Qylar smiled. “You can fight it, but I don’t know how successful you’d be.”
“But I could try?”
Qylar nodded. “Yes. And I’ll support you any way I know how. I’m sure Cryss and Alex would, too.”
Kenji wrapped his arms around Qylar’s neck and squeezed tight.“Thank you.”
Qylar squeezed him back just as tightly. “Thank me once I’ve figured out how to make it happen.”
“Just the fact you’re willing to try means a lot. Awholelot.”
Qylar eyed him after he let go. He grasped Kenji’s hands and brought them to his lips, kissing each one. “I’ve never experienced the hardships you have and will never truly understand what you’ve gone through, but I recognized that the life you’ve had left scars. I only wanted to make things better for you. The money in your account was meant to give you security. You were worried about bills and not being able to work, so I wanted to alleviate that. I never meant to cause you discomfort. Perhaps I was overly generous in what I put in there, but you’ve suffered so much, and I never want you to suffer again. I aspired to give you all you’ve ever wanted and then some.”
“And you can give… within reason. As long as I know you’re also helping to ensure that those on the edge get a hand to help them from falling into the abyss.”
Qylar smiled. “You’re amazing. Do you know that?”
“I’m not.”
“You are. Handed money, you can only think of others instead of yourself. There aren’t many whose first thought would be how to share their newfound wealth instead of how to spend it.”
“You’ll find some of the most generous people in neighborhoods like mine. I’ve seen folks struggling to survive share what little they had because they understood what it meant to go without.”
“Then I’m fortunate to know one of those generous people who can teach me to be more like them,” Qylar murmured.
Kenji met Qylar’s gaze and came to a decision.
“Thereissomething I want from you. Not money… but something only you can give.”
“Name it and it’s yours,” Qylar said, smiling.
“Your mark.”
The smile disappeared. Qylar searched his face for a few seconds, pain shining in his eyes. “You can’t ask me that. That’s the one thing Ican’tgive you.”
“Why not?”
Qylar pulled up his sleeve to the arm without Kenji’s imprint. “Markme.Claimme.I’m yours and will be for the rest of my life, if you’ll have me, but don’t ask me to curse you with my mark.”
“You see it as a curse?”
“It is.”
“Iwantto be yours. Why won’t you claim me?”
“You are mine. We both know it, so what does it matter? My mark will only make your life more difficult.”
“I survived the stares last time. I’ll survive them again.”
“What you saw on Nefyria was nothing. It was quiet at first and that was likely because they were curious who you were. Then Cryss and Alex soon arrived. When I stand at their side, I only get the stares and whispers. Alone? I’m taunted. I’m barred entry from nearly every building, meaning I struggle to eat, to drink, and I can’t purchase basic, needed items. I was once seriously injured and nearly bled out before Cryss found me and demanded they tend my wounds.” He chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound. “You experienced a couple of days with Alex and Cryss’s protection. What happens if we choose to have children someday and have to live there for months at a time—and Alex and Cryss can’t come with us? How will we eat? How will we live? How will we find medical care for our children? I won’t be able to secure those things—but without my mark, you can.”
“Do you really think Alex and Cryss wouldn’t be there for us if we needed them?”
“No, but what if? There are real threats to Alex and Cryss’s safety. What if something happened to them? What would become of us if we’re both untouchable?”
“They’ll learn I’m your mate eventually.”
“They’ll know we’re together. Not that we’re mates.”
