Ellie opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She felt pressure on her stomach. She raised her head, and looked down to see Blaze. He was resting his head across her belly, his left paw dropped across her as if he was protecting her. She laid her head back down, and sighed as she remembered the night before. Eric and everyone else had been lying to her.
"Ellie." Rue said through their mind link. "You have to remember, everyone was just doing what they thought was right for you. They were trying to help you heal and protect you."
Ellie shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. "They could have told me. I could have handled it."
"No you couldn't have. I might have been blocked from you, but I could still feel everything you were going through."
"You don’t understand! I
