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"No more bridges," Taj whispered. Panic struck his soul, as bright as a star.
I frowned. I was missing something.
Arkan nodded. "It's notthatbad." He finally lifted his gaze and met Taj's eyes. "I told you; I'm fine."
"You didn't havemethen," I murmured. "Whatever happened back then, I won't let it happen again."
Taj and Arkan looked at each other; Arkan nodded slightly. Giving permission for Taj to tell me what happened, I realised when he began to speak.
"We felt something off in the circle bond," Taj said, dragging a clawed hand over his head, looking exhausted. "It had been unsettled for months, but—that night was worse. We were fucking idiots for not seeing it for what it was."
"My family deserted me," Arkan said in an empty voice. Not his usual controlled ice, but the emptiness of something that hurt. A lot. "This was before Koa and Eidolon. When I was young, my family and Taj's were close friends; I grew up around Taj, Koa, and Bel, and I consider them my family, too. But—" He blew out a sigh and gave Taj an apologetic look, pale blue eyes heavy with sadness. "They wanted to make us a true, united family and join our power."
"Take some of our power for themselves more like," Taj muttered.
Ark nodded. When I ran my fingers down the back of his neck, touching him in long, soothing strokes, he gave me a soft look that stunned me. "They decided my sister Bina would marry Taj."
I blinked—and blinked again.
Marry. Taj.
"Wow," I said in the most even tone I could muster.
I made a mental note to hunt down Bina and stab her over and over until she was unrecognisable.
"And the devil said no," Ark went on. "So my family revolted, and dedicated themselves to smearing his name. They disowned me when I refused to do the same."
I was missing the connection to bridges, but I nodded encouragingly as he spoke. Something about his hesitance made me brittle and achy, protectiveness raging through my chest.
"All I had were my circle," Ark said with a ghost of a smile, "and my mum. She kept in touch even when everyone else iced me out."
Taj squeezed Arkan's shoulder harder, his knuckles pale red.
"Until she died." Ark met my worried gaze, nothing but pain in his pale blue eyes. The kind that drilled into your marrow and never left. "And I broke."
He caught my face with both his hands, leaning forward to lay a long kiss on my forehead. My breaths stuttered.
"That's why it hurts so much watching you suffer without your mates; I know how it feels and the mess it makes in here." He brushed a thumb over my head. "And here." He laid a hand over my heart. "And I hate the thought of you feeling the way I did."
Taj stiffened with a sharp breath that became a growl. "No."
"No what?" I asked, my voice rough with emotion.
"That's not—she won't—you've got us, Avie, and we've all got each other."
"Very kumbaya of you," I quipped, but my voice was wrecked.
"When I broke," Ark whispered, quieter with every word, "I lost the will to live."
I reeled back.
"No—you—" Shaking my head, I saw exactly where this was going, and sickness twisted my stomach into knots. I clutched him tighter, wrapping my soul around him in the bond.
"So I decided not to live. That night, I left my post to—to end it."
"Jesus, Ark," I gasped, and sank my fingers into his hair, gripping tight, keeping him close to me where I could protect him.
"It's okay," he soothed. "My circle found me. I have better control over it now. I'm not leaving any time soon."
