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Loric did warn me when we got here that our creatures have very different views on life and loyalty. They don't see emotional boundaries the way we do. Their needs are more primal, focused on survival and strength. In their eyes, perhaps going into heat and this entire situation makes perfect sense.
It’s just not who I am. At least, not who I want to be.
Still, I wish Hyde would talk to me, thatshewould help me understand her point of view instead of leaving me to figure shit out on my own. Her silence doesn't help quell the fear gnawing at my gut, growing stronger with every passing hour that I inch closer to having to go to sleep. And I won’t ask Loric to suffer through a night of discomfort to take my nightmares away. It’s not fair to him.
Still, it’s different now. I've tasted what it's like to have normal dreams and experienced what sleeping should be like, and I don’t want to go back to how it was. I used to stay up until I couldn’t any longer, just to avoid waking up on that stone altar the minute I closed my eyes.
The fire crackles before me, its flames licking the logs, casting a warm, comforting glow. Its heat wraps around me, warding off the chill of the cavern. I’m still not sure how it doesn’t destroy the wood logs, but I don’t think there would be much benefit in asking either.
Shortly after visiting me, Loric and the others left the cave. They were vague on the details about where they were going, but he promised to be back before I went to bed, leaving me in Brenn and Mira’s hands. I can’t say being watched by the man who tried to kill me puts my mind at ease, but I don’t think Loric would’ve left me here if he wasn’t certain Brenn would keep me safe.
They might’ve been the only two willing participants to stay with me, seeing as I’m a walking sex beacon to everyone else, except Vik, but judging by the sounds I heard earlier, she’s suffering in other ways… Though, it didn’t sound like she was suffering. Still I’d decided to take advantage of the empty cavern to venture out of my room. The quiet, empty cavern gave me time to finish the drawing I was working on, and since, I’ve been sitting by the firepit, basking in the warmth.
Brenn approaches with his usual lack of subtlety, though I pretend to not see him. For someone so sure of himself, there's a hesitant shift in his stride as he stops at the edge of the firelight, where the glow battles with the shadows on his face. “You seem in your head more than usual.”
I can't help the sarcastic twist of my lips. "What gave it away?"
He leans casually against the stone wall, his silhouette illuminated by the crystals peeking out through the rocky surface. "For starters, you've been fixated on those flames for the better part of five minutes. You hardly noticed me until I moved closer. So, you’re either blind, or not paying attention."
I meet his violet eyes, they nearly blend into the crystals. “Is this the part where you say being oblivious is going to get me killed?”
“No, it’s the part where I wonder why a girl locked in a dungeon her entire life isn’t more curious about the people and the world around her. You’d rather stare at flames, which I’m fairly certain you’ve seen dozens of times before.”
“Curiosity gets people killed,” I say, remembering how I followed him into the woods. I’d wondered what was happening, I wanted to know, but I was also scared to stay in the clearing on my own.
Brenn’s face falls.
"Sorry," I say, though I'm not really. It's more an automatic response, a social nicety.
"I wouldn't blame you if you chose to ignore me," he offers, his voice quieter now, stripped of its usual mocking tone.
"And I wouldn't blame you for wanting to keep your distance," I retort, my gaze drifting back to the fire, watching the flames dance. "Seems like nobody else can stand to be near me right now."
He shifts. "That's not entirely true. Loric can. Besides, it's not your fault. It happens, and one of the many perks of being mated is that neither me or Mira have to deal with the heat nonsense. Though, it’s pretty entertaining to watch the others squirm."
I tilt my head. "It doesn't bother you?"
“Not in the slightest.”
Silence stretches between us, filled only by the crackling of the fire and the distant sound of water dripping somewhere in the cavern. Then, Brenn speaks again, his tone unexpectedly earnest. "I wanted to apologize... I shouldn't have pushed you."
I sit back, eyebrows drawing together. "What made you change your mind?"
He runs a hand through his blond hair. "Honestly? I wasn't sure about you at first. I thought you might be a spy sent by the king, especially with the ships we saw on the way to get you. They were attaching dragon harnesses to the decks. It was hard not to think we were walking into a trap since the king believes all the dragons are gone."
"The king didn't even know I was leaving.”
"Yeah, well, people lie," he says, coming to take a seat across from me. "It's my gift, seeing people's auras. But yours... I couldn't see it at first. I've never encountered anyone whose aura was completely hidden, like it was masked by magic somehow. Between that and the ships, and how Loric reacted to you, I thought for sure the king was trying something. I've known Loric for years, and he's never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. I didn’t know what to think."
I look into the fire, letting his words sink in.Why does he see things differently now?"So your solution was to kill me?"
Brenn exhales, then presses his lips together. "I just wanted to keep my friends safe, but it was wrong.” He glances away for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "I can see your aura now. It started to show after you shifted in the woods. It's clear you don't intend to harm any of us, and that’s proof enough for me. Plus, Loric... he's different with you around."
That day, in the clearing, he didn’t talk about hisfriends, he said he wanted to protect Loric, specifically. He merely mentioned being worried about Mira. I drag my teeth over my lips. “You must really care about Loric if you’re willing to commit murder for him.”
“All of us would. Not just me. He’s the reason we’re still alive.”
I twist in my seat just in time to see him take a sip of his drink. “He is?”
