Текст книги "Fable of Happiness book three"
Автор книги: Pepper winters
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
DAWN BROKE.
Sunrise dragged my tired eyes from staring at the gray driveway of the hotel to squinting against the majesty of tangerine splashes, golden spears, and delicate glittery pinks. The horizon had never looked so pure and full of possibilities as the sun stretched awake, all while the sky kept a dark ceiling on the world.
The stars had gone. The moon had slipped away. A new day had begun and still Kas had not returned.
I stood, groaning at the pain in my lower back from sitting hunched on the curb all night. I hadn’t moved since Tony left. Something inside me refused to leave. I couldn’t leave without Kas. I didn’t know if he knew my address or how to get home. I didn’t want to run the risk of him appearing and having no one to welcome him back.
If he even has the awareness to retrace his steps.
I’d given him till morning.
I didn’t want to involve the police or search parties until I was absolutely sure he couldn’t find his way back to me.
But...that time was quickly drawing to a close.
Please, Kas...where are you?
Pressing my hands into my lower back, I stretched and dropped my eyes from the sunrise.
My heart stopped.
I blinked.
And then, I was running.
Barefoot and bedraggled in my silver-lavender dress, I sprinted across the parking lot to the edge where concrete met tree line.
“Kas!”
He held up his hand, stopping my speed as he clicked his fingers and a dirty, dangerous-looking mutt appeared from the trees. He studied my face as the dog went directly to Kas’s heel, sat like a military guard, and glowered at me with its teeth bared.
I slammed to a stop.
Kas came toward me, his shirt covered in green stains, his trousers shorter on one leg than the other. I frowned, glancing at his outstretched arms and the piece of pant leg wrapped around his forearm, glistening darkly with blood.
“Oh, my God. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He gathered me in his arms. He smelled sour and earthy, dirty, and exhausted, but I buried my face in his neck and clung to him.
“I’m so unbelievably sorry, Gemma.”
Tears dripped down my cheeks, soaking into his skin. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
God, it felt good to be back in his arms. To finally breathe again. To know he was safe.
I crushed him extra hard with thankfulness.
“I didn’t mean to be so long.” He hugged me back, his arms so strong and his pressure so powerful my bones protested. “I’m so sorry for making you worry.”
Pulling back, I shook my head, sniffing up my relief. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have taken you to the gala. It was too much, too soon.”
He placed me back on my feet, holding my hands. “No. It was exactly what I needed.”
“But you...you ran.”
“I did.”
“You stayed away all night.”
“Yes.”
I wrinkled my nose at his filthy tux, red-rimmed eyes, and messy hair. He looked as if he’d gone to war, attended a funeral, and fought a dragon all in the space of one night.
His tatty tux and dirty feet reminded me of his outfit back in the valley. A threadbare prince living in a forgotten mansion. My stomach clenched at how handsome he was, even in such a state.
A state that sent my insides winging all while worry sat heavily.
What happened to him?
Trying my best to bring humor into this strange reunion, I fingered his filthy shirt. “You left dressed immaculately, and you’ve returned...in a destroyed rental.” I smiled. “Whatever are we going to tell the rental company?”
He winced. “Ah shit, I didn’t think. I’ll pay you back. Just like I’ll pay you back for everything.”
I squeezed his fingers. “I don’t care about the tux, Kas. You’ve never looked more handsome to me.”
He blushed in the dawn. “Then I might not be the only one with a few screws loose if you prefer me covered in mud and half-naked than washed and dressed in finery.
“I find you delicious no matter what state of dress you’re in.”
His eyes flared with heat, dragging down my body. “Same.” His throat worked as he swallowed. “Who’s jacket are you wearing?” His nostrils flared as if he could catch the scent of the male who’d given it to me, fitting perfectly with the whole image of a wildling stepping from the forest—a creature with possessive tendencies.
I shrugged out of the blazer immediately, leaving it on the ground.
I’d buy Tony a new one someday. “No one’s.”
