Torrent of Tears (Scourge Survivor Series Book 3)(5)

The growl of Bruin’s bear vibrated through the room. “Are you telling me Mika taunted you into smashing her head into the marble tiles?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Enough, you two.” Julian stepped around his desk and pulled back on Bruin’s shoulders. When he turned to me, his expression was pinched and stern. “We’re worried about you, Lex. You’re lashing out, flaking on training schedules, and skipping your classes. You’re not yourself and haven’t been for months.”

Months? “I wasn’t feeling well and missed one day’s duties. One. You seem to forget that I’m the one picking up the slack at the Academy because Jade’s busy puking every morning. And I’m the one at every early morning training session of the Highbornes because Bruin can’t seem to dismount his mate long enough to—”

“Fuck, Lexi!” Julian placed his palms flat on Bruin’s chest and planted his feet.

The growl that ripped from Bruin that time vibrated in my chest. The man would never hurt me, but the bonded Were animal in him was a truly scary thing. I eased back a few feet as his turquoise eyes flared gold. Jade took hold of Bruin’s bicep and began to sing. Her enchanted melody wove an ethereal spell around Bruin until his bear calmed.

Julian glared. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

I turned on my heel. “Nothing. I’m just learning that the term ‘family’ is more subjective than I thought. Seems if you don’t toe the line just right, you’re as good as—”

Someone lunged behind me, caught my shoulder and whirled me around. Pressed against the wall, Bruin stared at me with deadly focus. He leaned close and sniffed. “You’re on something.”

Oh shit. I fought against his iron grip, trying to keep my cool. “What? So, you refuse to speak to me for six months and then accuse me of—”

“Blaze. Come check out her eyes.” Bruin pushed harder to hold me in place as the room got a hell of a lot more claustrophobic. “I smell Haze.”

I caught his jaw with an uppercut and twisted out of his grasp. “What I do stopped being your business when you cut me from your life. You want me gone? Consider me gone.”

“No you don’t.” Julian reached across his desk and slammed his hand down. The hiss of the control room doors sealed the four of us in. “There something wrong here, Princess. You’re angry, volatile and edgy. You’re losing control of your temper and now you’re using? We have the right to know what’s going on.”

Jade pushed between me and our brothers and grabbed my hand. The unwelcome warmth of her connection spread as she invaded my privacy.

I ripped out of her grasp. “Screw the intervention. Run to Reign if you want. Make up a dramatic story about how selfish, stupid Lexi went off the rails and became a doser. Then maybe he’ll hate me too. Maybe he’ll kick me out of Talon. Hell, why stop there, if you make it good, he might kick me out of your family altogether.”

“Alexannia Grace,” Jade snapped. “You are part of our family. Whatever is going on—”

“No.” I shook my head, my eyes filling with liquid fury, “I was slow to get the memo, but it’s clear I don’t measure up to the standards of the group. You’ve got Galan and your babies now. Bruin’s got his precious Mundie. Hell, even Julian’s too busy for me since we moved to your new mansion. Seven months and he still hasn’t found an afternoon to spend wiring my sound system and Internet. He wired the rest of the house though, the Talon are all set up . . . hell, even the Dens have fiber connection so Mika can work over the web.”

The words ripped from my chest as the three of them stared. I stepped over to the door and grabbed the handle. I looked tiny but they knew I had strength well beyond my size. “Let me out of here, Julian or I swear I’ll rip the door from the fucking frame.”

The hiss of the air lock was my signal to make tracks. I couldn’t breathe. My ribs and chest ached almost as bad as my back did. Running from the Gatehouse, I followed the stone wall of Jade’s compound and bolted for the forest.

Thoughts and emotions swirled in my head, disjointed images of misunderstanding and judgment. Months? Julian said they’d noticed I was off for months? Nobody said anything to me. Nobody even bothered to ask how I was.

A gust of February air slapped my face and bit at the tears freezing against my skin. A shiver wracked though me. Where was my jacket? Damn. Well, I wasn’t going back to get it.

With my arms crossed over my chest, I ignored the sensation of icy shards tunneling into my skin and pushed into the forest. How dare they point fingers at me? I tromped around a rock formation. Sheltered from the scream of winter, I was enveloped in an almost deafening rush of quiet.

Everywhere hurt. My head. My heart. My back.

Why hadn’t I gone to Jade about my pain? Tham had urged me enough times. Jade was a great healer.

I dropped to my knees at the edge of the small pond where Reign had found me years ago. He’d said that each one of his kids needed a place of our own. This was mine. Alone in my special sanctuary, my sobs wracked me in earnest.

I didn’t cry. Ever. Usually.

I needed to go. The thought of leaving Haven made my throat tighten. Everything I was . . . everything I had become was tied to this mountain: daughter, sister, teacher, fighting instructor, Talon warrior. . .