Her brows furrowed. “What…”
“If you bend, I will catch you and help you straighten.”
His hands covered hers. There was an inch between them, maybe two, but it felt like no room at all. He could close the divide between them in a heartbeat.
“If you break, I will be there. If you shatter, I will pick up the pieces and glue every one back together.” She inhaled sharply, but he wasn’t done. “I will not let this life destroy you, little storm.”
She exhaled raggedly. “I can’t ask that of you.”
“You aren’t asking,” Nikhail murmured. Lifting a hand, he reverently cupped her cheek. Her breath caught, and gods, even now in her heartbreak, she was gorgeous. “I’m telling you. I willbe here. No matter what happens. No matter the time or the place. You can count on me.”
He’d already made the mistake of not being there for her once. He would not repeat it.
“Is that why we stopped?”
“I needed you to know.”
He didn’t want to have this conversation where others could hear. This was their moment, and theirs alone.
River’s lips parted, and Nikhail’s gaze dropped to them. They were so close. If he lowered his head, he could kiss her right now. Brush his lips over hers, remind her of what they’d started on the night of Ryker and Brynleigh’s bonding. Taste her?—
His back pocket vibrated.
No, not his pocket. His phone.
The steady thrum was a jolt to his system, and he inhaled sharply, pulling out the device. He unlocked it without looking away from River, accepting the call. The Hub had exceptional cell service, including in the elevators and underground.
He pressed the phone against his ear. “Hello?”
The voice on the other end was familiar, and Nikhail nodded along as they spoke. The conversation lasted for a few moments before he said, “Understood. We’ll be right out.”
Nikhail hung up and slid the phone back into his pocket. He backed up a step, reaching behind him and hitting the red button.
The elevator started moving again.
“Come on,” he murmured. “There’s someone here to see you.”
CHAPTER 5
Already Broken, Already Cursed
The first thing River noticed when she walked out of the Hub, beside Nikhail’s hand, which was a steady, warming presence on her back, was the full moon. It shone brightly in the sky, surrounded by shimmering stars.
The second thing she noticed was the cold. White clouds puffed in front of her mouth, and the air was crisp. She drew her free arm around herself, grateful for the heavy, oversized plum sweater, black leggings, and knee-high boots she’d donned earlier.
Golden City glistened on the horizon, brilliant lights filling the night sky as the citizens of the capital city went about their evenings. The faint sounds of life reached River’s ears. A reminder that even though she felt as though her world had come to a screeching halt, the world had continued to turn. People had gone about their days like normal, as if nothing had happened.
And for them, it hadn’t.
The next thing River noticed, the one that stole the breath from her lungs and had her eyes burning, was the black sedan parked at the curb. It was a fair distance away, since the Hub wasfar back from the street, but there was no mistaking the vehicle or the familiar fae leaning against it. Dressed in a navy sweater and jeans, he had one leg crossed in front of the other.
An ache started in River’s chest, and for a moment, she forgot about the emptiness inside her. She glanced at Nikhail. “I’m sorry, I have to…”
“Go,” he said encouragingly, giving her a light push on her back.
And she did.
River’s feet pounded the sidewalk. Her muscles ached after days of disuse, even with her rapid fae healing, but she didn’t care.