Chapter 55 Chapter 55
After Talon’s guidance out of Nighttide’s borders, they said farewell to him too and continued their way to the car that awaited to take them back to their home.
Reynard opened the door for her and followed her inside. The car took off, and the two were stuck in silence again.
Deep into the journey, unable to take another minute of their silence, Suki pressed a button on the car to create privacy between them and the driver.
“You want to talk about last night, too?” Reynard uttered.
A nod.
“Go ahead.”
Suki twiddled her thumbs together, “I meant what I said last night, I have no intention of hurting you. Not now, not ever.”
“I know,” Rey spoke calmly. “Last night I was feeling concerned that I was losing you. I saw the joy you had being in this pack; it looked like you were understanding and connecting with Brendan more. Safe to say my jealousy was overboiling.”
Taking hold of his hand, Suki questioned, “Is that why, when you told me you love me, you stopped me from saying it back?”
He nodded.
Releasing a loud huff, Suki spoke without any hesitation, “You can’t keep doing that, Rey. I’ve said it to you before we bonded; I should be able to say it to you again, especially now.” She squeezed his hand and sighed, “You’re not wrong about how I felt being here. In some weird way, I felt like I was able to connect with Brendan more. I understood his pain and suffering from his past a lot more. I feel like I know him better.”
Rey looked out the window. “I see.”
She speedily moved herself closer to him, practically sitting on his lap, and made him look at her. “Stop thinking the worst, you’re acting like I’m pushing you away.”
“Aren’t you?”
Frowning, she exhaled sadly. “How could you think that? Don’t you realise how much I love you?”
“Don’t,” he choked. “Don’t say that, please. Those words mean everything to me, and it hurts me knowing you might not choose me. How can you say that to me when your heart is half somewhere else?”
Pain etched the inside of Suki’s throat. “Because, despite the fact you have half of my heart, I still know I love you entirely.”
Reynard’s jaw clenched as he swallowed thickly.
“That’s right,” she sniffled as a tear ran down her cheek. “I love you, Rey. Deal with it.”
His hand latched onto the back of her neck as he hauled her mouth to his, kissing her so intensely that the fire within them felt like an explosion.
Suki straddled Rey and wrapped her arms around his neck as they continued kissing with heated passion. She could feel his hardness against herself, even through their clothes, and ground against it softly.
“Ki…” Rey groaned.
“Please,” she whispered, “please just be patient for a little longer. Be patient with me.”
Holding her gently, Reynard looked at her with adoring softness in his eyes. “I want to,” he whispered back, “believe me, I want to, but… I don’t think my heart can take this rollercoaster anymore.”
Her eyes flickered wider as her vision blurred with tears. She tried to speak, but her voice was shaky as her lips trembled. “What…”
The car came to a sudden stop.
Rey’s grip tightened to keep Suki from stumbling off him. He gently placed her down on the seat beside him and looked out the window. “We’re home,” he said quietly before opening the door and exiting the car.
Suki blinked away her tears and rushed out after him. “Rey, wait–”
The driver pulled their bags out of the car and placed them on the ground. “Do you need me to take these inside for you, Miss Twyla?”
“No,” her throat felt hoarse, “I’ll take them in, thank you for everything, sir.” He bowed to her and went on his way. As she turned back towards Reynard, he was already sorting out the bags. “Rey, please,” she grabbed his arm, “don’t go. Talk to me.”
Rey stopped his movement and looked at her; his stare was cold and distant, but the softness of his pain was prominent and eventually took over his entire face. He sighed, “Let me take your bags inside for you.”
She exhaled, “Rey, please just–”
“Well, look who’s finally back!”
The two turned towards the loud voice to see Brendan making his way over to them. Part of Suki relaxed when she saw him approach her so nonchalantly, but then she instantly felt nauseous knowing Rey’s current feelings.
Brendan frowned, “Are you alright?” He placed a hand on her shoulder and held her chin with the other, examining her.
“I’m fine,” she said, moving his hand away.
