Chapter Four #2
Tamsin told himself not to go on the defensive right away.
So far, Anita hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true.
“I am,” he confirmed. He wasn’t ashamed of that.
He knew that some people wondered why he’d gone through with it, and he didn’t care.
They could wonder all they wanted. He was bonded with his mate because he wanted to be. That was all anyone needed to know.
“And from what Dermot told us, you agreed to bond with him to find out what happens when Vila bond with Kudlaks,” Gary added.
“That’s not what happened,” Tamsin said. “I would have bonded with Nic even without this. I don’t need an excuse to bond with him.”
Gary raised his hands. “That’s not what I was saying.
I’m sure you wanted to bond with your mate, and that this is just a bonus.
We do need to find out what happens when Vila bond with Kudlaks, and I think that maybe this is part of it.
You’re clearly able to feel things that none of us can.
To us, this is a normal magical signature.
If I had to guess, I’d say that the Vila was here themselves. ”
Tamsin shook his head. “But they weren’t. Their magical signature isn’t the same as it would be if they had been.”
“So maybe you can feel something different. Maybe you can feel this Vila magic through her bond with a Kudlak.”
Tamsin took a moment to think about that.
Was it possible? He supposed it was. They had almost zero information about Vila and Kudlak relationships and bonds.
He felt that something was off about this magical signature, but apparently, he was the only one, just like he was the only one here bonded to a Kudlak.
He turned to look at Nic, who was hovering slightly behind him, looking around.
There wasn’t much to see, just trees and more trees, and the way he stood alone made Tamsin’s heart hurt.
He understood why people were wary of Nic and why they kept their distance, but it hurt him to see Nic so isolated.
Even though they were bonded, they couldn’t be each other’s entire lives.
It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Besides, Nic deserved more.
He deserved a full life, to have friends and people who cared about him and who wouldn’t treat him like a monster.
He might have worked with Parrish, but he wasn’t him.
He’d been forced into it, just like Parrish’s mate was being forced into whatever she was doing.
It wasn’t fair to hold it against them. Tamsin couldn’t force anyone to accept his mate, but he could ask his friends to try.
He didn’t know what they’d say, but it was worth a try.
“I know none of you trust him,” he said, leaning closer to Gary.
He didn’t want Nic to hear. “And I don’t blame you for that.
I would like it if you gave him a chance, though. ”
Este frowned. “He’s a Kudlak.”
“He’s also my mate.”
“I’m sorry about that, but it doesn’t change what he is. It also doesn’t change what he did.” Este’s expression told Tamsin she meant what she said.
“He’s your mate,” Gary said. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s enough for me to give him a chance. You wouldn’t have agreed to bond with him if you didn’t believe he’s a good person.”
“He agreed to bond with his mate because it could help us,” Este said.
“That’s not why I did it,” Tamsin told her. “No one would have forced me to bond with him if I didn’t want to. Rowan and Clay were clear about that. I bonded with Nic because I wanted to. I don’t care what he is.”
“Do you care about what he did?”
“He saved the village. He warned us that Parrish was coming. He was ready to sacrifice himself to save Devon and his mate. Isn’t that enough for you?”
“Parrish wouldn’t have attacked us if it weren’t for him.”
Tamsin snorted. “Of course he would have. What kind of information do you think Nic got from Devon? It’s not like Devon is a Vila or knows details about the security of the village.
He might have been the easiest person to befriend for Nic, but I doubt Nic got much from him.
You just don’t want to give Nic a chance because he’s a Kudlak. At least be honest about that.”
“Kudlaks don’t belong with us. They don’t belong in the village,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“But you don’t need us to like him,” Anita added. “We can work together without that happening.”
“But we can’t be friends if you don’t at least tolerate my mate,” Tamsin pointed out.
They were more than friends, or at least they had been.
All of them had banded together over the years.
They’d all lost their clans, and they’d needed a new home and a new family.
Tamsin had thought that was what they were, but maybe he’d been wrong.
Maybe he was about to lose people he’d considered his siblings for so long, and for nothing he’d done.
He couldn’t help who his mate was. He wasn’t going to choose between Nic and his friends, though. He didn’t have to. It was obvious which way he’d go.
