“You’re awake,” he murmured huskily. He crouched, bringing himself closer to my face. Now he was near enough for me to see the half of his face not shadowed by the dark. Moonlight coming in from the window above the bed caught his green eyes. “Briar,” he whispered, his voice doing something to my body I wished it didn’t.
I pushed upright while Elias remained crouched. I looked down to keep hold of his gaze.
“Briar . . .” He trailed off again. Another bout of silence.
My pulse picked up, and he audibly swallowed. A heaviness lived between us, weighing on my shoulders.
“When do I get to leave?” I blurted.
His eyes narrowed.
“Leave?” he enunciated slowly.
“Yes, leave,” I insisted. If they thought I was letting it go just becausetheychanged their mind, they were crazier than I’d originally thought. “Remember, this all started because I needed help getting out of the U.S.?” I couldn’t help the dry, sarcastic tone.
He stood so quickly. Pale light illuminated his features from his deep frown to the lines carved between his brows and the dark circles under them. He looked spectral.
“Why are you so moody?” I muttered, scooting upright and inched closer to the pillows—away from him—to lean against the headboard.
“I haven’t slept.” His tone was accusatory.
“And that’smyfault?” I raised an eyebrow. I exhaled sharply, stopping the rest of the sarcasm about to spill out of me. Using the energy wasn’t worth it. “I didn’t ask you to claim me.” I could no longer hold back my frustration. “You shouldn’t have?—”
“I didn’t intend to!” he snarled, raking his hands through his hair and nearing me. I already knew it based on his shock, but hearing it from his mouth hurt.
I scoffed, shaking my head.
“You don’t need to worry. I’ll be gone within a few weeks.”
“That’s not—I—fuck,” he spat.
I kept going as if he hadn’t spoken, “As soon as you get me out of the country, you’ll never have to see me again.”
His claiming bite would fade since I wouldn’t claim him back. I was hoping it would be sooner rather than later.
“Leave?” Elias scoffed, head shaking. “You think you’re leaving?”
The audacity in that statement left me wordless. I only stared.
His chest was heaving, and his hands kept clenching at his sides. Instead of exploding, which I half expected, he popped his neck and then met my gaze.
“I’ll buy you everything you need for a nest. I-I’ll make sure you’re okay. Stop talking about leaving.”
As much as he ordered, it didn’t matter. Staying here wasn’t an option. It never had been. They’d always planned to get ridof me, and they’d made that painfully clear. Why were they switching up now? Because I’d found out? Because of guilt?
It wasn’t necessary.
“The plan?—”
“Fuck the plan,” he hissed, bending over me. “Stop talking about leaving. Youare staying put. We will find a way to clear your name.” Now they wanted to clear my name? “This will be your permanent nest. We can set it up however you want.”
I scoffed.
“I’m not staying here,” I shouted, emotions bursting through the veil of numbness. I pushed to my knees, glaring at him. “So get that out of your fucking stubborn head. I. Am. Leaving.”
“No,” he shouted, grabbing the back of my neck. “You’re not going anywhere.”
I had to get away from them. I no longer cared about how. His hold on my neck spawned panic within me.
