AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We will clean when we return,” he said.
“Okay.”
The moment the word was out of my mouth, I was up in Turik’s arms.
“I don’t have my shoes on yet.”
He paused. Instead of releasing me, his hold fractionally tightened as he glanced toward the entry where my shoes waited. I could almost read the debate going on in his head by the subtle changes in his expression.
“You’re considering not letting me down, aren’t you?” I asked.
Turik’s gaze locked with mine.
“I will never want to let you go. But I won’t place my wants before yours again. Would you like me to put you down?”
“Please. I want to walk on my own as much as possible. And I appreciate your honesty. Thank you for that.”
The disappointment in his eyes sent a blade of guilt through me. But I didn’t take my words back or linger at his side once I gained my footing. I’d been clear. I wasn’t in Tolerance to hook up with a fey no matter how badly Turik might want that.
It didn’t matter that I knew he would never treat me like Nat had. I needed time to shake off the remnants of that life. And probably even more time to make sure that Nat wouldn’t track me down and hurt the people close to me. Turik was already growing on me, and I didn’t want anything to happen to him. Vorx either, despite his blatant disregard for personal boundaries.
When we finally emerged from the house, the cloud of my exhale swirled in the crisp predawn air. I didn’t mind the cold and inhaled deeply, breathing in the new day.
Shaking away thoughts of Nat and the rough start to the morning, I focused on the homes around us, committing the details to memory. Homes loosely clustered together. Modest yards large enough to support gardens come spring. Houses still small enough to heat with wood stoves and solar panels.
“Good morning!” Ryan called when we neared the wall.
There was another woman with him, and I gave a tentative smile in greeting.
“This is Eden. She volunteered to take another group of fey to check out a few of the areas we circled.”
I said a quiet hello and accepted the map that Ryan handed me.
“I divided up the locations between the three of us. Check what you can, but watch your time. If we’re not back before dark, Mya will send out fey search parties and no one wants that.”
“If you see any humans out there, don’t assume they’re friendly,” Eden added. “Don’t approach them. Just note the location, and Matt or Ryan can go and check it out.”
“Steer clear of the exiles, too,” I said. “They were holed up in an apartment building close to Tenacity.”
“No, they are gone from there,” Vorx said.
Dread filled my stomach, and I slowly turned my head to look at him.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“They packed their things and left. All the tents and supplies are gone.”
“How do you know?”
“I looked for them last night,” Vorx said.
Fear clawed at my insides, making my hands tremble. I pushed it down and fisted my fingers. It didn’t matter. Eden’s shrewd gaze caught it all.
“Your ex can’t get to you here or out there with the fey. You’re safe. Trust me. Trust them.” Her gaze shifted to Turik, who stood behind me.
As if he was waiting for that signal, he wrapped his arms around me and tugged my back against his chest. Maybe it was because he’d held me all night or simply the knowledge that he would do whatever he could to keep me safe, but I melted into his hold and breathed a little easier as his presence chased away some of the fear and tension.
“I might be safe enough, but what about everyone else? Nat doesn’t care who he hurts. He’s already shown that. Don’t underestimate him.”
