25. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
Yana
Yana spooned Nyrah in the little bed in Cody’s guestroom. Nyrah had been crying since dinner—since Morgan made her dominance clear and that Cody was hers.
“We gave up e-everything for him,” Nyrah said through her tears. “We left our home and came all the way here. Because he’s m-my Heartmate! My one and only chance at true love. And he doesn’t even want to try and love me.”
“He is not the only man in existence with a Golden Heart,” Yana reminded her. “There are others. He’s just the first one you ever met.”
Nyrah made a little exasperated growl and fidgeted in Yana’s embrace.
“Just finding one is supposed to be rare. If I give up on Cody, chances are I will never find another Heartmate. And what if there are no other men with Golden Hearts in this Earth place? I will never find a man who can truly love me. Besides, I’m already in love with Cody Hampshire.
He should be mine. He should be ours. Not… not hers.”
Yana’s heart ached for her friend. It was difficult to watch her like this, crying and angry and hurt.
She wished Nyrah could handle it better—all these immense feelings that were consuming her.
Nyrah was never like this, prior to meeting Cody.
She and Nyrah had served together as priestesses at the Rose Temple, assisting with making the daily meals, attending their studies and prayers, and helping with the orphans.
Yes, Nyrah was a nekofae, which meant she had a feisty side to her personality, but it only came out when she was protecting her home, her friends, or her family.
Yana wanted her sweet and kind friend back.
But most of all, she wanted Nyrah to stop hurting.
“Maybe we go home,” Yana suggested, even though she quite liked Earth, and the magic box, and the way the wardens of law thoroughly investigated crimes using various methods that she had barely scratched the surface of understanding.
“Maybe it would be easier if you weren’t around him all the time, watching him and talking to him.
We could find another Rose Temple to serve at.
We were happy as priestesses, weren’t we? ”
“We are not going home!” Nyrah pulled free from Yana’s embrace and sat up, shoving the covers aside.
She turned to face Yana, so Yana pushed herself up to sit, too.
“Are you really that willing to give up, Yana? I thought you liked him, too. I’m not only fighting for my future, but yours, too.
We could get married. We could have babies. Don’t you want that?”
“I…do. I want that.” There were many things Yana liked about being a priestess, but she couldn’t deny that her mind often drifted to other ‘what ifs’.
What if she did get married? What if she had children to call her own?
What if she got to watch Nyrah have children, too?
And their children could grow up together.
They could be one big happy family, and she would never have to leave Nyrah’s side.
It sounded nice. It sounded like a real and full life, instead of simply existing as a priestess, serving in the temple until the day she died.
But she still had mixed feelings about Cody.
He was handsome and kind, and he had a Heart of Gold.
Those were all wonderful attributes. She definitely liked him and was interested in getting to know him better, but she had yet to feel any kind of romantic spark, certainly not the way Nyrah was feeling it.
With Nyrah, it seemed to be a never-ending, all-consuming need to be loved, and to love him in return.
“And there is one thing we can offer that Morgan cannot,” Nyrah said thoughtfully.
“And what’s that?”
“Both of us.” Nyrah smiled. “We’re sharing him, so he gets both of us. What man would turn down two beautiful brides and instead settle for just one?”
“A man who is already in love with someone. I’m sorry Nyrah, but I don’t think that’s going to help us.”
“Please. Give it more time.” Nyrah took Yana’s hands in hers and gave them a squeeze.
Yana let out a long breath, looking at her hands clasped in Nyrah’s.
They’d been together so long, it made sense that Nyrah would want Yana to share her love for Cody.
Maybe…maybe Nyrah was right. Maybe it was too soon to give up on that possible future, the one filled with love and children and a big, happy family.
“Fine,” Yana said. “We can stay.”
Nyrah made a little noise somewhere between a giddy laugh and a sob and threw her arms around Yana. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you, Yana! I love you, platonically, forever!”