There was no hint of blood in the air, and the only fear was mine, as we slowed our approach, swinging open the door without concern for what lay on the other side. I scanned the scene before me with wide eyes as Jasper and Elios laughed. Their voices echoed off the worn flooring as we took in the gaggle of limbs sprawled below.
Anya and Calia clung to one another, tears flowing freely down their faces as Rowena, Brielle, and Sloane stood by and watched from a healthy distance. Joining the fray were three dogs the size of miniature ponies, their happy tongues lolling out from the side of their massive jowls.
They turned toward the door on alert, prowling in front of the ladies with laid-back ears and a growl that rattled the walls.Their coal-black eyes bore into us, assessing the threat as though they could truly keep me from her if she were in harm’s way.
Calia and Anya pulled apart, laughing as they ran their fingers along the raised hackles of the beasts standing proud. “Calm down, babies,” they both crooned in soft, lilting voices. “It’s just those pesky men.”
Elios and Jasper laughed, but my heart would not rest. I fought against the urge to run to my wife, to take her in my arms and breathe in that minty scent that could only belong to her. I wanted to run my lips across her skin and kiss every inch, knowing she was safe and unharmed here in our home—or close enough.
But I could not do any of that.
Anya pushed to her feet, surging toward me so fast it caught me off guard. My back stood flush against the door, the doorknob digging painfully into my spine. I winced. “How long have you known?” she hissed, jabbing a finger into my chest.
“Anya,” Calia warned, but Anya paid no heed.
“You fed me the bullshit about her being dead—let the council’s excuse fall from your lips like honey, but you knew, and you didn’t tell me! She was my friend!”
Her voice broke on the last word, a fragmented truth that she did not want to escape. I hated it, hated the fact I had almost cost her someone we both loved beyond reason. And though I had not known Calia was still alive, I would not do anything to stop Anya from taking out her anger and frustration on me. If this was the outlet she needed, so be it. I would take everything she had to give in repentance for the way I had treated her, even if she deserved much more than this.
“Anya!” Calia stormed over and gripped her friend’s arm, yanking her back. Anya stood, staring between us as Calia released her grip. “He didn’t know, okay? No one did. I had to keep it secret, and?—”
Calia sensed the shift in her friend’s demeanor the moment Anya’s face fell. This was more than a careless secret one may hold tight to their chest; this was something that had dramatically altered Anya’s life and the lives of everyone Calia touched. Had she thought herself dispensable? That she would not be missed? The thought sent a fresh wave of frustration through me.
I had seen it in her mind before, her willingness to think herself inconsequential. I was not sure how to even begin mending the damage left behind by years of past trauma, especially not when I was unable to repair my own. But surely, she must know how wrong she was?
She was the heart of this place, the single person who breathed life into each of us in a way that could not be forgotten or overcome.
Before Calia could assuage the hurt, Jasper cut in and drew the rising tension his way. “Not that we aren’t eternally thankful no one was harmed,” he said, widening his stance. “But why thefuckdid someone scream as though they were being dragged into the woods and eaten?”
Rowena stepped up, placing her hands around Anya’s shoulders and giving her a comforting squeeze. “We all may have gotten a little bit too excited,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Oops.”
“Oops?” Jasper echoed, eyes narrowing.
“Yes,” Sloane said, stepping up. “Did she stutter?”
Calia watched the three of them with brief amusement, her eyes flitting back and forth as they continued their volley. But that faint flicker of joy faded, and I watched as something sharp and cold wormed its way in. She drew tightly into herself, like a creature burrowing into its shell for safety.
I wanted to be that for her—a haven she could run to, where I could whisper gentle comforts against her ear and feel that softbreath of relief against my heated skin as the tension in her body unfurled.
As though she felt my stare, she looked up. Her bright green eyes were lined with silver, aching with the familiar desire I had felt from her not long ago. My hand twitched at my side as I warred with myself about whether to act on my urges or stay rooted to the spot.
I was weak when I took my first step toward her. As my foot rose for the second, she annihilated my hope, breaking our contact and forcing a tight smile. “Now that you know everything is safe here, care to leave us alone?” She glanced at Anya. “I think there are some things I need to explain.”
Her words should not have affected me the way they did, but seeing her willingness to give answers to anyone other than me was like salt in a gaping wound.
“Of course. Take your time,” Elios said, stepping out the door. “Your uncle is bound to the manor until dawn, regardless.” He waved at the ladies with an elegant flourish, tucking his hands in his pockets and humming a tune as he headed toward the house.
Jasper clapped me on the back, guiding me from the house without so much as a glance. I let him move me, if only because I did not know if I was capable of moving myself.
“It’ll get better, brother,” he said quietly, ensuring the door was firmly closed before he spoke. “Things are strange right now, but give it some time.”
I did not have the heart to tell him I was unsure how long I could wait.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Calia, Rowena, Sloane, and Brielle stayed with Anya for the remainder of the evening while Castor paced the kitchen with Ballard. Elios was the only one interested in further conversation, asking me to accompany him to the family library as he browsed our extensive collection.
“You are most welcome to stay the night,” I said as I followed him inside. “Or however long you need,” I added, hoping that if he stayed, the others would as well. Elios smiled. “I had wanted to talk to you about that. It would be in everyone’s best interest if we were to reside here for now.” He turned around and waved his hand in the air. “Safety in numbers and all that.”
