While she had slept, Irina had heard something. Something that left a rotting hole in her heart.
��You can help her. I know you can,�� he growled.
His voice sent a painful jolt through her body, but she couldn't move.
��You wouldn't have brought me here, shown her to me if there was nothing you could do!�� he shouted angrily.
Why was Roman here? Was he worried about her? How did he even know?
��I just thought you might be concerned about her, that's all,�� the other replied.
Irina felt an angry growl in her heart. Holden. That bastard.
��She is your mother after all��.��
Inside the prison of her body, Irina howled in misery. He would hate her now and never want to see or speak to her again.
��Yes���� Roman replied.
He knew?
��Which is why you brought me here�� to dangle her over me until I give you something in exchange for your help. So, what the fuck do you want, Holden!��
He knew�� and he cared about her.
��It seems I've become predictable,�� Holden said.
Even with her eyes closed, she knew he was smiling, making her sick.
��It's nothing you can't handle,�� Holden continued. ��In fact, it's something you quite enjoy.��
��What?��
��I want your help in training Alice,�� Holden said.
Irina gasped in her mind. Not Alice��she knew very well that Roman loved that girl. While she disapproved of Alice's existence, she wanted her son's happiness more than anything else. And anything that Holden was asking would not lead to happiness.
��As you know, she is already quite skilled in many ways. But one rather strong human element needs to be worked out of her system.��
��What is that?�� Roman asked with a growl in his voice.
Irina wanted to wake up, to sit up and tell him she was alright. He didn't need to make deals with this monster!
��Trust,�� Holden hissed. ��You need to teach her that trusting someone is dangerous.��
��What���� Roman whispered. ��Why would I��.��
��I can save your mother, and I can just as easily kill her,�� Holden whispered. ��Alpha Gorn doesn't care either way.��
Roman growled.
��Don't try me, boy,�� Holden growled. ��You are a child. You are not strong enough to take me on.��
After a long silence, Roman finally spoke.
��How�� how am I supposed to teach her that,�� he asked quietly.
Holden let out a soft chuckle.
��While teaching her another skill,�� he said. ��Pain management.��
��You want me to hurt her?!�� Roman shouted.
��I want you to do what you do best,�� Holden growled. ��Besides, it's not like it would be the first time.��
��That was instinct!�� Roman snarled.
��Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it!�� Holden shouted angrily. ��You think I didn't notice how your interest grew after that day?��
Irina's heart was aching for Roman. He had told her about that day, about what Holden asked him to do.
Yes, he enjoyed it. He enjoyed hurting the boy from Winter and even enjoyed hurting Alice. But it wasn't her pain that caught his attention. It was her smile, strength, and ability to fight against the pain because she was so relieved her friend was safe.
It was kindness.
Something that Roman had only seen a few times in his life. That was what he found so interesting about Alice.
��I don't want to hurt her,�� Roman whispered. ��I don't want her to hate me.��
Holden sighed.
��No matter what you choose today, I will make sure she forgets you every time,�� Holden whispered. ��But if she hates you, at least you're in her thoughts.��
Roman let out a sound that Irina could only assume was a sob.
��Alice will never be yours or anyone else's,�� Holden continued. ��But, if you help me, you can at least save your mother.��
��You better keep your word,�� Roman replied with a snarl, and then she heard footsteps leaving the room.
Irina was glad that she could not see Roman's face. That she couldn't see the pain in his eyes.
��Your son is the only useful thing about you, Irina,�� Holden whispered. ��I'll keep my word and save you. Maybe you'll surprise me one day, but I doubt it.��
Irina didn't remember the conversation immediately. It came to her the first time she saw Holden after she woke, about a week later.
In her anger, she broke the glass that was in her hand.
***
After Cain returned, things changed quickly.
They returned to the cave only a day after he arrived and traveled further than ever. The further they went, the darker it got, and for Irina, the louder.
Entering the chamber, Cain was ecstatic. The discovery of a lifetime.
But for Irina, it was different. The sound that had slowly begun to return to a peaceful hum fell away, but in its place, whispers.
They walked around the large room with every step she took; the whispers became louder.
Cain pointed to the tree; Irina focused her attention on it. As they approached, she heard a laugh and then another. Cain reached into his bag and pulled out a small knife, bags, and containers. As he leaned forward to collect a sample, Irina felt thick darkness from the tree.
Her heart was racing, and her chest felt heavy. They needed to go.
She pulled at Cain and pushed him from the room, telling him they needed to go. He argued, but Irina would not let him win. In the end, he agreed that it was late, and they were both tired. They made their way to the surface, but he told her they would return the next day for the samples.
But Irina did not wait for the next day.
As she lay in bed that night, she felt the whispers in her mind, crawling, clawing, slithering over her thoughts.
She snuck out and made her way down into the chamber. Though she was scared and wanted to turn around, something was calling her. Telling her she needed to do this, she needed to return.
Before she knew it, she was kneeling in front of the gnarled and twisted tree. Irina stared down at the crystals that seemed to glow. The whispers in her mind repeated the same instruction.
a�?Touch them.'
Slowly she reached her shaky hand to one of the crystals, her finger hovering just above it. Suddenly the sound she had heard for months, the twisted version of her peaceful hum, shrieked in her ears. It startled her, and she jumped, her hand moved forward, and her skin tore against one of the crystals. Three drops of her blood spilled down onto the tree.
Irina's eyes widened as the roots began to move; she tried to jump back, but she wasn't fast enough. One small tendril shot out at the bleeding finger. She screamed as it burst through her nail.
She ripped her hand back, freeing it from the tree, and crawled away as she continued to scream and cry. She got to her feet and ran toward the entrance of the chamber.
Irina took one quick glance back to see if it was coming after her, but to her surprise, it looked as if nothing had happened.
She looked down at her hand as her chest heaved and her heart raced. She took in a gasping breath as she saw nothing. Her finger was intact, not even the cut from the crystal.
Irina ran home. She didn't sleep the rest of the night, lying in bed trying to understand what she had experienced.
When she met Cain the following day, she refused to return to the chamber or to allow him to do so. Demanding that he leave Spring at once.
Gorn was angry that she had made the decision on her own. But before he could take his anger out on her, Irina fell, convulsing on the floor with a seizure.
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