Chapter 22
Rowan
With her shoulder under my hand, my magic finally shut up. I wanted to keep my distance, but it didn’t matter how far I ran; she lived in my chest now. Feeling her fear as she backed away from two strange men made my hackles rise.
Unfortunately, my sudden appearance didn’t calm her and she pulled out of my grip.
“They’re not bothering me,” she lied.
I didn’t understand why she lied, but I wouldn’t call her on it.
“Then we’ll leave them here,” I said, memorizing their faces. I wanted to tack on a threat, something to scare them into never bothering her again, but I’d already damaged this woman I’d tethered to me enough. I needed to keep her safe. The rest could wait.
“Cayden’s going to hurt you, Quinn.” The teenager of the two stepped forward.
Quinn stepped back. Her shoulder blades jabbed into my stomach. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to bring my arm around her and pull her close.
The kid stilled; his intense gaze flicked to me before landing back on Quinn. “I want you to be happy.”
Quinn shuddered against me, her emotions twisting unhappily. “This is not how you show it, Brody.”
Brody. Dressed in a uniform from Hope’s department. I wouldn’t forget.
Before either new trainee could add more, I stepped around Quinn, blocking their view of her, and physically herded her toward the coliseum. She moved one step at a time, her emotions churning with her thoughts.
We didn’t make it far before Seth bolted, but Brody didn’t move. He kept watching us walk, as if I were escorting Quinn to her funeral. Creepy as hell.
It wasn’t until we rounded a bend and his gaze vanished that I was able to relax. The emotions from Quinn’s tether eased, and her stomach growled. Her hunger echoed through her tether.
I suddenly had to feed her. “We can’t train if you have an empty stomach.”
Quinn pursed her lips. “I don’t have any food on me. Let’s get started.”
I shook my head. “We’ll grab sandwiches from Wicked Wich.”
Quinn shook her head and walked faster toward the coliseum.
“Then the Happy Rooster.” I kept pace with her.
“Isn’t it your job to train me?” Quinn side-eyed me. “Not force me to eat.”
I reached out, grabbing her shoulder again to stop her in her tracks. “Do I need to force you to eat?” Her training uniform hung off her frame. Despite being here for a full week, if she’d put on a single pound, I’d be in shock.
“That’s not what I meant.” Quinn put her hands on her hips. “No, I love to eat. Before all of this, I was a very happy size six to ten, depending on the brand.”
I grunted. Having no concept of what she said, though, she grinned as if it were amusing.
“Are you going to let go of my shoulder?” she asked, a lick of fear coloring her emotions.
I released her like she’d burned me. “Sorry. Still wrapping my head around it.”
She peered at me. “You thought I was a boy, too?”
I ran my hand through my hair. “So did Angela.”
“Ah, right, I forgot about your um, suitress.” Quinn reached out and squeezed my forearm. “Lady Moore seems like a bitch.”
A laugh tore out of me at the truth in her words, which turned into more laughs and bitter tears. Which I prayed Quinn credited to my laughter. She didn’t. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around my waist.
I froze at the intimate gesture from a woman who was somehow a stranger, yet felt like an old friend. Open, innocent support radiated from her tether, and I let myself sink into it. For a brief moment, I wasn’t fighting or planning. I just existed.
Quinn’s stomach growled.
“Enough of that. Food now.” I composed myself.
Quinn started walking toward the coliseum again. “I love your eyes. They’re like the Witcher’s, but deeper and swirl with silver and shades of white.”
My heart sped up. She liked my eyes. I followed her with my usual tongue in knots before either of us said more; her stomach growled, a long one that rose in volume at the end.
I stopped again. “Nice distraction. It would have worked if you weren’t starving.”
“I’m not starving.”
She lied again. I could feel the pit in her stomach through the tether.
She put her hand on her hips. “Besides, Ezra wanted us to be friends. Which means I don’t want to be your friend.”
My eyebrow twitched. She’s said almost exactly this before, and she wasn’t wrong. Anyone could be training her in combat, but Ezra assigned the task to me because I tethered her. Did she know that? “He does, but I don’t understand why that bothers you.”
Quinn pursed her lips. “It’s complicated.”
What was my commander doing? At least he hadn’t clued her into the tether. I would free both of us before the bond changed our futures.
“Look, here’s the deal.” I rubbed my shoulder. “I can’t force you to eat, but I’m going to Wicked Wich and getting food, a lot of it.” I got us moving in the direction I wanted. “Now, my not friend, you can either watch me eat until I’m sick, or you can save me from myself.”
Quinn pursed her lips. “I can’t pay you back. I don’t have a dime to my name.”
“What’s a dime… no. I don’t care. I got the point.” I frowned. “I’m in a contract with a Moore. The food’s on Angela. Call it reparations for your start here.”
Quinn bit her lower lip. The pit in her stomach gnawed on her.
“Angela doesn’t want me to be your friend,” I added. “If we are caring more about what others want than what we want… then Ezra and Angela can cancel each other out, right?”
Quinn blinked repeatedly. Her tether filled with shock and indignation before settling on humor. Never in my life had I felt another person's emotional journey. It was unreal. I understood indignation and humor, but why had my words shocked her?
“Someone told Angela that I ran after you and walked you back to the physical placement,” I admitted, seeing if I could shock her again. “Angela said since I liked walking dogs so much, I could walk hers… shirtless down the Royal Mile.”
Quinn raised her eyebrows, but it wasn’t the same shock I’d felt earlier. That one had been bone-deep. An awkward silence stretched between us.
“Are you bragging or telling me I’m a dog or what?” Quinn finally asked. “I mean, I’ve not seen you without a shirt, but you’re ripped, so how’s that bad for you?”
“No!” I put my hand up. “I mean. Yes. Shit.” I scrubbed my hand through my hair. “I’m not bragging about being shirtless.” As I spoke, I realized I needed her to know I looked good shirtless. “I’m not bragging, but I don’t look bad without one, either. Shit. Ignore me.”
Fuck me, what was I saying?
Quinn pursed her lips. There was a tinge of humor in her tether. But not enough.
I scrubbed my hand across my face. “You’re not a dog.” I made a sharp gesture with my hand, as if stamping the truth into the world. “In any way, shape, or form. I guess I was letting you know she bullies everyone, me included.”
“So, why are you with her?” Quinn asked, honestly curious.
It was a good question, but it was also na?ve, which revealed how little she understood the families.
“It’s complicated. I’ll tell you all about it over a sandwich.” I grinned.
Quinn pursed her lips. “That’s dirty.”
I shrugged. “You eat. I talk, and then you’re practicing how to get out of holds. I don’t like the way Brody looked at you.”
Quinn sobered. “Fine. All of it sounds really good, and I am really hungry.”
Finally, honesty. I poked her stomach, which growled at me.
We both laughed.
It wasn’t much. But it was something.