CHAPTER 123: FRACTURED TRUST

Varen

I was seething. Every nerve in my body felt like it was about to snap as I stood there, my hand still burning from the grip I’d had on Liam’s chest. My wolf paced in my head, snarling, demanding that I tear him apart for what he had done.

"You think this is funny, don’t you?" I growled, stepping closer so he had no choice but to feel the heat radiating off me. "You think I’m just going to brush it off as a mistake? No. I don’t trust you, Liam. Not one bit. And I’m telling you now—you don’t belong here. Not in my pack, not in my life, and sure as hell not near Josie."

Liam didn’t flinch, though I saw a flicker in his eyes. His vines still seemed to ripple faintly across his skin, like they were waiting to respond to his command if I pressed harder. His voice was maddeningly calm when he answered.

"You’re making a mountain out of a molehill, Varen. It was an honest mistake."

"Honest mistake?" I spat the words like poison. "Pinning me to the wall like some intruder? That was no accident, Liam. Don’t you dare play me for a fool."

His jaw tightened. For the first time, there was strain in his composure. "You’re doubting me, and it’s... it’s hurting me."

That froze me for a second. Hurting him? Liam was arrogant, smug, always carrying himself like the world should bow at his feet. And now he stood there, almost pleading? My wolf tilted his head, suspicious. This didn’t fit.

I narrowed my eyes, my grip tightening again on his chest. "Don’t twist this. You’ll tell me the truth right now, Liam. None of what happened in there was a coincidence, and I’m done giving you the benefit of the doubt."

"Varen."

Her voice cut through the tension like a blade through fog. I blinked and turned my head. Josie was standing there, her hair a tangled mess around her shoulders, her eyes wide but steady. She looked small compared to the fire that had erupted between me and Liam, but her presence alone pulled me back.

"Why the hell are you here?" I asked, my voice rougher than I meant it to be.

She stepped closer, ignoring the growl in my chest as I still held Liam. "Because this isn’t the way. You’re angry, I get that. But you’re not seeing it clearly." Her eyes flicked toward Liam. "He’s not the type to hurt people, Varen. You need to pay attention to that."

I stared at her, disbelief crawling up my spine. "You’re defending him?"

Josie exhaled sharply, her hands balling at her sides. "I’m not defending him. But I know what it felt like. That rush—it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. My powers. They surged, and he was just... there."

I scoffed, the sound bitter in my mouth. "So that’s what this is now? You’re taking the blame for him?"

Her gaze softened, but there was no hesitation. "I’m saying you don’t have to tear him apart for something he didn’t mean. And Liam—" She looked at him firmly. "You should leave."

Liam stiffened, and for once, he had nothing to say. His jaw worked, his vines twitching faintly, but he glanced between us and nodded stiffly before backing away.

I let go of him with a shove, my chest heaving. When the door clicked shut behind him, I turned on Josie.

"Why?" My voice cracked, not with weakness but with sheer frustration. "Why the hell are you supporting him when he nearly crushed me against that wall? When he pushed you into doing something reckless that could’ve endangered the entire pack?"

Her shoulders trembled, but she didn’t look away. "Because not everything is black and white, Varen. I’m not trying to protect him—I’m trying to protect myself. To understand myself. What I did wasn’t his idea alone. I wanted it too."

I shook my head, running a hand down my face as I tried to contain the storm inside me. Finally, I exhaled and forced myself to keep my voice low. "Let’s just go inside."

Inside her room, the air was heavy with lingering sparks of power. I sat at the edge of her bed, my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles ached. She stood near the window, her arms wrapped around herself.

"You don’t always need to be so damn defensive of strangers," I said quietly.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and then she whispered, almost too softly for me to catch, "I’m not defending Liam. I just... I need to understand what my powers mean. And this is the only way I know how to do that."

I looked at her, really looked at her. She wasn’t just fragile; she was desperate—desperate to belong in her own skin, desperate not to be treated like a ticking bomb. Slowly, I reached out and took her hand.

"I get it," I murmured. "More than you know. And I won’t do anything to make you feel small for trying to learn."

Her fingers trembled in mine. For the first time, her eyes softened.

But the fragile moment shattered when the door burst open.

Kiel stormed in, Thorne right on his heels. Their eyes burned, and I could feel the disapproval rolling off them like smoke.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Kiel demanded, his voice cutting through the room. "Do you have any idea how close you came to endangering everyone in this pack?"

Thorne’s tone was lower, but no less harsh. "Josie, you don’t get to play with that kind of power without consequences."

Josie snapped. "And how am I supposed to be the best version of myself if you don’t let me live? If you keep treating me like I’m porcelain?" Her voice shook, but the fire in it was undeniable. "I’m tired of this. Tired of all of you making everything bigger than it really is. I want to be happy—for once. I want to do what I desire, not what you dictate."

My chest tightened. Her words cut, not because they were cruel, but because they were raw.

"Josie," I said carefully, standing up. "Why are you talking like we don’t support you? Like we haven’t been fighting to keep you safe?"

Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she shook her head, muttering, "You don’t understand. None of you do." And before I could reach her, she moved.

To my shock, she dropped to her knees and crawled under the bed, yanking the covers down as if the world outside had become too much.

The room fell into stunned silence. My brothers exchanged tense glances, but all I could do was stare at the trembling edge of blankets where she had hidden herself, my heart hammering in my chest.