“It’s not…ideal,” he said, fingers tightening to an almost painful grip, his free hand rubbing his chest. “I won’t lie, it hurts to walk away from Nick, but it’s just as hard to leave you under someone else’s protection all the times that I have to.” He looked down at the ink covering his inner arm, bottom lip drawn between his teeth. He looked so torn, and fuck no, I wasn’t having that.
“I’ll move into the main pack house.” I felt the weight of Talis’s glare, his words replaying in my head.
“I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of my way for the next few weeks.”
That would be virtually impossible with us both under the same roof, but I couldn’t be the reason Dathal’s and Nick’s relationship suffered. They deserved all the happiness a joining pact brought. As much as I didn’t want to cause Talis any more hurt either, I couldn’t see any other option.
“While that’s definitely something to consider,” Lady Sarhin began, “I spoke with Rys before coming here and proposed an alternative arrangement.”
“We don’t need to come up with an alternative arrangement,” Dathal said, hands curling into fists on his thighs. “Nick and I will be fine.”
“Dathal. Trust me when I tell you, you don’t want it to appear that you’re not taking your joining pact seriously. Your situation is unique. The high court were reluctant to grant you leave to remain this side of the gateway, and as such they’ve taken more of an interest in you than perhaps they normally would have.”
“They can’t take it back, can they?”
She sighed. “They can. As long as you’re under contract to the fae guard, they hold that power over you.”
Dathal went deathly still.
It was my turn to reach for his hand. This wasn’t the conversation I’d thought we’d be having when Lady Sarhin informed me she was coming, and I didn’t like where it was headed. The high court were a lot of things, but I didn’t think they’d be cruel enough to drag Dathal back home after telling him he could stay. “They wouldn’t do that though, would they?”
“I’d like to think not, no. And of course I would advise against such action, but a joining pact is the ultimate embodiment of our magic, and if they perceive that Dathal isn’t taking it seriously…” She held out her hands.
Dathal’s fingers tightened around mine. I loved his fierce loyalty, but he needed to put himself first this time. “It’s okay,” I murmured. “Rys and his pack won’t let anything happen to me.”
“He’s right,” Talis said, drawing our attention, but he wasn’t looking at me. He glanced from Lady Sarhin to Dathal and back again. “He’s pack. We’ll keep him safe.”
I caught Sarhin’s frown at the mention of me being pack, knew it would come back to bite me in the arse at some point, but all I could focus on was Talis’s words.“We’ll keep him safe.”I had no right to the warm feeling spreading behind my ribs, not after what I’d done, but I clung to it anyway.
“What are youralternative arrangements?” Dathal asked.
And yeah, perhaps I should’ve asked that question.
“I suggested to Rys that perhaps a more permanent presence would be beneficial. Allow Dathal to stay with Nick Parker full time by having a member of Rys’s pack take his place.”
I stiffened. Surely she didn’t mean—
“You want them to move in with Axel?” Dathal’s gaze drifted to Talis so I kicked him as subtly as I could because no way was that happening. He’d probably end up murdering me in my sleep if Rys forced him to do that. Dathal’s lips twitched, clearly enjoying this change of direction. “Did you and Rys have anyone in mind?”
She waved a hand as if his question was of no concern. “I’ve left that decision with him; it’s his pack after all.” She raised an eyebrow, daring anyone to comment on her ability to leave the decision to someone else. Then her gaze swung to Talis, and I cursed in my head all over again. “Although I may have suggested that he may wish to task his most trusted pack members with safeguarding the keeper of the fae gateway.” She glanced at me then, eyes narrowing, then back to Talis. “Would that be a problem?”
Talis’s expression never faltered. “Not at all. Both Sasha and I take our beta responsibilities seriously. We follow Rys’s orders without question.”
Lady Sarhin nodded, pleased. “In that case, I’ll leave the arrangements in Rys’s capable hands.” Turning to Dathal, she added, “Gabriel and Detective Knowles should be here shortly. After our meeting, I suggest you make arrangements of your own, Dathal.”
Dathal sighed, but nodded, “Of course.”
As if she’d summoned them, the rumble of a car engine sounded outside, then the opening and closing of doors.
Talis stood, abruptly. He’d probably heard them coming a mile off. “If you’ll excuse me, Lady Sarhin, I need to return to the main pack house.”
She inclined her head, the only acknowledgement he was going to get from her.
I stood too, not wanting to let him go like this. “I’ll see you out.”
The flash of irritation in his eyes told me how he felt about that. I followed him to my front door anyway, darting around him to open it before he got there. Max and Gabriel greeted us with matching curious expressions as their gazes landed on Talis.
“Lady Sarhin and Dathal are in the living room,” I said quickly, gesturing for them to come inside as I stepped out into the morning sun. “I’ll be there in a moment.”
