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Chapter 133
Genevieve
Iplucked at the edge of my sling as I stared at the door to Nolan’s room. He’d been moved from the ICU to a regular room after an impressive and practically miraculous turn in his healing—magic thanks to Killian. He still had a long way to go, and no one had a clue how long he’d remain in the hospital.
I swallowed hard. From the doorway, he looked awful. His skin was flushed hot with a fever, and the bandages around half his head were thick. He had bandages just about everywhere I could see. Had he ever looked so small? I couldn’t remember a time when Nolan Byrne ever looked small.
“Are you going inside?” Killian asked as he joined me. His fingers trailed down my spine and settled at the small of my back. I leaned into him for support.
“What if he hates me?” I asked, the words catching in my throat. Would he? I tried to tell myself it wasn’t my fault—that it was the hunter’s fault—but a big part of me felt guilty. Like I should’ve been able to do something.
“Look at me,” he said. I couldn’t bring myself to do so. His fingers pressed a little harder into my back. “I wasn’t asking, Genevieve. Turn around and look at me.”
Chewing my lip, I did as he asked. His expression was soft with understanding.
“Baby girl, there is no one in this world that Nolan loves as much as he loves you,” he told me. “The first thing he did when he woke up was ask if you were okay. You’re his person, Genevieve, and you have been for a long time. Oddly enough, you two remind me of Cade and Raven. Same bond, just different parameters. You two will always be tied together.”
I nodded, glancing away as tears stung my eyes. That much I knew. He took hold of my chin and guided my gaze back to his.
“And while I don’t think I need to explain it to you,” he continued, “just remember that he won’t be the same after this. The kid’s been through hell. You can’t walk through hell and come out the same. It just doesn’t work that way.”
“I know,” I whispered.
“Now, go talk to him.” With gentle hands, he turned me around. “I’ll be out here when you’re ready.”
I toyed with Nolan’s hand, tracing the long curves of his fingers. How long had I been sitting there listening to the time tick by? Long enough to know the wall clock was broken with its triple tick just before it hit twelve. Good Lord, the thing was driving me up a freaking wall. I wanted to just rip it off.
“Hi,” Nolan rasped. The sound of his voice snapped me out of my frustration. I looked up to see him watching me, drifting somewhere between awake and asleep.
“Hi,” I whispered. It was all I could get out before I started crying—the ugly, gross kind of crying. I laced my fingers through his and held on tight. I rambled, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should’ve… I should’ve done something. I should’ve—”
“Nemo,” he interrupted. The single word shut me up. “Are you okay?”
“You should be more worried about you,” I told him.
“Are you okay?” he repeated.
“I’ll be okay.”
“And the baby?” Oh, my sweet little smut-writing wolf. Nolan cared so much that it made my heart ache. “Is it okay?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. For the time being, Killian respected that I wanted to keep the twins part a secret. One baby was a lot but two? It all felt surreal—especially after Lane’s gift. I needed time to wrap my head around everything. “We’re okay.”
“That’s all that matters,” Nolan said. His eye drifted shut as he let out a heavy breath. “I don’t hate you. I wouldn’t hate you. I promise, Ginny.”
I nodded because I couldn’t speak as too many emotions overwhelmed me.
“I’d do it again,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. I lost my flimsy hold on not sobbing. “For you, I’d do it again.”
Chapter 134
Killian
Nolan was being released from the hospital in the morning. After a week, they didn’t know what to do with him. The life-pak worked wonders. Every test and every scan came back better than expected. Thank fuck his wounds were slow to heal because they probably would’ve shipped the goddamn kid off somewhere to figure out what the hell he was. Admittedly, not my best-thought-out plan, but I didn’t regret it.
I had time to kill as Gabby insisted on taking Genevieve and Raven out to dinner—girl time and all that. My wife needed it, though I wasn’t sure how long she’d last before the panic settled in. She was good with straight to the hospital and back without getting anxious. Anywhere else and she struggled. I understood the jumpiness. Being kidnapped would fuck with anyone. I just wished I could convince her it’d be okay—that I’d do whatever it took to protect her.
Which was exactly why I was outside in the dark, across the street from the restaurant she was at, smoking and stalking my wife. I needed to stop stalking my own goddamn wife. Not tonight but definitely in the future. The very distant fucking future.
