Page 66 of Love in the Wild

His breathing changed into deep, harsh inhalations. His fingers curled into fists. Rage swirled within him with a tornadic energy. He had to get out of this house, had to vanish into the wild before he went mad with grief.

He fled the library, ignoring the calls from everyone to stop. He barreled out into the front gardens and toward a distant lake. He needed to be near something familiar, something he understood. A place to catch his breath and think.

He skidded to a stop at the wooden dock that extended into the lake and stared at the murky water. Without a second thought, he dove into the water and swam deep down with long strokes until his lungs began to scream. He wanted to drown the memories, erase the dark moments of his past, but he couldn’t. Those painful memories were tied too intimately to the moments of joy they had given him.

When he broke the surface, Eden was standing at the water’s edge, and the setting sun lit her hair like gold from the ancient cave. He stood waist-deep in the water, gasping for breath.

Eden threw herself into the lake and swam toward him until she had him in her arms. He buried his face in her neck, holding on to her as he cried. His body shaking, he let the grief of the child he had once been and the man he had become bleed into the water around him. His hate, his sorrow, all of it seeped out of him, leaving him hollow inside.

“It’s okay, Thorne,” Eden whispered in his ear. “I know it hurts. You have to let it out so you can let it go.”

She was right. But he didn’t want all of the memories to go, just the painful ones. He wanted the happy memories of his parents to return. The rage and the violence that had threatened to consume him eased and started to fade.

“They should not have died.”

“No.”

“They were murdered.”

“I know.”

“I hate the men who killed them. I will find them, and I will kill them.”

“No, Thorne. They don’t deserve your hate. Hate is too great a burden to carry. Choose love instead. The love of your aunt and uncle, the love of Bwanbale and his family. Of Keza and Akika. They deserve your love.”

“Andyou,” he added. Thorne cupped her face in his hands and gazed into her leaf-colored eyes. “I carry love for you too.”

Eden bit her lip and held his gaze. “I love you too, Thorne.” He leaned down to touch his forehead to hers and sighed. The light was dying around them, but not within them.

“We should go inside,” Thorne whispered. “You are cold.”

Eden chuckled even as she shivered. “Hold on a sec. I just want to enjoy this wholeMr. Darcy in the lakething for a minute longer.”

“Misterdarcy?” Thorne asked, confused.

Eden giggled and patted his soaking wet chest, fingering one of the buttons of his blue shirt. “Never mind.”

“Let’s go.” He scooped her up into the cradle of his arms.

Eden gasped as he effortlessly carried her out of the lake. When they reached the house, Isabelle was there waiting, holding a pair of towels.

“Are you both all right?” she asked.

Thorne gently set Eden on her feet, and they accepted the towels. “Yes.”

“Why don’t you go shower, and I’ll have the cook send dinner up to your room.”

“Thank you, Aunt Izzy,” Thorne said.

The woman froze. Her lips trembled. “You ... You said you didn’t remember.”

Thorne held his aunt’s shocked stare. “I do now. You gave meThe Jungle Alphabetbook. That was you.”

Isabelle covered her mouth with her hands. “You do remember.”

Thorne, uncaring that he was soaking wet, pulled his aunt into his arms.

“Don’t cry,” he murmured. “Please, Aunt Izzy.” He held her, and it was like the last piece of something missing inside him had settled back into place.

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