Page 50 of Rule

He stood, and I made a sharp cry of fearwhen he tugged me to my feet.

“Shh,” he said again and then lifted meinto his arms.

I stared wide-eyed at him as he carried meout of the kitchen. “Court, grab some bandages and another glass of gallberryjuice, please.”

Carrying me easily, Bran strode into the livingroom and set me on the couch before turning on the fireplace. The flamesroared to life, and I didn’t object when Bran took the blanket from the back ofthe couch and dropped it around my shoulders.

“Let me see your hand, Evie,” he said.

I held out my hand. Blood was still drippingfrom my finger and I moaned when it splashed onto the floor. “I’m sorry. I’llclean that up and the broken glass in the kitchen.”

“Do not worry about it,” Bran said as Courtwalked in. He sat down on the other side of me, frowning a little when I automaticallyflinched, but held out the bandages as Bran studied my finger.

“Should we rinse it first?” Court asked.

“I think it is all right. The bleeding is alreadystarting to slow, and I do not see any glass in the cut.”

As Bran dabbed the cut with a bandage, Courtheld out the glass of juice. “Drink, Evelyn.”

I drank. The juice was cold, and my teeth werechattering by the time I finished it. I huddled deeper into the blanket,trying not to cry from humiliation, as Bran finished bandaging the cut.

“I will get you another glass of juice,” Courtsaid.

I shook my head. “N-no, that’s okay. I’mreally cold right now and my finger isn’t stinging anymore. I just want toclean up my mess and go to bed, okay?”

Court and Bran stared at each other over myhead and I blinked back the hot tears. “I’m sorry.”

I tried to stand, flinching again when bothBran and Court put heavy hands on my arms. I knew in my mind that they wouldn’thurt me, but after years of being punched and kicked, my body couldn’t controlits reaction.

“Please,” I said again, “I want to go tobed.”

“Soon,” Court said. “But first you willtell us the truth.”

“Court,” Bran said. “She is afraid and -”

Court reached out and grasped my chin with gentlefingers, tilting my head up until I was staring straight into his coppercoloured eyes. “I know you are afraid, little human, which is why you need totell us the truth. It will help lessen the fear.”

Would it? I honestly didn’t know, but therewas something in Court’s gaze that made me long to tell him everything. Icouldn’t though. If they knew how pathetic I was, if they knew that I’dbasically been held prisoner by my stepbrother because I was too afraid to leave,they might tell the king I was weak and not fit to be his mate.

Evie, don’t be stupid. They won’t. Youknow they won’t.

I couldn’t take the risk. I just couldn’t.

I opened my mouth to plead for them to allowme to return to my room again, but before I could say anything, Court rubbed histhumb across my bottom lip. “Tell us, little human. Tell us, so we can keepyou safe.”

His promise to keep me safe, shattered myresolve to keep my secrets. Since my father died, I’d had no one to protect me,no one to care for me, and I was so tired of being afraid.

“Alex,” I said. “He was the one who hurtme.”

“Your brother?” Bran frowned. “He issupposed to care for you and protect you. It is his duty. Females are precious,but they are weak and require a male to keep them safe, not harm them.”

“He’s my stepbrother,” I said, “and even ifhe had been my actual brother, it doesn’t always work that way on Earth. Humanmen don’t think of women as precious, I mean, some of them do but not in theway that, uh, you guys do.”

Bran made a low sound of disgust as Courtreleased my chin. “How often did he hurt you?”

“A lot,” I admitted. “He started pushingme around and being rough with me before my stepmother died. She didn’t like mevery much, but she at least didn’t let Alex full on punch me or anything likethat. After she died, Alex started beating me up. He, uh, didn’t really havea job. He sold drugs and did some other illegal things. Anytime I had a job,he would make me quit after a few weeks so that I didn’t have enough money toget away from him.”

I licked my lips, hating how weak Isounded. “I should have run away, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go, andI-I was afraid of him. He told me that it didn’t matter where I went, he wouldfind me and kill me.”

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