Chapter 26 The Key To Leaving #2
At the sound of Riley’s name, guilt stabbed through me so hard it nearly stole my breath.
Behind me, I felt Atlas go still, his arms tightening instinctively around my waist. The tension that rippled through him was unmistakable, protective and territorial all at once, as though the mere mention of Riley might entice him to suddenly dig his heels in Acelin’s flank and gallop away with me.
“Um, yeah, I… wait, you mean you haven’t seen him?” I asked, panicked and surprised. I thought he would have made his way back to the base.
Tiff hesitated before shaking her head no, her gaze flicking up to Atlas with a mixture of wariness and curiosity.
His presence was impossible to ignore, all sharp lines and silent command, the kind of power that demanded attention without ever needing to ask for it.
When he swung down from Acelin, the movement was fluid, effortless, his boots hitting the ground with quiet authority.
He turned, reaching up to help me dismount, his touch careful, steady and profoundly intimate in its gentleness.
Tiff noticed and her expression shifted to full-blown curiosity.
“When neither of you came back to the base, I started to get worried,” she said, her voice faltered as she looked between us.
“Some of the others thought that you had…” She trailed off, her words snagging in her throat as Atlas’s gaze met hers.
“That we had what?” I pressed, even though I already knew.
Tiff swallowed hard, fidgeting with the sleeve of her jacket.
“That you had run off together,” she said at last.
Atlas’s jaw tightened. His face remained unreadable, but the air changed, thickening with restrained tension. Tiff noticed it too, because she instantly dropped her gaze, her confidence dissolving under his silent disapproval.
“It’s a long story,” I said quickly, stepping between them before that silence became something dangerous.
“It seems like it,” Tiff said, her eyes flicking between us. Her gaze lingered on how close Atlas stood, and when his arm slid around my waist to pull me against his side, her brows shot up in disbelief.
As for Aster, his reaction was far more relaxed, almost knowing. He chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair as if he had been expecting this all along.
“Um, yeah,” Tiff added, trying to sound casual but failing. “Seems like we’ve got a lot to talk about.” Her tone carried that knowing edge, the kind that made my stomach twist with embarrassment.
I forced a small smile, though my thoughts were already spiraling elsewhere, caught up in the one question that clawed at me…
Where was Riley?
My pulse quickened, panic rising in my chest as I wrung my hands through the sleeves of my sweater, the fabric twisting tight between my fingers.
“You’re right,” I said softly, forcing the words out as I nodded to Tiff, but my eyes slid to Aster when I agreed, “Seems like we’ve got lots of catching up to do.”
She blushed, her earlier confidence fading under the awkward weight of the moment. Aster, however, only grinned wider, clearly entertained by the tension simmering between us.
“Then, let me suggest we take this inside,” Atlas said, holding out an arm to indicate we should go inside.
Before we could, my uncle appeared at the entrance. His eyes immediately fell on Atlas, more precisely on the arm still resting protectively around my waist, and his expression turned comical in its shock. His brows climbed high, his mouth parting like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
I couldn’t blame him. The last time he had seen Atlas and me together, it had been explosive, and not in any romantic sense. The memory burned in my mind, a combination of anger and confusion, now replaced by something entirely different.
It seemed I had a lot of explaining to do. But then again, after everything we had uncovered at the Rift, after what we had learned about his brother and what was coming, we both did.
Atlas, calm and composed despite the tension in the air, suggested we all go inside once more.
“We’ll discuss everything properly,” he said, his tone carrying that quiet authority that left little room for argument.
As the others started moving toward the hotel, Atlas caught my hand, stopping me with a gentle pull.
I turned to him, my pulse fluttering when he didn’t speak right away.
Instead, he just looked at me for a long moment, as if trying to read something in my eyes.
Then, without a word, he stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me.
“I will have my men look for him,” he said quietly, his breath warm against my temple. “Don’t worry. We will find him.”
Of course, we both knew who he meant. Riley.
The kindness in that single promise broke something open inside me. I hadn’t expected it, not after his jealousy, not after the unspoken rivalry that had been hanging between them. Yet here he was, choosing compassion over pride.
Overwhelmed, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss.
His arms came around me instantly, strong and sure, lifting me until I didn’t have to strain to reach him.
The kiss wasn’t long, but it was enough to leave me gasping and wanting more. But not enough to sate my lust for him.
When he set me down, his hand lingered in mine, his thumb brushing across my knuckles as if to remind me that I wasn’t alone. Together, we started toward the hotel doors.
But as we reached the entrance, something strange stirred inside me, a ripple of unease I couldn’t name. My steps slowed, my body turning just enough for my gaze to drift back toward the road, the tree line, the shadows stretching beyond.
It felt like someone was watching.
Someone unseen…
Someone waiting.