“You’re Tamsin’s mate, and Tamsin vouched for you,” Rowan explained.“There’s also the fact that it would’ve been easy for you to run.Instead, you warned us about Parrish, and you stuck around to protect the village.That means something to us.So yes, if you ever want to become part of our clan, you’d be welcome to.Some people might not be happy about it, but they’ll get used to it, especially if you help us defeat Parrish.”
“I want to, but I don’t know how.I already told you everything I know.”
Rowan nodded.“I realize that.There’s something else you could do, though.Eventually, we’ll have to face Parrish.Will you fight against us or with us?”
Nic didn’t hesitate.“With you, if I’m able to.I never wanted to work for Parrish.I never wanted anything to do with him.I didn’t have a choice.”
“Good.I’m glad that we have a Vila and Kudlak bond within our clan.Of course, you and Tamsin aren’t bonded the way Parrish is with his mate, but hopefully, it’ll help us understand how their bond works.Something tells me we’re going to need to know.”
“Tamsin and I can bond.That way, you can see what the bond does.You can understand it better.”And if they bonded, Tamsin would never be able to abandon Nic.It was a purely selfish offer, an offer that Nic didn’t think anyone would agree to, but he had to make it.It might be the only way to save the village and Tamsin.
* * * *
THAT WAS THE LAST THINGTamsin had expected to hear coming out of Nic’s mouth.Nic had been pushing him away and telling him that he should keep his distance, and now, he was offering for them to bond?It didn’t make sense, but Tamsin suspected that he was about to find out why his mate was doing this.He was curious, and something made him think that Nic wasn’t offering because he thought it would be the best outcome for the two of them.
Clearly, he wasn’t the only one, because Rowan frowned at him, then looked back at Nic, already shaking his head.“We don’t need you and Tamsin to do that.”
“But we could if you need us to.It might help us understand better what’s going on.”
“It might, but I would never dream of asking people to bond just so we can have more information.I know from experience that bonding is a very personal and unique experience.It’s something you should both agree on, not something that should be done as an experiment.”
“But no one here knows how Kudlaks and Vila are once bonded.We don’t know what Parrish is doing to his mate.Idon’t even know, and I used to live there.I want to help her because I don’t think she ever wanted to be there, and I don’t know how else to do that.”
“It’s not your job to help her or anyone else,” Rowan said gently.
“Someone needs to.”
“I agree, but we can help her without forcing you and Tamsin to bond.That’s not the right reason for you to do that.Besides, Tamsin hasn’t agreed.”
Nic turned to look at Tamsin with wide eyes.Tamsin was pretty sure he’d give his mate whatever he asked for, including this, if Nic continued looking at him that way.He wasn’t enthusiastic about it, though.He wanted them to bond because Nic wanted to, because he wanted them to be together.He wanted to know the real reason behind Nic’s eagerness when he’d been pushing Tamsin away just a few days ago.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Dermot said.
Tamsin glared at him.Just minutes ago, he hadn’t wanted Tamsin to be in the same room as Nic, and now, he wanted them to bond?
Dermot shrugged.He didn’t look happy, but something told Tamsin that didn’t matter.Dermot wasn’t the clan leader, but he’d been the leader of the ragtag group of Vila he and Tamsin had lived with until they’d found the village and the clan.He’d always taken their protection seriously, and he still did.Clay and Rowan understood that, which was why Dermot was here today.They tried to include him when they made decisions for the clan, even though they didn’t have to.
Tamsin wished they hadn’t today.
“It seems a bit drastic,” Clay answered.“Maybe we could try contacting other Vila?This can’t be as rare as we think it is.”
“I’d never heard about a Vila bonding with a Kudlak before,” Dermot said.“And I’ve been around for a while.Tamsin and I have been moving around and meeting people for decades.We don’t know if something like that has happened before, but if it has, I’d never heard of it.”
“Would you have, though?There aren’t that many of your people left, and the ones who are still here tend to hide.How much contact do you have with other Vila?”
“Not much,” Tamsin answered, still glaring at Dermot.“We try to keep in contact when we can, but most of us are continuously on the move, just like we were before coming here.We’re all very scattered, so it would be possible for a Vila to be bonded to a Kudlak and for most people not to know about it.I suspect it’s something that a lot of Vila would try to hide, too.Kudlaks are enemies.Why would anyone be outspoken about being with one?”
“But this could be the only way for us to get more information on what Parrish is doing,” Nic interjected.
If he wasn’t careful, Tamsin was going to glare at him, too.He didn’t want to because he felt like this might be progress, but he didn’t like the fact that Nic seemed willing to bond with him to help others, even if he didn’t want it.Nic hadn’t openly said that he didn’t want them to be bonded, but he’d barely been able to withstand being in the same room as Tamsin until now.There was no way he’d changed his mind so quickly.
“I’m not asking either of you to do this for the good of the clan,” Rowan declared, his expression telling Tamsin that he really wouldn’t.He was a good leader.He cared about his people, and he was willing to do pretty much anything to keep them safe, but he’d never force them into anything.Tamsin was glad.
“I just want to help,” Nic said.
“And I appreciate it.We all do, especially knowing what you’ve been through.”
Dermot snorted, but no one turned to look at him.Tamsin didn’t know why the others didn’t react, but he was afraid he’d say something he’d regret to his friend if he did right now.He and Dermot would have to talk eventually, but Tamsin wasn’t in the mood.He wanted to focus on Nic.
