Page 22 of Marked By The Filthy-Mouthed Grizzly
“I was there that night too,” she says. “The night your brothers died.”
“The night they werekilled,” I correct.
“Yeah,” she says with a sigh. “The night they were killed.”
“I don’t want to talk about this,” I say.
“Tough,” she says simply. “You need to hear it.”
I turn slowly, arms crossed, trying to look tougher than I feel. “What are you going to say, Victoria? You’re here to convince me it was justified? That my brothers deserved to die?”
Victoria lifts her chin, her green eyes locked on mine. “No. I’m here to make sure you understand exactly what happened. Because I get it—you only knew one side of them. But I saw what they were capable of. I lived it. We all did.”
She steps forward, her voice steady and calm. “They were going to kill me, Erica. Me and Adrian. They came to the shop looking for blood. They didn’t care who got in their way. Your brother—Mace—he was going to rip my throat out. I saw it in his eyes. And Knox... he laughed while it was happening. Like it was a game.”
I stare at her, heart racing. “You’re exaggerating.”
“No, I’m not,” she says, her voice suddenly shaking. “You think we wanted any of this to happen? You think my brother Magnus wanted to kill anyone? He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever known. He blames himself every single day, even though he had no choice. He saved my life. He saved Adrian’s life.”
I look away. I can’t look at her anymore. There’s too much shame. I know my brothers weren’t great guys, but to hear they wanted to kill this girl I thought was so cool yesterday… Ugh, it’s hard to hear.
She lets out a shaky breath. “That’s not even the worst of it, Erica. They forced innocent shifters to fight each other to the death. They were sadistic.”
I whip my head around, glaring at her. I’m hoping to see a tell. To see that she’s lying. That she’s making this all up, but I only see truth. And pain. I don’t think she’s lying.
“Magnus didn’t walk away from that night proud,” she continues. “He walked away broken. Then he met you, and for the first time in a long time, I saw him smile again. Really smile.”
My throat tightens.
“And now you’re leaving,” she says softly. “Without even trying to understand it from his point of view. Without understanding that he had no choice. You’re not the only one who wants to protect their siblings.”
I blink hard, trying not to cry. “Why do you even want me to stay? I thought you’d be happy to be rid of my family for good.”
“Because you’reourfamily now,” she says, trying not to cry too. “Whether you realize it or not, you’re one of us.”
I want to be. I really want to be.
“And because you mean everything to my big brother,” she says, wiping her eyes. “And I know him. He’s loyal. He’s gentle. He’s a protector to the core. And he’s completely wrecked over you. He won’t be able to survive if he’s lost his mate for good.”
That word again.Mate. It echoes in my chest.
“I know what Mace and Knox were like,” I say, taking a deep breath. “Maybe I don’t know all the horrible details, but I’m not an idiot. I know their inner demons had a hold on them. I knew it even when I was a kid. But they were still my brothers. And now they’re gone, and the one person who makes me feel… whole is the one who had a hand in it.”
Victoria nods. “It’s complicated, I know. And no one is asking you to forgive us right away. Just… give us a chance. Stay a few days. Take some time to mull it over.”
I look at my aunt Jenny’s house as I hold my car key. Maybe staying a few more days wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Sometimes love is messy,” Victoria says. “I’m not here to ask you to forget what happened. I’m just asking you to take some time to try and see it from Magnus’ point of view. And if anything, to at least say goodbye.”
I stare at the ground, my heart thudding.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll think about it.”
Victoria takes a breath of relief. “Thank you.”
“You really think he’s hurting?” I ask quietly.
She nods. “I’ve never seen him like this before.”
