“Well, we know that Parrish is a monster,” Tamsin said.“I suppose we don’t need confirmation of that from you.”
“No, but you need something from me.Why would you be keeping me here otherwise?”
Tamsin frowned.“You really think that Rowan and Clay will kill you, don’t you?”
Nic had heard those two names more times than he could count.After Parrish had found out that Rowan was alive, he’d been surprisingly happy.He’d told Nic it would give him a second chance to exterminate the Harper clan.Nic had been queasy, listening to him, but he hadn’t been surprised.Parrish had shown him who he was many times over the years.Why would this be any different?
Parrish was cruel.He enjoyed hurting people, and he did so as often as he could, in as many ways as he could come up with.He was very creative, but he was also obsessive.Right now, his attention was all on Rowan and his new clan, which was unfortunate for them.Parrish didn’t stop until he got what he wanted.That meant that until the clan was destroyed, he’d continue attacking them.He wouldn’t stop until the only thing left of the village was smoking ruins and dead bodies.
Nic wished the clan was strong enough to stand up to Parrish, maybe even to kill him, but Parrish was too evil to die.He was like a cockroach.No matter what was thrown at him, he withstood it and came out of the fight stronger.Nic had seen it happen countless times over the years.
“Nic?”Tamsin’s voice was soft, almost as if he was afraid to startle Nic.
Maybe he was.Ever since he’d realized they were mates, he’d been treating Nic with kid gloves.Nic didn’t blame him.He felt like he was about to break, and he imagined that he looked like it, too.Tamsin probably didn’t want to deal with that if it happened, although he was such a nice guy that maybe, he actually wanted Nic to feel okay.Nic didn’t understand why.
“Why are you so nice?”he asked.
Tamsin blinked.“What are you talking about?”
“You keep bringing me food.You changed my bed sheets while I showered.You don’t have to do any of that.”
“Well, if no one brought you food, you’d starve.”
Nic shook his head.“You know what I mean.You could give me bread and water and nothing else.Instead, I’m pretty sure you’re cooking all of my meals.Is it because we’re mates?Do you feel obligated?Because I don’t want you to.I don’t need you to be nice and take care of me.You shouldn’t do any of that if you don’t want to.”He shouldn’t do it even if he did want to.
Tamsin frowned.Nic didn’t know him well enough to read his expression, so he waited.He had no idea if Tamsin was going to get angry and push him away, or if he was going to ignore him and continue doing what he’d been doing.Probably the second one.The bond could influence him to do that.
“You think that I’m doing all of this because of the bond?”Tamsin asked.
“Aren’t you?”
“I mean, in part.The bond does make me want to take care of you and spend time with you.I could resist it easily, though.I’m sure there are plenty of people who don’t give in.”
“Then why are you here?”Because it didn’t make sense.Tamsin should be resentful.He should be angry.Of all the people his mate could have been, why was it Nic?Considering the circumstances, there couldn’t be a worse person to be bonded to right now.
But Tamsin had never said that.He’d never said anything against Nic.From that first time he’d walked into the bedroom with food, even before he’d realized that Nic was his mate, he’d been nice.It probably had more to do with him trying to get information out of Nic than anything else, but still.Tamsin had the right to be angry.He had the right to wonder why he’d been saddled with Nic as a mate.They were enemies.Nic had actively worked against Tamsin and his village.He could have killed everyone here.Tamsin should hate him.
“I’m here because it’s where I’m supposed to be,” Tamsin said simply.
“Because of the bond.It’s forcing you.”
Tamsin snorted.“Please.You feel the bond as much as I do.Could it force you to do anything you don’t want to do?”
It wouldn’t.Nicwantedto spend time with Tamsin, and maybe it was because of the bond, but he could resist if he had to.He could ignore Tamsin and ask him to leave.Instead, they were talking.
Maybe Nic was part of the problem.Maybe if he stopped talking to Tamsin, Tamsin would stop visiting.
Tamsin narrowed his eyes.“Stop that.I can see you thinking up ways to push me away, and you’re not going to succeed.I want to be here, and no one will change my mind about that, not even you.I’m not abandoning you, Nic.”
“Because of the bond.”
“No.”
Nic didn’t believe that.He’d seen what a bond between mates could do.Yes, he might be able to walk away from Tamsin right now, but what would happen if they continued spending time together?He’d seen the way this kind of bond could be used.He’d seen how mates could be reduced to nothing more than a power source.He’d seen how a mate could take advantage of the other, manipulate them, and hurt them.
He wouldn’t do any of that.He wouldn’t hurt Tamsin, and he definitely wouldn’t use him.That was why he wanted Tamsin to stop.“Maybe you should ask someone else to bring me my meals,” he said, looking away again.“Seeing me won’t be good for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
