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Clevv was willing to hurt women, so he would most-likely die.
I was okay with that.
Hence my patience as I sat down next to Mare, eating.
She looked just as exhausted as I felt.
“You should get some sleep,” I murmured to her.
“I can’t,” she admitted, then bit her lip.
I waited.
She remained silent, but her expression grew sort of haunted. Eventually, she whispered, “He attacked me. Clevv. I thought we were safe here, but we’re not. Ana was right.”
Though I was out of practice when it came to talking to people—and relating with them especially—my mom had always taken my hand or pulled me in for a hug when I was struggling with something.
I wrapped my arm around Mare’s back, pulling her closer. Her arm wrapped around mine too, and we scooted closer together until we were sort of snuggling.
“This was my fault,” I admitted softly. “He thought I was his because I kissed him. The rest of the pack thought Priel was forcing me to be with him because he got possessive after I kissed Clevv, so they thought they were doing the right thing. There are no excuses for Clevv; he lost his mind. But he didn’t lose it without cause. I should’ve made sure he knew that I didn’t like it when he touched me, and that I was choosing to stay with Priel.”
“But shit like this wouldn’t happen with the unseelie.” Mare’s eyes were unfocused. “The rules and the coldness… it’s a protection.”
“I’m sure it can be. But distancing yourself from everyone the way that they do only causes pain. I think I know that better than anyone,” I said quietly.
She looked over at me, her eyes a little watery. “No one ever physically hurt me on Earth.”
“Then you should count yourself lucky.” I gave her a tiny smile, turning to look out in front of me.
Priel was still pacing, but when I caught a glimpse of the side of his face, I realized he was listening to our conversation.
Ervo probably was too, I thought, as I glanced over at him. He sat sprawled across the ground, his gaze focused intensely on Mare.
The way he looked at her was almost enough to givemethe tingles.
There was shuffling and growling off to our left, and when Mare and I looked over, we found Priel and Ervo standing between us and the group of hellhounds that Priel used to consider his pack.
“Any closer to her and you forfeit your lives.” Ervo’s calm threat didn’t scare me, but I also didn’t doubt for a second that he would follow through with it.
“She deserves an apology,” one of the fae growled back. “And a knife in her hand.”
A knife?
In her hand?
I looked at Mare, but she looked just as lost as me.
“We should’ve stopped Clevv,” another of the hellhounds said to Ervo gravely. “We were taken by surprise when he acted the way he did, and didn’t respond correctly. Your female deserves to end us herself.”
Mare’s eyes flooded with horror.
I knew her well enough to be sure that she wasn’t going to kill anyone.
“She does,” Ervo agreed.
All of the men looked at us.
Mare’s face went ashy, and she gripped my arm tightly.
