Chapter 14 #2
“I’ll tell you this one time.” I lift a finger.
“I do know what’s best for her. In ways you will never understand.
My mind isn’t clouded by years of family history or brotherly protection.
I have the amazing gift of getting to know her in ways you will never understand or get the chance to.
She is a grown woman. She is capable of making her own decisions.
Nariko doesn’t need anyone telling her what to do.
As you said, she doesn’t need anyone making decisions for her. ”
Ruka laces his fingers behind his head, stressed. “Nariko, if you want to chase today, you know where to find me.” With those final words, he walks towards the cabin where the rest of the Dust Bunnies team stays.
I watch his retreating form, and he stares across the wide open plains, either watching the weather or the cows grazing the field. Even as he puts distance between us, his emotions hang in the air in his wake. He’s aggravated, but there’s something else, a weight that only sadness holds.
I’ll check in on him later. He is her brother, which means he is family.
Ruka tries my patience and gets under my skin.
The one thing he has going for him is that he loves his sister.
He cares about her safety and happiness.
I respect that, which is why I’ll see how he is doing later after Nariko and he have some time apart.
“Hey, Sugar.” I stand in front of her and tilt her head up by her chin.
The whites of her eyes are red, and big tears fall, wetting her cheeks.
The hurt comes off her in waves. The emotion is so strong, it nearly has me lose my breath.
“What happened? Are you okay? Talk to me.” I wipe her cheeks with my thumb, cupping her jaw in my hand.
She sniffles and bends down to pick up the blanket, wrapping the soft material around herself. More tears fall faster, her sobs becoming uncontrollable. Without saying another word, I pull her against me, embracing her in a tight hold.
Cupping the back of her head, I hold her against my chest, her tears dripping onto my skin and down my sternum.
“It’s okay, Sugar. I got you. I’m here.” I kiss the top of her head, loving that I get to be the one to hold her close.
Her sobs shake her shoulders, and she clings to me like rain caught in the grip of dangerous winds.
“Ah, Nariko. It’s okay. I have you. I’ll always have you.
” I squeeze her tighter, hating that the fight with her brother has hurt her so much.
If he were anyone else, I would drink him fucking dry for making my fated mate cry.
Her cries break my heart. The ache in her chest drifts into mine, and I have to blink away my own tears. I kiss the top of her head, wishing that I could fix whatever happened between them.
I know Nariko and Ruka are very close. I know what that is like. There’s nothing worse than fighting with your sibling. Even worse, when they die and all those arguments, all that anger, it never mattered. I’d give anything to fight with Banks one more time.
“Talk to me, Sugar. Tell me what happened.” I rub her back, my fingers dragging up and down her spine. “Look at me.” I lean back, taking her delicate cheeks in my hand to force her to meet my gaze.
Her long black eyelashes are wet from crying, her beautiful brown eyes swollen from her heartbreak. The tip of her nose is flushed red, and I tap it, falling in love with her beauty, even in her sadness.
“There you are,” I whisper, watching her hair flow in the breeze behind her. “Talk to me.”
“He is angry at me. I don’t think he’s ever been so mad at me before.” Nariko’s voice breaks, emotion clogging her throat as she tries to calm herself. She’s on the verge of breaking again.
“It’s okay. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” I kiss her forehead, needing her to know I’m here for her and I always will be.
A horn honks, breaking the moment between us when Westin and Jazz park the truck and trailer to the side.
Fuck. I forgot they would be back with a few rescues today.
I’m not traveling for rescues until Nariko and I are in a more stable place.
We’re too new for me to be gone for days at a time.
Our bond needs us to be close, especially at the beginning of our relationship, and she’s pregnant.
We need time to strengthen the connection between us.
We would go insane being away from each other so soon.
“Hey!” Westin jumps from the driver’s side and stretches his back.
Jazz stumbles from the passenger side and holds onto the truck, and to my shock, he throws up red liquid. I didn’t even know vampires could vomit like that. Not unless they are dying for their mate like I was.
