But then I saw the puffiness around her crimson-rimmed eyes, the faint splotch of red along her neck.
Heat surged through me. My boots struck hard against the ground as I stalked toward Etienne, my hand fisting his collar and yanking him forward until we were eye to eye.
“Why was my—your intended crying?” My voice came out low, but the muscles in my arms trembled with restraint.
Rather than answer me, Etienne’s eyes landed on Finley. I followed it in time to see her press a trembling hand to her mouth. Her features smoothed a beat later, but the blaze in her silver eyes found me.
“Etienne would never?—”
“Why don’t you tell her, Brenton?” Etienne interrupted, urgency edging his words.
Eyes narrowed, Finley shook her head. With her black hair tied in a neat bun, the fury that shone behind her eyes was that much more evident.
“Don’t,” she warned Etienne.
Still watching her, he told me, “Tell your soul-bound mate the ways you would make me suffer if I hurt her. Tell her the things you would do to protect her. The things I wouldn’t do in her name.”
Mysoul-bound mate. Not his intended.
The words were a spark against dry tinder, but underneath the flare of possessiveness was confusion. What was I missing here?
The fissures in my chest split wider when Finley’s gaze hardened further. “You have no right, Etienne. No right.”
His frown deepened. “I have every right.” His words came out with something I couldn’t place. A plea? A warning?
Finley flinched, seeming to struggle with the hidden meaning behind Etienne’s words.
“Youhave every right, Finny.” His words drew a shadow of agony across his face.
Pain settled in the back of my throat, but not hard enough to distract me from the torment in my chest. “She doesn’t need those promises when she can protect herself.” My voice was rough, and I didn’t look at either of them.
I turned and walked away from them before the pull in my chest dragged me deeper, before I got caught in the silent war passing between them. I didn’t understand it. Wasn’t sure I wanted to when it left me feeling like an outsider in my own bond.
Instead, I turned my attention to Luana, who looked at me with all the puppy love she carried in her big, sweet heart. At least I could count on her to never break my heart. When I crouched down to her level, she pushed her big head against my stomach, wiggling her entire body as she tried to get closer to me.
“I’m sorry, my sweet girl, but you can’t come with me on this adventure,” I told her, giving the top of her head a loud kiss. “Your auntie Teddy will take care of you, though.”
Was it foolish how much I’d miss my dog?
Teddy put her hand on my shoulder and knelt beside me. “I’ll give her extra treats and belly rubs.”
“Are you okay?” I asked. “After Javier. . .”
Her eyes shone with tears she held back, but a small smile toyed at the corners of her lips. “I am. He talked to me. He came to me because he was hurting. Maybe...” She shook her head, handing me a heavy paperback novel with an illustration of a wrecked ship on the cover. “Here. Try to read something fun for a change.”
I turned the book over to read the back cover. It spoke of perilous journeys and hidden treasures, but it was the swordplay I was most eager to read. “Do you want me to take to the seas? I thought the days of Captain Jack Sparrow were gone.” If ever there was a fictional character brought to life in pure perfection, it was him.
“Only take to the seas in your imagination.” She tapped her knuckles against the book. “Read it, enjoy it. Next time I see you, I want us to talk about how awesome the story was. There’s this one scene I can’t tell you about, but I almost died.”
Curious, I tilted my head to the side. “You’ve already read it?”
“Yeah.” She grunted the single word. “I’ve gone through three terrible books to find one I thought you’d like.”
Something inside me warmed while peace hummed through my veins. It was something small, perhaps foolish, but Teddy hadn’t just picked out a book for me to read but had actually read it herself to see if I’d enjoy it. In all my life, I couldn’t think of a single time anyone had done something, big or small, for the sole purpose of bringing me joy.
Mainly, I enjoyed reading for knowledge, but even I could admit that trying to find something, anything, about the gods we’d forgotten thousands of years ago was starting to get tiring, if not unproductive, given I’d discovered nothing.
I tugged her to me, putting her in a gentle headlock. “How much romance am I going to suffer through?”