Kas unbuttoned his green-stained shirt, shrugged out of it, and waited until I put my arms through each sleeve. His indescribable masculine scent wrapped around me, making me warmer than anything.
“There...now you’re mine again.” He kissed my cheek.
I shivered as he hugged me. “That will never happen again, just so you know,” he murmured. “I won’t leave you. I give you my word.”
Untangling from his arms, I cupped his face. “It might happen again. You can’t say conclusively that it won’t. And...that’s okay. I’m here for it all, Kas. Evey milestone and set-back. Just trust me and we’ll get through this.”
“I love you.” His lips landed on mine as he swooped me off the ground and hugged me close. “And I do trust you. With everything that I am.” His tongue slipped into my mouth, activating a ball of need in my belly.
I kissed him back.
We kissed each other beneath the dawn-shadows of trees all while guests at the local hotel started waking up.
Finally, Kas put me back on my feet.
I grabbed his arm as he dropped them to his sides, stroking my fingers over the bloody bandage he’d made from his pant leg. “What happened?”
As if the dog had been waiting for that question, it stepped forward and sniffed my dress.
Kas stared at the dog as it continued to sniff me, then braced his shoulders. “Me and Fang here had a rocky beginning.”
“Fang?”
His lips tipped up. “Didn’t know what else to call him, and...well, he bit me, so I’m well acquainted with his teeth.”
“He bit you?” I grabbed his bloody bandage again, throwing a scowl at the dog. “We need to get you to a doctor, so they can administer a rabies injection and get you started on antibiotics.”
Kas chuckled under his breath. “Gem...I’m fine. Nothing some soap and water won’t fix.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you a doctor now?”
“No, but I know what wounds my body has overcome, and a few teeth punctures are nothing.”
I winced. “Of course...I just...” I shook my head, trying to dispel images of Kas bleeding worse than he currently was, accepting a rabid bite as flippantly as one might tolerate a scraped knee.
“I’m fine, Gem. Honest.” He smiled properly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Honestly, I feel better than I have since...since I can remember. I’m lighter. I’m...steadier.”
I let his arm go, staring closely into his eyes.
He wasn’t lying.
The shadowy depths were crystal clear, the wary guardedness replaced with open trust. Tilting my head, I cupped his cheek. “I believe you.” I ran my finger over his bottom lip, my heart fluttering with every feeling possible. “What happened out there with you and Fang?”
Kas kissed the tip of my finger. “We...recognized each other.”
“And that helped?”
“More than I can say.”
“But he bit you.”
“I would’ve done the same.” Kas sucked in a breath. “I did do the same...to you.”
Goosebumps pebbled over my arms as he captured my fingers from his mouth and squeezed so damn hard. “I bit you in my way, Gem. I bit you out of fear and self-defense. But no matter how hard I bit, you never stopped seeing what was beneath my violent fear.”
Tears obscured my vision again.
Kas kissed my palm, breathing into my skin. “Fang had a rope around his neck—just like I had a rope around mine tying me to Fables. The moment I freed the dog, he gave over his entire heart—every molecule of trust without a moment of doubt.”
He inhaled me, shaking his head a little. “You were the one to free me, Gem, but I wasn’t capable of giving you what Fang gave me tonight. It’s taken me so much longer to reach his unconditional belief that things will be...okay. That we can’t predict the future or control every aspect of our lives, but we can choose to take it one step at a time. He showed me that no matter what he’s gone through at the hands of people, he’s still willing to trust. To give his heart, never knowing if he’s going to get hurt again.”
His tone went rough and raspy. “He bit me to protect himself. He bit me and I let him because I know how it feels to still taste that helplessness. I know how it eats you up inside. Wanting to bite something. Kill something. Hurt something just because they hurt you.”
Kas cleared his throat and met my eyes. “But most of all, he taught me that in order to be happy, you have to let go. The fear, the anger, the pain. Just let it all fucking go and move on.”
