Chapter 36
B enedict walked away first. Lucy looked to Emerson while Rosie caught up to Benedict, probably trying to talk him down.
“I know I shouldn’t have threatened the pack with hunters,” Emerson confessed, looking after her. “I couldn’t help it. She’d put herself in harm’s way for anyone, and I’ve seen the cases she works on. When I learnt about how her mum died, and with the rumours of our dating floating around town… I was terrified the wolves would hurt her for just walking down the street with me.”
“Rosie’s heart is her best asset and biggest weakness. Thank you for looking out for her, but in future, be careful with Beline’s wolves. They could’ve ripped your throat out,” Lucy warned him. Emerson didn’t look dissuaded. “You can’t mention a word of this to the Order, or it won’t be Rosie you’ll have to worry about.” She looked him in the eye, making sure he wouldn’t put any of them at risk.
“Not a word. It was never my intention to get them involved.” Emerson held up his hands defensively. “Rosie is safe with me. I would never let anyone hurt her.”
Distracted by the laughter ahead, they watched Benedict shove Rosie into a pile of leaves gathered in a heap, breaking the tension. Emerson looked warily at the pair. Lucy placed her hand on his arm.
“They’ve always been like that. Best not to intervene,” she explained, not wanting to break up another fight.
“Do you think he’ll stop looking at me like I’m the enemy any time soon?”
“Wanting to protect Rosie earned you some points, even if the way you went about it was foolish. Give it time – you might even become friends,” she said. Hopefully time would be enough.
Emerson arched his eyebrow.
“Friendlier,” she conceded. Magic might be real, but she wasn’t so sure about miracles.
“I’ll take it,” he sighed.
“Are you going to pick up the pace, or do I need to throw you over my shoulder?” Benedict interrupted, thankfully in a better mood. Emerson slung his arm around Rosie’s shoulder, falling behind. Staring at her best friend, Lucy wondered if Emerson would leave the Order for her. If he didn’t, would Rosie have to give up Foxford?
“Leave them be. We should know better than to get involved with matters of the heart,” Benedict said, breaking her out of her thoughts. Lucy felt the warmth of his hand in hers. She just wanted Rosie to find her person, as she’d found hers. If that was Emerson, she’d respect her choice.
Rosie and Emerson left them once they reached the university entrance. Lucinda watched them walk away, hand in hand. She looked to Benedict, but he seemed far away in thought. She wanted to talk more about what had happened, but she didn’t even know where to begin, and she was too overwhelmed and tired to figure out where to start. Perhaps it was best to just savour that they were both safe and sound.
He walked so quietly by her side for the next twenty minutes that her relief slowly turned to unease. She’d never been so desperate to know what he was thinking. She opened her mouth to speak several times but struggled to find the right thing to say.
“Are you okay?” she finally dared to say as he opened the gate to the Manor for her.
“I was just thinking something,” he started, but she could see how much he struggled to get the words out, and something in his eyes troubled her.
“Mind-reading isn’t a skill of mine,” she pressed. She couldn’t let him leave without knowing what was weighing on his heart.
“The wolves. If you were hurt… I know you’re able to fight your own battles, but the thought of you getting hurt—being high priestess will also come with an element of danger, and the thought of something happening to you makes me—” He scrubbed his hands over his face.
Lucy took them away from his face and held them to her chest. “I’m here. I’m safe. Not a hair out of place.”
He let out a long exhale, but there was a fear she hadn’t seen in him since he’d lost his dad and brother.
“My head knows that, but even the possibility…” Tears lined his eyes, and she hated the pain she’d caused him. “I can’t lose someone else. Especially not you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she promised, eyes pleading with him to listen.
“Neither were they.” The grief in his words threatened to cripple her heart.
Lucy finally understood that there was nothing else she could say that would make him feel better. All she could do was be here with him, and wait for this moment of loss to pass.
She wrapped her arm around his waist, and they walked back to the Manor together.