“Can you tell your friend thank you?” Torion asked as he finished the cotton candy with one hand and continued to draw with the other.
Tenia’s eyes widened. She had been so lost in her mind arguing with the wolf, Skender, that she hadn’t even realized her son had eaten the entire bag of cotton candy. He was grinning, and his mouth was blue. Tenia laughed and lifted her hand, running her magic across his face to remove any trace of the substance. “Yes, I will tell her. It will please her to know you enjoyed it so much.”
“It’s better than thindle berries,” Torion said. That was quite a compliment, considering the fae berries were his absolute favorite food.
“I’ll bring you more when I can.” She tried to keep the sadness from her voice. Tenia hated leaving her son. She hated not knowing what was happening to him when she wasn’t there.
“I will protect him,” Skender’s soothing voice was there again. It both smoothed and ruffled her feathers at the same time. Which only pissed her off more.
“Bleeding troll legs,” Tenia cursed him. “Could you please stay the hell out of my head?”
“I wish I could tell you yes, but my wolf craves you. I’ve been looking for you a very, very long time.”
His admission surprised her, though his tenacity did not. Wolves were known to be stubborn creatures and to be ridiculously possessive of their mates. If she really was his mate…
“You are,” his voice a deep growl as he interrupted her thoughts. “I could not speak to you this way if you were not.”
“I don’t care,” Tenia snapped. This was not a complication she needed. Not at all. Seven hells, what was she going to do?
“There’s nothing you have to do,” he said, his voice once again gentle. Like warm honey it flowed through her mind. “I expect nothing from you. But I promise you I will protect Torion.”
“Do not speak his name,” Tenia whispered. She was practically begging him. As if by him speaking his name Skender might bring the attention of Alston or Ludcarab to him. “He is not your concern.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Tenia.” he practically purred. “Everything about you is my concern. If I do nothing else worthy in my life, I will protect your young.”
The Great Luna help her, she wanted to believe him. She wanted to have someone she could lean on, but this wolf belonged to the Order.
“I belong to you first,” Skender said. “Always you first. From now on.” Tenia swore she felt the soft glide of a finger down her cheek as his words faded.
She wanted to scream, kick, and curl up in a ball and cry. She couldn’t even finish a thought without him there. How had this happened?
“You look tired, mother,” Torion’s voice drew her attention from her momentary strife. “Will you rest?”
Tenia smiled and gathered every ounce of self-control she possessed. She shoved aside the storm of emotions and focused on her most favorite person in the world. As young as he was, only six summers, he was always trying to look after her. “I would like that, but only if you will rest with me.”
“But I’m not tired,” he said with a grin.
“I’m sure you’re not, especially after eating all that cotton candy. But I wonder if you would allow your mother the gift of just holding you close? I’ve missed my Torion.” She’d more than missed him. She’d ached for him. There were times when she had to completely set him out of her mind because if not she would simply freeze in fear. Worried that one wrong movement would put him in harm’s way.
The boy wrapped his arms around her and buried his little face in her neck. “I will hold you while you sleep. That way you know you are safe.”
Tenia blinked away tears as she stood, still holding him in her arms, and carried him over to his small bed. She curled up on her side and held him close to her heart as she closed her eyes. “Thank you, my brave boy,” she whispered. “I fear I would never rest if I didn’t have such a warrior as you to keep watch.”
“I am a warrior, aren’t I mother?”
“You are. Fierce and loyal. The best warrior I know.” Tenia bit her lip to keep her tears at bay as she forced her body to relax. She never let on just how worried she was when she was with Torion. Tenia already knew he was concerned about her, and she didn’t want to give him cause to fret more. So, she tried to swallow it all down and only show him the side of her that was just thankful to have these moments with him.
“Rest, Tenia.” Skender’s voice filled her mind again. She was too exhausted to argue with him this time. “I will keep watch over you both. I swear to keep you safe.”
She didn’t respond, though a bitter part of her wanted to ask him where the hell he’d been two years ago when Alston had taken her and Torion, but that wasn’t a fair question, and she knew it. No matter how much she despised him now for his affiliation with the Order, she couldn’t blame him for her current situation.
She felt Torion’s body relax and knew he was drifting off, despite his previous assurances that he wasn’t tired. Finally, she could relax. She often wondered how much sleep her son got when she wasn’t there. But it was another one of those things she couldn’t let herself dwell on or it would drive her crazy. Instead, she let herself enjoy the fact that he was in her arms now. She had these moments with him, and they would have to be enough …
