GIFTED RILEY by Lacy Mierr

Chapter 48: Healing Old Scars

I wanted to truly convey to my sister that I felt nothing for Noah and case her fears. I lowered myself to her level and reached out for her hand. She looked at our joined hands and then looked back at me, her nose flaring as she held on to the string of her emotions.

Looking into her eyes I spot as clearly as I could.

“I didn’t come back for Noah. He’s not my future but my past. The only connection we will have is you,” I said to her.

“Me? Don’t you hate me?” She asked.

I brushed her hair from her face and gave her a sad smile.

“No. I was hurt, beyond words and yes that scar will always linger but I don’t hate you,” I said. I really wanted to hate her in the beginning. She had stolen my man and then flaunted him in front of me. She was meant and hurtful and I had every right to hate her. But seeing her now, I could never.

Now I both pitied her and envied her. Because of the bond between her and Noah, she could feel their connection, and the separation was taking its toll on her. Unable to be near Noah she probably thought she was going mad. Mates couldn’t be separated for this long, it wasn’t healthy.

Chapter 48 Healing Old Scars

Then again, I was also envious of her. Though her bond was working against her right now in general to be able to feel the love that Nicolas had for me is a gift I would cherish.

Though I talked with my wolf and I know in my heart that it will return to me, she hasn’t come yet and so that bond between me and Nicolas has yet to form.

Looking at my sister, her bond slowly draining her, I can’t help but

want that connection still.

“I would hate me. Noah does,” she says, her voice breaking.

I didn’t know what to say, I had no experience comforting her before and until Nicolas, I didn’t even know what I liked at a time like this.

I bent down lower so she could see my head beneath her bent head. then I stuck my tongue out at her. She wasn’t expecting it and a chuckle slipped out. She gave me a little shove away from her with a giggle.

“What is something wrong with my face?” I asked, crossing my eyes and wrinkling my nose.

“What is the matter with you?” She couldn’t help but laugh.

I snorted and joined in. I hadn’t heard her real laugh in years. She never did it around me, I always got her cruel laughter, the one she gave as I looked pitiful and broken. This was the laugh she had with

2004

her friends, the friends I hadn’t seen since I arrived.

I rested my hand on her knee to get her attention.

“Never thought I’d see the day that we would be fighting over a boy.” I confessed. A part of me had picked Noah because he was nothing like Ava’s type.

She looked away unable to keep my gaze.

“Yeah, of course I thought you were g a y,” she admitted.

“What? Why?” I asked completely caught off guard.

“The bond can happen with anyone, geez Riley get with the times,” she teased me.

I laughed and gave her leg a shake to let her know I wasn’t angry.

“Well I’m not g a y, but I do want to confess something,” I said. She swallowed and raised her head to look at me. Her eyes were so different from what I remembered. They weren’t full of hate and anger, though I never knew what I did to warrant such a stare, she gave it to me nonetheless. Her gaze was different this time, and I felt like we were talking as sisters should talk.

“So, it hasn’t happened yet but, I met my wolf,” I told her. She perked. up and I was glad I saw no jealousy in her big eyes.

Chapter 48 Healing Old Scars

“Really? You’ll be getting a wolf?” She asked, sounding happy for me.

I nodded. “I believe I will.”

Ava squeezed my hands and nodded, her smile was genuine.

“I feel foolish about wasting all these years tormenting you. I don’t even understand why I did that. I could come up with excuses but that’s all they’d be. Even after you left, Noah was all mine, I was to be Luna, and I still thought of you,” she started to s o b again.

I grabbed her face and wiped her tears away.

“No more tears, sister. We’re done living in the past. I have N o l a s. now, my wolf will be coming, and all that’s left is the future,”

She stared at me as if she were waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I had no more energy to give to my past and now with my father gone, I didn’t feel like losing any more family members. She finally realized that I had nothing else to say and reached out to hug me.

Damn, when was the

Damn, when was the last time we hugged like this?” She laughed.

I chuckled but had to think about it.

“Oh, I remember. You had slipped on some mud and Liam and I were laughing so hard. So you chased us around trying to get us dirty. By

Chapter 4 Heating Old Deara

the time you finished we were all covered it,” I recalled.

She laughed and threw her hands up as if washing her hands of it.

“I don’t recall ever being covered in mud,” she teased but couldn’t even lie and ended up laughing.

We stayed chatting for hours both of us trying to remember the few stories we had of each other. Somehow we managed to avoid any stories that involved her being mean to me or any that involved Noah.

A silence fell between us. It was getting late and I knew Nicolas was beyond impatient for me to return.

“Ava,” I called her halting her laughter. She glanced at me, her face lightened up but her eyes were still sad. “Don’t give up on Noah yet, trust the bond, it will lead you back to him,” I said.

I gave her one final hug and then returned to the room I shared with Nicolas. I heard as I walked through the place house he raged about my absence, but I was thankful he gave me that time with Ava.

I was drained. I stepped out of my clothes and sank into the bed beside. him. There was a pause before his gentle giant arm embraced me. Hist touch unleashed all the tears I couldn’t shed from my past.

“I’m here, my Luna. I’m here,” he said as I cried myself to sleep.