Page 13 of Warrin
“How long have you been homeless and living out of your car, little sarr’ahh?”he asked in a gentle, compassionate tone that brought tears to her eyes.
“Only a few days,” she admitted.“Before that, I was living in the town I mentioned before—Oakdale.But… several days ago, I had to flee town.”Her face burned with shame.She didn’t want to tell him the remaining details, and she scrambled to come up with a way to explain her reasons for being on a road trip in the middle of a war zone that didn’t paint her as a loser.
She couldn’t help it.She used to think Tobias was the perfect man for her.She used to be head over heels in love with him.Yet he’d rejected her.He’d cheated on her.And he’d framed her for a crime she hadn’t committed.She’d spent the last five years trying to make Oakdale a better place and had succeeded in convincing new businesses to relocate to the town, bringing much-needed jobs to the area, only to be rewarded with heartache and betrayal.The very people she’d helped now believed she was a criminal—and a fugitive.
Warrin reached across the table and grasped her hand.“Please tell me what happened, Elora.Please.Whatever happened, I promise not to judge you or blame you.”
Her throat became scratchy, and she struggled to breathe as emotion swelled in her chest.She prayed Warrin meant it.
She was judging and blaming herself enough for the two of them.How could she have spent three years with Tobias and not anticipated his cruelty?How could she have overlooked so many red flags?In addition to not wanting to delay moving in together and being overprotective of his phone, he’d also talked down to her sometimes and had given her the silent treatment whenever he got mad at her.Once, he went two full weeks without uttering a single word to her.
She blinked, and a lone tear rolled down her face.But before she could wipe it away, Warrin shot to her side and dabbed a napkin to her face.His eyes gleamed with concern as he knelt beside her, slowly caressing a hand through her hair.
“Little sarr’ahh?”
She drew in a deep breath and decided she owed him honesty.They’d agreed to mate with one another—eventually, once she felt ready—and he had gallantly rescued her from the terrifying situation in Grantville.He’d also rescued the entire town—paying off the government forces and the rebels.Yes, she really should tell him the truth.
What was the worst that could happen?Oh, right—another man might reject her.
But as she stared at Warrin and became lost in his green depths, she quickly told herself that wouldn’t happen.He didn’t give off asshole vibes.Not in the slightest.She realized she hadn’t known him for very long, but already his personality seemed so different from Tobias’s.He struck her as genuinely kind, while Tobias cared more about power and prestige.
She took another deep breath and decided to spill the truth.The whole, terrible truth.And if she’d misjudged Warrin and he rejected her—well then, so be it.Better to find out now than later on down the road.
“A few days ago,” she began in a surprisingly calm voice, “I was supposed to get married—to the mayor of Oakdale.Except he didn’t show up.Two hours after the ceremony was supposed to take place, he texted to say he couldn’t marry me and that there was someone else.”
Rage flashed in Warrin’s eyes, though it was quickly tempered with a look of sympathy.“That vile rodent,” he said with a growl.He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and nodded, urging her to continue.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, a smile played across her lips.Vile rodent.So far, Warrin was taking her side.So far, he wasn’t thinking badly of her.She prayed he would continue to be understanding, and she prayed he was as honorable and kindhearted as the VAMOB commercials promised.
“Vile rodent is an apt description,” she said with a sigh.“In the same text message, he also fired me from my job—he said we couldn’t work together anymore.I started to think I should flee town because I couldn’t imagine showing my face ever again, and I also didn’t think anyone would hire me after the mayor so publicly rejected me.But… it gets worse.Something happened that forced me to leave town immediately.”
She swallowed hard and blinked fast, not wanting to shed another tear over Tobias.
“Please continue, little sarr’ahh, when you are ready.”He tightened his hold on her hand and kept stroking her hair.
She appreciated his quiet comfort while she confessed the most embarrassing, heartbreaking event of her life.Bracing herself to reveal the final part, she drew a trembling breath.Her hands shook, but she found reassurance in Warrin’s gentle touch and leaned closer to him with a soft sigh.She closed her eyes, fearing the tears would fall if she didn’t.
“On my way home from the church, I received a message from a former coworker and friend.It was a screenshot of a breaking news story in Oakdale—about me.Former Economic Development Director Suspected of Fraud.So, I quickly left town, and I hoped to find a nice area a few hours away where I might secure a job and a place to live.But then I found out there was a warrant out for my arrest, and my accounts were frozen.I couldn’t buy anything.And then, of course, I got shot at in Grantville and my solar car was destroyed.I believe you know the rest—I obviously feared for my life.So, I signed up for VAMOB in the middle of the night as bullets hit the diner, praying a Vaxxlian warrior would rescue me.”
Having told him everything, she felt suddenly lighter.Would he continue to be understanding?Or would he wonder if the accusations against her were true?He was still very much a stranger to her, just as she was to him, and she supposed she couldn’t fault him if he doubted the truth of her tale.
“That…vile rodent,” Warrin said again.Then he said a few words in Vaxxlian that definitely sounded like curses—one of them,fluxx, she suspected meantfuck.
Well, it sounded like he was on Team Elora.She heaved a sigh of relief and finally opened her eyes.Her breath caught at the affection that glimmered in his luminous green gaze.He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.She melted.
She also found herself covering a sudden yawn.After barely catching a wink of sleep in the last few days, she was utterly exhausted.Guilt crept in—shouldn’t they mate now?
She felt bad that she’d initially promised to consummate their union after she finished showering, only to change her mind and ask for more time.Part of her still worried they were moving too fast.
“I am sorry for what happened to you, Elora.Truly, I am.”His eyes darkened a bit.“I will not allow anyone to arrest you—not that I think anyone could track you to my ship.But my people don’t have an extradition treaty with Earth, so even if the authorities from your country attempt to get you back, they will not succeed.Please don’t worry.I will keep you safe, and I will destroy anyone who tries to take you away from me.If it weren’t for the blockade, I would head straight for Oakdale and hunt down the deceitful male who hurt you.”
Relief continued surging through Elora.She hadn’t really worried that the Vaxxlians might turn her over to the Oakdale police, but hearing Warrin issue such bold promises to keep her safe warmed her heart.
“Thank you, Warrin,” she said.“I really appreciate how understanding you’re being, as well as your vow of protection.I also appreciate that you believe my story.”She covered another sudden yawn and cast a longing glance at the bed, only for her face to immediately flush.They were in Warrin’s quarters—not the guest quarters where she’d taken a shower earlier.
He cupped her face and directed her gaze back to him.“You have endured a lot during the last few days, little sarr’ahh.You look exhausted, and I think you would benefit from some sleep.”He glanced at the table, still laden with the odd assortment of human food.“Did you get enough to eat?”
“Yes, I’m quite full, actually.It was delicious.”Another yawn.She flushed again.“You’re right—I am exhausted.Perhaps I should return to the other… room.”
