But I felt it—the fury simmering beneath Blaidd’s skin, held tightly in check, a stark contrast to the careful, gentle way his hand closed around mine.
???
He left the man in the boot and tried to help me out of the car as if I were an invalid. I was about to glare at him when I noticed the bleak look in his eyes. Whatever compulsion drove him—or however he was processing what had happened—had drawn out a very different side of him. Curiosity made me let it happen.
When we stepped inside the house, he didn’t drop his keys into the wooden bowl by the door. They remained clenched in his hand as he ushered me upstairs. We reached the bedroom, and he began peeling away the layers of my clothes, one by one, dropping everything onto the floor without care. He stripped out of his own clothes just as quickly before tugging me toward the bathroom.
I watched as he turned on the water, checked the temperature, and laid out the towels with quiet precision. Steam began to rise, fogging the mirror, and he slipped an arm around my shoulders, nudging me gently into the shower.
I turned into his chest and rested my head over his heart. My swollen belly pressed between us. Without a word, his arms closed around me. The hot stream of water washed over my back, carrying my silent tears down the drain.
We didn’t speak as he washed me.
We didn’t speak as he dried me.
But when he tried to leave the bed later, I caught his hand and held it.
For once, his body beside mine felt like protection rather than a trap set by a predator.
He stayed.
He held me until I fell asleep.
Chapter 53
Blaidd
The fury inside me needed an outlet. My brain felt splintered as I was torn between staying with Lielit and dealing with Hanson. She’d never broken down like this, not when I snatched everything away from her. And when I returned her? She picked up the pieces and carried on.
When did it all change?
When did I change?
Her body was curled up, knees turned in to protect her belly, and her hands burrowed against my chest. She was warm, safe and home. Our bond may be fractured, but tonight… I felt her. I felt her in a way that I’d only ever felt Fenrir inside of me. My fingers tightened around her when she sighed in her sleep.
When she settled again, I stroked the soft curve of her back.
Lielit loved our children in a way that was deeper than instinct. Perhaps that was something I’d never experience as their father. I could acknowledge my shortcomings in the face of her love.
You will, Fenrir said quietly.When she chooses you, the bond will leave you no choice.
I closed my eyes.
Did I deserve her bite or the bond?
There was no answer.
That night, I remained wide awake.
It wasn't until the beginnings of a new dawn shone in our room that I felt the subtle movement beneath my palm.
Proof of life.
Of survival.
I slowly exhaled, rubbing my babies and finally closed my eyes.
???
