Chapter Six #3
“You do have a choice, but we both know you’re not choosing Parrish.”
“I never did.”
The Nix who’d opened the door wiggled his fingers at Nic. “I’m Dasha, and I work for the council. I’ll get you out of here. Unfortunately, I can feel that Parrish has Nix blockers in the house. That means we have to get out before I can shimmer us back to the village.”
That wasn’t a surprise. Nic had never been told everything Parrish did to protect himself, but it was extensive.
He didn’t only have other Kudlaks keeping an eye on the house.
He might think he could take on anyone in a fight, but he wouldn’t risk people easily getting to him while he slept or to his mate.
They left the room one by one. Tamsin stuck close to Nic, his fur brushing against Nic’s leg.
It was odd coming from him, but also comforting, and Nic couldn’t wait to talk to his mate and find out what had happened.
He knew that it had to do with their bond, but he’d never heard of anything like this happening.
Was it permanent? Or was it only happening because Tamsin had to rescue Nic?
Would he be able to shift again so they could play together?
Nic didn’t know, unfortunately, and now wasn’t the time to ask.
They got out of the house easily, but they didn’t manage to get off the porch. Nic should have known it was too easy. He had no idea if this was all part of Parrish’s plan, and he didn’t care. The only thing he cared about was that he needed to get out.
“I’m surprised they came to rescue you,” Parrish drawled as he got up from the armchair by the door where he’d been sitting.
He looked from Nic to the other people around him.
“Although maybe I shouldn’t be.” He glanced at Rowan.
“You’ve always been too soft for your own good. It’s going to be your downfall.”
“I’d rather see it as being my strength,” Rowan said.
He moved to place himself between Parrish and the rest of the group, and Nic’s heart shot into his throat.
He didn’t want anything to happen to Rowan.
Rowan was a good person who’d welcomed Nic into his home even though Nic had attempted to destroy it.
He seemed intent on protecting everyone there, including Nic and Celeste.
Or maybe he wanted revenge for what Parrish had done. Maybe he wanted both of those things at the same time. It didn’t matter. Nic could tell that Rowan would sacrifice himself if it meant getting everyone out of there safely, and he wouldn’t allow that to happen.
He wasn’t the only one. Both Dermot and Clay moved forward, too. Dasha was tense and ready to jump into action if he had to, which was a good thing since he was probably the most lethal of them all. If he worked for the council, he’d been trained.
But none of them reached Parrish first. It wasn’t even Rowan.
Nic felt something brush against his legs, and when he glanced down, Tamsin was gone.
Nic didn’t have the time to say anything or tell his mate to stop.
Tamsin rushed at Parrish, throwing himself at him.
As he did so, he shifted, and while Parrish had been ready to defend himself against a wolf shifter, he hadn’t expected the shift back.
The two of them collided, and Nic was both terrified and impressed when Tamsin shifted again seconds later, pushing himself off Parrish’s body.
He didn’t try to fight Parrish or bite him.
He turned and ran, as did everyone else.
Dasha was in the lead. He tumbled down the porch steps, holding his hands out already.
“Why aren’t you fighting him if you work for the council?” Dermot asked.
Nic wanted to kick him in the knee. Was this really the right moment for that? Dasha didn’t seem to care, though. He shrugged and calmly looked at Dermot. “My mission is to get all of you back to the village in one piece. The council will take care of Parrish if you can’t, but not now.”
That made Nic curious, but as he grabbed Dasha’s arm, he realized he didn’t really care. He leaned down, sinking his fingers into Tamsin’s fur, holding onto him tightly as he waited for them to be shimmered away. It would take just a few seconds.
He looked up right before they left. Parrish had gotten to his feet, and he had an expression Nic had never seen on his face. When Nic realized that Parrish wasn’t looking at him but rather at Celeste, he understood what was happening.
Parrish hadn’t thought anyone would reach Celeste.
He probably still didn’t realize that his two goons had put Nic in her room rather than the one on the other side of Parrish’s bedroom.
He’d thought she would always be his prisoner and that he’d be able to continue using her until he didn’t need her anymore, but she was gone.
Nic, Rowan, and the others were taking her away.
Nic was glad he wouldn’t be around to see Parrish’s no doubt explosive reaction.
* * * *
THE WORLD LURCHED AS Dasha shimmered them home. One moment, they were standing in front of Parrish’s hideout, and the next, Tamsin’s feet hit the ground in front of Rowan and Clay’s house. His stomach rolled a little, but Nic’s grip on him never loosened.
