Something flickers in her eyes, and she seems to notice the glass for the first time. She takes the glass from me and tosses her head back to swallow the brandy.
I pour a mug of tea and cut a big slice of Susan’s vanilla and strawberry tea cake, bringing it straight over to Lexa. Her eyes are clearer, and color has returned to her cheeks, but her hands are trembling.
“Here,” I say, holding out the tea and cake. “Eat something. You’ll feel better.”
She takes a small bite of the cake, and I see her eyes widen in surprise. “Wow, this is really good.”
“Yeah, Susan bakes well.”
“Like, I’m getting goosebumps and everything.”
“That’s the low blood sugar,” I say. “From the shock.”
Lexa carefully puts her cake back on the napkin in her lap and takes a sip of tea before putting the mug on the table beside her. She breaks off small pieces of cake and puts them into her mouth, staring down and not looking up at me.
“Lexa, you have to tell me,” I say.
She sighs, and I see her eyes glitter as they fill with tears. She looks so pale and fragile, but red spots burn on her cheeks.
“This is going to get ugly, Kit,” she warns, finally looking up at me. “And not just for you to hear. You’ll have to do some soul-searching, too.”
“Okay,” I reply, not worrying about it because I don’t have a clue what she means. “I’m ready to hear it, though.”
She nods, looking away and eating a bit more cake before she takes a deep breath and starts to talk.
“I don’t remember much from before my mom and I came here,” she says, staring into her lap. “Mom got us out of there before my father’s abuse could spread to me. I knew he was a bad guy and that things weren’t nice there, but I didn’t really remember anything else. When Mom started saying he was dead, I just went along with it.”
Lexa keeps her eyes fixed on her lap, not looking up at me. It doesn’t unnerve me at all, because I understand it.
Some things are just too painful to say out loud at all, let alone to another person. If you don’t make eye contact, it’s like you can pretend they aren’t there.
“Go on,” I prod gently.
“There isn’t much further to go,” she says, sniffling miserably as she finally looks up at me. “This is where it gets really sticky, Kit.”
“Okay,” I answer, feeling a flicker of fear deep inside me. My heart seems to skip a beat as I realize it might be time for my secrets to come out, too.
“You want to know where I was the last few years?” Lexa says. “I was my father’s prisoner. I lived in his shitty, falling-down cabin. I cooked and cleaned for him. I worked in the fucking plastic factory, getting my lungs burned out day afterday. I tried to escape more than once, and I was beaten and chained up for it.”
Her words get caught on a sob, and she looks away again.
“How did you get away?” I ask numbly.
She shakes her head miserably, tears running down her cheeks. “He promised me to his beta, Vince. I couldn’t stand the thought of Vince touching me, so I made a run for it. I went straight through the hills, until I ended up in Gryphon Eyrie. I stopped for a break when I overheard Winnie and Krista in the bar, talking about Galen’s match.”
“Krista is the alpha’s daughter,” I say. “Roderick Brent. He’s the oldest alpha in the Range.”
She nods. “She and Winnie have been friends since they were little. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Winnie there. But they mentioned the Porter’s brides-for-hire service, and I thought…”
“You thought if you were married, it would save you from your father,” I finish. “He can’t take you if you’re legally wedded, especially to an alpha. His entire clan would be forfeit.”
“Yes,” she mumbles. “But now he’s here. He doesn’t care. He’s going to take me, anyway.”
“I will not let him have you!” I say fiercely, grabbing her shoulders. “Do you hear me? I will never let him take you!”
She stays calm and still in my grip, tears still running down her cheeks. “You did absolute fuck-all last time, Kit,” she finally says.
“What?” I mumble, shocked.
