I smile warmly at Siah and try to communicate silently that it’s fine if he hangs with Sorik. I know their friendship goes way back, and I’m not bothered by it. Fact is, I don’t always know how to manage this pack of Chosen. I worry a lot about whether they are all getting what they need. Nurturing relationships with each of them is no joke, and we’re all working hard at this. I’m lucky that they are all figuring each other out and building those bonds as well. They all get along, which means things areso far, so good,on the mate front.
Enoch makes his way over to Nash, and I find myself watching my Chosen to see if his proximity to me is going to be a problem. Knox and a few others are watching him, but they’re keeping their mouths closed. They’ve been doing this since I put my foot down about them coming with us. It’s obvious that they still aren’t a fan of Enoch or his coven being here, but they aren’t being vocal about it, and they aren’t starting shit.
I’m not sure if it was the way the magic reacted when Siah joined our bond, and Enoch and his crew were unaffected other than a little glowing, or if they’ve just had more time to process and deal with the other coven’s presence and can bite their tongues better. Either way, I’ll take it, regardless of how much I’m expecting the ceasefire to crumble and the bullshit to start again.
“So how are you holding up?” Nash asks me as we all fall into place behind Sorik, Siah, and Vaughn.
I shrug and tuck my thumbs into the pack straps on my shoulders. “Good,” I answer casually.
Nash snorts, and I turn to watch his face, my eyebrows dipping down in question.
“What? You’ve decided I’m not good?” I challenge as he shakes his head and runs his gaze over my face.
“I’m not deciding anything. I just don’t see how you’re good with anything that’s going on.”
“What would you prefer I be then?” I snark.
Nash releases a sigh. “I don’t know. It’s just that you thought you were the last of your kind, and yet we’re hiking to a city full of Sentinels. Your uncle died. Your mates’ uncle hates you. He’s also headed back to Solace to stand trial for crimes he committed to find his sister and your father, one of who happens to be traveling with us on this quest that just might get us all killed. And you’re just...good.”
I give a humorless snort at his wrap up of things. “I’ve felt cautious, unsure, sad, relieved, hesitant, excited and a ton of other shit. Right now, this is an adventure, and I’m surrounded by people I love and care about, so I’m...good.”
I take a moment to study Nash. I’ve been busy with the sisters, the logistics of this mission, my dad, my mates, the lamia. I haven’t made time to check in with Nash and his coven. I take in the tightness around his eyes and the flattening of his lips and realize that his question about how I’m feeling is more about him than it is about me.
“How areyou?” I ask, and I watch his brow furrow in confusion.
“I’m fucking nervous,” he admits.
I give him a reassuring smile and a soft shoulder bump with my shoulder. We step around an old log sitting in the middle of the path we’re on.
“Anything I can do to help you feel less nervous?” I offer and then give him the space to think about it.
“What do you do when you feel fucked up and restless?” he asks me.
I think about it for a minute. “I usually need to do something physical: run, fight, get stabby with something.”
Nash laughs, and a few other chuckles sound off around the group.
“We’re all unsure of what’s going to go down,” Bastien surprises me by saying. “But you’re not alone. We’ll all deal with whatever happens together.”
I don’t fight the smile that creeps over my face as I watch Bastien comfort someone he doesn’t even like. Nash nods his head at Bastien’s declaration, and I can see his shoulders relax a little. I’m pretty sure I hear Becket mumble something about “afterschool special bullshit,” but I ignore it and instead bask in my mate’s awesomeness.
“I’m sure we’ll all run the gamut of feels as we get closer to Sentinel City. Just know we’re here if you need to get the nerves or whatever out of your system,” I offer. “Fuck knows, I’ll probably need the same.”
Nash studies my face as my words sit in the air between us.
“I mean, I’m good now, but that could turn intofreaking the fuck outat any minute,” I admit, and Nash snorts out a laugh.
He gives me a small smile, thethanksclear in his eyes. Nash looks away, his expression contemplative, and I leave him to his thoughts. I reach out and lace my fingers with Bastien’s. He’s so hot when he’s being all sensitive and shit.
Torrez’s chuckle fills the silence, and Sabin, Knox, Ryker and Bastien all suddenly shoutdibsat the same time.
“You pricks can’t steal my thing!” Sabin exclaims.
“Our thing now, bro,” Knox teases and dodges the punch Sabin aims for his arm.
“Never telling you fools anything again,” Sabin declares, but the amused smile fighting to take over his face sells him out. “First one to the top of the hill sleeps in Vinna’s tent tonight!” he suddenly declares and then books it.
Two seconds later I’m left in a cloud of dust and man grunts, laughing my ass off. Maybe my vaginaismore magical than I thought it was. Who knew?
