Page 67 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
“It doesn’t matter what you think,” Ryenne countered. “Teddy gets to make up her own mind.”
Donnie leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table. “She’s family.”
“And she’ll stay family regardless of who she dates or fucks or whatever.”
Fucks. I’d looked up that word after hearing it several times and learned of its many uses. Of all the words Ryenne had to use, did she really need to say Teddy and fuck? My cock couldn’t take it, couldn’t take the implication of being deep inside her.
But did that mean she’d fucked others? Jealousy roared, and just like that, my length flatlined.
“Besides, have you seen Elias?” Ryenne waved a hand in my direction. “I mean, I like you, Nate. Maybe even love you, but even you’d do Elias.”
Nate’s brows raised to his hairline. “With abs like that, you’re probably right.”
I stilled, my mouth hanging wide open.
“Don’t get me started on his ass.” Then the crazy bastard winked.
And me? I howled out a laugh that could rival one of Nalari’s roars.
Nalari was uncharacteristicallyquiet on our ride back to Javier’s, where I checked on Jasmine. Thankfully, she had remained fever-free. I quickly healed his other sister so I could hurry back home and check on my friends. If I was lucky, my uncle would’ve already left.
Nalari remained silent as she flew us back to our cottage, too. It worried me that she hadn’t sassed me about Nate’s remark about my ass or abs. That she hadn’t gloated over how much Victoria loved the dog Nalari had fixed, more so than the sled or girl I’d made. That she hadn’t roared about the people in town who’d wanted to kill me.
But I took the silence to think about Teddy. How much more comfortable she was with me. How she seemed to want to touch me as much as I wanted to touch her.
As soon as Nalari landed, my uncle met me near the pens of our livestock. Of course, he’d waited for me.
His face was drawn and tired and somehow seemed older than he had last night.
“How’s your back?” He lifted his chin in greeting.
It almost sounded like he cared, like the uncle I’d grown up with.
“I’ll live,” I said, gauging him the same way he had assessed me yesterday.
“Unhealed?”
Rather than answer him, I removed the shirt Donnie had given me when I mentioned not wanting Victoria to see my wounds. It was a tight, short fit that rubbed against thewounds. After removing the wrap and gauze Teddy had put there, I turned so my uncle could see his handiwork.
He hissed in a breath, and when I faced him again, I could have sworn regret clouded his features.
“I’ll live,” I repeated.
“The female helped you?” he asked.
I inched the shirt back on slowly, but it still grazed the open wounds. “She and her friends,” I said.
I wasn’t sure if he knew how the people in Colina had turned against me. If he knew her friends had stayed with her to protect me. I didn’t withhold information from him, but I wasn’t entirely open either.
“Of course.” He let out a humorless laugh. “And you fell for it, I’m sure. You thought she tended to you because she cared for you. And her friends, they stayed for what? Moral support?”
His taunting tone grated on my nerves. Made me remember the scent of his pleasure at my pain.
I gritted my teeth. “Something like that.”
“Nephew,” he sighed out. “Your judgment is clouded because of your bond to her. Reject her as you forced her to so you can be free of her and clearly see the reality of what’s happening.”
When my primal instincts threatened to flare this time, I pushed them back. “Why don’t you enlighten me on this reality, Uncle?” My words came out brittle.
