I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up a hand with a world-weary sigh.
“I explain, and explain, and explain, and no one everlistens.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “This must be how mothers feel. Constantly repeating themselves, always ignored.”
Still staring at him, I waited for him to give me something useful.
Pinning me with his gaze, he groaned in pure frustration. “The answer is your mate. All paths lead to her. She is the final piece of the puzzle, and without her, we may as well hand the world over right now. Go to her. Support her. Strengthen her.”
If only I could.
I had the sudden fear that I’d already ruined things beyond repair.
“It’s never too late, Grimsby. Until it is.”
I glared at him. “Fortune cookies are more helpful than you.”
He flung his hands up. “You were the one who came to me.”
“A lapse in judgment I will be sure not to repeat.”
“Well, thank the Creator for that.” Falling back into his seat, he pulled the paperback from his coat and began flipping through the pages until he found his spot. When I didn't move, he looked over the book with an eyebrow raised. “Is there anything else? I was just about to get to the good part.”
“What do you consider the good part?”
He stared at me as if I were the stupidest being in all existence. “When he stops being an obtuse fool and confesses his love for her.”
For some reason, I had the sense he wasn’t talking about the book. I didn’t say another word as I left the greenhouse, stalking my way back to the room where my brothers were currently under Merri’s spell.
As if my presence summoned them back, the three all shot up as one.
“Enjoy your little nap?” I drawled, doing my level best to shove my jealousy down as far as it could possibly go whilst they got to their feet.
Sin smirked. “Fuck yeah.”
“I’ve never felt so relaxed,” Malice murmured, his eyes half-lidded.
She’d fed on them. All of them. And my stubborn arse hadn’t been included.
“She tried, Grim.” Chaos’s words pulled me out of my one-man pity party. “She said your bond was too weak and she couldn’t bring you in.”
Fuck. I was right. This was all my fault.
I sat down with a groan. If only I’d had the clarity of Gabriel’s words earlier. Everything would be different. Merri would have never fled. I’d have had the opportunity to collect more moments with her.
My mate.
“Is he . . . crying?” Sin asked.
I was so startled by the question I sat straight up and wiped at my face. There were no tears. I glared at Sin and chucked the first thing I could reach straight at his head.
Chaos caught the lamp before it could make contact.
“No, I’m not fucking crying, you twat. I’m frustrated with myself. I was wrong. So bloody wrong, and now I can’t fix it.”
“Well, you’ve been wrong about a lot of things lately, so could you maybe tighten that statement up a bit? What were you wrong about now?” Sin flinched when I looked at him, but I didn’t throw anything this time.
“She is my mate.”
Chaos cleared his throat. “Ourmate.”
