BlackMoon Beginnings (29 page)

“That’s probably for the best Natasha. You
have a useful power, but it won’t be useful if you are dead. You
haven’t been trained to fight like the others have.” She nods,
obviously relieved that she isn’t going to have to fight. I bet she
doesn’t want to break one of her perfectly manicured nails.

“When will people start to arrive?” asks
Liam.

“Tomorrow morning. We don’t have a ton of
extra room here to keep a lot of people. You’re brother is welcome
to stay here though.”

I almost choke on the muffin. “Bragden is
coming?”

“Yeah, I called him last night. He’s more
than willing to fight against Dravin, especially after he saw what
happened to you last time you were there.” I’ll finally have a
chance to fully thank him for his part in rescuing me.

“What happened to her last time?” Natasha
asks, while obnoxiously chomping her gum. Liam glances my way,
asking for my permission. I shrug. I don’t care if this girl knows.
Maybe she’ll leave me alone.

“Dravin kidnapped her and tortured her for
five days straight, refusing to give her any food or water. He
questioned her about our whereabouts and she never told them
anything. She was very strong.”

“It doesn’t sound that bad.”

The room silences as everyone turns and
glares at Natasha.

This girl is really pushing my buttons. “Not
that bad?” I pause to see if she is serious. Sticking her hand on
her hip, she nods. “Not that bad?” I repeat. “How would you like to
be constantly picked up and dropped flat on a concrete floor? Every
time I didn’t listen to their demands, I was punched, kicked, and
stepped on. Think of any way to beat someone up and I endured
it.

“The only break I got was when I passed out
from the pain. Then I would get slapped awake and it would start
all over again. Dravin was able to look at me and give me a
blinding headache. I felt like my head was going to explode from
the pressure. I screamed in agony, but the pain never lessened.
Then, he forced me to replay the most painful experience of my
life. How would you like to rewatch the day when your mother was
killed in a car wreck that was supposed to kill you! I was supposed
to be the one that died, not her. In that moment, I wanted them to
kill me, so the pain would end. I didn’t think I could take
anymore.

“How you like to be given a truth serum that
makes it feel like your insides are being slowly ripped out if you
don’t speak? Huh? Or how about having a man who had previous
assaulted you come in to your cell when you are too weak to move,
cut into your skin and tell you all the gory details about how he
is going to rape you and enjoy doing it? Then, strangle you to
knock you out, so it’s easier for him? If that’s not bad enough, to
have a constant reminder in your nightmares.

“You don’t know what it’s like to look in
someone’s eyes and see pure evil and hatred for you, knowing that
he would enjoy killing you.” I collect my breath and say in a quiet
voice. “Don’t you dare say it wasn’t
that
bad.”

Natasha’s eyes are huge by the time I finish.
She has taken a couple of steps back. Scooting my chair back, I
quickly and quietly walk out of the room, leaving everyone stunned
at my departure. I don’t know where that came from, but I don’t
care. It feels really good to get all that out.

I don’t really have anywhere to go, so I just
stand outside the kitchen door, pacing back and forth. Liam walks
out and envelopes me in a hug. I don’t like thinking about what
happened to me at that compound. I’ve tried to push it back, but it
is always going to be there in the back of my mind. I lean into his
embrace. Silently comforting me, he starts rubbing my back. My
mother used to do that when I was younger. It feels comfortable and
safe. Taking a deep breath, I step out of his arms, and tell him
with my eyes that I am fine. He pulls me back into the room. I can
feel everyone’s eyes on me as I sit back down in my chair and am
silent for a couple of seconds.

I loudly exhale and look at Natasha, who’s
warily staring at me. “I’m sorry for my outburst. I shouldn’t have
yelled at you.”

“I had no idea.” It wasn’t really an apology,
but I don’t see Natasha as the apology type.

“You couldn’t have known. Besides maybe Logan
and Liam, I don’t think anyone knew the whole truth.”

“I didn’t know the whole truth, Ryanne. I
only saw what externally happened to you.” Logan replies.

At that moment, Emma runs into the room,
“Sorry I overslept.” She stops. “Whoa, there’s a lot of tension in
this room. What’s going on?” She looks between me and Natasha for a
moment. I shake my head telling her that nothing is wrong. She
walks over and sits down in David’s lap.

