Chapter 13
thirteen
AVERY
Talon was out of the shower and catching my elbow to help me stay upright before I was even dressed. All I’d managed to put on was a pair of panties, and that had been so painful, my eyes were still stinging with the tears I was fighting.
“You’re crying,” he growled.
“No,” I said, but my voice was teary too.
“It hurts?”
“No.”
We both knew I was lying.
My sniffle didn’t help sell it.
I hadn’t even been able to bend far enough to pull a pair of pants out of the bottom drawer.
“Which sweats do you want?” He crouched down for me with that towel still around his waist, and held up two of my favorites.
I couldn’t let myself think about the fact that he knew they were my favorites. It would make me feel too many things I wasn’t ready to deal with.
“The black ones. Please.”
He stayed where he was, setting one of my hands on his shoulder for stability before he helped me into the sweats. When he did, he undid the bow I always left tied, just so the fabric wouldn’t irritate my healing skin.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
As angry with him as I was for keeping the truth from me, my gratitude was genuine. My injuries definitely weren’t his fault. I was the only one to blame for them. The fact that he was still there, helping me, said that he was serious about the mate thing.
He stood and grabbed the loose sweater I’d pulled off a hanger, then eased it over my head.
“I’m not going to be able to wear a bra. Or a bikini, when I swim with my sisters,” I said, eyeing him. “And their mates will be there.”
“Will the water help you heal?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll deal with it.” He helped me get my arms through, and pulled one of his hoodies off a hanger nearby.
“I don’t want to wear your clothes right now.”
“You don’t have any other option, Ave. I’ll buy you some warmer things while we’re in Mistwood.”
“I can order my own clothes.”
Or my sisters could, at least.
Clementine and Zora had picked out all of my clothes, to be honest. They knew what I liked and didn’t like, and loved shopping.
“You’ll be underwater,” he said.
Right.
But I didn’t want him to be in charge of that. I didn’t want him to be in charge of any part of my life. Not after he kept the truth from me for so long, and had already admitted that he wasn’t going to let me go back to Vamp Manor.
The castle still felt like home, but given everything that had happened, I didn’t want to stay and let him try to win me over again.
It would work.
And I didn’t want to let it.
Letting him take care of me even more would just make it happen faster.
“My sisters will handle it.”
He growled, but it was half-hearted. “I need to go to my room to change. Will you come with me?”
I didn’t want to agree, but my phone was in there. And he was helping me with a lot.
And my room was kind of overrun with blood.
So maybe going to his apartment was actually a good call.
I nodded, and he tucked an arm around my waist. A surprised noise escaped me, but we made it across the hall quickly, and without any pain.
He helped me down to the couch before he disappeared into his bedroom for a moment. I leaned against the cushions, and when he came back out in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve tee, I couldn’t help but stare.
It was unfair that he looked that good. Seriously unfair.
He handed me my phone, and sat down on the couch beside me.
I tried not to wince with the motion as I turned away and sent my sisters a quick message.
Me
Hey, something happened. I miss you and need to see you. You were right about the fated mate thing. Meet you at Izzy’s lake in an hour or two?
Clem
WTF did he do?
Blair
Do we need to kill him?
Izzy
I’ll bring chocolate
Zora
If he forced you into anything, he’s dead
Me
I’ll explain in person, but I’m okay
He didn’t force anything. He’s just not going to let me go back to the Manor anymore.
Can you guys find me some warmer clothes? I’ve been wearing his. The castle is freezing
Clem
I’ll go shopping
Blair
I can join
Izzy
Anything else we can get you?
Me
A way out?
Blair
I’ll check the wishful thinking aisle
Zora
They’ve been on back order this entire past year
Izzy
By the time they’ve restocked, it’ll be too late for all of us
Clem
Oh well
Me
Don’t pretend you aren’t all thrilled with the way things are going
None of you want a way out
Blair
Not anymore
But in the beginning? Hell yeah we did
Clem
We made the best of it
You can too :P
Me
He lied to me for an entire month
Hard to make the best of that
Izzy
Oof
Agreed
Blair
Like I said, we can still kill him. No bond yet, right?
Me
No
Zora
Then murder is a go
Clem
They’re fated mates! It’s not a go!
Me
He technically just saved my life, so no murder
Izzy
WHAT?
Clem
WHAT?!
Blair
What happened?
Zora
Was it his fault?
Me
No, I went behind his back
It sounds like I would’ve died without the fated mate thing
Clem
MURDER IS DEFINITELY NOT A GO
Zora
Not if we need him to save you from stupid decisions
Me
It wasn’t stupid. Just riskier than expected. Stella and I thought we could handle it
Clem
Our replacement, Stella?
Me
We’ve been over that
Blair
You know we have to be on team Talon now, right?
