THE CONTRACT (The Chosen Series #2)

IF YOU JUST SMILE

When my family's no longer in sight, Alexei turns and releases a flood of energy out towards the ocean. The power is so intense that I'm grateful to Damir for holding off his explosion for as long as he did, waiting until there was no one to direct his rage.

"Well, I," Bass starts, then obviously thinks better of it, shaking his head. "Did not see that coming."

Me neither. Okay, that's a lie. There has always been something between Shay and Isla. An intangible connection, as if they are both one-half, together making a whole.

"It was obvious the boy was attached to the Маленький Bолк. Only a mate would risk their life like that," Damir replies, his gaze fixed on Alexei, who is panting heavily and fists clenched.

"I didn't mean the mate connection. I'm referring to the natural wolf. Shay's a Brady, isn't he?" Bass asks, his question directed to me, a dark eyebrow cocked.

I nod and try to understand what just happened. I stand there for a second, my head racing, and blink when I feel wetness on my forehead, moments before the rain begins. When my body begins to shake, I realize that I'm not feeling the best. My stomach rolls, and I can feel bile at the back of my throat. A Brady? Could Liam be? No, I've seen his wolf. Fido's eyes are yellow.

"Bass, take Erin back to her room," Damir instructs, his focus still on Alexei. "I will take care of things out here." I know he is referring to Alexei, who looks about ready to lose it.

"Hold up," I tell Bass when he moves to my side. "I think you owe me some kind of explanation about what just happened and what the hell Riam meant."

"Now isn't the time, Erin," Damir replies, and I see something I've never seen pass over Alexei's features. Grief.

"Come, Bella, Damir's correct. Now's not the time, at least not here." Bass, understanding more than I, takes my arm and pulls me back towards the Manor.

I growl but relent, starting to feel ill again as the adrenaline begins to seep from my body. I allow Bass to lead me back through the maze as exhaustion starts to take over. When we reach the conservatory, I pause and turn, thunder and lightning almost directly above us now. "What happened at the Belle Garden Bass, and don't mess with me."

Tugging me aside, moments before the lightning storm from Hell descends, Bass turns to face me. "It's where his Madre died, Bella. Annabelle jumped off the ledge and killed herself, leaving Alexei to witness the whole thing."

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Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that. Something inside me cracks, my heart squeezing so painfully that I struggle to breathe.

"Bella!" Bass cries and catches me when I fall, my legs no longer having the strength to hold me up. Everything around me spins. There is so much tragedy; the pain is overwhelming when I think of Isla and his mother. "It's okay, Bella, let it out." And I do. I cry, I wail, and I let my fire go, Bass thankfully taking it as if his body is starving, absorbing my flames rather than igniting himself.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I continue to let it flow from my body to his. The rain and wind are masking any sounds that occur as I drain myself. "Keep going, Bella. Letting your fire out is good for you. You shouldn't let it build up so much."

My lids flutter open, and I see that I have disintegrated his jackets and undershirt. My hands are flat against his bare chest, glowing. "How?" I mean, I know that Elementals can control, well, elements, and Bass can control several of them with fire as his main one. But how is his body not reacting?

"I'm fire, Bella. Like you, or I assume, like your mother was. We're of the same line, siblings almost." Bass smiles at me, and I also see a flash of pain in his eyes.