I learn something new every day.
From here, I can see Westin scoff.
“You are so dramatic, Jazz.”
“Your driving is going to get me killed one day!” Jazz yells, leaning against the bumper. He holds his stomach and groans.
“Or,” Westin counterpoints. “You had a bad batch of blood. Don’t go blaming my impeccable driving skills.” He pats himself on the chest.
“You drive like something is chasing you. I am never driving with you again. Forget it! Oklahoma, I’m going to go get cleaned up!”
Nariko chuckles at their back and forth. Her sadness eases from the comedic relief those two bring.
“There you are.” I rub my thumb over her cheek.
“Fine! I’ll handle the rescues since you can’t finish the job,” Westin shouts, kicking the gravel towards Jazz. “I’m taking these horses to the recovery pasture. They are in bad shape, Oakley. They will definitely need some extra attention.”
I give him a two-finger salute.
“Hey, Nariko!” he shouts, climbing into the truck again.
She gives him a small wave, leaning her body against me. My arms stay wrapped around her, wanting her to feel safe and secure.
Westin waves out the window, the truck’s exhaust grumbling louder than the nearby thunder.
“Tell you what, let me go put on my boots, and I’ll give you a tour of the ranch. Maybe you’d like to talk about what happened with Ruka then?”
She nods, fighting the urge to cry again by the way her bottom lip trembles.
“I’ll be right back, Sugar. Don’t go anywhere.” I clutch her shoulders, keeping her in place. “Don’t go chasing storms without me.”
“You’d chase storms with me?” The surprise in her voice has me stopping in my tracks.
In a millisecond, I’m in front of her again; the breeze from how swiftly I moved causes her hair to sway.
“You’ll never chase without me again,” I answer, clutching her nape so she has no choice but to see the seriousness behind my eyes.
“You’ll never do anything without me again.
I hate storms, but I love you. My love for you trumps any hate I have for anything or anyone.
And you’re out of your damn mind if you think I’m not going to be there to protect you if the situation goes south.
Yes, I’d love it if you retired from chasing.
I’d love to know you’re safe every day. Here.
With me. At home.” I press my hand against her stomach, my breath catching in my chest. “With our child.”
She gasps, covering her hand with mine. “I’m…”
“Yeah, Sugar. You are. And I want our child to follow their dreams. To have everything. To do anything. I want that for you, too. My insecurities, my fears, they are mine to figure out, not to use them to weigh you down. Will I lie and say I’m not terrified? No.”
“The thought of losing the one thing that has brought my life meaning scares me to death. I don’t think I’ve ever been more afraid of anything in my life.
Not even when I laid there in the wreckage with my brother.
Not even when the vampire who turned me held me in his arms as he forced fed me his blood.
Losing you to what changed my life forever—it’s my worst fear, Nariko.
Even then, there won’t ever be a day where I’ll be the one to stop you from doing what you love because what you love”—I lie my hand against her heart—“that’s what makes you, Sugar. And I love you.”
She’s crying again.
Shit. I didn’t mean to make her cry.
“I love you too, Oklahoma.” A tear drips off her jaw, landing in the grass, clinging to the blades like rain. “Any storms ahead, we will chase them together.”
“They don’t stand a chance against us.” I hook my fingers in the waistband of her sweatpants, tugging her to me. “The three of us. I won’t let anything happen to either of you.”
A tornado doesn’t stand a chance against my love for my family.
“Go.” She playfully shoves me, then fists my shirt. “I want that tour.”
“Whatever you say, ma’am.” I grab her by the throat, gentle, not wanting to hurt her, but I want to show her who she belongs to. “Give me a kiss first.”
She grins as her head tilts back. “I can do that.”
I lean in closer, my own happiness reflecting from my smile. “Yeah? It isn’t a hardship?”
“Definitely not.” Our lips meet in what was supposed to be a quick kiss.
I should have known better.
Nothing is quick when it comes to my love for her.