I brought our joined hands to my mouth, kissing his knuckles. “You truly mean that.”
“I truly mean that.”
“Kas, I-I don’t know what to say...I’m so relieved. So—”
“I’m ready, Gem. I’m ready to be real with you. To live my life with you. To accept everything—the good and the bad, no matter what.”
“I’m so, so proud of you.”
He smirked. “Does that mean you forgive me for running off and making an ass of myself?”
“If it leads you to epiphanies like the one you had tonight, then yes.” I grinned. “So long as you promise me, you’ll always come back.”
He gathered me in a hug, pressing his lips to mine. “You’re my home, Gem. Of course, I’ll always come back to you.”
I moaned into his kiss, letting him sweep me away with his tongue, his truth, and his healing. By the time he let me go, my insides were melted, and I’d completely forgotten about the mutt still sniffing my dress.
Fang’s cold, wet nose nudged my bare foot as Kas pulled away. Glancing down at the stinky, dirty dog, he tensed. “Eh, we’ve never had the conversation on where we both stand with pets and kids. You know I can’t physically give you kids—not after what they did to me—but I can’t deny that...caring for others brings out the best in me. It lets me see just how fucking lucky I am by helping those who need it. And I—”
“I understand, Kas.”
“But I haven’t asked—”
“I get it.”
“I want to keep—”
“I know.”
“You do?” He frowned. “And you’re okay with it?”
“I think it was meant to be.”
“How so?”
I glanced at the dog who sat on his haunches and caught my stare. I swore it saw into my soul and knew it was safe now. That he’d survived horrendous things in order to find his proper place in this world.
He needed Kas and Kas needed him.
Both of them would be their support animal.
Leaning on each other as they healed.
“That dog is yours, Kas.”
He didn’t need to tell me that.
He didn’t need to beg on the dog’s behalf.
It was a done deal.
I’d seen it the moment they’d stepped from the trees together.
Untangling myself from Kas’s arms, I dropped to my haunches and reached for the gray and white shaggy thing. “Welcome to our family, Fang.”
“No, wait—” Kas squatted in front of me, his hand clamping around the dog’s muzzle.
The dog whimpered but didn’t try to free itself. It just watched Kas with utmost trust and obedience.
I froze. “Is he still...dangerous?”
“Not sure.” Kas narrowed his eyes at the dog. “Are you?” For the strangest few moments, I swore man and canine communicated. Suddenly, Kas removed his hand from the dog’s muzzle and nodded. “Go ahead.”
The dog whined and immediately walked into me. His head bumped my knees, and his tongue licked my hand. His tail wagged hesitantly, warily, his head remaining low with submission, but his gentleness obvious.
I sucked in a breath, wincing at the wound around his neck. “I hope whoever tied him up got their ass handed to them by karma.”
“Let’s just say, whoever it was better hope Fang doesn’t recognize them one day when we’re walking down the street because I won’t be responsible for what I’ll do.”
I threw a look at Kas, utterly breathless.
For the first time—apart from his certainty of marrying me—he spoke about the future. He mentioned leaving my house, exploring the world, doing something as normal and soul-warming as walking his pet down the road.
My heart burst with overwhelming joy.
If Fang wasn’t covered in filth, I would’ve grabbed him close and kissed his scruff. I felt indebted to a dog. So thankful that Kas had something to dote upon, to feel protective of, never realizing it was him who needed the companionship. Something to touch when his triggers snapped. Something to cling to and spill his secrets when his nightmares woke him in the dark.
I would be whatever Kas needed but I could never be the silent, wonderful healer that a pet could be. “Thank you, Fang,” I whispered. “Thank you for bringing him back to me.”
The dog licked my nose, bringing another whiff of stench.
I’d never had a dog or a cat. I’d had a goldfish once that Joshua bought me for my fifteenth birthday, but I couldn’t stomach having it swim around in a bowl all alone. It looked dizzy and lonely, and I’d donated it to a local school that had a goldfish pond that looped around their playing field.
