I roll my eyes. “Yes, so exciting that I need to relax now. I don’t want to check the Offering room. I don’t want to know who they sent,” I finally tell him. I feel a little bad for choking him, but I’m especially sure about my decision. This place is nothing more than a dorm until I find Sable, and it doesn’t matter who sleeps in what room as long as they’re not in my bed.
“You can do whatever you want, I guess, but I’m going to find out.”
It’s been a minute since we’ve heard anything, but a sharp bang drags our attention back to the Offering door. Orion has a shitty little “I told you so” all over his face because he knows he’s got me. I’m too curious not to find out who’s in there now that they’re clearly moving something large. Because I’m very, very stupid, I start to hope it’s her. We both step toward the door, eyes on the stone surface. I place my hand against the palm scanner, pushing it open under a shaking hand.
CHAPTER 31
PARKER
“Oh great,both of you are here,” Lex calls, genuine excitement in his tone, and I wonder what the fuck this asshole has the nerve to be happy about when Sable is missing.
Grief and pain overwhelm me. I open my eyes to scream at him for bothering me. Why the fuck does everyone have to bother me—she’s right in the middle of the room. The breath leaves my lungs as I take in her watchful expression. Her blond hair hangs loose, wavy strands make a messy look I’m not used to seeing on her, but fuck if she isn’t the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Icy-blue eyes pin me, but they don’t stay, moving from surface to surface, calculating. Last, I see the bruises. Someone put their fucking hands on her.
The T-shirt and sweats she wears don’t fit her. They bunch and hang off her, and I would bet that they belong to one of the guys. She couldn’t do that in my clothes. They would fall right off. Her once rounded cheeks are now carved in, chic, beautiful, high-fashion, but most importantly, hungry. My heart clenches at the thought of how she might have come to be that way.Where was she?
My hand rests on the door still, eyes narrowing on the three who brought her here, wondering how the fuck they found herand why they didn’t bother to let me know, especially when she’s in such a condition. Lex and Hadrian make enough sense to me, though I’m surprised to see them together, but Soren of all people? They’re all going to hear about leaving me out in favor of him. I don’t worry about that now. I may hate Soren and want to hurt him, but he’s nothing compared to the reality in front of me, Sable Briarwick.
Her eyes move between Orion and me, seeming to wonder which one of us is going to move first. Orion stares at his brother with ravenous hatred, but he can’t focus on him for long with Sable right there. There’s a hesitance in her I’ve never noticed before, and rather than approaching her like I want to, I stay still, waiting for her to make a move.“What happened to her?”is the only question I’m now interested in having answered.
Orion moves first.
He races toward her, snatching her into his arms. Panic stretches her blue eyes as he grabs her, and then a flash of pain as his nose dives into her hair and his arms wrap around her waist. A strange noise echoes from his chest, and I’m not sure if he’s officially gone deranged just in time to overwhelm the hell out of her or if he’s crying. I never imagined I would see a Rook cry so much in my entire life. He gives her an enthusiastic shake, and that same flash of pain crosses her face.
“Orion, calm down,” I say. “She’s obviously hurt.” Even more so than the bruises on her face. He doesn’t listen to me, and for a long moment, she’s in shock, just letting it all happen to her. Sable’s eyes move in panic, her arms point stiff at her sides, and shedoesn’thug him back. I hold my breath, scared that she’ll reject us all at once. She did leave the rest of us too after Soren betrayed her, and she never had to. She never even gave us a chance to make things right. What if she doesn’t want to be here because she actually doesn’t want us? What if she hates us? I suppose I’d like a great many what-ifs answered.
“Orion, please, stop.”
He pulls back like he’s been slapped. His hands leave her body, and I swear he’s going to start crying if he wasn’t already, but before he can run away like a smacked dog, she grabs his hand. “Please, you are hurting me. Parker was right.”
She stares at me for a moment before offering me a sweet, trepidatious smile that takes my breath away. “Hey,” she mouths.
“Hey,” I say with hardly any volume to my voice. Orion pulls her back into his arms, but far gentler this time. While she does seem far more comfortable, something still clearly holds her back.
“Why are you hurt?” Orion asks, pressing his cheek gently to hers.
She swallows hard and seems to think before answering. “I’ve had a really rough month.”
“Baby,” Orion coos into her hair. Everything about his touch and posture is more gentle now.
Sable relaxes in his hold. His arms wind around her, and she places her hands over his forearms as she leans her head against his shoulder. When Orion leans down to kiss her, she turns her head to kiss him back.
I’ve never felt so many things so strongly at once—the relief and love that come with being in her presence, the anticipation of being near enough to touch her, and the rage and powerlessness that come with knowing she was harmed and that I failed to prevent it. Everything that’s happened to her is because I failed to keep her safe in a situation I orchestrated.
My body unlocks, and I start to walk toward her. She stays in his arms, but that’s fine since he’s at her back. I may hate myself for everything I’ve allowed to happen, but this is a dream I’d choose over anything. Unlike Orion, I take it slow because of how much his approach seemed to throw her off. It’s a goodthing I have him to run headfirst into things and give me a better shot at how to do it myself.
Fuck, I missed her.
In two long strides, I’m in front of her. I wait before touching her, staring into her eyes and letting our souls reconnect. Everything inside screams for me to take her and make this official and permanent right now, but she’s clearly afraid, hurt, and thinner than normal. I raise my hand slowly, letting her see the way I move. My palm rests against her cheek, feeling the smooth skin. She closes her eyes, leaning into my touch with the softest smile spreading across her lips. I about die of pride and happiness
“Damn, Sable,” I choke.
The words don’t come out like I want them to, but she seems to understand every unsaid thought I’ve ever had. My hands find the sides of her beautiful face, gently stroking and admiring. I lay my forehead against hers, practically bending myself in half to do it. She’s even smaller when she doesn’t have high heels and an attitude, even smaller than I remembered. I’m going to have a crick in my back from this, but it will be worth it.
“Are you okay, big guy?” she asks.
“No.” I gently kiss her lips. They’re so soft, so sweet, but it’s so much more than that. She’s everything that matters in the world, and I truly feared I might find her dead in the woods. “Where were you?” I ask.
Pain flashes in her eyes. “Would you believe me if I said on a family vacation?”
