Liam hadn’t thought of that and he pondered it for a moment before nodding. It made sense. “Thanks, Dad.” He headed out of the room and upstairs towards his mate, mentally securing his defences as best he could against the onslaught of emotions coming from the room ahead.
Reasa was lying on the bed curled up in the foetal position. Her body shook with each sob, her voice sounding raw from the constant weeping. It would have been so easy to lie down and weep with her, but Liam knew he had to be the strong one. He had to find some way to help her come to terms with what had happened. For the hundredth time he wanted to curse Annie for what she’d done, even as his head told him that the alternative would have been so much worse.
He wasn’t really angry with Annie, not anymore. At the time, his mate’s screams and obvious pain had brought forth negative emotions he’d never experienced before. For a moment, he had hated Annie and Anakatrine, and everyone who had wanted to harm his mate. Now, he was as worried about where Annie was and the division between the pack and vampires, as everyone else was. His mate had caused a chasm so wide it may never be repaired; not unless Annie came home and somehow found a way to fix things.
He still had faith in Annie. She had to come back, that thought was a litany in his mind. Annie had to return soon because she may be the only person strong enough to reach Reasa’s wounded soul if he couldn’t get through to her. He couldn’t bear to think what the consequences would be if someone didn’t reach his mate soon.
“I have a potion that will help you sleep.” Liam spoke the words quietly into the room, the stiffening of Reasa’s body an indicator she had heard him. Her head turned slowly to regard him and he had to swallow hard at the wounded eyes that met his. There was pain there, but also an underlying venom that couldn’t be hidden.
“I don’t want anything from you except to be allowed to leave.” She’d said the same thing earlier to him, before the current fit of weeping.
“You know we can’t allow that, Reasa. We discussed it earlier.” Liam moved over to the window, staring out into the forest as he gathered his emotions in as tightly as he could. “You’re human now, so very fragile. You would be hurt out there and I can’t allow that to happen. You’re safer here with me.”
“So be it, abomination. Then you can live with my weeping and my hatred.”
He flinched at the disgust dripping from her tone, but tried to remain strong against her barbs. Thereasa’s mind wouldn’t change overnight, he knew that, but it still hurt to hear her hatred. His wolf ached to be with her. It paced restlessly, unable to understand why their mate rejected them. It was simple to his animal; they were mates and they were meant to be together. Everything else was inconsequential to that end.
If only it was that easy. Sighing, Liam ran a hand through his hair, turning to look at the woman lying on the bed. Despite her eyes being puffy and red from the prolonged weeping fit, she was still the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. His fingers itched to stroke her caramel skin, to feel the texture of her jet black hair running through his fingers. His body cried out to be close to her, to feel her naked skin caressing his as he showed her how much she was loved. The hatred looking back at him told him it would be a very long time before he got that close to her.
“Why do you hate us, Thereasa? What have we ever done to you to make you fear us so?”
“If vampires and Weres were supposed to mate, our venom would not be instant death to an animal. That alone is proof enough that these matings are unnatural.” The words hissed out, fury dancing in her eyes as she sat up and pointed a finger at him. “What you are… you should never have been created. You are neither vampire nor wolf; a new species being born into a world that already has too many vying for dominance. You threaten everything, abomination. Vampire; Were; Human. You should not exist!”
“How, Reasa? How do we threaten the world? What have we done to suggest to you, to others, that we are a danger? Explain it to me, because I want to be able to understand why you think as you do. I want to be able to prove to you that you have nothing to fear from us – from me.”
She turned away, facing the wall and curling up with her arms protectively around body. “There is nothing you could ever do to convince me your creation isn’t a threat. ”
Sighing again, Liam swallowed hard and tried to sooth his wolf who was becoming agitated at her continued rejection. He wasn’t going to win this argument with her at the moment, so it was pointless to keep trying. He would bide his time and wait for a better opportunity.
Crossing the room, he sat down on the side of the bed. “The offer of the sleeping potion is still there. I know this is difficult for you to come to terms with, this change in your circumstances. Just now, you said ‘our venom.’ You have no venom, Thereasa. You are human.”
Silence greeted his words for a long moment, and then she moved to lie on her back, staring up at the ceiling. “You think I don’t know that?!” She spat the words out, furious tears gathering once more. “You think I wasn’t there when that redheaded bitch stripped everything from me?! I know what she did! I may not understand how she did it or what she is, but I know.”
Haunted eyes turned to his. “I used to be able to hear everything and now I hear nothing but your voice. I used to be able to see everything and now the world is painted in muted colours, so dull and lifeless. I used to run with the wind and now a strong breeze would knock me over. I know that I am nothing now, abomination. The bitch should have allowed the other one to kill me! Death is preferable to this nothingness!”
There was so much pain in the words, lancing through him and shredding his soul. His mate meant every word she said; she did prefer death to being human. He had to find a way to keep her alive long enough for Annie to return; perhaps he could talk to her then, and beg her to reverse whatever she had done.
“Don’t say that, Reasa, please,” he whispered, fighting to hold onto his emotions. The blocks she had shown him felt weaker and he was afraid he’d lose control again. He’d been so intent on his mate that he hadn’t taken any time to fully examine what had happened up at the Praetorian compound. He knew he would need to, but his mind wouldn’t focus on it; as if deep down he knew what he discovered would be too much to bear alone.
“Why not? It’s true! You think the more you come here and talk with me that I will somehow see the error of my ways and accept what has happened to me? You think that I will fall into your arms and be with you?” As he stiffened, she sat up, bitter laughter coming from her lips. “Oh, yes, I see the way you look at me, the way you try to gain my trust. You think one day I will accept your claim over me as my mate.”
She laughed again, wild hysterical sounds mixed in with fresh tears. “Know this, abomination. I will never accept you! I will never be your mate. I will slowly watch your wolf go mad and I will laugh and spit in your face. Now, get out! I don’t want to look at you and I don’t want to hear you. Get out!”