AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That was a lot more understanding than I’d come to expect from my gargoyle. He could be so possessive of Nica, at least when it came to anyone but me. In fact, I distinctly remember him yanking Nica out of Braz’s arms back at House Natas when all they’d been doing was hugging. And there had been definite glaring happening, too.
“Stop worrying your pretty little head. Let them have this moment tonight to reconnect. Nica will be back shortly. Go back to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.”
I nodded in agreement, then pulled Wey’s arm even tighter around me, holding his hand, lacing our fingers, and pressing them to my chest. After one last look at the tiger and half-orc, I closed my eyes.
But after a few seconds, I whispered, “Please don’t leave without waking me.” It wasn’t fair of me to ask. Not after what I’d done. After leaving Nica unconscious and sneaking away from Weylyn while he was busy.
Wey must’ve been thinking the same as me because he tensed and didn’t respond for a long time. It went on so long that I didn’t think he’d respond at all. But finally, he whispered, “I won’t.” And after a brief hesitation, he added, “You won’t, either.”
It was more of a demand than a request, but I still nodded. “I promise.”
I opened my eyes again and found Nica still curled up on Braz’s lap, but the half-orc was staring straight at me. When he caught my gaze, he sent me a wink and a small smile before turning his attention back to Nica and murmuring something to him.
Even though I wanted nothing more than to be the one to comfort Nica, I knew Braz was up for the job. He was a good guy, a good friend, and I knew he would protect Nica as fiercely as he protected Florin and me—our bodies and our hearts.
So with that thought in mind, I closed my eyes, and pressed back into Wey’s warmth, doing my best to fall back asleep.
Goddess, please let Nica—and Wey—forgive me. Please let me prove to them that they can trust me, that I’ll never leave them ever again.
* * *
It had beentwo days since Braz, Florin, and I had come back, and to say things were tense was an understatement. The entire camp was preparing for the fight of their lives, yet Nica kept leaving our tent, going for runs through the forest, or even to the training yard without any of our family. Wey had gone running with him twice, and Braz went once, but when I’d asked about going, I’d been blown off. Clearly my tiger was leaving to get away from me.
And I got it. I understood, I really did. He was trying not to let his anger at me—and Florin—come out in mean spats. I appreciated the fact that he didn’t want to yell at me again, but sometimes, I kind of wished he would.
Walking around on eggshells in my own home—or tent, in this case—was no way to live. It wasn’t fair to him, it wasn’t fair to me, and it certainly wasn’t fair to anyone else. The next time he announced a run, I decided I’d confront him. So when he let our family know he was going for a run, I stood up and followed him out of the tent.
“I’m coming with you, Nica.”
He froze and turned, meeting my eyes for only a second before glancing at the ground. But it only took a moment for me to see the pain in his gaze. “I need to be alone.”
A vice constricted so tight in my chest I was surprised my heart didn’t explode right there. My poor tiger was so sad, wrecked in a way I’d never seen him, and it was all my fault.
“Please, Nica. I need you to talk to me.”
“Yeah? Theon needs something, so I guess that means everyone else has to abide by it.”
I winced.
“Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean that. Please ignore me.”
I stepped closer to him, hoping and failing to catch his gaze. “I don’t want to ignore you. I want you to talk to me. If you need to yell at me, do it. Get it out of your system so we can figure this out together. Please stop running away from me.”
“I’m not the one who ran away, Theon!” he yelled, waving his arms and finally meeting my gaze, the ache easy to read in his pretty green orbs.
“I know, and you have no idea how sorry I am. I’d be angry, too, if I was you.”
The pain seemed to deepen as he stared at me. “I’m not angry, Theon. I’m hurt, okay? So please, just go back inside.”
I stared at him, my jaw clenching in frustration. “I want to come with you.”
He shrugged. “I need to go for a runalone.”
“I can’t fix anything if you’re never around.”
He didn’t respond to that.
Not knowing what else to say, do, or how to feel, I asked, “Do you want to hurt me back? Is that it?”
