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I wrap my arms around myself and wiggle deeper into the plush couch.
Snap.
My head shoots up, surprised by the noise. “What the heck, Ren?”
In his hands are the remnants of one entire half of the shelf from across the room. He rubs a sizeable chunk between his fingers, splintering the wood further. “You want fire, no? Then we should make use of this starter.” By the time he squats in the middle of the living room floor, the plank in his hand has turned to sawdust. He drops it on the bare hardwood, positioning it into a thick pile.
“You can’t start a fire on the floor! And youshouldn’tdestroy relics.”
His gaze lifts. “It’s not being used anymore. Besides, hunting for wood outside means I have to leave your sight.” A fang glints as he half-smiles. “And I don’t want to do that.”
Whatever.I sigh, pushing myself up so I’m sitting upright. I wrap my arms around my fabric draped knees while I watch him work.
My stomach grumbles, and even though the sound of it is nearly inaudible, Ren’s shining gaze snaps toward me.
I’ll not have him running around the house tending to me like a servant. “Finish the fire first. I’ll check the kitchen for canned goods when you’re done.”
My statement is enough to satisfy him for now. He works carefully to grind one plank down with his fingers, forming it into a rounded stick. His blonde hair drapes over one cheek as he works, and he swipes it away without pausing his woodcarving. Every few seconds his nostrils flare. I’m not sure if his breathing is heavier, or if he’s smelling me in the air.
I wonder what I smell like to him. Like sweat and grass stains? Or sweet, like honey?
“What are you thinking about?” He asks, not bothering to look up.
I shrug, placing my chin on my knees as I watch him. “I’m thinking of you. Who you are, your past.. I’m wondering when you’ll feel comfortable telling me the thing you fear.”
His hands freeze, momentarily locked. He recovers quickly, face unreadable. “I told you about our mate bond.”
I giggle. “Silly boy. That isn’t what you’ve been avoiding. It’s somethingdarker.”Something he’s ashamed of.I know this much by the way he reacts each time it enters his thoughts.
The stick he’s worked so hard on carving snaps in his fist. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“But,” I begin, careful with my words. “Youshould, Ren. Healing begins with accepting the thing that haunts you.”
The shielded mask drops from his face, revealing a deep-seated pain in his eyes. “I wasn’t myself,” he whispers.
His heartache affects me more than I expected. I’m used to hearing the prayers of others, and most humans pray when they need saving. But Ren? Ren’s hurt is personal.
I slide onto the ground, scooting across the hardwood floor until I’m beside him. “I know.” I place my hand on his thigh. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
He shakes his head, his mouth pressed into a tight line. “You don’t understand, Thea. Iwasn’t myself.” He leans closer, facing me until our eyes lock. The panic is back, this time stronger than it was yesterday. “I wasn’t myself because I was one of the maddened. The bloodthirsty family you eliminated this morning? We were the same only a week ago.”
I’m stunned into silence, not understanding anything about what he’s just said. “But that’s impossible. You aren’t sick at all.” As if to assure myself, I do a quick scan of his features. His eyes aren’t filled with blood. His darkness level is no higher than any regular being.
His face bleaches white, all emotion draining. “I’m not sickanymore.”
My lungs work harder, causing my breaths to sound wheezy. “But- but… How?” My brows knit together.
It simply doesn’t make sense. The invaders can’t be cured.They can’t.
Ren reaches toward me, his thumb stroking over my cheek. His touch grounds me. Even when he’s the one who needs to be soothed, he thinks of me first. I suck in a breath, forcing myself to collect my thoughts.
“I told you of our myths. Our dark Queen, the Novian leader. She’s here, on Earth. Her abilities are like yours, but she was able to leech me of my darkness until I was mostly myself again.” He closes his eyes. “I can still remember what I did.”
“What did you do?” My voice is a whisper.
His gaze is darker when he opens his eyes again. “Killed people. Ate them. Hunted them.Hurt them.”
Every statement spoken is true, but I suppose I expected it. He was only a drop in the ocean of death that met the human population. But now he is saved. He’slucky.Blessed to have overcome the plague that affected his people.
