“Including using me,” Nic murmured.
For some reason, Clay beamed at him.“Including using you,” he confirmed.“Which means we have an offer.”
“I’m listening.”Nic was grateful.Anyone else would have threatened him to make his life worse so he’d do what they wanted.Hell, he probably would have even if they’d asked nicely.He didn’t want these people to think that he was like Parrish.
He didn’t wantTamsinto think that he was like Parrish.
“Tamsin told us about the bond you share,” Rowan said.He might be quieter than Clay, but he was also more intense.Nic was almost afraid to look at him.
He wasn’t who Nic was interested in, anyway.He looked at Tamsin, wondering why he’d done it.“You should have kept our bond a secret,” he murmured.
Tamsin looked unapologetic.“Why should I?You’re my mate.”
That seemed to make Dermot angrier.Nic briefly wondered if the man had feelings for Tamsin, but even if he did, it was none of Nic’s business.It wouldn’t be a bad thing for Tamsin to choose Dermot over him, though.He was a Vila, like Tamsin, and he’d never hurt anyone.
Probably.There was no way for Nic to know that for sure, and he didn’t really care, anyway.The only thing he cared about was that Dermot had never worked with Parrish, while he had.That made it clear who the best man between the two of them was.
“You should have a better mate,” Nic told Tamsin.
“I think that’s the one thing we can all agree on,” Dermot said.
Tamsin glared at him.“That’s enough,” he said.“You’re my friend, but I won’t tolerate you insulting my mate.”
“Your mate is a Kudlak,” Dermot spat out.
“And what am I supposed to do about it?Even if I reject him, and Iwon’t, he’ll always be my mate.”
“We can find a way to change that, I’m sure of that.We can use our magic.”
Tamsin shook his head.“I saideven if, Dermot.I’m not planning on rejecting Nic.He’s my mate, and I won’t ever be ashamed of that.”
Dermot looked like he believed that Tamsin should be ashamed, but he didn’t say it.Instead, he scowled and turned his attention to a spot on the wall.It was clear that he was going to ignore Nic, which was perfectly fine with Nic.He might believe that Tamsin would be better off with someone who wasn’t him, maybe someone like Dermot, but that didn’t mean he wanted more attention than he already had.In fact, he’d be happy with less of it.
“As I was saying,” Rowan said, watching Dermot, too.“Tamsin told us about the bond you share.He also told us what you said about Parrish having a mate.”
Nic swallowed.“I’d tell you more if I could, but Parrish keeps her locked up.She’s not technically a prisoner, and he says it’s for her own good, but we all know that’s not the case.I don’t think she’s ever wanted to be there.”Nic hesitated.“From what I know, Parrish met her a few years after he took me in.I was still a kid, so I didn’t notice anything strange, but I’m pretty sure he forced her to bond with him.”
“That’s not surprising.We’ll help her if we can, but our priority has to be the clan.Dermot and Tamsin here believe that Parrish is using his mate’s magic against us.Is that something you believe is possible?”
“Anything is possible when it comes to Parrish.”
“Wouldn’t he want to protect her?”Clay asked.“I mean, Rowan and I are mates, and I could never dream of hurting him.I don’t understand why and how Parrish is doing it.”
“I don’t think that Parrish cares about anything and anyone who isn’t him.”Nic had spent enough time with the Kudlak to be sure of that.“She’s his mate, but that only matters because he can use their bond.It’s not going to stop him from forcing her to do his bidding.He probably feels like she owes it to him since they’re mates.”
Clay’s easy smile was gone.He looked pissed, which Nic understood.He was, too.He’d been angry even before he’d met his mate, but now, he truly didn’t understand how Parrish could do this to her.Nic wanted nothing more than to take care of Tamsin.He would never dream of hurting him or forcing him to do anything, yet Parrish never seemed to have a problem doing so.He truly was a monster.He didn’t even care about his mate.
Nic didn’t understand how Parrish had a mate.He didn’t know her, but he couldn’t imagine that anyone deserved someone like Parrish.
“So, we’re ready to offer you a deal,” Rowan said.“We’ll let you go if you help us against Parrish.You’ll be able to walk away, no questions asked.We won’t try to keep you here, and we definitely won’t execute you.”
Nic glanced at Tamsin.Had his mate told Rowan that Nic thought he’d kill him?Or had Rowan guessed since he knew Parrish as well as Nic did?
“You’ll be allowed to stay here, at the village, if that’s what you want,” Rowan continued.
Nic hadn’t expected that.“You want me to stay?”
Dermot made a scoffing sound, and even though it made it clear what Dermot thought of that, Nic ignored him.Dermot wasn’t the person in charge.Rowan was, and he was saying that Nic would be allowed to stay.
