Broken Souls
Chapter 30: Stronger

Kay’s POV

Everything comes rushing back to me, but I feel so weak. Everything hurts so badly. I peel my eyes open slowly and painfully. They feel like sand, and everything looks blurry. I can feel Aaron lying next to me in the soft bed. He’s holding me gently, but he feels so warm. He’s really next to me. Even if this is one of Haedon’s minds games, I don’t think I would care. I just want to be close to him. Everything hurts, and I could have lost him; in fact, I sure he was nearly dead. I’m not even completely sure what I did or how I did it. I can only feel the slightest warmth of magic in the far reaches of my mind, but I don’t care about that now.

Slowly, I pull myself closer to Aaron and bury myself in his warmth. He’s the only thing I want to feel right now. He pulls me in closer to him trying to be gentle, but I don’t really care. I just want him to hold me and never let go.

“You are awake.” Aaron’s husky voice is low and full of so many emotions. I cuddle closer to his chest.

“I’m surprised I’m not in the clinic,” I reply, happy to be in his arms and feeling safe for the first time in so long.

“The doctor here checked you out but thought rest was the best thing for you. You have been asleep for two days,” Aaron says, and now I know why he sounds so conflicted and worried.

“Two days?” I say looking up into his face finally. He just nods and kisses my forehead.

“How about a shower and some food? There are a few people that need to talk to you about what happened, and I would really like to know how you saved me. I know what Oriel told me, and I just can’t seem to believe it. Willow just got here today, and she wants to see you as soon.” Aaron tells me, but he still hasn’t let me go. I don’t really want him to.

“Where are we?” I finally ask.

“This is Big Pine pack. It’s Alpha Ben’s pack. This was the closest to where Seth had you,” Aaron says kissing my head and slowly pulling out of my arms.

“Come on let’s get you showered,” he says standing by the bed holding out his hand for me.

Aaron leads me to the bathroom and gets the shower going. I get a look at myself in the mirror. I don’t look as badly as I have before, but it still isn’t a pretty site. I have dark circles under my eyes with healing yellow green bruises. My hair is terribly matted and tangled in places. I see the brush on the counter and begin to work on my hair. I can see Aaron watching me in the mirror, his face is so many emotions. I can’t read them all, but I can see the pain in his eyes. I turn to look at him

“I’m okay, you know. And you are okay. We are all okay,” I say trying to put him at ease.

“I never should have let you go. We knew he could replace you, and I never should have let you go…I’m sorry. It’s my fault he took you. It’s my fault I didn’t keep you safe, and I can’t forgive myself for that,” Aaron says hanging his head.

I move to him wrapping my arms around his waist and laying my head on his chest.

“No, it isn’t your fault. He would have found a way to get me no matter what. With Hadeon helping him, and Hadeon getting stronger, there is no way anyone could have stopped them. I also think I needed to be close to Seth. I learned some things about them that I think we can use to beat them. Please don’t blame yourself anymore. We are okay, and that’s what matters now,” I tell him hugging him tighter. As he relaxes, he nuzzles his face in my hair.

“I can’t lose you Kay,” he says in my hair.

“You won’t.”

I pull out of our hug and start pulling Aaron’s shirt off. He eyes me but doesn’t stop me. He does help me get his shirt over his head, and I pull off the oversized shirt I’m wearing. I know it’s one of his. I’m now just standing there in my underwear, but I quickly shed those. Aaron is still staring at me. I push his sweats down off his hips, and he steps out of them. They slide down his legs and pool on the floor. Once both of us are naked, I take his hand and lead him into the shower.

The hot water feels so good. I groan as my muscles relax, and I close my eyes letting the hot stream of water running through my hair. It doesn’t take long before I feel Aaron’s strong hands gently washing my hair, working out all the knots. I’m feeling myself relax more under his hands as he washes away all of the terrible feelings and memories over the last week. I know they won’t stay gone. I’m going to have to face them and relive them.

Once I’m clean, Aaron turns off the water and wraps me in a fluffy towel kissing my forehead. He then wraps a towel around himself.

“I’ll get you some clothes, okay?” He says, but he looks like he doesn’t want to leave. I give him a small smile.

“I’m not going to disappear. I promise,” I say standing on my tiptoes. He meets me in a sweet and gentle kiss.

