256 Shadows of the Mind
Lucian
Denis looked like a man hollowed out from the inside. His eyes were red, his expression slack, as if holding himself together was taking all he had left. I didn’t know how to reach him, what words could possibly matter right now? I’d never been in his shoes. I couldn’t imagine it.
“How are you holding up?” I asked quietly.
His gaze stayed fixed on Keisha. “They’ll discharge us tomorrow, but I’m not allowed to leave her alone. She’s suffering from bipolar I disorder. Her wolf genes weren’t activating either, but its better now.” He exhaled sharply, like the words themselves weighed him down. “Her grandmother had it. Her mother didn’t. I just… didn’t think it would touch her.”
He said it more to himself than to me. I gestured for him to sit, and he lowered himself back onto the couch, his eyes never leaving his wife.
Mara lingered by the door, caught between wanting to give us privacy and needing to be here. The air felt heavy, thick with the kind of helplessness that makes your chest ache.
“I should have seen it,” Denis said. “The mood swings, the depression, the bursts of anger. They were there. But then she’d have these days where she was so happy, so… light. I thought it balanced out. I thought she would tell me if something was wrong.”
His voice dipped lower. “She’d been depressed for a while, even before we got married. That’s why the wedding was so small. Before our mission to Mistwood, she was already… off. Saying strange things. I brushed it aside, thinking it was stress. But when I came back, she was deep in psychosis. My aunt, she lives across the street, was the one who took her to the hospital. They said the depression and stress of not knowing where I was broke her grip on reality.”
He swallowed hard. “She started talking about people attacking in the kitchen, about kidnappings… nothing that made sense. When I came for the meeting before Rockville, she didn’t speak at all. I thought it was the meds. Later, I found out it was by choice. When she finally did talk, she said I wasn’t taking her seriously. I was trying to calm her down when I got called back to base.
“When you left for Rockville, I went home… and found her. She’d harmed herself with silver.”
He looked away for the first time, jaw tight. “I was furious with my aunt for letting her go home before I got
back.”
I followed his gaze to the bed. Keisha slept deeply, her body still, her face pale against the sheets. She looked fragile in a way I’d never seen her before. And she had lost so much weight.
“What about the baby?” I asked, remembering Keisha was pregnant.
Denis nodded. “The baby’s fine. She’s fine too, for now. The doctor says she’s stable, but… I have to avoid
triggers. That’s why I’ve decided to drop my rank.”
< 256 Shadows of the Mind
The words landed heavier than I expected. I knew what the military meant to Denis, it wasn’t just duty, it
was his blood, his pride. But Keisha was his world. If stepping away was the cost of keeping her safe, he would pay it without hesitation. And I couldn’t fault him for that.
“I’ll have Rowan handle the details,” I told him. “You’ll get the full package, with honor.”
He nodded, but there was a flicker of regret in his eyes. “I wish I could help you fight that bastard. But my world’s in pieces right now, and I need to put it back together.”
I reached over, resting my hand on his. “Don’t tell Keisha you left the military for her sake. It’ll hurt her. Tell her I dismissed you.”
He didn’t argue, just gave a short, knowing nod. Everyone knew Denis loved the ranks.
Everyone would know it wasn’t an easy choice. And the last thing Keisha needed was the weight of that
guilt.
“You?”
The voice was faint but urgent. Mara moved quickly to the bed. Keisha’s eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding them as she tried to place us. We waited, letting her orient herself. Then her gaze landed on Mara, and her fingers clutched at her hand.
“You came… you came,” she sobbed, the words breaking apart as tears streaked her cheeks.
We gathered closer. Up close, her skin was paler than I’d ever seen it, her dark complexion dulled to a
grayish hue.
“I’m sorry, Mara. I really am,” she said, her voice trembling. “I didn’t know what Tina was doing until it was
too late.”
I glanced at Mara, unsure how to take that, whether it was the truth or just another fragment of the chaos still swirling in Keisha’s mind.