“Okay… I would ask how the trip was, but I don’t need to be thinking about Nighttide so…” He picked up one of her bags. “How about I help you take your stuff in?”
“I got it, don’t worry,” Reynard protested and tried to take the bag from him.
Brendan huffed and yanked the bag back, “Jheeze, you’ve been alone with her for two days, why don’t you let me do this for her?”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Take her all for yourself, hm?”
“Isn’t that what we’re both trying to do, win her over?”
Suki chimed in, “Enough! Both of you can help, for Goddess sake.” She rubbed her temple and paced into the house. “Hello! Anyone home?”
Silence.
“Hm,” she hummed, listening in with her wolf-hearing and couldn’t hear any of the workers in her home. “My father’s visiting another pack at the moment, and the workers must be done with their tasks for the day already.” She turned back to see her mates pushing and shoving each other to get through the doorway.
Rolling her eyes, Suki leaned against the pillar connected to the staircase.
“Alright, you’ve helped, you can go now,” Reynard said, taking the bag off of Brendan and placing it by the stairs.
Brendan sneered, “Why are you so keen on getting me out of here? Love said that no one is home, so it’s totally fine for me to be here.”
“Guys,” Suki whined.
Rey growled, “No, it’s not.”
“Why the hell not?” Brendan squared up to him.
Not moving a muscle, Reynard wasn’t afraid of his attempts at intimidating him. “Because every time you’re near Suki, you’re putting her in danger. Mated or not, you’re a liability, and I can’t have her getting hurt.”
Suki inhaled sharply, “Rey.”
Brendan scoffed, “You’re so overprotective of her, she’s a big girl, she’ll be fine. Besides, I’m no threat to her–”
“You’re a Rogue!” he yelled. “Rogue attracts trouble. You’ll always be a threat to her; her life will always be in danger with you around.”
He scoffed. “And what about you?!” Brendan shouted back. “What about the trouble you attract? You’re a powerful warrior in training, you’re going to make enemies along the way, and they’ll hunt her to get to you. Do you even have any idea why you and your family were targeted all those years ago? What if those sickos are still out there? What if they hurt Suki?”
Reynard jaw ticked, “I would never let that happen. I would never let anything happen to Suki.”
“Likewise.”
Suki stepped forward. “Okay, I think we all just need a breather for a minute–”
Brendan snapped, “Why don’t you just admit you’re afraid of losing her? Admit it, because you know she’s been growing more attached to me these last few months. You know she loves me… She’s mine.”
His sharp words plunged into Rey’s chest, and Suki’s too. Suki croaked, “Brendan.”
“She’s not yours.” Reynard shoved him away.
He laughed, “Not yet.”
Shaking his head, Reynard snarled, “I’ve had enough of this.” He turned to the door and moved to walk out.
“No!” Suki yelped, rushing over and grabbing his hand. “Don’t go, you’re both just heated. It’s the bond making you both angry like this.”
Brendan exhaled, annoyed, “Of course it’s the bond making us feel like this, love. I’m sick of this bullshit fighting all the time.”
“Me too,” sighed Rey. “This isn’t good for any of us.”
“Suki,” Brendan stood on the other side of her, taking her free hand. “You need to choose before we kill each other.”
She looked between the two men, wide-eyed. “What?”
Rey stepped closer and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Within the last few days, I’ve felt a… change… in the bond.”
“I felt it too,” Brendan added.
That feeling Suki had experienced during her conversation with Hadeon back in Nighttide felt like pieces of a puzzle had finally fallen into their right places to create the picture she had been looking for forever.
“At first, I couldn’t put my finger on why that feeling occurred, but now it’s starting to make sense,” Reynard continued, stroking her cheek with her thumb. “You’ve made your choice, haven’t you?”
A tear streamed down her face as she slowly closed her eyes and nodded.
Brendan stepped closer, the space between her and her mates becoming next to nothing. “You’ve decided which one of us you want to be with?”
Swallowing thickly, she nodded again. Her gaze swapped between the two men, afraid to say her truth, but she knew there was no backing out now.
It was time for her to make a choice.