She lets me undress her in silence.
There is nothing lustful in the way I touch her, only care.
The bond finally yields.
I gather her in my arms and ease her into the water. It ripples around her like a second skin, clinging gently to every curve.
The steam curls around her throat like a ghostly scarf.
I sit beside the tub, resting one hand in the water, brushing my fingers lightly against hers where they float.
“I'm right here, my love,” I whisper. “Even if you're not ready to come back yet.”
Hair sticks to her cheek in long, dark strands. Tiny beads of water cling to her lashes. One drop falls, not a tear, but something inside me shatters anyway.
“He's not here anymore, Saelûn.”
I keep my voice soft, careful not to speak his name. My hands tremble as I reach for the soap behind her. I nearly drop it.
Gods. I'd rather her kick, scream, rage. Anything but this stillness—the silence makes it feel like I've already lost her.
I only wash the places she scraped when she ran. I let her soak until the water cools, then wrap her in a thick towel and carry her to bed.
I don't bother with clothes. I just tuck her between the flannel sheets and pile furs over her shoulders.
I curl around her and run my fingers through her hair until her eyes finally flutter shut.
But I don't close mine. I lie awake as the light outside fades. She doesn’t stir even when I shift beneath her to hold her tighter, cradling her to my chest.
Her breath stays soft, steady. One hand rests limp on my chest, fingers barely curled into my fur.
The warmth of her breath ghosts over my collarbone. I listen for every flicker of distress, but none comes. She sleeps like there’s nothing left worth waking for, as if her body has finally surrendered. I won't let it, not for long.
I watch the rise and fall of her chest. I count them slowly—four hundred and twenty-three—until her hand twitches in her sleep, and she wraps her whole fist around my thumb. My thal'kisha. I hum, low and deep in my chest, so she feels me beneath her. So she knows: she’s not alone.
If I close my eyes even for a second, I might dream this isn’t real, so sleep isn’t a luxury I can afford right now. If it’s ever a choice—rest or watching the soft rise and fall of her chest whileher breath warms the place my heart melts a little more each day?—
I choose this.
Every time.
Every life.
27
CHASE ME
Anonymous-
She ran for me.That’s the part I keep returning to.
I hadn’t even made it past the tree line, and she was already on my heels, screaming, “Mark!”
Calling for me... notAndrik.
The way she said it wasn’t pretty; it was ripped from the bowels of her throat,but she still said it.
She came after me. That’s not something I’ll ever forget. Not when I’ve been waiting this long.
