Chapter 3 #2
“Bloody hell, I was too late. Sleeping Beauty’s awake.” Taurus gives me a fond grin, relief shining in his eyes.
“I guess that ruins the fairy tale,” the kitty says, tossing the end of her drink down. I hear skittering feet and turn my head, trying to see what she’s doing.
Holy fuck, I can’t see a goddamn thing. Oh, Christ, I can’t let them know.
“I missed a group kiss? Shit,” I say, hoping to inject a little levity. I thought people would be a lot happier when I woke up. Not like jumping for joy, but I figured more than this.
“How’re you feeling now, love?” asks Taurus, his brow furrowing.
Shit, he suspects something. I can’t let him find out, or this thing will never end. I have to work this out on my own.
This is my fault for messing with powers I did not understand.
They’ve all done enough to fix my massive error in judgment.
I swing my head towards the sound of his voice and give him a shy smile.
“Better than I was, thanks to you. Mikhail’s going to slip a disc when I tell him what you did.
He’ll be so proud.” He discounts my words and slips into my emotions to check on me, and I have to tap dance around the invasion.
“Well, better than you were, at least, so that’s good.”
The terror twins have been quiet so far, and I fear that does not bode well.
My husband is laconic, but his mate is not.
I worry that they’re internalizing everything, while they make sure I’m okay.
I don’t think I can stop that, but I’d like a little downtime before the ugly comes crashing down on us all.
I reach up to run a hand through Rafe’s long locks and he leans into it, still silent.
Taurus leans down and kisses my lips. He smiles at me and murmurs into my mind, his voice low. ~ You’ve gotta talk to... ~
I give my primary a sad, knowing smile that says I know.
~Do it soon, love, alright? ~ I feel the shift in his demeanor, and I don’t know where he’s looking.
“Please tell me you weren’t thinking about packs in relation to my woman or I’ll be pissed.”
The cat sighs again, like she’s ready to chuck it all in.
“Actually, what you heard while eavesdropping on our conversation was the term ‘pard’, not pack. Leopards move in pards and that’s about as close as I get.
He used a word he shouldn’t have. No need for righteous indignation. Everyone is raw.”
“You have that right, love. What was with the ‘I told you so’ jibe? I heard that, too, because I’m hearing all of it.
I think it’s the shielding bit we did. It’ll go away once she’s on her own again, but I’m a bloody strong mind speaker in my own right, so I’m picking up both of you without trying. What’re you teasing Sampson about?”
She stops, and I bet she’s looking at him in shock.
I feel the air around all of us get thick like it’s pushing on my skin.
There’s no way that they can’t feel it, and her silence is eerie.
She’s severing the ties, and she doesn’t want us to know.
She wants neither of us tapping into what’s going on inside of her, particularly what she’s saying to Rafe.
“Nosy. That’s for me to know and you to find out, I’m sure.”
It’s a suitable cover, but that’s because it is not the whole truth, nor is it a lie.
She does not want to have this discussion right now.
There is something rotten in Deli-ville, and she has locked the tower down tight.
I’m too wiped to pursue it. I’m certain it’ll come out in the coming hours, given that even my primary had to admit that we have to talk soon enough.
I close my eyes and pretend this is my family being silly, all three of them, and that the coming moments won’t be as hard as I know they will.
“I’d rather you told me. I’d rather not hurt the golden one anymore tonight.”
Damn it, Taurus, shut up for a while and let the wounds heal a little. Could you let it lie for once in your life?
“It’s not hurting anyone, or I would not have said it, but thanks for assuming I would do that.”
Her voice is indignant, and the air gets thicker, as if now she’s sealing every crack and escape for any emotions or thoughts. She’s rebuilding the walls she had before she opened up for the healing and bricking them up tighter than before.
I feel it and I can’t say anything, because soon enough, none of us will even be able to tell. Everything in the past that we might have coaxed out of her—any healing she and Rafe might have done with that open conduit—got ruined because the bird couldn’t keep his beak closed when he was snooping.
