Tate lifted my chin up. “I’m not giving up on us, Jack. I won’t.” He stared up at the ceiling. “Does it matter that Kyren gives his blessing matter at all?”
I huffed a laugh. “I can’t believe that.”
A sad smile crossed his face. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t. I don’t believe it either. Even though he said the words to me... I don’t think he really means them. Not in the long run, but I don’t think he’s thinking that far ahead right now.”
I didn’t know what that meant, and I was afraid to ask. Swallowing the thick lump that had formed in my throat, I nodded. “Maybe it’s just better if you just focus on him right now. He needs you.”
“And you?” Tate’s thumb brushed across my cheek catching a tear I didn’t realize had fallen. “Don’t you need me?”
I gave him a small smile. “I’m good. Promise.”
He brushed the wetness across my lower lip before releasing me. “Alright. I’ll leave... for now. But please... don’t handle this alone.”
I gave him a pinched smile.
As I watched Tate walk away again, I breathed out a shaky breath. I hadn’t lied. I didn’t need him to deal with my pain. I was used to hiding it from those I cared about. It was the only way I didn’t feel like a burden to my family.
Some might say I needed therapy. I might have to agree, but I didn’t see myself sitting on a couch and talking about my feelings, I needed more of a hands-on approach.
It might be time to focus on my real job — hunting supernaturals.
Chapter 7
Kyren
I stood at the end of the hallway, my shadows clinging to Tate’s form through sheer force of will. Their desire to jump from Tate to Jack was harder than when I first learned to control them. Some would say that they were reacting to my desire to be near her, but I was firmly avoiding that thought pattern.
When Tate closed in on Jack, so close to her that he could have kissed her, I had to practically strangle my shadows to keep them in place. Jealousy and anger burned through me at Tate’s ability to be close to Jack when I couldn’t.
Tate’s feelings were all over the place. Amusement, irritation, smug satisfaction. And that was all before he even stepped out of the classroom. The urge to burst into the room just to see what was causing those emotions had surged through me. Watching Tate interact with Jack from the shadows was painful.
I knew I had told him I didn’t care. That he was free to be with Jack if he wanted to be. It wasn’t like we hadn’t had other lovers outside of each other before. This would just be like that... except at one point, she’d been mine too.
“You going to hide forever or come out already?”
My eye lifted to meet Tate’s dark ones. He leaned against the edge of the wall, arms crossed, brow raised, a tiny smile on his lips.
I scowled. “I’m not hiding.”
Tate pushed off the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Could have fooled me.”
Walking away from him, I felt his presence follow close behind me. We passed a few people in the hallway, who gave me curious and wary looks.
Not surprising considering how I reacted to Jack’s news.
I could have just used my shadows to teleport away from him, but that would be cowardly. Clearly, he wanted to talk and I didn’t want to shove anymore of a wedge between us than there already was.
Strangely enough, Tate was silent until we reached the first floor of the building, and I headed toward the parking lot where my car was waiting.
“You should just talk to her instead of spying on her from the shadows,” Tate commented at last, pulling me to a stop.
I swung my keys around my finger, turning to him. “You’re wrong. I wasn’t spying on her. I was checking on you.”
Tate snorted. “Sure you were. If that’s what helps you sleep at night.”
My shadows whipped out, wrapping around his throat and lowering his face toward mine.
“Youare what helps me sleep at night.” I nipped at his lower lip before releasing him.
