Page 96 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

“You were using yourself as bait.” Another punch makes a hole that starts to grow. “Luring the Hunters away from the Fae to protect them,” he grits out.

One last hard blow causes the bag to split in two. A dark grain spills out onto the floor as Hook puffs out sharp, angry breaths. He stares at the broken bag with narrowed eyes, the blaze of rage not dimmed in the slightest.

I watch him as he tries to stamp out his anger—but to no avail. I watch him and try to see it from his perspective, to try to understand why he can’t see why this was the only way.

We waited as long as we could. If we had waited any longer, then that little girl and her family would be dead. I was sure of it.

There was no light in those Hunters’ eyes, no remorse or guilt for what they did.Or were going to do.

“I’m the reason that little girl was taken in the first place. The Hunters wantedme, Hook. It was my responsibility to right that wrong.”

He whips around, his eyes burning with anger, ready to tell me how wrong I was. But he doesn’t get to make rules and then choose which ones I was allowed to follow. I washisbait first after all.

“Have you forgotten our littledeal?” I remind him. His eyes widen slightly as if only just realizing it too.

“The reason you brought me here was to beyourbait. So how can you justify—?”

“It was a lie,” his voice cracks and along with it, his anger. His eyes find mine as they fill with remorse.

The frustration slowly building inside me quickly melts, replaced with confusion.

I knew that he no longer wanted to risk my safety with the Hunters because of how close we had grown. But it was as if he was saying it was a lie from the very beginning. That he never intended to use me as bait at all.

“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would you make a deal with me then?”

The silence between us grows as he swallows hard, watching me cautiously.

“Why, Hook?” Why would he bring me here at the beginning, if not to use me to get closer to the Hunters? That was our deal after all. And if that wasn’t the case then why make a deal with me at all?

He’s using you. Playing with you. Just like everyone else.

I freeze at the thought but push it aside to try to get some answers.

“What was the point of it all?”

“It was the only way I knew how to keep you safe.” He swallows hard as his eyes reveal another side of him. One more vulnerable and full of pain.

“The Hunters immediately set their sights on you, and I knew they wouldn’t give up so easily after you escaped them. They’d hunt you until the very end.” He looks at me with a frown. “I couldn’t let them get a hold of you. You have no idea what they’re capable of.” He clenches his jaw and rips off his gloves, throwing them to the floor beside him.

“Why didn’t you just tell me? Why lie?” I ask.

He gives me a sad smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “You would never have come here willingly but it was the safest place I could think of.” He shakes his head as his smile drops.

“I knew you would never believe me if I told you I was just trying to keep you safe.”

I open my mouth to deny it but then remember I wasn’t the same girl that came through that portal anymore. The girl that trusted no one. Least of all herself.

He was right. I wouldn’t have believed him. He was Hook after all. The boy that left us. Leftme.

I would have thought he was just trying to mess with me. Or hurt me. Just like Peter.

A sliver of light enters his eyes as he continues. “You were always so stubborn back in Neverland. You always wanted to do ityourway and never wanted help. Fiercely independent but extremely guarded.” He gives me a strange look. It’s there and gone before I can figure out what it means.

“You’re smart. Incredibly so. You wouldn’t have taken my word for it. And you would have figured out sooner or later how to escape the island. It was only a matter of time.”

True. I was already planning on escaping in one of their cars the night I arrived. I guess he knew me better than I thought.

“When you showed an interest in the bracelet, I found my opportunity to keep you here a little longer. Until I could figure out how to help you. How to make sure you stayed safe and away from the Hunters. And whatever else you were running from.” He gives me a look that tells me he knows there’s more to my story. But he doesn’t push for answers, and I ignore it to focus on what he just revealed.

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