I seesawed my hand. “I told you I can’t control it here. I only get snippets of what’s going through your head at that moment. But I had a fair idea, yes.”
“And Talis?” He said, lowering his voice so the others wouldn’t hear. “Is that why your relationship is so strained now?”
I walked over to look out the French doors, buying time while I figured out the best way to answer that. “Sort of.”
Rys sighed as he joined me in front of the glass. “You didn’t need to read his mind to know how he felt about you, Axel. Subtlety was never one of his strong points. I’m sure he thinks he hid it well, but not from me. And not from you either, I suspect.”
Fuck.
I knew this conversation was inevitable, but that didn’t mean I wanted to have it. Especially not after everything I’d just shared. I needed time to regroup, but if I wanted Talis in my life, and I most definitely did, then I had to make it right with Rys too.
“Yeah, I knew he liked me. I liked him too, though I tried to convince myself it was purely sexual. He’s insanely hot, right?”
Rys grimaced and I laughed.
“He’s like my brother.”
I nudged him. “A tall, fit, hot brother.”
“Stop.” Rys growled, baring his teeth at me, and I grinned back, feeling lighter than I had in months.
Despite everything going on around us, I finally felt like I was clawing back everything I’d been missing since Talis and I slept together.
“Anyway, I heard something in Talis’s mind that scared me into pushing him away after that night. I was cruel and so fucking stupid, but I want to fix it. I want to fixus.”
All teasing vanished from Rys’s expression, and I braced myself for what he was about to say. I knew that look. It wasn’t his alpha head he wore right now.
“Are you serious about him?” His gaze bore into mine, the intensity in it making my heart race. “Because you have the power to break him, Axel. I know he seems so solid and dependable, like nothing could shake him, but you could.”
I knew that. I’d seen it for myself.
“I’m serious. I’m so fucking sorry I hurt him, and I’ll do everything I can to never do it again. I promise.”
“Good, because he deserves better.”
“He does.” And I was going to make damn sure I gave it to him.
If I can ever get near him to talk to him, that is.
“Where is he now?”
“Sleeping. He was on patrol last night.”
Guess I’d have to wait a bit longer.
“Fuck.” Rys groaned and rubbed a hand over his eyes. “I’m going to have to tell him about this, about you beingbait. He’s going to want to kill something. Most likely me for letting you do it.”
“You can’t stop me,” I scoffed.
Rys gripped my shoulder again. “I know that, but he’ll need to blame someone, to lash out with all that rage he’ll feel at being helpless to stop you from putting yourself in danger. As his alpha and his best friend, that someone is going to be me.”
I winced. “If there was another way to do this…” I held out my hands, not sure how to finish that sentence, because we could carry on waiting, like we had been doing, and hope that we found something that pointed to Zh’alek’s whereabouts. I just couldn’t do it anymore.
“So you’re saying I should hold off talking to him until all this is over?”
“At least give him time to get used to the idea.”
My stomach sank. The fear that I’d be too late building inside me. It must have shown on my face, because Rys’s grip tightened.
