“Talis.” His voice was soft, yet full of steel. “Weren’t you listening to me before?”
“Yes, but—”
“I wanted this. Maybe not in the way we were forced to do it, but I don’t regret a single moment and I wouldn’t take it back even if I could.” He shuffled close enough to kiss me, the barest brush of lips, before pulling back. “I love you. I’m so sorry I hurt you like I did, but I’d choose you every fucking time.”
My heart felt like it might burst out of my chest any second, so full of hope and happiness I felt lightheaded. “I love you too.” I leant in for another kiss, this one a little longer and deeper, my arm snaking round his waist again to pull him flush against me.
My cock gave a valiant effort to get hard, but my body was still healing. “As much as I want you right now, I think I’m about two seconds from falling asleep.”
Axel laughed softly against my lips. “Good. Because I might actually beat you to it.” He yawned, then settled in against my side, one leg draped over mine and his arm around me. “This is perfect anyway.”
His body relaxed, and I smiled as I closed my eyes, because he was right.
Itwasperfect.
* * *
Axel
It was two more weeks before we were back to full health.
I never left Talis’s side in all that time, but being in a house full of shifters, we were rarely alone. Talis was one of the pack betas, so his brush with death had rattled everyone, and the need to be reassured that he was okay meant his bedroom had a revolving door.
Not that I minded.
I loved Rys’s pack almost as much as I loved Talis.
The words still felt novel on my tongue, maybe because we’d only said them that one time, but I felt it in every look we shared, every time he pulled me against his chest and held me while we slept.
And sleep was pretty much all we did for those two weeks.
Sharing my fae ability to heal had been the most important decision I’d ever made, but it had almost cost me my own life. I didn’t regret it, but once he’d learnt the full truth, it had taken Talis a while to get past the guilt he felt, despite my repeated attempts to tell him I would do it again and again if it meant having him with me.
But I had an idea of how to ease his conscience and even out our relationship.
* * *
“Where is everyone?”Dathal asked as we sat in Rys’s kitchen, the rest of the house quiet for once.
“They’ve taken Talis out for a run.”
Dathal snorted. “You make him sound like a pet.”
I glared at him. “It’s the first time he’s shifted since…” I still found it hard to say, to remember how close I’d been to losing him. “Rys wanted to make sure he didn’t overdo it. I think everyone else was just excited at having him back to his old self.”
“What about you?” he asked, nudging my shoulder. “Are you back to your old self?”
“No, and thank the Goddess,” I added when Dathal frowned. “Old me was a bit of an arsehole.”
“Don’t.” Dathal’s expression darkened. “You were hurting, protecting yourself after what happened to you. It’s not the same thing.”
I sighed, playing with the handle on my mug. “I was an arsehole to Talis.”
Dathal made a face. His knee-jerk reaction was to defend me, which I loved him for, but even he had to admit my behaviour towards Talis hadn’t been the best. “Maybe a little bit.”
I laughed and nudged him back. “Thank you,” I said, sobering. “For always being there for me. I don’t think I’ve ever said that to you.”
“You’re my family,” he said, wrapping an arm around me. “You don’t ever need to thank me for that.”
