The endearment slipped out, but it feltright.
She burrowed her face against his neck, her fingers tightened in his shirt, and she trembled.
She was… crying.
Oh gods.
Each tear slipping from her eyes was a tiny dagger shoved beneath his skin. He hated that she was crying, hated that she was hurting.
Kissing the top of her head, Ryker whispered, “I’ll always be here for you.”
Those three weeks where he’d lived without her had been awful, and he would rather die than let them go through that again.
As he held his vampire close, letting her cry out her frustrations and fears, Ryker made a silent vow. No matter what obstacles came their way or who else they’d have to go up against, he would never let anyone tear them apart. Not the rebels, the Chancellor, Valentina Rose, or Tertia.
They would work through their problems, finish bridging their brokenness, and be stronger than ever when they reached the other side.
Their relationship had been a battlefield, but they would emerge victorious from this war.
Ryker lost track of time as he held his wife. He rubbed her back, murmuring quiet nonsense until her tears slowly gave way to deep, shuddering breaths.
Still, he held her. He would hold her as long as she needed.There was something incredibly powerful about the way this strong, fierce vampire was allowing him to comfort her. He wasn’t sure he deserved the honor, but he would work for it.
Eventually, Brynleigh pulled back. She sniffled and plucked at his shirt, making a face.
“You’re all wet.” She glanced down at herself, where the center of her sweater was noticeably darker. “And I am, too.”
Ryker had honestly forgotten all about it. “Yeah. Marlie and I went for a run.”
She frowned, and her gaze swept over him. “Things didn’t go well with your mother, did they? I’m sorry, I should’ve asked earlier.”
“Don’t worry about it. You were upset, and that was more important. Besides, Mother is… testy.”
Brynleigh’s lips tightened. “She’s upset because of me.”
It wasn’t a question.
By the Obsidian Sands, Ryker wished he could lie. Just once, so he could shield his wife from this pain.
“Not just you,” he hedged. “She also thinks I’ve failed her because I’m not the perfect son she expects me to be.”
Tertia’s standards were impossibly high.
Even if Ryker had Chosen Valentina Rose—which would’ve been a monumental blunder—he wouldn’t have been able to live up to his mother’s expectations. Sooner or later, he would’ve made a mistake.
“I see.” The sigh that left Brynleigh’s lips confirmed she understood. “And does she know the whole story of…?”
The rest of her sentence was unspoken, but he clearly heard it.What I planned to do?
“She does. She found out the day she called me when you were first released.” His heart clenched, recalling the utter agony of those first few days. “I tried to keep it under wraps, but keeping things from her is practically impossible.”
Ryker had learned that many times over when he was ateenager. The first time he snuck out of the house and went to a party, someone called Tertia in the middle of the night.
She’d shown up, eyes blazing and magic at her fingertips, and dragged him out of the gathering at three in the morning.
Brynleigh’s eyes hardened, and she stiffened in Ryker’s arms.
Did he say something wrong?