I didn’t have any dog food or a bed or any of the other stuff that came with bringing something fluffy into the house. Not to mention, he needed vet care and a bath.
It’d been one of the longest nights of my life.
Kas was half-dressed and I was gowned in something that belonged on a magazine cover, yet none of that mattered.
Standing, I pulled my cell phone from the small pocket sewn discreetly into the bodice of my dress, and brought up a rideshare app that accepted pets.
“What are you doing?” Kas asked, peering at the screen as I logged in our location.
“We’re going to the nearest vet.” I smiled at my future husband and our first official child—even if it did have four legs. “We’re going to get Fang treated, bathed, buy all the bedding, food, and treats he could ever want and then we’re going home. Together.”
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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
I CARRIED IN THE armful of stuff that Gem had purchased on behalf of Fang, depositing it all in the middle of the living room. Fang instantly went to sniff everything, biting at the fluffy silver bed that’d cost Gem seventy-eight dollars.
My head hurt.
My balance wasn’t the best.
And the whiteouts I suffered when I was overtired had come and gone throughout the day.
But fuck me, what a day.
It’d been my favorite.
The best day of my godforsaken life—spending it with Gem and a dog I didn’t even know I needed. We’d been collected from the hotel parking lot by a woman who reeked of cigarettes and didn’t care about Fang’s stench in her run-down car, dropping us off at the closest vet.
We’d waited our turn, then endured multiple questions that we couldn’t answer about Fang’s age, health condition, and where his old owner was, until we were finally ushered into a room where he was bathed with medicated shampoo, given injections for stuff I didn’t understand, and his wounded neck clipped, cleaned, and bandaged.
The entire time, the poor dog cowered into me. We’d been a right pair as we cringed away from people getting too close, enduring it all because it was for his own good.
Once he was a much cleaner, healthier dog, we’d headed to the till to pay. The vet who’d treated Fang gave me a T-shirt that came as a bonus for some local cat food—seeing as I was still shirtless—and Gem laughed at the graphic of a tuna head on my chest. I couldn’t care less what I wore; her laughter was totally worth it.
Swiping her plastic card, she tried to hide the bill from me, but I noticed the tally. I’d tried to add the fifteen-hundred dollar cost to the many thousands I already owed her, but the numbers were getting too big to keep track, granting an even deeper headache.
Even if I had the funds, I would’ve felt indebted to her for the rest of my life—not only for letting me keep Fang but also for welcoming him into our family as if he’d always meant to find us.
Once we left the vet, Gem decided it was my turn to be poked and prodded, summoning yet another car to drive us to a doctor’s clinic that accepted walk-ins. Fang wasn’t allowed in, and no way in hell was I going to risk him being stolen and hurt again while waiting outside for us, so I did something I didn’t think I was capable of.
I kissed Gem goodbye.
I left her on the sidewalk with the dog.
And I headed into the clinic on my own.
Through a miracle or perhaps sheer determination to finally be normal, I kept my triggers and panic in control all while a kind-eyed female doctor cleaned my bite, gave me a packet of antibiotics, and stabbed me with a needle that ensured I wouldn’t die if Fang had something contagious.
I wouldn’t lie, I’d almost bolted out of the clinic once she was done, desperate to be away from strangers and back with Gem. But I hadn’t killed anyone. I’d let someone I didn’t know be in my personal space and touch me.
Progress.
Afterward, Gem finally decided she’d tortured Fang and me enough, permitting us to find something to eat. I had no idea what to feed him, but Gem bought him a blue-rare steak from a local restaurant, all while we indulged in burgers with all the trimmings.
The eatery was busy, even where we sat outside in the sun.
Bike riders sat in their tight neon outfits sipping coffees and other dog walkers shot wary glances at my tuna head T-shirt, Gemma’s stunning gown, and a twitchy dog with a bandage around his throat.