“Ryanne…I…” Colton starts, but seems
speechless.

“Please don’t. I don’t know why I just said
some of those things. They were all true, but I didn’t want anyone
to know.” I pause, and look around the table. “I apologize that you
all had to hear that.” I glance at Natasha and give her sad smile,
“You seem to bring out the worst in me.”

I hope this is the right house. It’s the
only luxurious cabin I’ve seen. Holy crap, this place is freaking
huge.
“Someone’s at the door.” Tom’s cell phone rings at the
same time as the doorbell. Tom walks out of the room to answer his
phone, while Logan gets up to get the door. I concentrate on
blocking the man’s thoughts. Logan walks back into the room with a
tall man following him. I instantly recognize him.

Bragden.

There’s a strong family resemble, except he’s
taller, has shorter black hair, a straight nose, tanned skin, and
no scar above his eyebrow. Liam gets up and hugs his brother,
before stepping aside.

“Everyone, this is my older brother
Bragden.”

Bragden scans the room, saying hello to
everyone before his eyes stop on me. Smiling, he waves,
“Ryanne.”

I can’t help my reaction. I fly out of my
chair and run towards him. He drops his small duffel bag on the
ground and catches me as I launch myself at him. My feet lift off
the ground as his arms wrap around my waist. I tightly fasten my
arms around his neck, hugging him close to me. I am so thankful for
both men in the Kane family. They have both saved my life. I feel
tears start to fall down my face. “Thank you so much for helping
rescue me. I can’t even express how thankful I am that you guys
came when you did.”

He bends down and puts me back on the ground.
“There’s no need to thank me.” He reaches down to wipe the tears
from my face. When he is done, he smiles at me.

I step back a little, to give him more space.
I can feel a small blush building. “Sorry I basically just attacked
you.”

“If this was the reaction I knew I’d get, I
would have come sooner.” He glances at Liam and then back to me.
“Why Liam’s description of you doesn’t do you justice.” He takes a
step closer to get a better look. “You’re just beautiful, aren’t
ya?” Time for full blush mode. Liam grabs my arm and pulls me back
to my seat, a small smile on his face. Bragden lets out a deep
laugh. “Ahh, she’s one of those girls.”

“One of what girls?” I hesitantly ask from my
seat. I’m not sure if I want to know what he’s talking about.

Bragden grabs a chair and flips it around.
Resting his arms across the top of it, he looks at me. “One of the
girls who are obviously beautiful, but doesn’t know it. I bet every
time you get a compliment, you blush and then disagree.” He points
his index finger at me. I open my mouth to refute him, but someone
else’s words come out. “She does.” Okay more than one person says
it. Basically everyone at the table agrees with Bragden. “Don’t
worry. It just adds to the beauty. Just don’t’ go fishing for
compliments. That’s not attractive.”

Emma turns and looks at me. “Oh, Ryanne
doesn’t fish for compliments. In fact, she hates them. She hates
anything that brings attention to her. Like right now, she hates
that we are talking about her, while she is sitting right
there.”

I raise my hand. “Yes, Ryanne does hate
that.” I reply, saying my name in third person since everyone else
already is.

“Ahh, humor also. You’re killing me here.” I
glance over at Bragden confused. Seeing my expression, he just
laughs at me. I turn to Liam to see if he can explain to me what’s
going on, but he’s also laughing. Colton and Logan are both smiling
at me. Natasha’s still standing behind Colton, seeming just as lost
as I am. I cross my arms and slouch in my chair, accepting that
being surrounded by this many guys all the time is a recipe for
disaster, because I don’t understand how their brains work.

“Ok. The Taylor’s are also coming. Everyone
is excited to meet the ‘prophecy girl’ as you call yourself,
Ryanne.” announces Tom.

I scrunch my face in that weird expression
that I tend to get in uncomfortable situations and bite my lip, my
nervous habit. Tom abruptly turns and leaves the room. So many
people are coming to fight alongside me. People that don’t know me
and only know of the girl that’s mentioned in the prophecy. What if
I’m not what they are expecting? I know I don’t look like much.
Would they leave after seeing me? I wouldn’t believe that I was the
supposed girl from the prophecy if I just met me either. What if
I’m not able to do what everyone needs me to do? I don’t want to
let everyone down.

