Page 49 of A Soul to Embrace

Delora didn’t back down as she expected her to, nor did Zylah sense any unease from her. Magnar, however, quickly gave Zylah a soft and almost... half-hearted warning growl. His orbs remained green as he crept in Delora’s shadow protectively.

“Please, Fyodor,” Delora pleaded with her eyes bowing beseechingly. “We want you to come with us.”

Zylah’s head cocked to the side in question.“Fyodor? What does this mean?”

Delora’s cheeks pinkened as a small smile curled her lips. “It’s your name.”

“My name is Zylah,”she swiftly corrected.

“You have a new name?” Magnar asked while gingerly stepping forward, then sniffing at the air. He snorted out a mild huff. “You also have a companion.”

Delora gasped and turned her eyes to him. “She does?!”

“A Demon,” he grumbled with mild displeasure. “It smells like they have been living here together for quite some time.”

Once more, Delora brought her gaze back to Zylah. Concern glinted in her big brown eyes, made evident by the deep furrow of her brows and the downturn of her lips. Her expression faded, and she tried to smile once more – although it was broken and weak.

“Zylah, then,” Delora whispered, before her voice strengthened. “Please come with us. Someone is obviously helping you, and we’re so thankful for that, but there’s so much we can do for you. We can show you what it’s like to be family.”

“How to hunt, how to be a Mavka,” Magnar added, placing his arm around Delora’s shoulders to hold her with tenderness. “We can explain many things you’ll need to know that you cannot learn on your own.”

Zylah shook her head.“I don’t need your help.”

“Please,” Delora begged, stepping forward, only to be dragged back by her Mavka, who was wisely wary of Zylah but remaining unhostile. She could almost feel the tension coming off him, but it didn’t heighten her aggression in return. “When we heard from Emerie that you were still so close to the Veil, we thought it might be because you, somewhere inside, longed to be with us again. We searched for you in your burrow, your territory, and it led us here. You don’t have to live like this. We can show you a home, and what it’s like to not be alone.”

“I’m not alone!”Zylah barked out with her sight shifting to a deep red. She stamped a singular foot in annoyance and made it thump loudly, wishing they would just understand.“I have Jabez. I do not need you.”

The words appeared to cut so deep that the female’s lips shook as tears flooded her eyes. Then, in the next moment, her tanned features paled.

Yet it was Magnar who asked, “Who did you say?”

A chitter of shame and nervousness exploded from her, and her orbs morphed to a stark white. She cupped her hands near her chest when anxiety flooded her gut.I should not have said that.She shouldn’t have mentioned his name.

“Fy... Zylah,” Delora rasped, and even Zylah could hear how fast her little heart was beating despite the space between them. “Please tell me you didn’t just sayJabez.”

Stepping back, Zylah almost tripped over her elongated rabbit feet in her monstrous form, just as a small, deep, yetdarkchuckle rumbled from behind her. Without giving her back to strangers, she looked over her shoulder to see Jabez exiting the cave.

With his hood propped over his head to protect himself from the sun, it cast a rather ominous shade over his features. The red of his eyes became stronger, and the coldness of them even harsher with his silvery eyelashes.

“I guess there is no point in hiding any longer,” he stated, his voice void of any emotion.

Zylah chittered as reddish pink entered her sight. She’d told him she wasn’t capable of doing this on her own. Instead of removing these strangers from their territory, she’d accidentally spilled the secret of her companionship with him when it had been obvious he wanted to avoid that.

I failed,her mind whimpered.

Stepping out from the shade of his hiding spot, Jabez noted the way Zylah had shrunk within herself and even lowered into a crouch. Although he kept the mask of his cruel indifference firmly in place, he understood that he’d just given her too big of a task.

Risking the sun, he reached out to pat the back of her arm and ignored the sting that cut across his knuckles. “It’s fine,” he stated calmly, before bringing his hand back within the safety of his cloak. “You did your best.”

She’s only just learned how to communicate properly.Hiding one’s emotions, thoughts, and secrets was hard for an inexperienced person. Let alone one who had never spoken to strangers.

He wouldn’t show any ire towards her, not when he was hoping he could...mitigatethe problem.

There had also been a nag at the back of his mind and a trickle of guilt sliding down his nape while he’d been eavesdropping.

My relationship with my parents is non-existent.Jabez had no desire to ruin that for Zylah, despite knowing his companionship with her may already do that.

Walking to be at her side, he thought,Let’s see just how much she wishes to remain with me.

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