It was the most interaction I’d had in one spot, and even though people milled around, waitstaff brought us food, and my instincts were on high alert, not once did I feel threatened. It wasn’t me I was worried about for once. It wasn’t Gemma or my Fable family. It was a dog who rested his chin on my thigh and let out the biggest sigh of relief as I rubbed his head.
I stayed sane for him.
I noticed everything, judged everyone, yet I wasn’t afraid.
I knew I could protect him if needed.
Fang never left my side as we finished our lunch and walked the short distance to a pet store Gem had found on her phone.
And...without even thinking about it, without second-guessing my violent reactions or how smart it was putting me in a busy retail environment, I stepped into my first official store and fucking loved it. Any whispers of my past and how I’d been stolen vanished. I didn’t care how I’d first been kidnapped. I no longer needed to chase such nightmares.
I was just there.
Present.
Loving the way Fang’s tail wagged as he sniffed toys, food, and beds. He had my entire attention as we went down aisles, filling a cart full of dog stuff, grabbing almost everything that Fang nosed.
Someone brushed by me, and I didn’t flinch in disgust. A man smiled at me, and I didn’t hear voices in my head. It was as if all my panic had been channeled into ensuring Fang was happy, which in turn gave me space to just be.
To be normal in a busy store of other like-minded, pet-loving individuals.
I felt kinship as I caught the gaze of a young girl who reminded me of Nyx when we first met, cuddling a tiny puppy gnawing on her yellow jacket. I nodded at an elderly woman as she hobbled down the aisle with her equally elderly dog.
There was nothing to fear.
Nothing to lash out at.
And by the time Gem slipped her hand into mine and we caught another ride home, and Fang curled up beside me with bags full of stuff for him in the trunk, I had a heat inside my heart.
A heat that could only be described as joy.
“He’s making himself right at home, I see.” Gem laughed as Fang dragged his new bed to the window and promptly curled up in it, his gray and white coat almost vanishing into the silver plushness.
The heat in my chest expanded until I burned with it. Until my fingertips throbbed and my body hardened with so, so much fucking gratitude. Grabbing Gem by the waist as she bent to grab the bag of dog food, I nuzzled her neck, feeling the satin of her ball gown catching on the roughness of my fingers. “Thank you, Gem. For all of it.”
“I enjoyed today just as much as you.” She spun in my hold, looping her arms around my neck. “I can’t tell you how much pleasure it gave me to go shopping with you. To eat out in public with you—even if we are dressed like maniacs and haven’t slept. I didn’t think that would happen for a very long time.”
“I’m sorry it took the time it did.”
“I’m not.” Gemma yawned, shaking her head. “It made today all the sweeter.” Her eyes unfocused a little as I kissed her, exhaustion evident on her face.
“You’re almost asleep standing.”
She yawned again. “Sorry. I must admit, being back home again, after such a busy twenty-four hours...it’s just hit me out of nowhere.”
I glanced outside, guessing with the sun’s angle that it was close to four p.m. Not bedtime but after the stressful evening and the entertaining day, she could be forgiven for crashing early. I needed to sleep too, even though I was still flying on joy—that joy strong enough to cancel out the tiredness of my lingering concussion.
“Come. Let’s get you into bed.” I kissed the tip of her nose, taking her hand and guiding her down the corridor to her room.
Fang’s claws sounded immediately behind us, never letting us out of his sight.
Gemma swayed on her feet as we entered her bedroom. She shivered as I removed my shirt that she still wore then pushed the straps of her dress off her shoulders.
I bit my bottom lip as it pooled to the floor.
Christ, I’d forgotten she wore nothing beneath it.
Her curves, her muscles...she was so strong yet so feminine.
I wanted her.
So fucking much.
Kissing her, I cupped her breasts and ran my thumbs over her nipples.
Her back arched, pressing more of her body into my hands. “Kas...”
“Shower.” I hoisted her from the floor and carried her into the bathroom. Fang once again followed us, sitting on the bathmat as I turned on the shower, stripped off my ruined clothes, and pulled Gemma into the water with me.
