Bronywyn
“Awarlock? In Billings?”
“Is it unusual?”
I consider Tarnley’s words as I toss the throw pillows to the ground. “I would say so. Though, I have been out of the loop lately. We should ask Eira, see if any have come into her club recently.” I pull the covers back and slide beneath the soft fabric as Tarnley climbs into bed beside me.
“Probably not a bad idea.” He leans back against the cream pillow, one arm propped behind his head. Crimson eyes stare blankly at the ceiling, and I know he’s internally beating himself up over what happened tonight with Deissy and Felix.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was. I never should have gone back there.”
“How the hell were you supposed to know there were vampires tracking us?”
“Winnie.”
“Winnie wasn’t with us, Tarnley.”
“No, but she was being followed. We should have focused on that, not gone out and risked exposing Deissy to our fucked-up situation.”
“Had she been a human you didn’t care about, would it have mattered?”
“If she’d been a human I didn’t care about, I would have insisted her memory be wiped, and then she would have been put back into her normal life, unaware and untargeted.”
“Possibly. Or, they would have gone back and finished the job.”
He doesn’t say anything, though the muscle tightening in his jaw is evidence of his frustration.
“My point is that you can’t keep focusing on the what-ifs. We’re here now, so we handle this entire situation day by day. One step at a time. We have Bella now, as well as her resources, and there’s a warlock out there, watching out for our people. We are not alone, Tarnley. We’re going to win this.”
For the first time in a long time, hope so bright it’s near blinding blossoms in my chest. I’m calm, collected, and ready for the next challenge, even if that means marching right into the council chambers with an army at my back. Which I believe we will have.
“They’re human.”
“Humans who managed to rescue us from the clutches of the council. Humans who managed to kill a fully shifted feline tonight. Don’t discount them, Tarnley. They may not be supernatural, but they’re not weak, either.”
“My blood won’t heal them,” he says, softly. “If they become gravely injured, there is no second chance. No reboot, no do-over. It’s game over, and they’re going to end up six feet under.”
“I know that.” I sit up and toss the covers off of him. Then I climb on top and straddle his hard body. Both palms splayed on his chest, I stare down at him. The urge to distract him, if only for tonight, is stronger than my need to comfort. “They will be fine. This will all work out.”
Tarnley’s hands go to my thighs, resting gently on top as he stares up at me. “How do you know that?”
“Because I have you. And we’re going to get married. Delaney and Cole—they have things in their future.”
“Her pregnancy?”
“How did you know?”
He taps a finger to his ear. “Supernatural hearing, love. I imagine Cole has heard the heartbeat, too, and is just waiting for Delaney to tell him herself.”
I let out a dramatic deep breath and run a hand over my forehead. “Well, good. Now I don’t have to keep anything from you.” I smile. “As I was saying, they have things in their future. Rainey likely has more supernaturals to kill before her destiny is fulfilled. And Deissy—she and Felix are going to get married, too, Tarnley. And the ceremony will be beautiful.”
“Our plans do not mean we’re going to win, Bronywyn. It just means we have more to lose.”
“Which means we’re going to go in there and give it everything we have.”
“We always do.”