Wait, Angel—
Nope. He’s crying too.
My mate clears his throat, rubbing my arms from behind. This is stupid.He’sthe one on the verge of an emotional breakdown, so I should be comforting him, not the other way around.
When the man with deep evergreen eyes and a denim jacket that’s ripped at the bottom like someone clawed on it, starts toward me, I step back on instinct.
I instantly regret that step when his face twists with hurt. My chest aches with every tear he wipes away. But I’m still retreating, step after step, until my back hits Angel’s chest.
I crane my neck to look up at him. The second he catches my panic, he spins me to face him and gestures something behind my back.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to steady my breathing.
I don’t know why I’m freaking out. So what if he looks a little different than what I remember? It’s been a decade, of course, he wouldn’t look the same.
Calm the fuck down, Nevaeh. You’re acting crazy.
Angel kisses my forehead, snapping me out of my head. “You’re okay, sweetheart. Everything’s okay. Just take a deep breath. Can you do that for me?”
I nod too fast, sucking in air like I’m not about to crawl out of my skin.
Fuck. I think I’m going to pass out.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Where is this fear coming from?
A light pressure stirs in my head as Angel links me.“You know him, Nevaeh. There’s no need to be cautious, I promise.”
“He looks different.”
“Time does that, baby.”He brushes a tear from my cheek.
“Time changes how you feel, too. What if he doesn’t feel the same about me?”
“Why don’t we ask Dean before jumping to any conclusions?”
I struggle with the chaos in mymind, trying to find the right question to ask. Finally, I grab Angel’s collar, stand on my toes, and whisper in his ear. His heart skips under my palm when he hears my first question.
His warm hands hold my face as he kisses my forehead, then turns to face everyone. I duck behind him like the coward I’ve suddenly become.
Peeking out from under his arm, I see Grace’s dad gripping the back of a chair, his knuckles turning white as he restrains himself from running to me.
My stomach bottoms out before Angel even asks the question. Somehow, I’ve convinced myself that if he asks on my behalf, then even if I hate the answer, it won’t cut as deep.
“Dean, did you know we found Nevaeh?”
“No.” His face crumbles, shame overshadowing his features. He curses himself under his breath. “I heard whispers about a coven declaring war on the Tetrad kingdom, so I came to help. It was time to come home anyway.” He rubs the back of his neck, adding sheepishly, “I just forgot to askwhenthe coven was going to attack.”
I snicker behind Angel’s shoulder, and the man’s desperate eyes dart to me. A small smile tugs at his lips, my amusement making him a little bolder.
That’s so like him. Charging into a fight without asking what, who, or even when.
Angel purses his lips to hide his laugh, but when I whisper my next question, he stiffens. His hand covers mine, where I’m fisting the back of his shirt.
“Are you going to leave again?” Angel asks.
“Never,” he croaks without hesitation.
Relief bleeds through me along with exhaustion. I’m so tired of losing people and rebuilding myself after every loss. I refuse to drop my guard for someone who might vanish and never look back.