“Thanks, Dasha,” Rowan said somewhere behind them.
Tamsin barely heard him. All his focus was on Nic. He needed to check him over for injuries, so he shifted back to his human form before he remembered that meant he’d be naked in front of everyone. He wasn’t a shifter so that wasn’t something he’d ever had to deal with.
“That’s more than I ever wanted to see of you,” Dermot grumbled.
Luckily, they were in front of Rowan and Clay’s house.
It took Clay just a few moments to grab a blanket from an armchair on the porch and throw it at Tamsin, who wrapped it around his shoulders, happy to hide his body.
He still needed to check in on Nic, though.
He was alive and whole, but Tamsin needed to be sure he was okay.
He could have died.
The thought made Tamsin’s hands shake as he reached for his mate.
“We should go inside,” Clay said, already moving again. “It’s late, and we should all go back to bed. Celeste, you can stay with Rowan and me for now. There’s a lock on all the bedroom doors.”
Tamsin felt Nic tense beside him. He wondered if Nic wanted to go along to make sure that Celeste was settled. It was sweet, but Tamsin’s patience had been stretched thin over the past few hours, and it finally snapped.
“No.” His voice came out rougher than he intended. He grabbed Nic’s hand. “You’re coming with me.” He wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Nic blinked at him. “Tamsin, I should—”
“Now.” Tamsin didn’t wait for agreement.
He started walking, pulling Nic along with him toward their own home a few houses down the street.
“She’ll be fine. You know that Clay and Rowan won’t hurt her and won’t let anything happen to her.
She’s within the shield, so Parrish can’t get to her, and we’re all exhausted.
It’s time for everyone to go to bed, including you. ”
Behind them, he heard someone chuckle, and Rowan say, “Let them go. Nic’s fine, and we can talk tomorrow.”
Fine. Tamsin kept thinking about that word as he dragged Nic home.
Was Nic fine? Physically, he might be, but there was no way for Tamsin to know what Parrish had said to his mate, and words could be as hurtful as fists.
Besides, fine didn’t account for the terror that Tamsin had felt, both his and the fear that had coursed through his bond with Nic.
Tamsin would never forget it. He didn’t see how he could.
They finally got home. The door closed behind them with a soft click that sounded loud in the silence of the house.
“Tamsin—” Nic started, but Tamsin turned to face him. He could feel his magic leaking out, and he didn’t want to blow out the windows like he had Clay and Rowan’s, so he took a deep breath to settle himself.
“What were you thinking?” The words burst out of him. “You snuck out. You went to spy on Parrish alone, without telling me, without backup—”
“I had to—”
“You could have been killed!” Tamsin’s voice cracked. He pressed his palms against Nic’s chest, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat. Nic was alive. He was here. “I could feel your fear through the bond, Nic. I could feel it.”
Nic’s expression softened. He covered Tamsin’s hands with his own, trapping them there. “I’m okay. Tamsin. I’m okay.”
“By some miracle.” Tamsin pulled his hands away. “You know how much you risked. You don’t need me to tell you.”
“But I was lucky. Parrish’s goons threw me in the wrong bedroom. I spent most of the time talking to Celeste.”
The way Nic dismissed the danger made anger flare in Tamsin’s chest. “You don’t get it, do you? It doesn’t matter that you weren’t hurt. You could have been. Parrish could have—” He couldn’t even finish the sentence.
“But he didn’t.” Nic stepped closer, crowding into Tamsin’s space. “I’m right here.”
“This time.” Tamsin met his mate’s gaze, letting Nic see the fear he felt. It wasn’t as strong as it had been when Nic had been with Parrish, but Tamsin would never forget what had happened tonight and how he’d felt. “What about next time? What if I can’t get to you fast enough? What if—”
Nic kissed him.
It was sudden and fierce, cutting off Tamsin’s thoughts. Tamsin made a sound between a protest and a surrender before melting into it, his hands coming up to cup Nic’s face. He might be terrified, but it didn’t change the way he felt about Nic or how much he wanted him.
When they finally broke apart, Nic pressed their foreheads together. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I scared you. But I had to know what Parrish was planning. I had to do something.”
“You should’ve told me.” Tamsin traced Nic’s cheekbone with his thumb. “We’re mates. We’re supposed to face these things together.”