I couldn’t come up with anything else to say. I didn’t know what to say other than how sorry I was.
“It wasn’t your fault, my love,” Hunter said, leaning his forehead against mine. “It wasn’t your fault.”
But it was. It was my fault. If I just fought harder the darkness wouldn’t be able to take over. If I just tried harder none of this would happen.
I was just about to tell him that when I got a mind-link from Lex.
Fia? He called me, his voice laced with an emotion I couldn’t recognize.
Yes? I mind-linked him back immediately.
Can you and Hunter come downstairs, please? He asked and my heart raced.
Was something wrong? I could hear the worry in his voice and it made my stomach twist.
Is everything okay? I asked him.
Come downstairs, okay? He responded and my heart jumped in my throat.
Something was wrong.
“Lex asked us to come downstairs,” I mumbled quietly, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
“Is everything okay?” Hunter asked and I shrugged.
I was so nervous that I got up immediately. I had to go downstairs and talk to Lex. I had to know what was wrong. I grabbed the first hoodie I could get my hands on. I didn’t even remove the shirt I slept in. I didn’t care. I had to get to Lex.
“Slow down, Sophia,” Hunter said as he got out of bed and approached me.
My hands were shaking as I was pulling a hoodie over my head. Hunter helped me get it on. He had a worried look on his face.
“He probably just wants to see you,” Hunter said. “I’m sure that nothing is wrong.”
I couldn’t take that chance. I rushed out of my bedroom as soon as I pulled my sweats up.
“Shoes, Sophia!” Hunter yelled after me.
I didn’t have time for shoes. I heard Hunter curse and follow after me.
My heart was pounding in my ch*st as I raced downstairs. I could hear my parents’ quiet voices. My eyes fell on Lex who was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. I knew immediately that something was very wrong and my heart stopped beating.
“Lex?” I called him as I rushed toward him.
He looked up immediately and reached for me. I sat next to him and pulled him into a hug.
“What happened?!” I exclaimed, my voice laced with panic. “Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!”
If he was hurt…
“I am okay, Fia,” Lex said quietly, but I didn’t believe him.
Something was wrong and if he didn’t tell me what…
“What the hell happened?!” I heard Hunter’s voice.
“Sit down, Hunter,” I heard my mom say softly. “We need to tell you something.”
My heart raced and I tried to let go of Lex so I could look at my mom. He didn’t let me, though. He tightened his arms around me and p**ssed me against his ch*st. The fear inside me exploded.
Was something wrong with Lex?!
Sophia’s POV
I was r*bbing Lex’s back softly. My heart was racing like crazy.
“Is something wrong with Lex?” I asked, trying to turn my head so I could look at my mom. “What is going on, mom?”
I couldn’t move much because Lex was holding me too tightly. I couldn’t see my mom’s face clearly, but what I did see had me even more worried than before. I tightened my arms around Lex and kept my eyes on my mom.
“Alex is okay, honey,” my mom said and I relaxed immediately. “It’s not about him.”
As long as Lex was okay, everything would be okay.
“Who is it about then?” I heard Hunter ask. “What the hell happened?”
Lex placed a hand on my head and p**ssed me even closer to him.
“It’s about your darkness, Fia,” Lex said, his voice trembling. “It didn’t leave. It’s still here.”
I froze completely.
What?
“I can still feel it inside you, honey,” my mom added and I felt her hand on my back. “We got you back, but we didn’t get rid of it.”
My stomach turned. I was going to throw up. I couldn’t move, though. I couldn’t feel my body.
“Are you f**king kidding me?!” Hunter screamed. “You are wrong! You have to be wrong!”
I couldn’t even feel my heart beating. Maybe it just stopped working. I was sure that I wasn’t breathing. My ch*st burned with the lack of air.
It was still here? It could take over me again?
Oh, Goddess, no.
No, no, no, no!
It could take over me again and I could hurt someone again. I could kill someone again! What if this time I hurt someone I loved? What if I hurt my family? What if I hurt Lex? What if I hurt Hunter?
No!
I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t find my voice. I could hear my parents explaining something to Hunter, but I couldn’t focus on their conversation.
All I thought about was hurting someone again. I didn’t want to hurt anyone ever again.
“Breathe, Fia,” Lex whispered softly. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise. We will find a way to get rid of it for good. I will find a way.”
Find a way to get rid of it? We’d been trying for years and nothing ever worked. We wouldn’t find a way to get rid of it and it would take over me again. I would hurt someone again. Only this time it could be someone from my family. This time I could hurt my mate.
I would never forgive myself if I hurt Hunter.
And then a thought came to me.
I had to leave. I had to protect them all and leave.
‘What?!’ Stella screamed at me. ‘You can’t go, Sophia! I won’t let you leave! I will tell Axel. You are not going anywhere!’
I swallowed the lump in my throat and closed my eyes.
‘I am not going anywhere,’ I mumbled. ‘I am a danger to everyone, not just my family. The darkness could take over me and I could hurt someone. I don’t want to hurt anyone else.’
Stella was quiet for a few moments.
‘What did you mean then?’ she asked, but I didn’t respond.
I forced a little bit of air into my lungs and opened my eyes.
“You need to lock me back up,” I said and the room suddenly got very quiet. “I need to go back into that room.”
It was the only way. I wasn’t going to let anyone get hurt again.
“What?” Hunter was the first one to speak. “No, Sophia!”
He sat down next to Lex and me. I felt his hands on my back. He tried to pull me away from Lex, but Lex growled quietly and tightened his arms around me.
“Yes,” I said, grabbing a fistful of Lex’s hoodie. “I am dangerous. I could hurt someone. I don’t want to hurt anyone ever again. You need to lock me back up until we find a way.”
“No, Fia, we won’t do that,” Lex said. “You will feel the darkness coming. You will tell us and we can do something then. I am not locking you up in that room again.”
I pushed back a little so I could look at Lex.
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