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Eon sounded like a monster.
“No! No, please!” I urged in a trembling tone, breathing heavily, black dots dancing within my sight. At first, it was an itch in my palms, then it was a searing sense of my flesh unfolding and curling back. “He’s with me, please.”
Beyond the suffocating stench of smoke and burning flesh, a metallic, coppery scent stained the air.
Eon stiffened, snapping his gaze down towards me. The red in his widened eyes vanished abruptly, fading to give way to red irises and a clear canvas of surrounding white. The sharp cruelty of his expression softened as his hands carefully held mine and inspected them. When he saw the open wounds and leaking blood, he shook his head slowly. His heartbeat vibrated in my ears, a frantic rhythm that was not like his usual calmness.
His face crumbled into a look of unfiltered despair, his bigger handsshakingslightly as he murmured, “No… no, sorry, sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
Despite the tears streaking down my cheeks and the tremble in my lower jaw, a soft smile danced on my lips. Something in me hummed and wanted to curl protectively around this predatory creature who acted like a child that had damaged something valuable.
“I’m fine. It’s all fine,” I murmured despite the violent trembling of my scorched hands.
“Liar.” His choked voice wavered, sounding like he was close to tears as he refused to meet my eyes. “Liar. Your hands… You’re injured. I hurt you. I—”
I moved closer and angled my face to peer up at him. His eyes hesitantly met mine, and I smiled wider. “I promise. It’s all right.”
He made a small, muted sound, something close to a whine, as his gaze took in my injured palms again. He lifted them while lowering his head, his lips parting as his hot tongue gently ran over my open wounds. I flinched, instinctively exposing my fangs as a small noise of pain escaped me.
His lips quivered behind my hands, numbing heat emanating from his tongue as it cleaned away my blood and sealed my wounds shut. Once my palms were healed—looking as if they hadn’t messed with fire—he held them gently between his huge hands, caressing my tingling skin with his lips.
His head remained lowered, but because he was much larger and taller than me, I still saw his face. He peeked at me from under his long, pretty lashes, murmuring behind my palms, “Better?”
Biting the insides of my cheeks stopped my smile from growing into something ridiculous, and the sting helped to centre me.
For once, I could clearly see pain, fear, and sadness in his eyes, his actions no longer playful or Spider-like. No, he was so scared, and it was so endearing because this predator was like that because of me.Forme.Withme.
I had the power to make this Spider tremble with tears glistening in his eyes.
Grinning with giddy pride, I stepped closer to him and whispered, “So much better.”
Eon smiled, small and hesitant and unsure, but it still warmed my chest and made me step closer to him, seeking his warmth and proximity and just him.
His eyes flickered over my head. The warmth in his gaze chilled. His features darkened, huge arms carefully pressing me to his warming body. The temperature wasn’t scalding like it had been earlier, but I knew it wouldn’t take long to agitate him to that point again.
He glared at Ayen with a look that promised death, one that made me shudder deep to my bones.
Under Eon’s distress, I’d forgotten he was even there. That he’d followed me. Caught me doing something I shouldn’t. Being somewhere I shouldn’t.
Ayen’s posture became rigid as he exposed his small fangs. He took a step closer, stopping only when Eon made a deep sound of warning, his fangs also bared, glinting as they slowly lengthened.
My fists clenched over his abdomen.
Eon was acting on his instincts, feeling threatened by the intruder who stepped into his territory without permission. Save for that first accidental time, Eon allowed me on his land, wanted me here with him. I couldn’t comprehendhowhe could disregard one part of his inborn tendencies; killing someone who had trespassed on his land was within his rights as a Spider. Everyone knew that.
“This is what you do?” Ayen said, pointing at Eon. Eon’s arms tightened around me, bringing me closer to him. “You betray your people—your family—forthis?”
“Thisis aperson,and thispersonsuffered just as much as we have,” I defended, pushing myself out of Eon’s arms, glad that he didn’t stop me. I frowned at Ayen, hands clenched beside me. “Just as much asIhave.”
“Why are you standing by him?” Ayen’s features darkened, his voice rising as he narrowed his green eyes at me. “Are you forgetting what his kind did to us—toyou?!”
Eon made a low, rumbling sound behind me. I turned to see him tensing with his body tipped forward in preparation, his stance one of a predator ready to end its target.
Facing Ayen again, I exposed my fangs and gave him a dark look.
“You need to leave,” I told him tightly, and when I saw that he wouldn’t listen to me, I threw my arm towards the waterfall’s pool and made a whirling strand of water rise quickly. That had his attention, but it pained me to see the look of betrayal on his face. My resolve nearly weakened, but it had to be done. “Now.”
“You’re raising your weapon against me?” he whispered, anger thawing to something that made shame and torment beat inside me. “Against a brother?”
