War of Hearts(63)

Conall wished he could pull over so he could look her in the eyes when he said this, so she could see his certainty and sincerity. “Thea, you did not kill your parents. You tried to save them … it’s not your fault they didnae know to listen.”

She was quiet so long he thought he’d upset her. Then, “Sometimes I blame them for that. Because they should have known. They knew me. They knew … I was different. That if I thought something was wrong, they should listen.”

Glad he’d steered her away from self-flagellation, he asked, “When did they realize you were different?”

“As soon as I was born, they knew something was up because of the blood tests. My DNA isn’t entirely human. In fact, it’s no DNA that’s ever been catalogued.”

Conall nodded. “Werewolves too. We wolves use fellow werewolves for doctors and midwives.”

“Smart. But my parents were both human, which makes what I am an even greater mystery. The doctors ran the tests again, and they wanted to keep me at the hospital, but after months of tests that didn’t prove my abnormal DNA equated to health problems, another doctor advised my parents to take me home. And they left town. Mom was making good money with Ashforth so they moved to Westchester to be close to the city. Mom and Dad told me it wasn’t until around a year old they realized I might be special. I began talking in full sentences.”

Conall huffed. “That’s fast.”

“Extremely. And I was strong. Stronger than my dad. And I … I could move things.”

He furrowed his brows, not only at the information but at the trepidation in her voice. “Move things?”

“Without touching them.”

Conall snapped his eyes to hers and she was staring at him warily.

Hell, he wished she wouldn’t do that. Keeping his expression neutral, he said, “I wasnae aware you could do that.”

“I can’t.” She shook her head. “I mean, not anymore. Ashforth doesn’t know about it. It freaked my parents out so much and they were trying to protect me, so they asked me to stop. I did. It’s like the years of disuse put a mental block on it or something. The only time I’ve come close to using it is when I’m emotional.”

“Like when you turned the lights on in the hotel room yesterday?”

“Exactly. Obviously, my parents knew something was up, to put it mildly. Dad didn’t even consider the idea I wasn’t his. He trusted my mom completely. Plus, there’s no denying I’m his child.”

Conall looked at her again and she was smiling softly. His gaze dropped to her mouth before moving back to the road.

“I have his dark hair, his eyes, and his smile. My mom was a redhead.”

“So was mine.” Conall smiled in memory. “As is Callie.”

“I, um … I’ve seen a picture.”

“How?”

Her expression was sheepish. “When I stole money out of your wallet.”

“Oh, aye.” He grunted. “That time you broke my neck.”

“It could have been worse.”

His reply was dry. “I’m aware of that.”

Thea smirked, but her smile fell. “My parents started researching and Dad soon began to realize that there was this whole other world around us. And like I said, as I got older my parents taught me to hide my strength, to control it. They absolutely forbade me to use any of the mind stuff. Moving things without touching them and manipulating what people saw.”

“But you can still do the latter. Why that and not the telekinesis, for lack of a better word?”

Thea seemed to take a breath before she confessed, “Because I didn’t stop using the mind trick.” Shame colored her words. “My only excuse is that I was a stupid kid. I used it on classmates, on teachers. I even used it after my parents died. I used it to make the authorities who found the plane crash think I had some injuries. I can’t remember waking up in the debris. Instead, one moment there was the dark of impact, the pain of fire, then the next I was outside the wreckage. Without a scratch on me. I was old enough to know that would raise more than eyebrows. So I made them see a cut forehead, a broken ankle, that kind of thing. I did the opposite with it too … like if I hurt myself and was healing too fast in front of a human, I’d make them see I was never hurt.

“It wasn’t until after Ashforth kept me in that room I realized how wrong it was to use it. He took away my freedom, my free will. And I realized that using my ability was the same thing. I was taking away someone’s control over their own mind.” She exhaled slowly. “I’ve never told anyone that before.”

Something inside Conall’s chest seemed to expand at her confession.

Thea shifted in her seat like she was uncomfortable. “I’ve made it sound like my parents were ashamed of what I was, but they never meant to make me feel that way. They were just trying to protect me.”

“If they researched you, do you think they knew what you are?”

“Yes,” she admitted, drawing his surprised gaze. Her eyes were bright with regret and grief. “I think they did. When I was a kid, there were times I’d get upset about being different. I just wanted to be normal.”

“Understandable.” Conall couldn’t imagine growing up without people like himself around. “Your parents were human. If you’d grown up in a pack, you would never have felt ‘other.’ You would have been accepted. Not that I’m saying your parents didnae accept you.”