Page 25 of Imbalance
My eyes widened a fraction, and I breathed out, "That's going to take some getting used to."
A whimsical laugh spilled from her lips, and she reached out to pat my hand, "Well, that is a quick intro to who I am and my role here. While we do have much to discuss aboutyourrole here, I will save that for later. I truly did simply wish to check on how you were doing. You have been through a lot the past few days."
A shaky laugh escaped, "You're not wrong."
We sat in companionable silence as I processed it all for a few minutes. Where did I even start?
Pelia made it easy, asking, "How are you accepting the mate bonds?"
I let each of the men’s faces fill my mind and ran through all of the emotions they instilled in me.
Inhaling deeply, then letting the air back out slowly, I answered honestly, letting the words flow from my heart, "I'm overwhelmed. Sometimes with confusion about how such a thing is even possible and how we're going to make it work. But sometimes..." I trailed off, thinking of the salt pools. "Sometimes, I'm overwhelmed with the love and support they give me, and I get butterflies thinking of how lucky I am."
"These connections are still new for you all, and they came on very suddenly. Don't give up on those who are lingering in the background, unsure of how to handle the emotions within themselves," she advised, and immediately, Colt and Nico's faces came to mind.
My heart hurt for the loss of their parents, and I asked, "I don't know how to be there for them right now. Do I let them get their anger and frustration out however they want, even when it hurts me? Or do I set boundaries and tell them to treat me right or hit the road?"
It should have felt weird asking this woman for advice, especially since I hadn’t told her of the complicated nature of our relationship. Yet, I had a keen sense of awareness that she already knew what was going on. She didn’t seem surprised by any of what I was saying.
"You know the answer to that," she said cryptically as she stood, her wings snapping out as if she was leaving.
I groaned and said, "Are you asking me to do some soul searching?"
She was. Shetotallywas.
Pelia winked and said, "I knew we'd get along, but this has been even more enjoyable than I imagined. Thank you for taking a moment to speak with me."
Not waiting for me to respond, she kicked off from the ground, and her wings pushed her into the sky as I began to walk towards the entrance of the restaurant.
"Hey...Pelia?" I called out as my hand landed on the door. She glanced down at me. "Thank you for checking in on me. When will I see you again?"
"Very soon, dear. Very soon," she answered before shooting off into the night, leaving me with peace in my heart about how to proceed with my men. A part of me hated that she was right. I did know what to do. I needed to be authentically myself and let my walls down with them.
If we couldn't be honest with each other and have open communication, we were doomed.
Maybe there was something to the temples and their focuses?
Pelia had brought peace to my heart. Next up was mind and soul, according to what she said her line assisted people with finding peace in.
No big deal.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ama
As I walked into the dimly lit restaurant, my eyes zeroed in on the back corner, which had a large, circular booth holding all of my mates. There were some packs at the edge of the booth on the floor that must have been the supplies Jace said he was going to get for us.
All their gazes swiveled to me at the same moment as I approached, instantly staining my cheeks with a blush. At this rate, I'd never have to include blush in my make-up routine again because I was blushing like a damned school girl all the time now. I was ridiculous.
Zurie would absolutely make fun of me for being this way. Good-naturedly, of course, but I had always been the girl who acted like love and affection were overrated after having my heart crushed by Drayven. If only she knew how the tables had turned….
"Ama, sit here," Finias called out from the edge of the booth as he stood and gestured for me to take the last spot on the cushioned seat.
As I took his seat, which was next to Drayven, he pulled an empty chair up to the edge of the table and took my hand in his, placing a kiss on it and sitting down. I smiled coyly up at him and asked, "Oh, are you playing the gentleman tonight?"
Drayven draped his arm across my shoulder and grumbled, "We'll see if he can avoid knocking me out tonight, and maybe then we'll call him a gentleman."
A giggle erupted from me, and my empty hand flew up to cover my mouth.