Me
If you back him instead of me, I’m going to really replace you with Stella
Clem
Rude
But you know we’ll side with you to the bitter end
Izzy
*unless you’re risking your life
In which case we’ll support whoever is against you risking your life
Me
He’s staring at the back of my phone like he’s trying to read my messages through it
Love you all
I’ll see you soon
They all echoed the sentiment, and I leaned against the couch cushions, further from Talon.
“Have they decided how they want to kill me yet?” he asked, though his position was relaxed.
“No one’s talking about killing you.”
He lifted an eyebrow at me. “They’re mated to the kings, and I know how those fuckers work.”
“They were considering it until I told them you saved my life. Now, they’re mostly on your side. They’ll pretend otherwise, though.”
“Of course they will.” He looked slightly more relaxed with my admission.
Stella knocked on our door, and opened it up without waiting for us to tell her to come in.
She’d undoubtedly assumed we didn’t need privacy at the moment. And she was right.
“Everyone’s asking about you. Can I tell them you’re fine yet?” she asked, and I realized she was looking at me. “I made them leave the hallway, but they keep bugging me. And texting me.”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
Talon didn’t correct me, even though he knew I was still in pain.
Stella handed Talon his plate and set mine down on my lap, then stepped around the end of the couch and took a seat between us. “So, what’s the plan?”
“Who said there was a plan?” Talon grunted, ignoring his food and eyeing me around Stella.
“There’s always a plan.” She plucked a vegetable off his plate, and he didn’t swat her hand away. He was too busy watching me to care. Or maybe even to notice.
“We’re going back to Mistwood. I need to see my sisters,” I explained. “Izzy’s lake is basically neutral territory.”
“Izzy’s the one mated to the wolfy bastard?”
“Right.”
“Got it. Swimming with the wolves. I’m in.”
I met Talon’s gaze. He’d called that one.
“There probably won’t be any wolves there, other than Porter. Maybe his best friend Evan, too. Evan goes to a lot of our things.”
“Is he hot?”
Talon growled. It was a clear warning not to answer that question.
One I ignored.
“Gorgeous,” I agreed. Talon growled louder. “He’s blond, and has pretty eyes. He’s funny, too. You’ll like him.”
Talon snarled.
Stella grinned. “Sounds like you like him.”
“I wish. I only seem to be attracted to men who use me and lie to me.” I finally picked up my fork, and Stella snorted.
“I’ll leave you two to figure this out. I’ve got to find a bikini.”
“You can borrow one of mine,” I called over my shoulder, trying not to wince at the sharp pain in my ribs that followed the words.
“You’re too skinny for me to fit,” she called back, before the door shut behind her.
“She’s being too cheerful,” I said, when she was gone. “It’s not normal.”
“I’m aware,” Talon gritted out. “She feels like shit for helping you nearly get yourself killed. And she should. She fucked up.”
“We both did.”
I took a bite of my food.
“You’re attracted to this Evan bastard?” His voice was gravelly.
“Not to his personality.”
“To the rest of him?”
“I was talking to Stella, not saying that I wanted to bone the guy, Tal.”
“Do you?” The words were barely more than a growl.
“No. Even if I did, I wouldn’t want him more than once. I never do.”
We both knew the words I didn’t say.
Until you.
Talon seemed slightly calmer when he spoke again, after finally starting on his food. “We need to talk about our connection.”
“What else is there to say?”
“We need… rules.” I could tell he had a hard time getting the word out.
“What kind of rules?”
“The kind where we figure out how we’re going to handle the situation.”
“I didn’t think you would be giving me much of a choice.”
“Of course you’ll have a choice.”
“So if I want to sleep alone in my room…”
“No.”
“If I want to go back to living in Vamp Manor…”
“No.”
“If I want to end our arrangement and find someone else…”
“Not a fucking chance.” He snarled the words.
“Then obviously, we don’t need rules. You just want me to agree to do everything you want.”
“That’s not true.”
I scoffed. “Then tell me what rules you were thinking about.”
He opened his mouth to start explaining one. No words came out. And slowly, he closed it.
“It’s not a relationship if you call all of the shots any more than it was when I did. We were fuck buddies, and now we’re just two individuals who happen to be fated mates. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Like hell it doesn’t.”
I took a bite of my food, done talking about it. He wasn’t going to see things my way, and I wasn’t going to see them his way. There was nothing else to be said or done.
Obviously, I couldn’t flirt with anyone else. Our conversation about throwing someone who flirted with his mate out a window was clear in my memories. He wasn’t going to budge on that.
And honestly?
I didn’t want to flirt with anyone else.
He was a pain in my ass, and he’d both hurt me and pissed me off, but he was still mine.
Even more than I’d ever imagined.
And I didn’t know how or what to feel about that, so I was just going to ignore it. Thoroughly.