reached out, brushing a tear from her cheek with the back of his knuckles.His voice was softer, but full of restrained fury.“You’re not property.You never were.And if you give us a chance, we’ll prove it every damn day.”
Lennox’s voice was harsher, full of fire.“And if he ever tries to touch you again, I’ll rip the sky down on him.”
Brielle blinked through her tears, her lips twitching in a sad smile.“You two really don’t do halfway, do you?”