Page 159 of Brambles and Bellflowers
“She’s in more danger than she realizes,” Miles added, quieter now.
Julian nodded, jaw tense. “And thanks to his interference, now Bryce is aware too. They might have only done superficial treatments and scans, but who knows what they’ve concluded.”
“They had no right to do that,” Damen stated. “I told them to stay out of it.”
“You didn’t seriously think he’d listen? He’s a Dubois,” Julian cut in. “She’s their only daughter in generations, and he’s the heir. Plus, he’s obsessed with her. We won’t have long until he intervenes further.”
The mood turned darker. A heavy silence hung in the room.
Bryce had looked pissed the entire way home, texting nonstop. Brayden hadn’t stopped fidgeting.
Damen frowned.
“We can’t push medical intervention without her consent unless it’s a last resort.” Julian looked at Damen, frowning, as he added, “A Soul Bond between you might solve everything. You have no idea what it would reveal—you’ve never been open to it.”
“It won’t help,” Damen replied, expression deepening into something more profound. “It will only make her even more of a target. I will not do it.”
My heart jumped even as Julian leaned forward. Meanwhile, Miles stared at the onmyoji.
“You know what it does,” Julian accused, brows furrowing. “How?”
Damen’s eyes were dark, and my nerves prickled as the room grew hot. “You’re forgetting who I am.”
Julian didn’t back away. Instead, he grew even more still as they watched each other. Finally, he began to tap his finger over his knee and grumbled, “Fine. I’ll drop it—for now.”
Miles met my eyes, mouth twisting, before he interrupted them. “Then what?” he asked. “You can’t refuse Titus anymore. He needs to be with her—they are mates.”
“I will not hold back if she wants it,” I reassured him.
Damen looked between us before he finally let out a low breath. “I will not stop you—”
“You can’t,” I reminded him. Not on this.
“—but…”—Damen exhaled, raking a hand through his hair—“this doesn’t change the fact that she needs treatment sooner rather than later. Soul Bonds are not the answer, and should not be relied on. We still have to convince her. It has to be her choice.”
A heavy silence followed.
Julian glanced toward the door, his expression unreadable. “You saw how she acted in the helicopter. You know she won’t agree to an exam,” he said, voice softer. “So then, what else can we do?”
“You can’t force her,” I frowned at Damen.
“I have no intention of forcing her.” Damen glanced at me. He sat forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “Although,eventually, I will have to intervene. In the meantime, we have to stop assuming she will tell us when she needs help.”
“I don’t think that’s the only problem,” Miles said softly. “At least not when it comes to her health.”
Damen’s gaze flickered between them, his voice lowering when he looked at Julian. “What are you talking about?”
Julian tapped his fingers against his knee, his gaze briefly flicking to Miles. For a second, neither of them spoke, and I recalled the private conversation they’d shared the night before.
They were comparing notes.
My stomach began to sink. They knew something.
Damen caught the look and narrowed his eyes. His voice came quieter now, but sharper. “What’s the problem?”
Miles exhaled, running a hand down his sleeve before finally meeting Damen’s gaze. “She doesn’t notice.”
Damen frowned. “What do you mean?”
