Macy POV
"Don't try to use the mate bond to persuade my brother," Edward threatens me. "It won't work. We don't want you."
I laugh sarcastically. "Your brother is the one that invited himself into my room and into my shower. I want nothing to do with either of you, and neither does Nyx. You keep your distance, and I will keep mine."
He forcefully grabs my chin, and I grit my teeth together in defiance. "You know what we are?"
"Yes," I grind out.
"Then you know I could kill you with a flick of my wrist," he warns me.
"Do it," I dare him. "I am tired of living through this shit anyway."
Something changes in his eyes. It wasn't the response he was expecting. His grip on my chin loosens, and he steps away from me. His eyes graze over my body, and I tighten the towel around my chest. The scars are there, just under the towel. I know their tips are peeking out from the top of the towel. I was not careful about their placement. I was only ten.
Edward's eyes are focused on the skin just above my towel. I try to tug it up, but it is too late. He has seen them. His hand darts forward, and he pulls at the front of the towel. We play a game of tug of war, but eventually, I lose.
He pulls down the towel just enough to see the deep scars that line my chest. They have been there since my tenth birthday. The day they taunted me and called me Crazy Macy for the first time. That was the day I lost every friend I ever had. I wanted Nyx gone, out of my mind and my body. I was too young to know that she would be here forever.
I shudder as I think about it. The memory of me digging a knife into my chest makes my chest burn like it is happening all over again. Nyx whines loudly in my mind at the memory, and I close my eyes. Trying to make it stop.
I can feel his fingertips brush against the scars, and for once, they stop burning. A burst of tingles spreads all over my skin, and I turn away from him so he can't touch me any longer. I don't open my eyes until I hear him leave the bathroom.
Once I am sure he is gone, I slide down the wall of the shower and pull my knees to my chest. I fight against the tears in my eyes. I won't cry. I won't allow it. Nyx leaps from my mind and curls around my feet. Even though she is only a shadow, I can still feel the warmth of her body against mine. I reach out and touch the tips of her fur. She knows I regret that day, but the scars are a painful reminder of the day I would have rather died than have her in my life.
"Do you think he will tell Winston?" I ask Nyx.
'I don't know how close they are,' Nyx whispers. 'But I would assume he already has.'
"I don't think I can face school tomorrow," I admit.
'I know everything you need to know anyway,' Nyx says slyly.
"We should go to the bar," I sigh. "Helping Jason always makes me feel better."
Nyx grumbles. She doesn't like helping at Jason's soup kitchen in the bar during the day. There are too many rogues, and they make her uncomfortable. When Nyx was with Narah, she spent all of her time as a rogue. It is one of the reasons she and Narah were always at odds.
'I am going to need sleep if we are going there,' she finally says.
I don't argue. I climb into bed, not bothering to get dressed. I curl up under the sheets and try to fall asleep, but it does not come easily. Their scent is all over my room, and it is both arousing and annoying. Nyx is curled up on the floor, snoring lightly, and eventually, I drift off to sleep.
A loud growl jerks me awake, and the bed dips beside me. I open my mouth to scream, but a hand muffles the noise. Without Nyx in my mind, it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light in my room. In the darkness, I can see that it is one of the twins. It isn't until the smell of cinnamon swirls around me that I realize it is Winston.
He slowly takes his hand off my mouth and presses a finger to his lips. Winston pulls me close to him and brushes my hair off my neck. I am frozen with fear. I never know what to expect from them. One moment, they are calling me Crazy Macy, and the next, they are trying to cuddle me in bed.
"What are you doing?" I whisper.
"Just give me this moment," he says quietly. "Then I will leave you."
I remain stiff in his arms. While he is holding me, Nyx refuses to come back into my mind. I am helpless without her. The electricity from the mate bond spreads over my skin. We are taught that it is supposed to be soothing, but not for me. It makes my heart race, and I find it difficult to breathe.
Winston presses his hand against my stomach and holds me close to his chest. "Please let me go," I whimper.
"Does the bond not comfort you?" Winston asks.
"No," I respond.
"Do you fear me?" Winston asks.
I swallow hard. There is no sense in lying. "Yes."
"Why?" He sounds hurt.
"I have seen what you will become," I tell him. "You will destroy everything with a smile on your face."
"I am not the monster you think I am," he tells me.
"I don't believe you," I spit at him. "Get out of my bed."
Winston lets me go and rolls over onto his back. He places his hands behind his head and makes himself comfortable.
"What are you doing?" I growl. "I said you should leave."
"I am staying here tonight," he says calmly.
I refuse to give up my bed, along with everything else they have taken from me in the past two days. Huffing loudly, I grab a pillow and shove it between us. "This is my side of the bed, and that is yours. You stay on your side, and I will stay on mine."
"What is this?" He laughs. "A line demarcation."
"Just stay over there," I groan before I try to go back to sleep.