“You sometimes filter your wants, your curiosity, or your reactions to fit inside what you think is acceptable. That’s been conditioned in you, but you no longer have to live like that. You trust your men completely, don’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
My answer is immediate and so sure, my soul preens in my chest. He gives me a faint smile.
“But you don’t always trust yourself with them.” I purse my lips and he chuckles low. “There are parts of you, you haven’t let them see. Not because you think they’ll reject you but becauseyou know that they won’t and you don’t know what to do from there. You lean into it. Step into it fully. Those men of yours are going to support you entirely.”
My stomach flips. I swear I feel like I have been leaning into it fully, but maybe there’s more and I just haven’t realized it because I’ve never been so trusting, or well… so in love like this before.
“Stop denying yourself things you’ve already been given, Thayla. You—we all—deserve happiness and we can all find it together. We’ll take on the impossible placed before us and we’ll come out on top because we have each other.”
Each other.
That’s all I ever wanted.
To be surrounded by people I choose and who choose me in return. I’ve always just craved a happy life with people I love.
And I have that.
I’ve found my people.
I don’t need to hold on to anything or anyone from here on out.
“I may not know exactly who I’m going to become after all is said and done, but…” I sigh, slumping as his power wraps me up tighter. It feels like a hug. “I have who I want in my life when future me figures it out. I won’t allow the people of my past, even though we aren’t quite finished yet, to continue holding me back. I’m done.”
His eyes roam over me and a bright smile spreads across his lips. I huff a quiet laugh as his power pulls from my skin, and my body shivers.
“Wow. I didn’t expect to actually lose weight.”
“How do you feel?” he says.
I check in with my body, soul, and heart.
“A little tender, but…a lot better actually.”
He smirks. “Good. You got a little more to lose, but I think you need someone—someone’s—other than me to help fix that up.”
My head tilts as he rises and dusts his pants off.
“Care to give me a hint where that extra weight is?” I ask.
He laughs as he taps his head and turns toward the forest.
“You know where it is. Time to let it go.”
“Iric,” I call as he takes a step away. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. I’ll be here for future you too if you need me.”
My lips part as he starshoots away, leaving me here staring at where he just was with a soft smile on my lips. A quiet, watery laugh pours out of me as I run my fingers through my hair and release the tie holding it in a bun.
Smart-ass healer.
Should’ve given in and done this with him sooner.
That was difficult, but also so much easier than any other time I’ve just allowed my emotions to explode out of me.
I can actually think clearly, and I know what I want to do next.
