Mated in Mist (Talon Pack #3)(48)

Leah squeezed his hand once more. “I know most of the history of the war, Ryder. I know the atrocities of the Centrals. As well as your uncles.”

“You don’t know all of them,” he said softly. “As I said before, I was not born the Heir. But as the second son of the Alpha, I knew one day I would become the Heir. That is how things are supposed to work. Once the next generation awakens and grows into their wolves, they become the new powers. The older ones step down as they train their counterparts. That is how the Redwoods are doing it now, and that was how the Talons should have done it. And yet we didn’t. Our uncles refused to train us. They refused to allow their wolves to give up any of their powers in the hierarchy. It broke our Pack. Almost completely.”

Ryder pushed back the memories of the screams, the pain, the disappearances of those close to him. Each of their uncles had mated at one point in their lives, yet each of the women had died at the hands of the Brentwood family.

“For a long time, I didn’t believe the Talons deserved the goddess’s forgiveness.”

“Ryder.”

“I know that was wrong. The innocent deserved far more than forgiveness. But I’m going off track.” He let out a slow breath. “Uncle Timothy was the Heir before me. He was the one uncle most of the family believed held a nicer side. It was a lie. Is a lie.”

“What do you mean?”

“Timothy allowed the Pack to believe he was the one on their side. He never showed his cruelty because he wanted to be the one they relied on, all the while undercutting them. He only showed his true self to one person.” He paused. “Me.”

“Oh, Ryder.” She climbed into his lap, and he tucked her under his chin, needing her touch. His wolf pushed at him, wanting her even closer.

“He beat me until I was sure I wouldn’t be able to shift and heal. Our Healer, my other uncle, had to have known I was in pain. The rest of the family who had powers had to have felt it along the bonds, but they did nothing. I almost died at least a dozen times. And each time he’d force me to shift. Because of that, I think, shifting is so painful that I hate doing it.”

His wolf whimpered and he wanted to curse.

“I don’t hate my wolf. He’s…he’s the other part of my soul. But letting him out is agony.”

Leah nuzzled into him, calming not only his wolf, but the rest of him, as well. “Tell me everything, Ryder. I know that’s not all. You hate yourself and push me away because of something. It can’t be your wolf alone.”

He kissed the top of her head. “You’re right. That’s part of my past, but not all of it.” He took a deep breath. “I was beaten, forced to turn when I shouldn’t have, and had to hide it all for fear Timothy would kill Brynn. Yet through it all, everything was made worse because I have a…a gift.”

Leah pulled away. “Does it have to do with how you found me in the woods? Or what happened to Luis and Darynda?”

Goddess, she was so smart, so strong. He didn’t deserve her.

“I can see spirits,” he blurted.

Holy hell. He’d never said that before. Never revealed his deepest, darkest secret. And yet, Leah was the only one he could ever envision telling. Maybe when he told the others later it would be easier, but telling Leah…that was everything.

He cleared his throat. “I see the dead, can hear them, feel them sometimes.”

“Oh, Ryder. That…gift. No wonder you’re so silent sometimes. The voices of the dead can be overwhelming. I’m not a spirit witch, but I know of the powers.”

She understood. Just like that, she understood.

“For the first half of my life, they screamed at me. They never asked me for anything, but they shouted and tried to get their hooks into my wolf. I wasn’t strong enough to get them to stop, but I was strong enough to keep my wolf and my soul. Now they ask for things or scream. They brush by me, taking a little bit out of me with each sighting. Only recently have I tried to…not control, but use my gift.” And both times were for her.

“You needed someone to guide you, Ryder. I know if you had been in another Pack, an elder would have helped. Or even an earth or water witch.”

“What do you mean a water witch?”

Leah pulled away from him slightly so she could look at his face. “Ryder, water witches commune with the spirits. We cannot hear them unless it’s on the slight mist of a wave newly born, but we can feel their presence. We’re the most sensitive of the witches when it comes to those who have been lost to us. We cannot control or send them through the Veil as spirit witches can, but we can aid.”

“I…I didn’t know that.” It didn’t make sense. How could he not know that? It changed everything…but he couldn’t hope. Not when he’d spent a century giving up on the idea of a future with a mate.

He’d pushed Leah away to protect her, and yet… had it been for nothing?

“Oh, my Ryder.” She cupped his face. “Don’t you see? The goddess knew what she was doing when she brought us together. You’re in so much pain, my wolf. I want to help you. I need to. You should have been trained in your gift, and I could rightly kick their f*cking asses for daring to leave you alone as you are. You need to tell your family, darling. They need to know who you are, what you are. I’m honored you told me, and I will cherish your secret. But Ryder, you are more than your gift, more than your wolf, more than your loyalty. You are more than who you think you are.”