Page 217 of Inside the Sun

"You could say the message reached me from both ends," I add. "Ragnar’s twin brother, Moon, said the same thing. That all these weird paths would lead to happiness. I tried to believe him. But there were moments when it felt impossible."

I keep going, finally reaching the part where we were all captured and put into cages.

I explain how Summer was hooked up to an IV, given an unknown dose of psychotropics, and that’s when I see Dad’s eyes settle on Summer.

He leans in a bit, across the table, and reaches for Summer’s hand.

I’m sure Summer will flinch or pull away, but then something incredible happens.

He doesn’t.

Dad gently squeezes his fingers.

"Sweetheart," he says softly. "I want you to stay here with us. I had a rough start too, ironically, at exactly your age, twenty. But I found a way out of my hell. You’ll be safe in this house. You’re family now, Sun’s brother-in-law. We’ll do everything we can to help you feel at home, and to make sure nothing disrupts your healing."

And then comes another miracle. Summer gives the tiniest, and I mean tiniest, nod, just enough to show he’s not completely gone. He still understands us, somehow. And my dad responds with a warm smile.

I feel tempted to say that with his power, Summer is safe everywhere, but maybe it’s Summer's decision to tell when he’s ready.

So I go back to my story. I talk about the games Anzo used to play with us. I mention how he demanded I show him my gift. My father seems unsure how to react, but my dad has this strange look on his face. I can tell both of them are about to start asking questions, but I lift a hand to stop them once again, and keep going.

Eventually, I get to the part where Anzo shot me in the stomach.

Dad brings both hands to his mouth, horrified. But I don’t want to drag out his panic. I get up right away, pull up my T-shirt, and show him the smooth skin of my stomach. Not even a scar.

I immediately catch my father glancing over at Ragnar, maybe wondering if it was the joining with my True Mate that healed me. But then I drop the bombshell. I tell them I healed myself.

I glance over at Snow and notice him looking straight at me. He rarely looks at me, barely interacts with me at all. But this time, there’s a hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth.

So I direct my words to him.

"I think I might be a late bloomer. You once told Storm that it took you years to get a handle on your talents. I have a feeling it’s gonna be the same for me. I’ve got years of work ahead of me… because for the life of me, I have no idea how to use it consciously." I shrug helplessly.

Snow gives me a more obvious smile and nods slightly. He surely understands. He still works on his own abilities, from what I can gather.

My parents are staring at me in shock.

Dad’s brows draw together, like something’s clicking in his head. Then, suddenly, he says, "You know… when you were two, this big butterfly landed on our patio. You were so excited, like any little kid would be. But your hands weren’t quite coordinated yet. You tried to touch it gently, but you squeezed too hard and broke its wings. Then you cried and cried. Because you didn’t mean to hurt it. We tried to take you inside so you didn’t have to watch it suffer, but you insisted on staying with the butterfly. Said you wanted to take care of it now that it couldn’t fly. So we left you out there and went back to the living room. About an hour later, you were still with it. When dinner time came, I stepped outside, and the butterfly was walking along your little hand. Then suddenly, it took off. Its wings were whole. I had no idea what to make of it. I even thought maybe Snow had done something, since he always loved all the flying creatures, and they seemed to trust him."

Dad glances at Snow, who shakes his head a little, as if to say he didn't do it.

"Yep, we asked, but Snow assured us it wasn’t him. So the mystery stayed unsolved. When we pressed you, you said,‘I really wanted to fix it… and I think it worked.’"

There’s a long pause. "I don’t remember that," I say. "But maybe… maybe it started even earlier than I thought. I just never tried again because the world kept telling me it was impossible."

Everyone falls quiet, overwhelmed. All this news has hit my family hard. I can see they’re still trying to piece everything together.

Then I move on to the next part of the story, how Ragnar and Luca fought. I talk about Ragnar shifting and describe how unusual he looked. Ragnar doesn’t interrupt, and my parents listen closely, their eyes full of attention… and a little awe.

"You should’ve seen Ragnar in full shift," I say, feeling a spark of pride. "He’s beautiful. Silvery. Not all bony like most purple alphas. He’s different. Special."

"So are you, Sun," Ragnar says, and our eyes meet. There’s this moment, like a literal spark jumps between us. I feel my face flush.

Oh, Fate, there’s still so much I want to discover between us. So much left to explore, to understand, to fall into. Our whole future’s stretched out in front of us, just waiting. And I think… I’m finally starting to believe in it. I got out of Anzo’s fortress. My freedom feels tangible now. My future is mine to shape.

My parents exchange a look too, small smiles passing between them. I can tell they’re happy for us. Even for the quiet little burst of connection that just passed between me and Ragnar.

"You’re both special," my dad says solemnly. Then he reaches out and shakes Ragnar’s hand.

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