Page 155 of Fangs
I didn’t answer, staring at the muddy path as though it needed my undivided attention. I knew he wanted a response, but I had none.
“You seem…uncomfortable around me,” Sable finally continued. “If I’ve done anything to make you feel that way, I’d like to apologize for that, too.”
I wished I was anywhere else. “I’m not,” I lied.
“Ember,” his tone was gently reprimanding, “that’s clearly a lie.”
“Haven’t you been listening to Wolf? That’s what I do,” I muttered, my tone bitter.
He huffed a laugh through his nose. “If you want my opinion, I think you do lie a lot, but not about the things Wolf suspects.”
I never would have imagined anything worse than my older brother finally hunting me down, but Wolf showing up with a whole crew of people who thought they knew me and wereinvested—that was worse.
“My theory,” Sable continued after I didn’t speak, “is that it has something to do with the fact that Wolf lost his head when you first told him you’d been with the Reapers and that he brought me and my past into it.”
My shoulders were so tense it felt like they were up around my ears.
“If that’s true, I want you to know I don’t hold it against?—”
“Don’t,” I blurted out.
He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t what?”
Don’t forgive me.I longed to shout; instead, I bit out, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I know it’s not easy,” he said, his voice frustratingly steady, “but I don’t want there to be any bad blood between us.”
“There’s not,” I said, trying to inject as much force into my voice as possible. “I’m fine.”
He frowned at me. “Is it because I’m a healer?”
“It’s notanything,” I snapped.
His brow furrowed even more, but I picked up my pace. There were countless things I would never be able to forgive myself for from the past twelve years, but the dozens of times I did nothing as the Reapers shoved screaming people—mothers andchildren—into those trailers and delivered them to a monster felt the most unforgivable.
I glanced behind me to see Sable trailing behind, frowning sadly, making guilt spike through me. No wonder Kai thought I was such a bitch. Even if I wanted to, I’d never be able to accurately explain the agony of having every single door from my past ripped off the hinges, exposing all the horrible ugliness inside. Iwastrying. I was trying so damn hard, but Sable and Mad Dog—it was too much.
I went around the corner of a house and walked straight into a body. I bounced off and would have fallen on my ass if the person hadn’t grabbed my arm and caught me.
“Sorry,” I hurried to say, but the rest of my apology died on my lips as I met Hawk’s dark gaze.
“You’re sorry,” he repeated with a smile that didn’t come anywhere near his eyes.
“I am.” My voice trembled. “I’m so sorry, Hawk?—”
His grip tightened painfully on my arm as he jerked me closer and got in my face, fury flashing through his eyes. “I don’t want your apologies, Bones. You ruined?—”
“Hey!” Sable called from behind me, his voice sharp.
Hawk straightened, an amicable mask quickly sliding over his face. “Sorry, Bones, I should’ve been watchin’ where I was going better.” He smiled politely at Sable, but his grip on my arm tightened even further. “Sable, isn’t it? I’m Hawk.”
Sable didn’t respond, and Hawk’s fingers squeezed until I had to focus on keeping the pain off my face.
“You sure you’re okay, Bones?” Hawk asked, and that smile was still on his face, but his eyes were hard as his fingers crushed my arm. “Sorry again for bumpin’ into you.”
“It’s okay.” I hoped my voice sounded steady. “My fault.”
He finally released my throbbing arm, still smiling, and I had to resist the urge to rub it.
