“I know that what I did was wrong.I’m not going to use our bond against you.”
“That’s not what you’re doing.I don’t think you could even if you tried.”
Nic shook his head.“I’ve seen it.”He’d seen more bad relationships between mates than good ones.Kudlaks had mates, but they shouldn’t.When they did, people got hurt, and that was the last thing Nic wanted for Tamsin.
Tamsin was too nice.He deserved someone much better than Nic, but unfortunately, he wouldn’t get it.The only thing Nic could do about that was try to push Tamsin away, but part of him didn’t want to.Part of him wanted to pull him as close as he could and make sure he never left.That was the part that Nic shouldn’t listen to.
He wasn’t sure he could ignore it.
* * * *
TAMSIN WAS CONFUSED, but maybe he shouldn’t be.Nic had told him what had happened to him as a child.If he’d grown up with Parrish since he was six years old, he probably hadn’t seen many examples of healthy relationships between mates.It was obvious that he thought that Tamsin should stay away from him.
As if that was an option.
Maybe for some people it would be.Tamsin was sure that there were people out there who would reject their mate because of what they were.He wouldn’t blame them, depending on the circumstances.If someone like Rowan had ended up being Nic’s mate, for example, Tamsin would have understood if Rowan had rejected Nic.
But Tamsin wasn’t Rowan.He might have had bad experiences with Kudlaks, but he didn’t have any with Nic, and he wasn’t going to blame Nic for something that had happened when he hadn’t even been alive.
“What did you see that makes you feel this way?”he asked softly.
Nic shook his head.“I’ve seen too much to tell you all of it.”
“You don’t have to, and I’d understand if you didn’t trust me, but remember that I’m your mate.That bond is stronger than anything that links me to the village or even the clan.”
“It shouldn’t be.”
“Maybe not, but there’s nothing I can do to change that, is there?”
Nic rubbed his face with both of his hands.He always looked young, but right now, with his hair still damp and dark circles under his eyes, he looked even younger.Tamsin wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in his arms and promise him that everything would be okay.He wanted to protect him from the world that had already hurt him so badly.
There was nothing Tamsin could do about the past, but there was everything he could do about the future.He might not be able to heal the wounds that were already on Nic’s soul, but he could make sure that no new ones would join them.
It was a lot to put on his own shoulders, but for his mate, he’d do it and much more.The clan and the village were his home, but Nic was his mate.That meant everything to Tamsin, who’d been looking for a home since he’d lost his clan.He hadn’t thought he’d find it in a person, but he had.He wouldn’t allow anyone to ruin that for him, not even Nic himself.
“Parrish has a mate.”
Tamsin blinked.“I’m sorry?”
“Parrish.He has a Vila mate.I’ve seen the way he treats her.Kudlaks shouldn’t have mates, but if they do, those mates should be other Kudlaks.It’s what we deserve.We shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near other species.The only thing we do is hurt them.”
“Is that what Parrish does?Does he hurt his mate?”
“Of course he does.Parrish hurts everyone.”
And that mate was a Vila, just like Tamsin.No wonder Nic was scared.There was a lot of self-hatred in him.He’d lost his parents when he was only six, and he’d been raised by a monster.The only thing he’d seen since he’d ended up with Parrish was violence.
Tamsin didn’t know if that information would be useful, but he’d have to tell Rowan and Clay about Parrish’s mate.That meant that he needed more information, but it wasn’t the only reason he wanted to continue asking questions.He wanted to get to know his mate, and he suspected that Nic would make it hard for him.He clearly didn’t understand that Tamsin wasn’t going anywhere.
He would eventually.Tamsin would show him.
“Parrish’s mate is still alive?”he asked.
“She is,” Nic confirmed.“I think she wishes she wasn’t, though.”
“What’s he doing to her?”
“He uses her in any way he can.He’s never trusted me, so he’s never told me about his plans or anything like that, but everyone knows about her.Everyone knows what Parrish does to her.Most people don’t care because she’s not one of us, but I don’t think that’s true.Even though Vila usually live with Krsniks instead of Kudlaks, the fact that we can be mates has to mean that we belong together, right?”