“Stop it, Ryanne.” Liam pats my arm, drawing
my attention away from my thoughts.

“Stop reading my mind, mister.”

“You can read minds, Liam?” his brother
asks.

Colton explains. “No, he can’t. Liam just has
an uncanny ability of knowing what Ryanne is thinking. It’s a
little scary. Ryanne is the only one that read minds here.”

“Are you reading my mind, Ryanne?” Raising
his eyebrows suggestively, he flashes a toothpaste commercial
worthy smile.

“No, I blocked out your thoughts when I heard
you at the front door, wondering if this was the right ‘luxurious
cabin,’” I imitate his voice as best as I can. It sounds more
southern than manly.

“Am I suddenly from Texas?”

“Shut up.” I never claimed to be good at
imitations.

Tuning everyone out, I think about how
despite my visions I have no idea what is going to happen in
thirty-six hours. Will I ever see these people again? I haven’t had
another vision depicting myself in any situations after tomorrow. I
don’t remember seeing myself at David’s wedding; I was watching the
event invisible to everyone else. Maybe something happens to me.
The prophecy never claimed which side I would end up on or how long
I would even be a part of this war. Everything is still up for
grabs. Maybe I’m going to die tomorrow. It would explain so
much.

“What?” asks Liam.

I blink back, look around the table and
notice that everyone has stopped talking and is looking at me. I
didn’t realize that I had said anything out loud. Oh dear, those
weren’t exactly positive thoughts I was having.

Slumping my shoulders, I glance over at Liam,
“What did I just say?”

“You think you’re going to die tomorrow.” He
didn’t say it as a question.

“Shoot. Any of my other thoughts would have
been acceptable to say out loud, but of course I said that.” I roll
my head back and stare at the ceiling. “Forget I said anything. I
didn’t mean to express that anyways.”

“Why do you think that?” asks David.

I’m not sure if I want to share my thoughts.
Some of them were pretty depressing. I scan the table and see that
everyone genuinely wants to know why I think that. “Because I’m not
in any of the visions I’ve had of the future. I don’t see anything
about myself after tomorrow.”

“You’ve had visions about the future?” Emma
asks.

Focusing on the table, I mumble a response.
“A couple.” Okay, only one, but that’s beside the point. I have a
feeling that I’m not supposed to survive tomorrow. Just because
I’ve had a vision of the future, doesn’t mean I’m actually in that
future.

“Ryanne—” I cut Colton off. I’m not in the
mood to hear everyone tell me that they won’t let anything happen
to me. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. I’m the one with the
visions and I have no idea how it is going to play out. I don’t
want to hear promises that they aren’t able to keep.

“Look, let’s just forget I said anything. It
was just a thought, nothing is permanent until tomorrow.” I stop
and look towards Liam, trying to lighten up the mood. “I’m getting
really good at bringing up depressing topics.” He grabs my chair
and pulls me towards him, until I’m as close as I can be to him
while remaining in my chair. He wraps an arm across my shoulder,
comforting me, as I lean into his side. Bragden is staring at us,
wondering what’s going on. I can understand how close we are could
confuse people. I do love Liam, but like a best friend or brother.
I know he feels the same about me.

“Anyone want to train a little?” Liam
suggests.

I perk up. “I do!” Liam laughs at my
eagerness and looks at everyone one, questioningly. After agreeing,
we all get up to go get ready.

“Colton, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Natasha grabs his wrist to halt his progress. I catch him glance
over at me, but I refuse to let him know how they’re affecting me.
He nods at Natasha and follows her outside. Liam puts a hand on the
small of my back and leads me out of the room. Bragden stands back
and waits for us to catch up to him.

“So, what’s going on between you two?”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Nothing like that Bragden.” Liam responds.
Bragden’s gaze lands on the necklace that I’m wearing.

“Is that…?” Glancing over to Liam, I see him
subtly nod. They obviously know something that I don’t.

“Are you two going to tell me about the
mental conversation you’re currently having or am I going to have
to read your minds.”