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His expression is so earnest, I know my answer will make a huge difference. If I say no, it’ll hurt him, but he also won’t push, allowing me to have the space I need. If I say yes . . .
“Of course I trust you,” I tell him with a smile. “Why?”
“I need you to cling to my back while I climb,” he says hesitantly. “But if it makes you uncomfortable . . .”
Heights. I haven’t been so high since the castle. My heart kicks in my chest, and I stare up at the tree. The top of it disappears into the rest of the trees, telling me it’s much taller than the others. I should have been able to guess that considering how much larger the trunk is, but it still doesn’t hit me until I stare at it.
“I . . . ,” I trail off.
“We can go somewhere else,” Weyland offers. “We don’t have to—”
“I want to,” I interrupt. “I do. Just . . . May I have a minute to gather my courage?”
“Of course,bacca,” he murmurs, coming close to wrap his arms around me. The heat of his embrace relaxes me, hisfamiliar scent holding me prisoner. “Take as long as you need, and if you decide we should go somewhere else, then we’ll go. It’s okay.”
His warm hug immediately makes me feel better, but I still take a few minutes to breathe deeply and remind myself that Weyland will never let me fall. I once wanted to fall and now I’m scared to. How interesting. My mindset has changed so much these last few months, and it’s all because of my monsters.
“Okay, I’m ready,” I whisper, leaning back to look up into his face. “Would it be better if I climb myself?”
There’s no way I can scale that trunk, but I would try if Weyland preferred me to.
He laughs. “No. When I lean down, wrap your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist.” When he bends, I move forward to do as he says. I am careful not to choke him with my arms before I lift one leg and then the other. His hands grasp my thighs to make sure I’m on before he stands to his full height. My breath rushes out of me. I haven’t had a piggyback ride since Cora gave me one when we were children. “Hold on,bacca. I’m going to scale the tree, but I won’t let you fall.” When I nod, he moves to the base of the tree and looks up. “Here we go.”
I stop breathing when he holds out his hands, now tipped with claws, and digs them into the bark. He tests his hold, making sure his claws are embedded deep enough before he starts to climb. The ground quickly grows farther away, and it takes everything in me not to look down. My stomach drops at the feeling of being so high and the memory of what it felt like to fall down such a distance. I don’t remember much of the impact, but I remember the fall. I remember looking up to see Cora screaming after me. I remember her horror.
I shove the memories away and focus on Weyland’s movements. I can feel his muscles flex and relax between my thighs and I become consumed with that. Watching him scalethe tree without much of a struggle is sexier than I expect, so by the time we reach the top, I’m wholly focused on him. Each movement and every sound goes right to my core, creating a welcome distraction from the sheer height we’re at.
Weyland finds a branch that’s above the other trees but is so large, it’ll be easy to sit and stand on.
“You can let go now,bacca,” he instructs.
“Are you sure?” I ask, biting my lip. My arms and legs are still locked around him, and fear makes my words breathy.
“I would never let you fall, Kai,” he assures me. “I’ve got you.”
Taking a deep breath, I slowly unlock my legs and let them slide down. His hands remain on my thighs, making sure I’m steady before I loosen my fingers. He ducks and spins, putting me in front of him before I can release him completely.
“That’s it,” he murmurs. “I’ve got you.”
His attentiveness has me sucking in air—not out of fear but arousal. It’s been so long since my body has reacted as it should. It takes me a few seconds to gather my senses enough to meet his gaze. When I do, those brilliant eyes flash as if he knows. When his fingers clench on my side where he steadies me, I realize he probably does.
Kaito’s words come back to me in this moment, and I flush bright red at the realization. Lycans have a great sense of smell.
“Oh, um . . . ,” I start, but Weyland, ever the gentleman, gently guides me back toward the trunk where the branch is the widest.
“Do not be embarrassed,bacca,” he murmurs. “Your scent is intoxicating.”
If it’s possible to flush brighter than I already am, I do. His voice has dropped an octave and there’s a huskiness to it that wasn’t there before, but he doesn’t push. Instead, he settles down on the large branch, sitting with his back against the trunk so that he looks out over the land. When he offers me his hand, Iimmediately take it and kneel, settling between his legs. It makes me feel safer to be caged in by him, and I lean back against his chest, sighing at the feeling of safety I’ve only felt with my monsters.
The land is dark right now but dawn is close. I can feel it in the air, this proverbial holding of breath around us. It’s as if the forest itself waits anxiously for the sun to rise. In the Dead Lands, it’s muted, but as it crests the horizon, I realize it’s not so muted now that the wall has come down. Usually, we’re beneath the trees where the sunlight is filtered. Here, though, so high in the sky, it’s far less muted. It touches the Dead Lands first, chasing away the darkness that makes it scary. As it spreads, I realize this particular tree has a view of every land. The Shadow Lands light up second, revealing the place I grew up in, and when the Gilded Lands light up and the castle comes into view, there’s a pang in my chest but the fear is gone. The king is dead. Although he still lives in my nightmares and his scars still stain my skin, he can’t hurt me again. Cora made sure of that, and now my monsters chase away my nightmares.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, taking it all in. “Three worlds no longer separated.”
Weyland nods. “There are those who prefer it how it was, but I, for one, am thankful the wall came down. Had it not, I never would have found you,” he says against my ear. “You gave me a reason to fight, Kai, and for that, I will always be grateful.”
“You did the same for me,” I tell him. “All four of you. I’m . . . I feel stronger now. I’m not completely healed, but I’m getting there because of you, Kaito, Rook, and Dade.”
His arms tighten around me, holding me close. “We only wish to see you happy,bacca.”