Hot spray hit my head and rained down my back.
I shuddered at the wonderfulness of it. I’d never take hot water for granted. Never get used to the bliss of a shower instead of icy pain, thanks to the wintery water at Fables.
Gem moaned as I brought her under the spray, drenching both of us before rubbing sweet-smelling soap all over her delicious body. As much as I wanted her, I kept it purely platonic. Not from lack of needing her but purely because I loved her.
I loved her enough to wait. Because right now, she was asleep standing.
Once we were both clean, I bundled her in a towel, guided her from the bathroom with Fang on our heels, and pulled back her bedding.
She slipped out of the towel and dived straight into the covers.
Snuggling into her pillow, she patted the empty bed behind her. “Join me...please?”
I stiffened.
I hadn’t slept in a long time.
I’d dealt with a bunch of shit today that would no doubt cause a nightmare or two to rear their ugly heads.
“I’m not safe, Gem.”
She groaned in defeat, her tiredness removing some of her understanding. “Can’t you try...just for one night? I miss you.”
Christ.
I raked my fingers through my short hair, every instinct telling me to climb into bed with my girl and cuddle her close.
But I don’t want to hurt her.
Fang snuffled at my leg, his fur tickling me as he suddenly pushed past me and leaped into the space that Gem had just patted.
With a glint in his dark eyes, he walked in a circle, once, twice, three times, before plopping into a ball with his back along Gemma’s.
“Traitor.” I bared my teeth.
Fang just sighed and closed his eyes.
Gem sighed too, sounding perfectly content and at peace. Jealousy tugged my heart. I was fucking jealous of the damn dog taking my spot.
It hurt to physically remove myself and slink off to spend another uncomfortable, lonely night on the couch, but I would do it to keep Gem safe. I would do it for however long it took to be better.
With a heavy sigh, I bent over, ready to give Gem a kiss goodnight.
A low-pitched growl sounded, wrenching my head up, coming face-to-face with Fang. He’d leaped to his feet, his sharp teeth visible as his gums pulled back in warning.
Gem’s eyes popped open, sleep fading as she went to look behind her, flinching at the warning rumble coming from Fang. “What’s he doing? What’s wrong?”
“Don’t move.” I held her down with my hand on her shoulder, never taking my eyes off the dog. We shared a long stare. I cocked my head; he cocked his. I looked at Gem, he looked at where I touched her.
I risked another bite as I leaned down and kissed Gemma on the cheek.
“Kas...what’s he growling at?”
“Me.” I rose again, never taking my eyes off Fang. “He’s growling at me.”
“Okay, well that’s not good.” She tried rolling over again, but I stopped her. “We’ll put him in the living room. He has his own bed. He’ll be fine.” Gem sat up, her breasts bare and eyes blinking back tiredness.
Fang instantly stopped growling. Licking his muzzle, any sign of aggression faded and he lay back down again, looking damn right pleased with himself.
Huh.
He’d threatened me while he’d deemed her at risk, yet he’d stood down the moment he knew she was aware.
Fuck.
I stood staring at that damn dog.
I understood him.
I was him.
A crazy laugh spilled from my lips.
“What are you laughing at?” Gem threw me a scowl. “This isn’t funny, Kas. He’s been the best boy through all his treatment and outings today but if he’s aggressive, then he can’t be trusted.”
My laughter faded.
I crawled onto the bed and smacked a kiss onto Fang’s head. “Thank you.”
The dog yawned with a whine as if to say “took you long enough, idiot.”
Flopping onto my back, I yanked off my towel and slipped under the covers nude.
Gem’s eyebrows rose. “What...what are you doing?”
“I’m sleeping in here with you. Forever if you’ll have me.”
“But you literally just said—”
“That was before.”
“Before what?”
“Before I understood what Fang was telling me.”
Gem looked between the dog and me, the big bed crowded with all three of us. She sighed, shaking her head. “Forgive me if I sound stupid, my brain has already gone to sleep, but what precisely did the dog say to you?”
