Once he was outside of Birclan, he knelt on the damp ground and focused his thoughts. The distant pulse of her energy called to him. It was faint and imprecise, but it was present. Smiling, he rose and started walking purposefully towards the lake. “You have hidden from me for so long. But now, I see you. And soon, I will have you. All of you,” he swore, breathing in deeply.
Chapter 37
Wyatt and Addi could smell the scent of soup in the air as they entered Nellis’ house. “Nellis always was a good cook,” Wyatt noted, as he breathed in heavily. Hearing Nev shriek in discomfort from somewhere near the back of the house, he peered towards the sound. “I think I am going to go play hero and rescue her before Nellis injures her shoulder even more. Plus, I appreciate our chat. But I just need to be sure,” he stated, taking off down the hallway towards the commotion.
Addi nodded and watched him disappear into a back room. She looked around the house and relived fond memories of her previous time there. She was really relieved that Nellis was alright. If we had gotten here any later, she thought, before quickly pushing the idea out of her head. Addi heard Nellis approach from behind and turned to meet him. She honestly expected him to yell at her or at least look like he wanted to. Instead, he just hugged her close.
“I’ve missed you, lass. The last time I saw you, I was fearful I would never see you again,” Nellis noted softly.
Addi fumbled for words, having been caught off guard by his embrace. His scent and brogue accent were exactly the same as she remembered. She’d not realized how much she had missed him. “I… I missed you too. I shouldn’t have left the way I did,” she admitted, sounding regretful.
Nellis took a step back from her and examined her closely. “Aye, although I’m curious about which part you mean exactly. Was it the leaving angry, leaving for five years or leaving still wearing the wedding dress that you feel badly about?” he questioned as he cocked his head to the side and stared at her.
Addi’s heart sank. “Well, not that you have any reason to believe me, but… all of it,” she sighed, avoiding his gaze.
“And I guess you have just been too busy these last five years to mention that before now,” he retorted.
“I had Wyatt to look after, you know how helpless he can be. And there was so much work to be done,” she reasoned.
“Oh, I don’t know about all that. Wyatt seems to be able to handle himself just fine,” he replied, catching her gaze with his. “So, are you trying to convince yourself or me with that line? Look, I am not angry. Truth be told, I wasn’t angry the day you left. But don’t try to sell some hogwash line to me as to why you left. We both know you did it because you got scared. More scared than you were of those enforcers a little while ago,” he concluded, shaking his head.
Addi just looked at him. She knew he was right. He deserved better than to listen to her argue some lie that neither of them was ever going to believe. She sighed and hung her head. “You are right. I was scared. Scared of settling down, of leaving Wyatt alone, of becoming someone I didn’t recognize and that you would see my fear and resent me for it. So, I left. I told myself that it was the kindest thing I could do for both of us,” she confessed, feeling ashamed.
“Well, thanks for finally being honest with me. That and your happiness was all I ever wanted,” Nellis assured, giving her a small smile.
“It really is good to see you,” Addi replied, flashing a brief smile.
Nellis pulled down four bowls from a shelf and filled two with soup. He sat them on the table, along with two cups of tea. Taking a seat, he took a bite and then studied Addi thoughtfully. “Well, you three look like you have had quite the adventure, even before our little scuffle in the woods. Why don’t you fill me in while the youngsters tend to each other’s boo-boos,” he suggested, laughing and shaking his head.
As soon as he’d convinced Nellis to leave, Wyatt closed the door to the bedroom where Nev now sat. He was still leaning with his forehead pressed against it. Feeling Nev’s gaze on the back of his neck, he swallowed hard. He knew Addi and him were good now, and he wanted to believe that Addi was right. That no one believed what the prowler had suggested regarding his motivations for staying. Still, painful tinges of doubt remained in his mind regarding Nev. He ached to hold her. Desperate to know if she doubted him, but fear held him in place.
Nev watched Wyatt linger at the door and felt her heart aching for him. She gave him a moment to gather his thoughts. When he remained with his back to her, she could no longer resist her need to hold him. She stood and wrapped her arms around him tightly from behind. Her shoulder screamed objections, but she ignored it. Holding him was all that mattered right now. She leaned her head against his back and sensed him relax slightly. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as she felt him clasp one of her hands before squeezing it lightly. She smiled at his now-familiar sign that he was still with her.
Nev suddenly felt a desperate urge to have him. All of him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed,
