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“Shit!” someone yelled from outside the tent.
I opened my eyes and looked up at Nat. He knelt above me, his dick peeking out from his pants and his head tipped to the side as he listened. A scuffle of noise came from outside the tent, then silence.
Nat lifted his finger to his lips and reached over for the gun he’d set to the side. Trembling beneath him, I wasn’t sure what to hope for. If an infected was out there, we were both as good as dead. But maybe dead wouldn’t be so bad. Another muffled sob escaped me.
The tent ripped open above Nat’s head, and he disappeared.
I scrambled to pull up my underwear and pants. When I stood in the shredded opening, I had a clear view of the balcony. All of the men who’d been eating only moments ago now lay in a pile of bodies. Bodies that still had their heads.
My wide gaze swung to the fey standing nearby. An unconscious Nat dangled from his hand, and the sight of my husband’s slack face did some crazy things to me. I wanted to crow and laugh and point, but I also wanted to beg the fey not to hurt him. Sparing Nat some pain might spare me pain.
I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
The fey’s green and yellow eyes skimmed over me as he tossed Nat to the side. I jumped slightly and started to shake.
“What do you want? Why did you hurt them?” I asked.
The fey blinked at me.
“He hurt you.”
My face heated, and I clasped my hands in front of me.
“What do you mean?”
“He hit you and you cried.” He held out his hand to me. “You don’t have to stay with them. I will take you somewhere safe.”
I couldn’t keep the surprise from my face as I stared at the fey’s large, grey hand. It took a moment for what he was saying to sink in. Leave Nat.
“He won’t let me leave.”
“He doesn’t have a choice. You do,” the fey said, his voice almost angry. “Do you want to stay with the humans, or do you want to leave?”
I stared at his grey palm, open and waiting. If I stayed, I would endure a lifetime as Nat’s punching bag and worse. Even though I’d been with him for less than a year, it already felt like I’d spent an eternity with him, and I was already so tired. Tired of the fear. Tired of the pain. Tired of the shame. Yet, I didn’t have a choice.
Lifting my gaze, I locked eyes with the fey. His green-yellow gaze held mine, so alien and closed off.
“You don’t understand. If I leave with you, he’ll follow. He’ll try to hurt you or me or whoever. He won’t let me go. Ever.”
The fey’s gaze flicked to Nat.
“He tried to hurt me last night, but it didn’t work. Trust me to keep you safe, Shelby. No one will ever hurt you again.”
I wanted that. Desperately. But I knew what accepting the offer would do. It would put the fey, Matt, and everyone in Tenacity within Nat’s crosshairs.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Turik.”
“Turik, I don’t want anyone to be hurt because of me.”
“No one will be.”
“They will,” I said, being honest. “But I want you to remember this moment. That I warned you my selfish choice would put people in danger.”
Yet, it was a choice I made regardless of the risks when I placed my hand in Turik’s, and his fingers closed around mine. I just couldn’t stay with Nat for a minute more.
“Wanting safety and kindness isn’t selfish, Shelby. Asking you to live in fear is.”
