My tether.
Our souls are connected to always find one another, to crave each other’s closeness. I have to tell him.
The rain continues to beat down, and Silas gently grabs my face. “Let’s go inside.”
“Silas, I need to talk to you about something else.” I lean forward, kissing his lips. “Well, I need to talk to you about many things.”
He pulls back, looking me in the eyes. “Alright, anything. Can this wait until we get inside? It’s freezing out here.”
“No, it can’t wait any longer.”
He angles his head, waiting for me to continue. Silas’s strong face hardens, and he is afraid of what I might say next, but he allows me time to think carefully about my words.
“Go ahead,” his voice deepens.
“Silas. I know…”
I stop myself.
Malachi’s words float into my mind, and I struggle to ignore what he said. What if Silas discovers the truth and realizes it’s not love—that I’ve been forced upon him? His feelings for me could change. He might start to resent me, and that thought is worse than death.
I step back, freeing myself from his grip, and he angles his head, feeling the unwanted distance creeping between us.
The cold air wraps around me, and even though I crave his warmth, I can’t touch him without knowing if it’s real.
Silas reaches for me. “Hey.”
“I can’t,” I say, as I step back.
A noise from the house breaks my stare, and Silas glances over his shoulder.
Oak bursts from the doorway. “Thank Gods, you’re back.”
Maines, Larkin, Warrick, and Hux follow him. I narrow my eyes at Hux and do my best to hide the snarl on my face. Silas notices my tension and moves toward me, rubbing my shoulders. He steps behind me, facing the others approaching, and plants a soft kiss on my head.
“Come on,” he says, nudging me.
I don’t move.
“We will continue this inside once we get dry.”
I cut my eyes upward at him, and a soft smile graces his face, but his eyes show anything but gentle amusement.
I step forward, and we move inside, the warmth of the house calming my shivering body. After giving us a few blankets towarm ourselves before we can change, the others file down the stairs to the open space below the cliff. Hux stops halfway down the stairs and turns to us. My gaze pierces his, and he narrows his eyes. I clench my fists and ignore the pain of my nails digging into my skin.
“Do you two need anything?” Hux asks Silas.
“We don’t need anything, Ackerley,” Silas responds. “Give us a minute. We’ll be down shortly.”
“You sure?” Hux’s deep voice floats up the stairs like pure darkness.
“Tell the others to relax,” Silas says. “You included.”
Hux hesitates to continue down the stairs, and his eyes lock on mine again.
His piercing blue eyes hold nothing but deceit. “Alright, boss, I will. I’ll go check on Rose.”
Anger surges swiftly in my chest, and the offer carries a heavy threat that hits me like a blow to the sternum. I fight the urge to go after him and take a deep breath to calm my racing heart.
