Chapter 84
Chapter Eighty-Four
Falcon
It hurts my soul to hear Robin struggle to draw breath through the heart-wrenching sobs that flood out of her body, but I know that she needs to mourn the past to heal.
She’s been through so much, and she kept telling herself it was nothing.
That was denial. I know how that feels.
I went through something like it when I was eventually honest with Shayne. All those years ago, when we finally recognised each other as true mates, I knew I had to let go of the anger I had inside me over my mother’s death.
If I didn’t do that, I would only hurt Shayne.
I couldn’t let that happen.
This is what letting go looks like for Robin.
Her pain is being cried out on every sob, in every tear.
“It’s okay. You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
I repeat those phrases as I hold her close, knowing she needs the reassurance.
Shayne is watching quietly from his seat across from us.
I can feel his gaze on us.
I don’t need to look to know he’s worried about her.
The sudden knock is the only thing that breaks my concentration and makes me move my head up. Shayne is getting out of his chair. He sees me looking and gives me a wry smile.
“That’ll be dinner. It’s okay, I’ve got it.”
We’re sitting at a table with places set, but even so, it takes a few minutes for reality to sink in.
Robin brought Shayne to her suite. She wanted to have dinner with us both.
It was sweet of her to think about me, like she did when she washed my clothes.
Shayne answers the door and brings in a cart with trays full of food.
The smell of roasted meats makes my stomach growl, but I’m not going to let Robin go while she needs me. She tries to pull away, but I hold her tighter.
“I don’t need food more than you need this right now,” I murmur.
She whimpers and I scoop her up, lifting her into my lap so I can hold her closer.
She gasps as I move her, arms wrapping instinctively around my neck.
That sharp intake of breath seems to halt her sobbing.
She’s quiet as she lifts her head from my shoulder.
Her eyes are red from crying, but I think she’s ready to stop.
“You need to eat,” she whispers.
I smile at her as Shayne closes the door with a soft click.
“You’re the one who needs to eat.”
She gives me a weak smile.
“How about a compromise. We all eat,” Shayne proposes, as he brings the food over to the table.
He puts different meats and veggies on our plates while Robin clings to me.
I like the way she feels in my arms, and I’m not ready to let her go.
“Do you feel better?” I ask.
“I do,” she says, with a much more convincing smile than the one she gave me a few seconds before.
“Enough to eat, or do you need to sleep?”
She thinks for a minute before she admits, “I’m really tired, actually. I didn’t think I was, but … I am.”
“I’ll carry you to bed. We can make you something to eat when you’re ready for it.”
She agrees with a nod, and I put an arm under her and stand up, kicking my chair back.
I take her into her dark bedroom, and I lay her down in the middle of the big bed.
I remove her sneakers and put them on the floor by the nightstand.
“Where are your blankets?”
“Oh. I gave them to you. Earlier, when you were sleeping.”
Of course.
“I’ll get them.”
I come back into the main room and grab the blankets off the couch.
Her eyes are closed when I get back into the bedroom.
I put the blankets over her, and I know she’s asleep before I even leave the room.
When I get back to the table, Shayne has covered her plate.
He looks at me. “She cried earlier when we were talking too.”
“She must be exhausted. She’s been downplaying what happened to her. I knew it was going to break through at some point. This is a little faster than I thought, but that feels like a good thing.”
“Yeah,” Shayne agrees, as he pours water into my glass. “It does.”
I sit down and we start to eat.
My appetite isn’t what it should be, particularly considering I spent all night digging a trench before taking a long nap on Robin’s couch, but I manage to put away a good amount of protein before I decide I’m done.
Shayne still has some food on his plate, but he gave up a little sooner than me.
“So, what do you think about Shadow’s offer?” I ask him.
He already knows what I think.
“Honestly? I think it’s why we’re here.” He shrugs when I raise an eyebrow. “Robin’s fated for us, and this is where she feels safest. We don’t have any ties back home. We could use a real job, a real sense of purpose. This place protects Omegas. I think it’s perfect.”
He has some good points, but all I can think about is the way Lana still looks at me.
Even Robin knows she’s not happy about me being here.
And the decision lies with Lana.
I can’t see her saying yes.
“I think we wait a while to propose it to Lana,” Shayne adds. “But it’s perfect.”
“Perfect,” I murmur, as I think it over.
In theory, it sounds like the best idea for everyone involved.
It would be good for Robin. I can’t deny that.
She likes it here. She knows people.
It could work. I know it could.
All we can do now is wait and hope it works out that way.