“Of course I am,” Aerin asserts.
Theo strums his fingers against the edge of the tub. When she doesn’t speak, he prompts her: “But?”
“But…” Aerin trails off, “But I miss him too. He’s my brother, my best friend.” Aerin tries not to let the cavernous space inside of her where Bruin should be echo as she speaks. Theo gives her a look that tells Aerin she’s being foolish. “I can’t just forgive him. And I can’t let him know what I’m planning. He'll never go along with it; he’d tell Father.”
Theo shrugs. “All I’m pointing out is that you don’t have to stay upset with him if you don’t want to. You don’t have to tell him everything, but you don’t have to exile him from your life either.”
Aerin pushes the bubbles around again.
“Maybe you’re right, maybe I was too harsh.”
“He brought you one of your bonded-mates. He helped break your contract,” Theo says, raising two knowledgeable eyebrows at her.
She’s silent for a moment, reflecting. Never once has she considered the fact that in his betrayal Bruin freed her. Perhaps she does owe him a conversation.
“I’ll take it into consideration,” Aerin says with a smirk.
“So pragmatic,” Theo mocks with a grin. Aerin rolls her eyes and continues with the story.
They talk and talk. Until the bath grows cold. Until the bubbles fade. Until Theo is grabbing their takeout from the front door after wrapping her in one of her fluffy robes, perching her on her bed. They share the food while Aerin talks.
Eventually she tells him about the Witch and her final words to Aerin.
Unlike most of his commentary, which revolves around supporting her decisions and subtle jabs at Emrys, Malice, and Khortland, Theo says something that truly shocks her around a mouthful of food.
“I know a way for us to become bonded-mates.”
Aerin freezes. “You do?”
“There is a Mer binding ceremony. Old Mer magic. It can be dangerous, but I’m sure we could get through it fine.” He smiles. “It has to be done at a specific archway in the Mer waters. We could go tomorrow.”
Theo says it like it’s nothing.
“You’d do that? After all this time?” Aerin asks, letting her insecurities show. Theo puts down his utensils, his green eyes burrowing into her.
“Aerin Tolvare, I chose you. Every day, since the moment I met you. Even when it was painful. Even when you couldn’t choose me back.” He inhales sharply through his nose. “I will continue to choose you. Every day. For the rest of our very, very long lives. I’ve waited eight years to tell you that and not a single day has it rang less true.” Theo speaks with such conviction that tears spring to Aerin’s eyes. He moves the food off the bed and pulls her to him. They stay like that for a long time.
63
MALICE
Watching Aerin be carted off by another Prince is a special kind of torture. Through Aerin’s wards, Malice can’t quite hear what is said between them, but he can discern loud noises. The sounds of her pleasure. The sounds of the bath running. The stupid red-head’s shit eating grin when he emerges from the room to get their takeout and finds Malice camped out on the couch, alone.
He wants to punch that smile right off the Mer’s face.
Reikan wants to eat him whole.
They do neither. Instead, they wait for Aerin to leave her room. Only she never does. She never comes back to finish their fight, to settle things between them. Each minute Malice sits with it feels like leeches removing his blood, sucking the life from him.
Aerin betrayed him. She lied to him, again. She slept with him, promised him things would be different, and then turned around the very next day and tried to dupe him. It enraged him. And more than that, it hurt him, deep down where Malice doesn’t like to be hurt.
Eventually Malice lets himself fall into a fitful sleep on the couch. When the early morning hours roll around, he expects Aerin to wake, moving around in the clumsy way she does when she is getting ready for the gym before the sun has considered rising. Instead, he hears silence.
Malice grits his teeth. Even if he isn’t sleeping with her, even if he means nothing to her, he is still her personal guard. He is still in charge of her safety. Malice tries her door and is surprised to find it unlocked.
Something hot burns inside of him at the sight of Aerin wrapped up in the red-head’s arms. Though it settles when he sees Emrys, in his Wolf form, sleeping at the foot of the bed. Malice trusts Emrys. He and Emrys are aligned, connected in some way. It makes the angry thing in Malice’s chest settle when he sees the Wolf keeping an eye on Aerin and her new guest.
Emrys lifts his head and looks at Malice in acknowledgement. Malice doesn’t hesitate to flip the light switch. Perhaps with too much gusto as it cracks under his fist.