Damn him and his mouth.
My husband is still quiet, his hand stroking my hair. He buries his face in my shoulder and he ignores their bickering. He’s cocooned against my side and not even defending her or me or acknowledging the bird’s presence. That is a bad sign that only I seem to have noticed.
“I’m sorry, love. I’m raw. It’s no good taking it out on you. Can you forgive me?” Taurus murmurs.
Only she gets that kind of contrition for sure. I wonder for a moment if she knows that.
“It’s okay.” That damned bottle clinks again, and I wonder why in the fuck she’s drinking Taurus’ scotch like there’s a hole in the bottle’s bottom.
The mattress shifts as Taurus rises and goes over to where she’s standing. There’s a flicker of relief coming from him, but nothing from her. She’s closed the door for now. Whatever secrets she has inside are staying there.
I smile, though, because despite my disappointment, I’m still lying with my husband, and the emotions coming off Taurus are much calmer when he touches her. Perhaps he’s absorbed some ‘pard’ stuff she was talking about. He seems centered when she’s touching him
“As much as I want this peace to last, I can’t let it keep going without spearing the elephant in the room.” I lean down and whisper in my mate’s ear, “Don’t you think we should talk?”
~I think so. ~
He’s not even responding out loud. Shit. I frown, blinking back tears. Something is very wrong here. “I’m not sure I can move yet. I still feel stripped from what I did.”
Rafe lifts his head, looking at our primaries. “Can you blink somewhere so we can chat?”
The bird snorts and then grumbles, “It’s my bloody home, you know. But as Talia’s not fit for travel, I suppose there’s another room or six we could use, unless the minx would like to go out to the gardens or pool or some such. What do you think, love?”
“I’m sure they know it’s our home. I’m fine with wherever you want to go, but I’d feel better if we went somewhere where I can gorge. I’m right on the edge if you remember.”
The bird can’t help himself, so he grouses more. “I suppose as he’s also my mate, he has as much right to use the facilities as the rest of my ever-growing family.”
Christ, I swear if he could take a hint, he’d be damn near perfect.
“Taurus, stop being an ass and take your wife to eat. Why she wants to have you to herself is beyond me, but I think she does.” I think for a moment, then reach out to her. “Come here, love.”
She might be smiling. I hope she’s smiling. I don’t know because I can’t see her, and she’s cut the lines. It might be because she’s mad at Taurus’ small invasion, or it might be because she needs rejuvenation. I’m hoping it’s one or the other and not something else.
“That’s okay. You’re clean, but I have not cleaned up yet. I wanted to eat first, as it’s bound to be messy. Taurus will be unhappy if I get sand all over the bed.”
“Bloody right, I will. It gets into the most inconvenient places.”
Frowning a little, I nod. “I wanted to thank you for everything. Next time, it’s you and me at the beach with no tragedy. Nothing but jollies, okay?”
“You’re welcome,” she replies. “I’m glad you are better.”
She doesn’t respond to the beach offer and I frown, feeling concerned about what is going on with my mates.
I try sending her a picture that shows what I’m thinking about, and she murmurs something about next time in my mind.
It doesn’t sound very certain or very promising.
I wonder if today changed how she feels; she seems to be distant.
She may even pull back from the things she thinks will cause her pain.
I can’t stop her from doing that. I have my silent spouse to contend with.
I lie back against the pillows and listen to my primary gather her up. “Come on, love. I know when we’re not wanted.”
He reaches out to do something—smack my husband playfully, maybe? Rafe flinches, so Taurus speaks into his mind. I hate when he does that because he knows I can’t hear it when he talks to others. This time, however, there’s an echo so clearly that I’m almost shocked out of my spot.
~Love her, mate. You and me, we’ll figure something out, but listen to her. I’m still getting the sense something’s not right, but haven’t put my finger on it yet. Maybe you could use that alleged ultra-squishy frontal lobe of yours to figure it out. ~
With that, they’re gone.
Here it comes.