Page 67 of The Hero Within
"It is not my call to make," Nnedi responded sharply.
"Hey." He grabbed Eden's arm and dragged her in close, mimicking a man comforting his sweetheart. His voice dropped as his thumb stroked her upper arm. "It's okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, and Nnedi will protect you if this goes south."
Conflict waged war in her green eyes. "Jesus Christ, Colton. How about you focus on yourself?"
She was worried? Forhim?
No. Couldn't be. She needed a guide and with Cole down and out for the count, he was it.
"This isn't my first time fighting like this. I'm good at what I do, Eden."
"Good. Because I'm going to be pissed if I have your death on my conscience."
That was more like it. "Can't have that."
"Boots off," Nnedi instructed, examining the white powder in her bowl.
Johnny stared over her shoulder toward his adversary. Several of the pack gathered around Lincoln, painting a thin line of black down the center of his face.
Something stirred in Johnny's blood, as if the war music called to him. He could feel Eden's hands on his body, as she knelt and tugged his boots off.
"The amulet too," Nnedi instructed.
Eden hesitated as she straightened, and he read the train of thought in her eyes. It was the one thing that kept her brother Adam from turning, despite the pull of the moon. She hadn't seen him take it off in front of Cole.
Johnny lifted the amulet over his head, handing it to her. "Keep it safe for me, angel. It was my grandfather's. I don't need it—I never have—but it holds sentimental value for me."
The handful of women with Nnedi began rubbing oil all over him. He knew it would help him avoid Lincoln's grip, but he couldn't help noticing Eden's eyes on him. One of the women's hands slid low across his abdomen and Eden's gaze followed it. It was hard not to think about what it would feel like if that were Eden's hand, skating low enough to brush the top of his jeans.
He caught the woman's hand before it skimmed any lower and his body started focusing on Eden beneath him, rather than on the task ahead.
The woman giggled.
A hand slapped his back. Nnedi walked in slow circles around him and slammed her powdered hand against his skin to leave a print. Another of the Munin pressed one to his stomach. The giggler.
"Enjoying yourself?" Eden muttered.
"Areyou?" He quirked a brow, and heat painted a pretty red across her cheeks.
"Don't get hurt.Please."
He stared into her eyes, as the entire cavern vanished around them, trying to work out what she was trying to say. "Whatever happens here, it's not your fault."
Her thumb brushed against the inside of his wrist as she lowered her eyes, trying to say something and failing. "I forgive you," she finally whispered.
"What?" he demanded, the pit of his stomach freefalling.
Eden slowly looked up from beneath those thick, dark lashes. "I don't know the truth of everything that happened between us. You won't tell me. But.... I forgive you. I forgive you for your part of what happened to me. To Adam. I know you never truly wanted to hurt me."
Every inch of him ran cold with shock, his heart suddenly thundering along in time to the beat of the drums. A distant howling filled his ears—the other wargs screaming for him to enter the ring. But he was trapped in this moment, his entire world wrenched out from beneath his feet with three little words.
He had the feeling he'd never be able to right himself again. Of all the times to tell him this.... It cascaded through him, like someone setting a spark to the fuse of a thousand suppressed emotions.
He didn't deserve forgiveness. Especially not from her.
But those words filled him, forcing the darkness that lingered deep within his soul to flee into the recesses of his empty heart, where they could no longer touch him.
He hadn't realized how much he'd craved forgiveness.
