By the time I finally emerge from the tree line, I’ve managed to regain some semblance of composure. My eyes are still red-rimmed and swollen, my cheeks blotchy from the force of my anguished sobs. But I’ve pushed the worst of the hurt down, letting it settle into a dull, throbbing ache that I can just barely tolerate as I scan the small encampment.
The first person I see is Nickolas, emerging from the mouth of the cave with his usual brooding intensity. But he’s not alone – at his side is a figure I never thought I’d see again, one that has a wide smile splitting my face before I can stop it.
“Eric!” I call out, my steps quickening as I cross the distance between us. Before the burly lycan can so much as open his mouth, I’ve flung myself into his arms, burying my face in the comforting warmth of his chest as he chuckles.
“Hello, Princess,” he rumbles, squeezing me tight for a brief moment before releasing me and holding me at arm’s length. His eyes roam over me appraisingly, that perpetual hint of amusement crinkling the corners as he takes in my disheveled appearance. “You’re looking a bit… rumpled.”
I huff out a watery laugh, swiping at my cheeks in a futile attempt to hide the evidence of my distress. “It’s been a long few days,” I hedge, not quite meeting his eyes.
Eric’s brow furrows slightly, but he doesn’t press, simply giving my shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Well, I’m just glad to see you’re in one piece,” he says warmly. “I’ve missed you, Princess.”
The sincerity in his tone, the open affection in his gaze, is almost enough to undo me all over again. Blinking rapidly, I force a smile that I hope looks more genuine than it feels. “I’ve missed you too,” I murmur, meaning every word.
Before I can say anything else, another thought occurs to me, one that has my heart leaping with a sudden burst of hope. “How’s Lily?” I ask eagerly. “Is she alright? I can’t wait to see her and-”
“Amelia.”
The sound of Nickolas’s deep baritone cuts through my rambling like a knife, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. I turn slowly to face him, my fingers tightening almost convulsively around Eric’s arm as I brace myself for another emotional onslaught.
Nickolas is watching me with that same unreadable expression, his eyes glittering like shards of emerald in the pale moonlight. For a long moment, he simply holds my gaze, the weight of all the things left unsaid between us hanging in the charged air like a living thing.
Then, finally, Nickolas parts his lips to speak, but I don’t give him the chance. I can’t bear to hear whatever excuse or rationalization he’s prepared this time.
“So, Eric,” I interject, grabbing his hand and giving it a firm tug. “I would love to hear all about your trip. Which cities did you and Lily visit?”
I don’t wait for a response, simply pulling Eric along as I stride away from where Nickolas stands watching, his expression unreadable. I risk a glance over my shoulder, catching his eyes for the briefest of moments before I turn away again. He sighs, the sound heavy with something I can’t quite put my finger on, and drops his shoulders in what looks like resignation as he watches me lead Eric off.
We find a relatively clear patch of ground and settle down, Eric launching into an animated retelling of his and Lily’s adventures over the past few weeks. I try to focus on his words, on the warmth of his familiar presence beside me. But part of me can’t help but be hyper-aware of Nickolas moving about the camp, can’t stop my gaze from drifting to him every few minutes like a moth drawn to a flame.
Eventually, the others begin making preparations to break camp, packing up supplies for our journey back to the castle. Eric and I rise as well, dusting ourselves off as the first hints of urgency begin to permeate the air.
We make our way over to where a few vehicles are parked. A sleek black SUV catches my eye, and I head towards it, assuming it will be our transport. Sure enough, Nickolas falls into step beside me and produces a set of keys from his pocket, thumbing the unlock button. With a muted chirp, the SUV lights flash in greeting as Nickolas opens the driver’s side door and slides in behind the wheel.
I hesitate for a brief moment before rounding the car and pulling open the passenger door. The buttery, soft leather interior greets me, the scent of Nickolas’s scent already permeating the air in a way that has my heart stuttering in my chest.
Gritting my teeth, I lower myself gingerly onto the plush seat, wincing as a lingering ache blossoms between my thighs. Nickolas roars the car to life, and we begin our trip back to the castle in steel silence. The tension in the air is almost suffocating, a heavy weight pressing down on us both.
I try my best to ignore my body’s reaction to having him this close, his presence stirring up a storm of conflicting emotions within me. His body heat envelops me, his masculine scent wrapping around me like a comforting blanket, yet each breath feels like a struggle against the turmoil swirling inside.
Sleep slowly starts to call me, its tendrils tempting me with sweet oblivion after the day’s trials. But just as my eyelids begin to droop, Nickolas’s voice cuts through the quiet.
“It’s not what you think,” he rumbles, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. Startled, I pull my eyes open and meet his piercing emerald gaze.
I blink at him owlishly, struggling to make sense of his words through the haze of sleep in my eyes. “What are you talking about?” I ask, a hint of sharpness creeping into my tone.
“The reason I asked you to bathe,” he clarifies, his breath fanning warmly over my cheek. “It wasn’t for the reasons you assumed.”
I can’t help but scoff at that, shaking my head in disbelief. “Then why?” I challenge, turning my head to meet his piercing stare head-on. “We both know there isn’t another explanation.”
For a long, charged moment, Nickolas simply holds my gaze, his expression unreadable as always. But there’s an intensity simmering in those fathomless emerald depths, a banked fire that threatens to consume me if I let it.
Finally, he tears his eyes away with seeming reluctance, fixing his stare on the road ahead as he guides the car out onto the main thoroughfare with a gentle press of the accelerator.
“Just know it isn’t what you think,” he says at last, his tone infuriatingly neutral.
I open my mouth, a biting retort on the tip of my tongue. But remember, with Nickolas, when he sets his mind to something, there is no convincing him otherwise. With a weary sigh, I let the fight go out of me, sagging back against the plush leather as we lapse into silence.
The journey back to the castle passes in a blur, the low thrum of the engine and the warmth of Nickolas’s body gradually lulling me into an uneasy doze. I don’t mean to give in to the bone-deep exhaustion pulling at me. But between the lingering ache of my injuries and the sheer emotional upheaval of the past hour, I can’t seem to keep my eyes open.
Each passing mile feels like a lifetime, the landscape outside the window blurring into a hazy tableau as my mind drifts in and out of consciousness. Nickolas’s presence beside me offers a faint sense of security, a tether anchoring me to the present even as sleep threatens to pull me under.
Despite my best efforts to fight it, sleep eventually claims me, wrapping me in its comforting embrace as the world fades into darkness. The journey continues in a disjointed procession of dreams and half-awake moments, each one merging seamlessly into the next until I’m unsure where reality ends, and imagination begins.