He’s leaving me again.
Sadness and fear tingled my spine.
I can’t go back.
But I had no choice.
I’ll break.
But I had to remain strong.
I couldn’t look at him as he smoothed down my nightgown, readjusted my coat, and plucked wayward strands of straw from my hair.
Say it. Tell me we’re about to go our separate ways after everything that’s happened.
Jethro stiffened, obviously sensing my frustration and terror.
Time would come between us again. I would hate it all the more.
“Nila...stop.” Gathering me in a hug, he kissed my cheek. “You already know what I’m about to say. I feel it.”
I snuggled into him, despite wanting to shove him away. All that talk of keeping me safe, yet he expected me to return to the monster’s den without him.
Please, don’t do it...take me with you.
“What are you going to do?” I inhaled his skin, flinching against the strange scent of antiseptic and musk. He normally smelled so delicious but nowhe reminded me of death and toil. “Whatever you’re planning, don’t. We could still leave. Tonight.”
Time doesn’t need us apart again. It’s had its fun.
I wanted to create my own time where we became immortal and lived a safe, happy existence forever.
But you know he’s right.
No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t leave Vaughn and he couldn’t leave Jasmine. And if Kestrel ever woke up, Jethro owed him a safe home to return to. As much as I wanted to scream and beg, I forced down my weakness. I was on his side—I would do what he asked of me, even if it was the hardest thing I’d ever do.
Damn obligations and common-sense. Hadn’t I deserved some fantastical ideology where we could run off into the sunset and exist happily ever after?
Why couldn’t life be like storybooks?
Jethro sighed, hugging me hard. His muscles vibrated; his heart thundered. He was alive, in my arms, and his orgasm was drying on my inner thigh.
He’s alive.
I had to trust he’d stay that way to carry out whatever he had planned.
“I need to end this, Nila.” Jethro pulled away, looking into my eyes. “You know as well as I do that we can’t be free until it’s dealt with.”
The cuts on my breastbone flared, agreeing with him. We’d suffered enough—it was their turn.
My eyes fell to his waist. It hadn’t escaped my notice that he refused to take his t-shirt off. However, he couldn’t hide the small pinprick of blood coming through the light grey material.
I reached for it.
He jolted back, clamping an arm around himself—glaring at me, daring me to question his conviction that he was strong enough to do this. “One day, two at the most. I’ll have everything in place and we can finally be happy.”
I shook my head. “Something will happen. It always does.” Tears rose. I hated that I was weak but I couldn’t deny it—the thought of going back to Hawksridge alone petrified me. “I can’t go back, Kite. Please, don’t make me.”
So much for not begging.