“You can’t force us to like him,” Anita said.
“No one has said anything about forcing. I just want you to give him a chance. Yes, he betrayed someone who considered him a friend, but you can’t tell me it’s not something you would’ve done to survive, too.
He’s incredibly young, and he was raised by Parrish.
He did what he had to in order to survive, and I won’t blame him for that.
Besides, if Devon can forgive him, why can’t you? ”
“Well, I don’t think it matters,” Gary said, looking from Tamsin to the other two. “He’s your mate, and I won’t ask you to choose between him and me. Whatever happens, I’m on your side.”
Tamsin gave him a grateful smile. He was relieved he wouldn’t lose everyone, but he hated having to lose even one person.
Unfortunately, he didn’t think there was anything he could do about it.
He couldn’t force anyone to like Nic or to change their mind about him.
He didn’t want to have to try. He wanted people to give Nic a chance instead of clinging to what they thought he was like, but he could see that wasn’t going to happen.
It made him sad, but at the same time, he didn’t care because they had more important things to focus on.
Something pulsed through the shield. All of them went instantly on alert, reaching out for it with their magic. Tamsin did so, too, and he quickly realized that someone was trying to pass through the shield.
He gasped and turned. He ran, wanting to see what was happening. As long as he stayed on this side of the shield, nothing could hurt him, and he might be able to find out what was going on. He could hear the others coming after him, including Nic, so he knew he’d be protected.
Hopefully, the shield and the people he was with would be enough to protect him against Parrish because that was who he found standing on the other side of the shield when he reached the area where he’d felt the push.
* * * *
NIC WASN’T SURPRISED to see Parrish standing on the other side of the shield. He wasn’t even surprised when Parrish didn’t leave after being found out. He didn’t care that he’d been caught. Hell, knowing him, he’d wanted them to know he was there.
Parrish liked it when people were afraid of him. He liked terrorizing them, making them feel like he had their lives in his hands. A lot of the time, he did.
“Well, look who’s there,” Parrish said, his lips curling into a terrifying smile.
Parrish was a handsome man, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t scary. In fact, Nic thought that it made him even scarier. No one should be so beautiful and so evil at the same time.
“Are you making friends?” Parrish asked Nic. “I don’t think so. They don’t trust you, do they?”
Nic crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look like he wasn’t bothered by Parrish’s words. “Clearly, they do. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be allowed to roam the village, would I?”
Parrish looked Nic up and down. “I suppose not. I don’t understand how they can trust you, though. You’re one of mine.”
“I was never yours,” Nic spat out. “And I never will be.”
“I beg to differ. I lovingly raised you for almost twenty years. Even though we’re not related, I’m your father.”
“You could never come close to being my father.” Just the thought made Nic want to throw up. “I had a father. He was so much better than you can ever be.”
“Yet he died. Are you sure he was better?”
Tamsin was still standing in front of Parrish.
It was a terrifying sight, even though Nic knew they were separated by the shield.
He’d seen the shield at work once before, so he knew it was strong, but they didn’t know what Parrish was up to.
Maybe he was here to experiment and find out what he could get away with when it came to the shield, or maybe he was here with a specific plan in mind.
Had he found a way to get through the shield?
Was that why there were several Kudlaks standing behind him, apparently waiting for a sign from him?
“Him being dead doesn’t mean anything,” he said.
“He died protecting me and my mother. He died because he loved us. You never loved anyone but yourself.” Nic was surprised at how calm he sounded.
He was pretty sure that if Parrish took one step toward him, he’d freak out.
He didn’t want Parrish to see that. It would give him too much power, which wasn’t something Nic wanted.
“I never trusted you, not even when you were a child. What did you promise for them to allow you to roam the village? What did you tell them you’d do? Give them information about me?” He looked at Tamsin. “Trust me, nothing he knows is worth letting him hurt your clan.”
“He’s not going to hurt the clan,” Tamsin said.
He looked ready to tell Parrish that they were mates, but Nic didn’t want Parrish to know. He’d find a way to use it against them. He’d find a way to hurt Nic through Tamsin, and Nic couldn’t let him do that.