Wyatt sighed and thought the next time he got Nev alone in a tender moment, he wasn’t going to let either of them leave it. If things were destined to always be intense between them, then he knew which type of intensity he preferred, and it generally involved fewer weapons, threats, interrogations, or impending death.
Nev breathed in sharply and focused her mind. She felt Wyatt’s surge of warm, compressing energy travel across her hands and nodded softly before exhaling. “The sword and dagger bear the insignia of House Colfax because…” Nev explained, before taking a brief pause and a deep breath. “Because they belonged to my father and mother. My father told me who my mother was on the last day of his life. He explained that she was the Empress Astrella, but that she’d died when I was still an infant. During the coup, he somehow managed to escape with me, but not her. I was only a baby and have no memories of her or what happened to make us leave.
“He knew people would see me as a threat, and I would be hunted… always. So, he raised me alone, deep in the woods, where he trained me and loved me until Sagrine found us. My father allowed himself to be captured, tortured, and burned to death so that I could escape. I have been running ever since,” Nev remembered. Trembling and fighting back her tears, she stared at the floor while she wrung her hands tightly together.
Nev breathed in sharply before pushing herself to continue. “I’ve been hunted and alone every day of my life since my father died—until I met your brother. At least now I’m not alone,” she whispered, her voice and expression poignant and distant.
“Nev, you can take a break,” Wyatt suggested, feeling concerned and giving her a sad smile.
Addi was sifting through what Nev had told her. “No! That isn’t everything. That doesn’t explain how my brother got caught up in this,” she fumed as she dug her fingers into the chair.
“Addi, come on. You’re being a tad unreasonable,” he argued gently.
“NO! She doesn’t get to come in here and lay claim to you after what I endured to keep you safe. You don’t know what they did to me. What they have done to countless women. So, she could what? So, she could live in the woods and giggle with my brother in my home?” she thundered, sounding furious.
Wyatt knelt in front of Addi and squeezed her hands with his. “Hey, you are right. I owe you my life, and what happened to you was beyond wrong. But it wasn’t Nev’s fault. She didn’t make them hurt you or anyone else. She isn’t the one you are angry at, she is just… she is just the one here,” he stressed gently, trying to console her.
Addi pushed Wyatt back and stood up. “If she would just turn herself over to them, then they would stop. It would all stop, and you could be safe again. They told us every time they hurt us that they wished they didn’t have to. That the real threat was still out there and that it would only finally end once they had her. I had convinced myself they had lied. That there was no hidden heiress, but there was. She is right here,” Addi stammered, she was crying now and pacing with clenched fists.
Nev watched as Wyatt move to intercept Addi and wrap his arms around her, with Addi initially resisting before collapsing into him. It was a sad dance Nev knew well because she and Wyatt had done the same moves many times. Suddenly, Nev felt incredibly guilty. All she could think was, Addi does hate me, and she should. How long before Wyatt comes to the same realization and hates me too? The longer she watched Wyatt struggle to console Addi, the more Nev began to realize what she needed to do, especially since she truly did love him. You deserve so much better than the life you’ll have with me, she sighed.
She slipped back to Wyatt’s bedroom and closed the door softly. Leaning against the door with her back, tears began rolling down her cheeks. She carefully untied the piece of her baby blanket that she’d carried with her since her first night alone and laid it gently on Wyatt’s pillow. Climbing out through the open window, she felt the rain begin to fall. Quickly, Nev hurried off and disappeared down an alley.
Chapter 22
Addi was crumpled on the floor sobbing. “I’m sorry. I am so sorry,” she repeated over and over.
Wyatt wiped the tears from her face. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, well not much anyway,” he replied, winking at her. “Although Nev, kind of felt like you hated her already. So, you’re probably going to need to make the apology a pretty good one,” he suggested, only half-jesting.
Addi looked up at him and gave him a small smile. “It all just came flooding back. I didn’t mean to yell at her like that. I just wanted to keep you safe and for someone to pay for what happened to me,” she offered softly.
“I know. And you do and they will,” Wyatt promised, helping her to her feet.
“I should apologize to her. Will you go get her?” she asked as she wiped her face with her hands.
Wyatt looked around, suddenly realizing Nev was no longer in the room with them.
Addi motioned towards Wyatt’s bedroom. “She went in there. I can’t blame her. I
