Page 9 of Prodigy & Tybalt
“And you sound like my next victim.”
He smiled. What the fuck?
“There’s something wrong with you,” I told him, and turned to the door, pulling it open—successfully this time.
“ChaCha was one of the women abducted,” Tybalt said. “Sweetie’s fiancée. That’s why he can’t be with you, why he rejected you. Not only does he love her, but they’ve been through hell together, and it’s impossible to walk away from someone after that. It forges a bond even deeper than a mate bond.”
Every word sent the spikes of pain deeper into my chest, until every last part of me burned. I gripped the door handle, bowing forward as it turned to agony. I breathed through it, gritted my teeth against the cramping in my stomach, the sudden rush of dizziness.
“He’s a coward,” I snarled, breathing in rough pants, the pain enough to make my head spin.
“He’s loyal, and a good man.”
My laugh was twisted, tangled up in pain. “Fuck that.”
I picked up my bruised, agonised body and walked into the hallway, putting one foot in front of another, my vision blurring, narrowed to the threadbare carpet under me.
A bond even deeper than a mate bond.Good to know I meant nothing, fate meant nothing, and true loyalty meant nothing. I knew any dream of a romantic relationship with my mate had died, and I’d accepted that, but shouldn’t he still be here, as a damn friend? Hell, I’d endure his fiancée being here, too. Shouldn’t being his mate count forsomething?Shouldn’t he at least give a single shit if I lived or died?
My ankle fucked me over again, between one step and the next. It just buckled, and this time Tybalt wasn’t there to catch me. I collapsed on the carpet, and didn’t see the point in gettingback up. I rested my back against the wall and pulled my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them as a tear forced its way free.
Loneliness was a disease, and it acted so quickly, it choked me before I even noticed its approach.
I jumped when a shadow fell over me, and then Tybalt sat beside me, his long legs stretched out across the floor.
“You knew I wouldn’t get far,” I accused, my voice scratchy.
“Eh, I had a feeling. Sorry I wasn’t close enough to catch you.”
I glared, looking at the wall across from me, not turning to meet his eyes. “You don’t owe me anything. Why would you be sorry?”
He sighed heavily, and I felt his eyes on the side of my face. “There’s no one else here to catch you, so I’ve decided I will, however many times you fall.”
“Well, aren’t you a good Samaritan,” I remarked, not willing to admit that his presence pushed back that crushing wave of loneliness.
I was in pain, my head was a fucking mess, my mate didn’t want me, and I had to live with the fact that some prick had bought me for ten thousand pounds for the rest of my life, but I wasn’t alone. The company was questionable, and I didn’t know this bastard at all, but when I blinked I saw him on the floor of that pristine white living room beating the shit out of my abuser. The loneliness ebbed.
“Oh sure,” Tybalt agreed. “I’m well known for being charitable. A real do-gooder.”
I slanted a look at him. “I’m sensing sarcasm.”
“Me? Sarcastic? I’m too much of agood Samaritanto be sarcastic.”
My mouth twitched into the world’s most depressing excuse for a smile. It remained for a moment, and then fell as silencestretched between us. I hated it. “You do realise you’re named after a gun-wielding thug in Romeo and Juliet?”
“Hey, I gave myself this name.”
I gave him a weird look. “Not Romeo?”
“That piece of shit?” Tybalt scoffed. “Not only was he a flighty, womanising wanker who wouldn’t know commitment if it bit him on the ass, he quite literally got his girlfriend killed. I wouldn’t call myself Romeo if you threatened my life.”
“Tybalt’ssomuch better,” I drawled, making it clear I didn’t agree with the words.
“He’s an arrogant, violent bastard who’s easily provoked by an insult to his pride or a threat to his family, and he’s not afraid to stab the shit out of his enemies. What’s not to like?”
I gave him a dry look, and held eye contact. “You’re telling on yourself.”
“At least I’m self-aware.”
