“Maya,” Marco started.
I shook my head and stood up walking to distance myself just a little bit. This was good. Which was why I wanted to cry right?Good one, Maya.No. This was okay. I just needed to tell them what was happening. Just needed to explain what a freak I was because they deserve so much better.
“I was locked inside a church basement from as early as I can remember,” I stated my voice sounded distant. Enough so that I didn’t really feel the serious shift in the room, my eyes trained on the forest greenery outside.
“My mother has never directly stated that I was adopted, but as I got older it became more clear that I wasn’t her or Pastor Malcolm’s biological child. She said they tried to baptize me, but that I set myself on fire because the devil didn’t want my soul cleansed. From that day forward, I was locked in the basement year round. My father, Pastor Malcolm, would come down each day and read scripture to me and provide me with school material. He said that one day I would help their religious organization move forward and possibly make more just like me. Once he died, my mother took me from there and she began calling it a cult, so I began to realize that my situation growing up was far from normal. Before that, I would have assumed the beatings were normal. She said that the reason I healed was because of the devil, because the devil fixed me. Whenever any blood would spill I would heal, so she began to bruise me instead.I don’t know why she keeps me around if she hates me enough to always want to hurt me.”
I inhaled and continued, “I’m a freak.” My voice sounded strangled. “I’m never going to be normal. I will always be playing catch up to where I should be in life. I can’t even say my mother was wrong because I do have the devil inside of me. Why else would I keep being friends with all of you when I know that I shouldn’t? When I know I’m not even good enough to have friends like you?”
I sniffed and wrapped my arms around myself, “I turn 18, this Saturday, and when I do, I’m gone. My mom doesn’t care where I go, or what happens to me. And I know you mentioned me staying with all of you, but I don’t think that's a good idea. I’m sure you understand now that… Henry!”
My back hit the wall as a pair of furious silver eyes peered down at me, the oxygen leaving the room as I shivered against his body heat. I had never felt more cold in my life. Especially because the man in front of me was vibrating with heat. Remember the other part of Henry I had mentioned sensing? It was very much out to play.
“I need you to listen to me, Maya,” he whispered softly, his voice sounded dangerous.
Tears welled in my eyes knowing that he was going to tell me to leave. I was shaking so hard that he had to hold my shoulders to stop the impending panic attack.
“You. Are. Not. Leaving,” he whispered softly, almost with venom at the idea.
What?
“What?” I echoed tears leaking down my face.
“I said you are not leaving. You aren’t leaving tonight and you sure as hell aren’t going back to your mother. I understand, sweetheart,.” he inhaled, a furious light in his eyes, “I understand that your mother has convinced you of some really fucked up shit.”
Oh, he swore.
“You are not leaving though. I won’t let you. You aren’t a freak and you deserve a hell of a lot more than we can probably ever give you. But you are not leaving. You belong here and if you want to be our friend…”
“Mate,” I voiced quietly as warmth filled his gaze.
“If you are okay with being with us,” he whispered, “then we want nothing more than for you to stay.”
I examined his face and voiced my last concern, “but what about the fated…”
“I don’t think that matters,” Henry stated softly, “I think if I was a human, I’d feel this way about you, Maya. You’re absolutely perfect.”
Perfect?
A small pained sound came from my throat and I buried my head in his chest. He soothed me a body pressing from behind as Marco’s voice spoke softly, “say you’ll stay Maya.”
So bossy.
“I’ll stay,” I whispered in a tortured quiet voice between raspy quiet tears.
I felt my knees break in relief and Henry never let go of me. I could hear the other men talking but I was losing my ability to think rationally, feeling so damn relieved that they wanted me. They wanted me to stay. With them.
“They are going to send for the police again,” Anani whispered as I looked up and found his gaze red and slightly glassy. I slithered out from between Marco and Henry, wrapping my arms around him, his nose buried in my hair.
“Screw Jed,” I muttered, “he’s a creep.”
“A creep?” Sai asked quietly.
I nodded, because at this point I might as well get it all out. “He is always trying to touch me and rub on me.” I cringed at that last part, but I had no other fucking word for it. The room might as well have turned into a tundra.
Atlas’s voice was sharp, “who hurt you the night I came to visit you?”
“My mom,” I whispered “because she saw me with you guys, but then the next morning, he left bruises on my neck.”