Page 159 of Roaring Flames

I spent months hating my twin—and telling him that every chance I got. But I don’t hate him. Not truly. Yes, I was furious at him, but it was only because he betrayed the trust I put in him.

When he first began to struggle with addiction, I got him help, unbeknownst to our parents. Maybe that was my firstmistake, but I knew Ethan wouldn’t want our mom and dad worrying. He was clean. He told me he was clean.

I never should’ve allowed him to drive that night.

But he told me…

He promised me…

I didn’t see the signs, but maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough. His eyes were glazed. Sweat dotted his forehead. His hands trembled.

I nearly died that night—I probably would’ve if I wasn’t a shifter with advanced healing—but that isn’t why I spent so long harboring anger towards Ethan.

It was because of the lying. The broken trust.

I suddenly understand how Izzy feels, and it’s a slap to the face.

God… Izzy. I made a mess of things with her.

Can’t she see that I’ve been trying to do better? Tobebetter?

I rub my cheek back and forth over my knee, attempting to capture a few wayward tears, and nearly choke on a laugh.

My knee…is silky soft.

As is the rest of me, thanks to the bet.

Yes, Izzy never said we had to walk around naked, nor did we have to make a public declaration, but Ethan and I felt like this was what we had to do in order to atone. Or at least, it was a step in the right direction.

“They’re going to be okay, Em,” Reid tells me, awkwardly patting my bald head.

He’s not the best at comforting.

“Yeah.” I force myself to lift my gaze, to meet his eyes. “I just have a lot of regrets, you know?”

Reid’s jaw clenches. “Yeah.” For a few moments, that’s all he says, but then he swallows and adds, “I’m worried about them too.”

I snort. “Sometimes I’m not sure if you give a shit about us anymore.” When Reid frowns, I hurry to explain. “You’ve been different since the curse. Not that I blame you whatsoever—because what that bitch did was horrible and traumatizing—but you’ve been pushing everyone away.”

God, I hate all of this emotional crap. Can’t we just beat the shit out of each other and call it good? Next time, Reid needs to pull us into a larger room to do just that.

“I don’t… I don’t want to push people away anymore,” Reid mutters, his words nearly inarticulate. But I hear him as if he’s yelling. “Don’t want to push Izzy away.”

A slow grin creeps onto my face. “You like her, don’t you?”

He turns away from me, his muscles flexing, and nods.

“I think we can do this,” I say seriously. “Be a pack—all of us and Izzy.”

“What about the others?” Reid asks.

I frown. “The others?”

“Christian, the Ansel fuck, and the vampire.”

I never thought I would share my mate, my Heart, with someone other than my pack, but…

“I’m not going to stop Izzy from being happy. I care about her too much to ask her to choose.” And maybe a part of me worries it won’t beusthat she chooses, if given the choice. “Besides, maybe this is what we deserve for being lying dicks to her.”