Page 101 of Bitten By Bloodmoon
Chapter 28
Lumi
The living room is packed when we return to Nyx’s house. Each person’s eyes sweep across our bodies, studying us for any wounds or injuries. Riven, in particular, breathes out a sigh of relief when he realizes his healing services won’t be needed tonight.
“Learn anything helpful?” Kael asks, but I know he can tell by my body language that the answer is no.
I shake my head, hanging it low. Nyx doesn’t even respond to them. He can’t even make eye contact with any of them. He’s in a haze. He’s been this way since we spoke to Thalia. He’s completely lost in his own thoughts, unable to articulate any of them to me.
To him, it’s like no one is even here as he walks past the living room to the stairs that lead to his bedroom. I follow after, not bothering to share anything more with the group.
The sun has begun to set, but for now, the room is illuminated with golden light, leaving long streaks stretching across the floor. Nyx lingers at the threshold, the sunlight brushing against the edges of his shoes in a cruel warning. He paces just outside the door, slowly inching inside his room asthe light pulls back, retreating slowly from his room. His mind twisted with the words Thalia spoke to us.
I step through the sunlight over to the bed, where I sit on the edge.
“What are you thinking?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer. I’m not even sure he heard me. His pacing is relentless. He walks back and forth in quiet resignation as if this is his new destiny—to grind a path into the floor, forever.
I push gently against his mind. He has a shield up, but it’s a weak one. He’s not really putting much effort into keeping me out, making it easy for me to slide through. Once inside, I feel all of his emotions flooding me.
Killing, death—that’s how I end or prevent a war. I kill everyone important. That’s always been my role.
Ambrose is her mate. But then, that’s always been true. She’ll break the curse for at least one creature, and I’ll help them break the curse for the rest.
I suck in a breath, realizing the immensity of what Thalia told him. I’ve always been the one destined to break the curse. But she said he’s destined to do something as big or bigger—stop the war. Break the curse for the rest. That’s huge. That’s a lot of responsibility on his shoulders to figure out how to do that.
“Do you believe Thalia? All of the witches?”
He blinks, as if he’s finally realized he’s not alone in the world.
“Yes.”
“Even though they are witches and might have their own motives?”
“Yes, I believe them. Thalia, especially. ”
I nod, my own heart sinking a little.
“That’s it then. He’s my mate. They’ve all said so. He’s the only way I can break the curse.”
“It appears that way, yes,”Nyx says with dark longing in his eyes as he looks at me. He knows what could have been but will never be. We could have been good together, so fucking good.
But then again, he’s a vampire. I’m a shifter without a wolf. He’s a killer, and I’m a fragile human. He has his own baggage, and I still have feelings for my controlling ex.Could we have ever really worked?
“Even if he’s truly your mate, it doesn’t mean you have to do anything about it. You have one week until the next full moon. Take your time deciding. Make sure it’s what you really want. If you want to take longer to decide, then I’ll protect you as long as you want.”He pauses and looks at me with an intense gaze.“Just because you can break the curse doesn’t mean you have to. You don’t have to break the curse—ever.”
“Do you think I could live with myself if I could break the curse but didn’t? If I could end others’ suffering but didn’t?”
“Still doesn’t mean you have to choose someone who is a controlling asshole. But if you do, maybe you need to make your own blood deal with him.”
I stare at Nyx, not sure what to say.
“But it’s also okay to give yourself permission to forgive him, to go back with him. There is a reason you never severed your bond with him. You still love him,” he says.
I don’t confirm or deny it. I just stare at Nyx, still caged by the sunlight across the room from me.
“Ambrose is my mate,” I say out loud in a neutral tone. The words are fact, at least according to every seer we’ve met. I still don’t know how I feel about it, about him.