“He told me he has my back.”
“He told you that.”
“In not so many words, but yes.” I ruffled Fang’s head as he licked my wrist.
“I’m so lost.” Gem gave up, lying back on her side and hugging her pillow. “Explain it to me in the morning.”
Rolling onto my side, I pushed Fang down the bed a little so I could spoon Gem from behind. The dog fit perfectly by our legs, letting out a little huff as if to say he approved of this position.
“I’ll explain it now, so you know you never have to fear me again.”
“I don’t fear you, Kas.” She snuggled closer, her body feeling so incredibly good in my arms.
“When I sleep, I’m a danger to you. That’s a stark truth that might take years to rectify.”
“So you’re not staying?”
“No, I’m staying. For all the nights, as long as we both shall live.”
She sighed again. “Then I still don’t get it.”
“Some nights, I’ve been so close to coming to you—in my sleep and when I’m awake. I’ve caught myself in a nightmare, slamming back into consciousness right outside your bedroom door. Those are the nights I sleep outside, doing my best to get some space from you, just in case I do something unforgivable.”
“And I’m grateful.” She yawned. “So grateful.”
“Other nights, when it’s almost unbearable out there on the couch by myself, I look for things in your house that could restrain me. I’d be willing to wear a rope, a cuff, a damn chain again if it meant my hands would be kept away from your lovely neck and we could sleep safely side by side.”
Gem twisted in my arms, our faces almost touching. “I never want you restraining yourself, do you hear me? You’re not going to be trapped again, Kas. Even if it means my safety.”
“You’re not listening. Now, I don’t have to be.” I kissed her gently. “Fang is my restraints.”
She pulled away, her eyes searching mine. “Fang?”
“He growled at me because he thought you were asleep and therefore helpless to prevent whatever I was going to do to you. I might have been the one to free him, but he’s chosen to protect you.” I laughed again at the perfection of it. “I told you, Gem, we recognized each other. He knows what I’m capable of because he’s capable of the same thing. He loves and trusts both of us but he’s loyal to you. Loyal...even if it means going against me.”
Her eyes slowly tightened with understanding. “You’re saying...if you woke in a nightmare and tried to hurt me, Fang would hurt you back.”
I nodded. “I know without a shadow of a doubt, if I try to lay a finger on you in violence, his teeth will be at my throat.”
She shivered. “He’s already bitten you once. We don’t need a repeat.”
I kissed her. “I would gladly be his damn chew toy if it gave me peace of mind while sleeping beside you.” I laughed with absolute freedom, with joy at this incredible gift. “I will continue to have nightmares. That’s a part of my healing that I doubt I’ll be able to rush or ignore. I know some of those will wake me with rage and total unawareness of my surroundings. It could be years before I’m stable enough to sleep beside you—just like that damn book said. But...” I hugged her so fucking hard. “I don’t have to wait years to enjoy this. To be in your bed. To make love to you and go to sleep with you tucked in my arms. We can have this now...all because we have an alarm system. A dog that will bark if I wake in a nightmare. A creature who will happily bite me if I come anywhere near you in anything but kindness and love.”
Gem studied me before arching her head to look at Fang.
His head popped up, his tongue lolling out as if totally agreeing with me. He whined once and wagged his tail before placing his chin back on his paws.
“See?” I grinned. “He’s game if you are.”
“You’re asking if I’m okay with you getting bitten if you so much as wriggle too close to me in your sleep?”
“I think he’ll give me some leniency, but yes, that’s what I’m asking.”
“And you’ll happily get bitten instead of sleeping safely on the couch? We can buy you another bed, Kas. I’ve been thinking of redecorating one of the spare rooms back into a guest—”
“Don’t use that word.” I shivered, panic and anger flowing through me involuntarily.
Fang instantly leaped to his feet, sensing my change, most likely smelling the ripeness of fresh adrenaline and animosity.
