Read Purity for Free Online Page B

then it obviously dawned on her that there was fear on my expression, because she held up her hands. “I’m not going to… I wouldn’t hurt you or anything, Perdita. You know that, right?”
    I shrugged. “Can’t be too careful these days.”
    “I was afraid you’d be like this.” She looked crestfallen, and it annoyed me.
    “Kind of hard to have a better reaction, considering the last time I saw you.”
    Last time had been all fangs and claws. Not the best first wolfy impression. But I took a step toward her, unable to stop myself, unable to keep away for another second. Her family was the light I was desperate to touch, despite knowing it would eventually burn me to ash. They were the only people who knew what I had done and didn’t judge me for it. I couldn’t find peace elsewhere.
    I stared at her, trying to swallow the emotions rushing around my body. “I like your hair.”
    She rubbed the back of her shorn head. “I needed a change.” Although the back of her hair was cut tight, the front reached her chin and was dyed a teal blue.
    “A lot’s changed.”
    She inched forward as if unsure of herself. “I’ve wanted to come see you. To apologise. But I was kind of under house arrest until they were sure, well, until they were sure I wouldn’t hurt anyone.” She held up her chin, a strange mixture of pride and uncertainty fleeting across her face. “I can control it now. I’m so sorry, Perdita.”
    I inched closer to her, remembering the fangs and single-minded determination to tear out my throat. I flexed my fingers. “It’s okay.”
    “It was the shock. And the hunger. All of that time I was sick, it was really the wolf starving, so when the time came, I couldn’t get control. The wolf took over, and I saw what was happening, but I couldn’t do anything to stop it. I was trapped in there, watching myself…” She shook her head.
    “Ryan helped me,” I said, remembering how Nathan hadn’t.
    She nodded enthusiastically. “He’s helping me now, too.”
    “He didn’t leave?”
    Her face fell. “No, that was just Opa, Jeremy, and Willow .” She cleared her throat. “And Nathan.”
    I shrugged. “He told me he was leaving.”
    “Did he?” She looked away. “That’s good, I suppose.”
    “If you say so.”
    “He hates me now. That’s why he left. To get away from me.”
    Frowning, I saw she really believed her words. “I doubt that, Amelia.”
    “It’s true! He’s blaming me for everything. He couldn’t wait to get away from me. I didn’t know he would be like this.”
    I knew it was me he was running from, but I didn’t think I could convince her of that. “Um, how’s Cú?” I held my breath. I had been afraid to ask about Nathan’s dog. Amelia had hurt him in her attempt to get to me, and I had basically lived in terror ever since in case he had died trying to protect me.
    Her cheeks flushed. “He’s okay. His injuries weren’t as bad as they looked, but…”
    “But what?”
    She shook her head jerkily. “He’s missing you. Like, really bad. He had that bond with you, and well, he’s pining for you now.”
    “I miss him, too,” I said wistfully, not altogether sure who I was talking about.
    Amelia’s jean pocket thrummed loudly. She automatically reached for it and paused, her fingers hovering briefly.
    “It’s okay,” I said. “Answer it.”
    She grinned, and she was a new person. All of the time I had known her, I had thought of her as happy, but there was her real smile. Everything had changed.
    “It’s probably just Connor,” she said before faltering. “I, um—”
    “I’m not that bad,” I said. “I do actually want other people to be happy, you know.”
    She squeezed her eyes shut. “Of course you do. I don’t know what it feels like for you. Did everything just stop?”
    I swallowed hard. “The curse stopped.” I watched as her eyes widened with realisation. “I thought you didn’t like Connor that much,” I added to interrupt her