Page 42 of Our Deceptive Heat

“It's stupid. I shouldn’t have asked.”

A hand rests on my back. I don’t lift my head. I don’t deserve the compassion, and the fact is I’m frantic because there’s one thing I know above all others. One thing that frightens me; I just made my father really mad, and it will cost me.

He’ll take it from me piece by piece.

I stand at theconcert where Mako can see me. He keeps checking on me. I wish he wouldn’t. It’s getting hard to hide the tears.

Tyr looks like a god out there, they all do. The lights, the sounds, the music. My music being sung on a stage in front of thousands of people.

But not with my voice.

With each day, my desperation gets worse. I don’t know how much more I can take. I just need to do something. Anything. I pick up my phone and make a call.

“Kelly?”

“Hey, beautiful, what can I do for you?”

I choke back a sob. “Kelly!”

“Ah, shit, what’s happened? I’ll fly back.”

“No, don’t. There's no point. I’m on the road with a band at the moment.”

I glance up and find Mako watching me. Glaring at me. I turn my back on him.

“Kelly, did you find a pack?”

Kelly pauses. “I’ve found some people who might be able to help you.”

“You need to hurry,” I whisper. “I’m running out of time.”

“Ryn? What’s going on? What’s happened?”

I yelp as the phone is plucked from my hand. I whirl and find Mako staring down at me. His eyes blaze with fury. He puts the phone to his ear and growls into it.

“Ryn is busy.”

Then he hangs up, and in a fit of temper, crushes my phone.

I stare at the broken pieces in horror. “Are you insane?”

“Stop plotting and enjoy this?”

My temper already driven to the edge by fear snaps.

“Enjoy this? Enjoy this!” I shove his chest, feeling out of control. Tears of rage fill my eyes and spill over, which just makes me angrier. “Watching someone else sing my songs and live my life, and I’m supposed to stand here and be happy?”

Mako steps back, shocked.

I shove him again and whirl away from him. Tony catches me, big warm arms wrapping me in a surprisingly comfortable embrace.

“Get back on stage and leave her alone!” Tony barks. When Mako doesn’t move, the old beta practically roars at him. “NOW, Mako!”

I know the moment he leaves, I can feel it. He takes the warmth with him.

“All right, come with me. I think we need to have a vault conversation,” Tony says.

He drags me back to the dressing room and gets me settled with a water and then gives me the look.

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