Page 55 of Lone Wolf

She wraps her arms around me, heedless of the blood. “As if I care about that,” she says fiercely. “You’re my daughter.”

For months, I’ve pushed her away. I’ve rejected her attempts to reach me, to mother me, to love me. I convinced myself I didn’t need her, didn’t want her, couldn’t bear the reminder of what I’d lost.

But she never stopped trying. Never stopped believing. Never stopped loving the daughter that Grandmother tried to erase.

Something breaks inside me—a dam holding back years of grief and rage and loss. Tears burn my eyes, spill down my cheeks. My arms come around her of their own accord, clinging to her like a lifeline as sobs tear themselves from my throat.

“I’m sorry,” I choke out, the words inadequate for the magnitude of what I feel. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...”

Sorry for pushing her away. Sorry for the daughter she lost. Sorry for the blood on my hands and the ice in my veins and the darkness in my soul.

We sink to the ground together, my legs no longer able to support me. My mother cradles me against her, one hand stroking my hair, murmuring soft words of comfort that I don’t deserve but desperately need.

“It’s alright, sweetheart. I’ve got you. I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”

Through a blur of tears, I see Sunny and Scarlett draping a car cover over Katy’s body. I register the arrival of Hadria and Lyssa, the quiet efficiency of their damage control.

But all of it feels distant, secondary to the storm raging out of me.

My mother holds me through it all, solid and warm and real. She doesn’t flinch from my tears, doesn’t pull away from my bloodstained hands, doesn’t try to shush my broken apologies.

She just holds me, anchoring me as I shatter and begin, slowly, to reassemble into something new.

At last, through the chaos in my mind, I become aware of movement at the edge of my vision. The others are backing away, giving us space. My eyes find Sunny’s across the garage.There’s no judgment in her gaze, no fear, no revulsion. Only understanding and something softer that makes my heart contract painfully in my chest. I manage a tremulous nod of thanks, not trusting my voice. She nods back, those expressive eyes telling me everything she’s not saying out loud.

My mother shifts, adjusting her position on the hard concrete floor, but her arms never loosen their hold on me. I rest my head against her shoulder, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against my ear.

For the first time since Grandmother took me, I let myself be a daughter again.

CHAPTER 20

Sunny

Later that day,I’ve finally stopped shaking long enough to shower and pull on fresh clothes—just sweatpants and an old tank top—and the sky outside has darkened to the deep indigo of early evening. My hair is still damp, laying heavy down my back as I sit on the edge of the bed in my room, not sure what to do with myself.

I was debriefed shortly after…well, everything that happened. And then Dr. Khatri spoke to me for a while, making sure I was—in her words—not in crisis mode. The truth is, I was too dazed to feel much of anything except worried for Ariadne.

And I haven’t seen her since I left the garage.

A soft knock at my door startles me. My nerves are still raw, I guess. But I force myself to relax. This is Elysium. I’m safe here. This is myhome.

And when I open the door, Ariadne stands on the threshold.

She looks…different. Her short hair is still slightly wet from what must have been her own recent shower. She’s dressed simply in black jeans and a dark gray henley, the sleeves pushed upto her elbows. But it’s her face that catches me off guard. The rigid control that usually defines her features has softened, the permanent tension around her eyes eased. She looks younger. More human.

“Hey,” I say, suddenly aware of my own disheveled appearance.

“Hey.” Her voice is quiet, a little rough around the edges. “Can I come in?”

I step aside, gesturing her in. “Of course.”

She enters and stands in the center of my small room, hands shoved into her pockets. For a moment, neither of us speaks. I’m not sure what to say. So many questions crowd my mind, but I don’t want to push her, not after what she’s been through today.

“I spent the day with my mother,” she says finally, breaking the silence. “Talking. About…well, everything.”

I sink onto the edge of my bed. “That’s good, right?”

A small smile touches the corner of her mouth. “Yeah. It’s good. Hard, but good.” She runs a hand through her damp hair. “Dr. Khatri was there for some of it. She mentioned she’d talk to you, too.” I give a nod. “I wanted to come see you. To say thank you.”

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