Book Two in Her Destiny Series ||| ❝And when the past becomes present; the cost of war is blood.❞
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When the world had declared her dead, an unlikely pack came to her rescue. They gave her a second chance and they helped her heal from...
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He could see it.
No one really told him the extent of Reeve's abuse, but as she stared horrified at her own skin, he finally understood, and it made his heart squeeze in his chest. He thought he'd seen a broken Reeve before, yet as she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, he realized that this was what true brokenness looked like.
A shattering image of defeat.
He unconsciously rubbed his hands up and down her arms as she continued to shiver, from the cold and probably shock. Reeve was covered in mud and yet the layer did nothing to hide the bumps of the scars collected across her delicate skin. He couldn't find a patch of skin that didn't bear her past.
He heard the warriors shifting uncomfortably around them as he reached out and pushed a lock of dirtied chestnut hair from her face. Her eyes found his and he had to stop himself from flinching away, he hated seeing her so vulnerable.
"Reeve," He murmured, his tone wavered - breaking with the intensity, "You'll catch a cold out here. Do you think you can walk?"
She was silent, her eyes wide and distant. Reeve stared at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes, and he almost didn't expect a reply - as he wasn't sure she heard him - but then she finally took shaky breath after a few minutes and shook her head. He understood.
"Okay," Cassius looked over his shoulder and gestured for a piece of clothing, "I'm going to have to pick you up, Reeve, are you okay with that?" Asher passed him a large t-shirt.
Reeve gave a meek nod. He gently grabbed her wrists and slid them through the arms of the t-shirt before he pulled it over her head. She huddled into the piece of cloth and he wrapped one arm around her back.
"Here we go," He breathed, threading his other arm under her knees, and then he lifted Reeve into his arms. She was stiff, her eyes remaining focused on the forest floor, and Cassius motioned for the others to go ahead.
They were nearly a mile from the pack house. He didn't mind the walk as Reeve eventually snuggled into his body heat and her body slightly relaxed - he felt the need to crack a joke to lighten the atmosphere but decided against it. He hated how the emotions that boiled to the surface were all too familiar - bitter and depressing.
They arrived on the front porch sometime later to find the entire pack crowded in the Alpha's house. Everyone was on alert as soon as Reeve had ran. Asher had just pushed the door open and Reeve went rigid in his arms, the house falling silent. All of the attention was on her, and it barely took a second before murmurs of questions arose.
