“I would rather have someone to blame for all of this,” Violet whined, even though she knew he was right. “I mean... other than the hunters.”
“Do you mean about us? You want someone to blame for what happened to us?”
She couldn’t say anything, because... it was true. She wanted someone to blame. The spell they had done, the binding, whatever the hell it was... that was a choice someone made. And, it sounded like her mother had done so in reaction to Mr. Reeve. He was, after all, the Alpha, so there was no changing his mind if he had made it. It sounded like her mother had fought back, but in the end...
In the end, she was unable to be with her soulmate in the most basic of ways. So yes, she wanted someone to blame.
“I wish we had an answer on how to fix this,” Violet whispered into the darkness. “How to fix us.”
“I think the only way to fix us, together, is to fix us individually.”
Violet pulled away as she sat up and looked down at him. She couldn’t see him clearly, not in the same way he could surely see her, but she could see the outline of his face and the glow around his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you mentioned wantin’ some sort of specialist to talk to us, about our feelin’s. I wouldn’t mind takin’ part in that. I... I got a lot of guilt about it all. I mean... I left.”
“You were following your soulmate.”
“I still left my pack, and that... I left my family. I mean... I shoulda been here. We shoulda been here. And... I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself for it. I don’t regret it, but dammit, Violet. We shoulda been here. And... I think you should talk to someone too.”
Violet let out a long sigh as she ran a hand into her hair. Fuck, now Henrik was sounding like her mother. “What would I even have to talk to someone about? I don’t have any trauma like you and everyone else in this town.”
“No, but you do have fear.”
“Henrik—“
“And don’t say you don’t. You’re terrified of the town line, terrified of your own abilities, and terrified of failure. I’ve noticed that you’re not even lashin’ out lately, about anythin’. Why is that?”
... Damn him.
Violet let out a noise as she laid back down, curling up against Henrik, and closed her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
Henrik curled up against her, tugging her back against his chest. She could feel him hardening against her ass, and not for the first time, she longed to roll over and touch it. “We’ll have to talk about it eventually.”
“Sorry, falling asleep,” she whispered, even if it was a lie.
Henrik didn’t ask again.
“Idon’thavetogo,” Henrik insisted, even as Violet half shoved him out the door.
“It’s a full moon. You’re going. This is your first full moon with the pack in a decade and a half, and you’re still getting used to shifting again. You’re going.”
“I don’t have to.”
Why was he fighting back so hard?
“Henrik, it will be fine. I’m going to head into town and spend the evening with Ariana and Scarlett. It’s something they do for full moons, apparently, while waiting for morning. I’ll spend the night there, and then tomorrow, you can come tell me all about the deer you took down.”
“Violet.”
“Henrik.”
“Little Witch.”
That name had her pausing, and she pursed her lips, waiting to hear what it was he had to say... even if she wasn’t giving in on this. She could see it in his posture, in the way he was carrying himself, how he was moving about. The call of the moon was too strong for him to resist, and what was more, he didn’t want to resist. The only thing holding him back, was her.
And she had held him back long enough.
“I don’t have to go,” he insisted one last time. “Look me in my eyes and tell me that you don’t sense anythin’. Tell me you feel nothin’ but peace. If you feel somethin’, anythin’, tell me. I ain’t goin’ if you think somethin’ might be wrong.”