Aaron leaves the bathroom, and I dry off and finish brushing out my hair. When he comes back, he’s dressed in jeans and a black tee shirt. He hands me my clothes and leaves the bathroom again telling me food will be here any moment. I get dressed quickly in the black leggings and loose top because I am so hungry.

By the time I leave the bathroom, there is a tray of fruit and French toast with bacon sitting on a table in the small sitting area of the large room. Now that I feel better, I can take in my surroundings a bit more. The sitting area of the rather large room has two small light blue couches and a coffee table, but I really only have eyes for the food. I sit down and start eating as Aaron hands me a cup of coffee and takes a cup for himself.

“Willow will be here soon. I can’t hold her off any longer. She’s desperate to talk to you face to face,” He says the last part a bit confused, and I can’t help but smile. This only makes him look more baffled..

“She was with me in the clearing. I heard her voice in my head. She helped me let go of the magic. I don’t know what I did or how I did it. I just know she was there helping me,” I say still eating. I’m so hungry, but I’m trying not to eat too fast. I don’t want to make myself sick. Aaron is right. Almost as soon as I am done eating, there is a gentle knock on the door, and I know it is Grandma. I can almost feel her through the door.

I bounce up before Aaron can even move. I have the door open lightning fast and I wrap Grandma in a hug. Grandma quickly hugs me back.

“Oh my! Kay, my sweet, clever girl. I knew you could do it,” she says hugging me tightly and stroking my still damp hair.

“You knew what exactly?” Comes a growl from Aaron.

Grandma is unfazed by Aaron’s anger. She simply pulls out of our hug and looks right at him.

“I knew she was strong, and I knew that she would get through anything Hadeon would try and put her through. I knew she would not be broken by him, and I knew it because she loves you and all of us. And I knew that you loved her. I knew she could weaken him. Now, we just need to beat him.”

“How much of what happened did you know about witch?’ Aaron is still growling, and I move closer to him putting my hand on his arm trying to calm him down. Grandma is still unfazed.

“I saw a few different possibilities, and most ended with Kay getting through it. It had to happen. She needed to be taken, and she needed to replace her power and put cracks in Haedon’s power. I hope now we can expand on those cracks and finish him.” Grandma explains and is nearly smiling, but Aaron is close to coming completely unglued hearing the Grandma knew I would be taken and did nothing to stop it. I actually understand that it needed to happen. I can feel that it my soul. I needed to be there. Like she says, it had to happen.

I step in front of Aaron and cup his face in my hands making him look at me.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m fine now, and she’s right: I had to be there. It had to happen. Look at me: I’m okay, and I’m stronger now. I can feel it. Please believe me!” I can feel him relax as I look into his eyes. I know he’s hurt and angry over everything, and I feel sad that I have caused him pain again, but it was something that had to happen, and I know I’m stronger for it.

Aaron finally sighs and wraps his arms around me holding me as close as he can.

“Just don’t leave me again,” he says, and I feel him look over at my head probably glaring at Grandma.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere without you,” I say squeezing him tightly.

“I am sorry that I couldn’t say anything. If you had known, it may have only been worse. More lives would have been lost. Possibly your life, Aaron. I had good reason for letting things play out. Oftentimes, trying to prevent something only leads to a worse outcome,” Grandma says looking truly sad. Aaron has finally relaxed, and Grandma walks over to us as we all sit down.

“I have so many questions Grandma.” I look at her warm face hoping that all the answers will be there.

“I know child,” she says smiling at me. “You did so well.”

“Yeah, about that. What did I do exactly, and how do I do it?”

Grandma chuckles softly. “You have more power in you than I had originally thought. I think that is why Hadeon is after you. I think he knew how strong you are, and he needs that. He needs you to make him whole. You will need to learn how to control that power of yours. I think when you do that, you will be able possibly destroy him,” she says looking at me with so much hope on her face.

“Destroy him? Do you really think we can?” I’m shocked and a little worried Grandma thinks I could be the way to destroy Hadeon. How am I going to do that? Am I strong enough for that?

Grandma seems to be reading my face.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to help you, and I will be with you through everything. You will never be on your own again.” Aaron wraps his arm around me pulling me close to him, and I can feel his strength and warmth. Diana is in my mind, and I can feel her reassuring me. I know I’m not alone anymore. I have my family, and I will do anything to save them from this darkness.