Anchor of Secrets by Tessa Hale

11

I flipped over,the blankets twisting around me, and Briar let out a grumble from her cat tower. She’d left me hours ago, my tossing and turning disrupting her beauty sleep. I lifted my head and let it fall back against the pillow.

I’d tried everything I could think of. Counting down from one hundred. Picturing myself on a relaxing beach somewhere. A meditation exercise I’d found online. Nothing worked.

The moment I closed my eyes, I’d see things I didn’t want to see. Memories I feared I’d never be rid of.

I turned on my side so that I could see out the big window in my room. The moon was full, and a shiver skated over my skin. While I was grateful for the comfort its light brought, I was reminded that the full moon was what Damien and his caster had been waiting for to do that dark magic they had planned.

I shoved those memories from my mind and focused on the moonlight reflecting on the water. The tide sent ripples through the surface, and I watched the glow dance as it did so. I let the image lull me into a trance, and before I knew it, sleep was pulling me under.

Cold, hard floor. The scent of mildew. Darkness everywhere.

My eyes flew open as I took in the basement. No, no, no. This wasn’t happening. Couldn’t be.

I clambered to my feet, trying to run for the tunnel I knew would take me to freedom, but something caught on my ankle. I tripped, slamming into the ground with a painful thud. My gaze snapped to my feet. The shackle.

This wasn’t real. Couldn’t be. I needed to wake up. I’d read somewhere that to stop a dream, you had to call it out. “This is a dream. Wake up.”

It did no use.

Pressure built behind my eyes, and my nose stung.

The hinges on the door above squeaked, and I jerked upright. Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Each one dug terror deeper into my bones.

Damien stepped into the low light of the basement. “There you are, Little Lamb. I’ve missed you.”

I couldn’t help the tremor that racked my body. “You aren’t real.”

He arched a brow. “I’m not?”

Damien strode forward and gripped me by the hair, hauling me up. “Tell me how I’m not real.”

White-hot pain flared in my scalp, a whimper escaping my lips.

“I love those noises you make,” Damien purred. “But I want to hear you scream.”

He hauled his head back, fangs elongating, and he sank his teeth into my flesh.

The fiery burn swept through me with a ferocity that stole my breath. And then he got my scream.

“Leighton, you’re dreaming.” The smooth, hypnotic voice tugged me toward consciousness.

“You’re safe, Little Bird. I’ve got you.”

My eyes flew open to meet swirling violet orbs.

There was no hesitation. I threw myself at Trace.

His arms encircled me, holding me tight. “You’re safe. Just breathe.”

There were no tears this time, but my entire body shook. Trace tried to keep me steady, but I only shook harder. “It was so real.”

He brushed the hair out of my face, his lips ghosting over the top of my head. “Just a dream.”

It was, but it wasn’t. My mind melded my worst memory with my greatest fears of what might come.

“He had me again,” I whispered.

Trace gripped me tighter. “That’s never going to happen.”

The words were rough, angry. A solemn vow.

“You can’t know that. We have no idea where he is. Or what he’s planning.”

“We’re going to find him,” Trace gritted out. “And then I’m going to gut him, nice and slow.”

I shivered in Trace’s arms.

He shifted so that he was lying against my pillows, bringing me with him. His fingers skimmed up and down my spine, a faint buzz lighting in my muscles.

“How did you know?” I whispered. He’d been in here before I’d opened my mouth to scream.

Trace’s fingers halted for the briefest moment and then continued on their journey. “I felt it.”

“What does that mean?” I remembered the guys explaining a little about imprinting and how it could make Trace unstable in the process.

“It can be undone with distance.”

I froze, a whole different kind of pain taking root in my chest. “Because you don’t want to be linked to me.”

It wasn’t a question, but Trace answered anyway. “I don’t want to be linked to anyone. Even the guys.”

“Why?”

“Because I hurt people, Little Bird. Even when it’s the last thing I want to do. Look what I’ve done to you.”

I lifted my head so that I could see those violet eyes. There was so much pain and grief in them. I would’ve given anything to take it all away. “I think you try to push people away so that they won’t see the amazing person beneath the mask. I think you want people to hate you so that they won’t see just how worth loving you are.”

Trace’s muscles went hard beneath me. “I’m an asshole.”

“Yeah, you are,” I agreed.

His eyes flared with surprise.

“But you’re also loyal, protective, and fierce. You’re always there for the people you care about when they need you.”

“I don’t care about anyone,” he snapped.

“Bullshit,” I clipped. “You care about every damn person in this house.”

Trace’s jaw worked back and forth. “We keep each other alive.”

I laughed then.

“Stop laughing,” he growled.

“Trace…” My gaze swept over his beautiful face, all perfect symmetry and gorgeous angles. It caught on those violet eyes and tempting mouth, his lip ring glinting in the moonlight. “If all you cared about was keeping me alive, you wouldn’t have woken me up from a nightmare.”

Trace grunted. “I feel your fear. It’s annoying.”

I grinned. “You like me.”

“Shut up.”

My grin only widened. “You really like me.”

Trace moved in a flash. He rolled us, pinning me to the mattress with his powerful form. “I need you to hear me, Little Bird. The greatest act of love I’ll ever give you is staying the hell away.”