Page 48 of Broken Trust

Dropping the still-beating muscle, Kellen spun and yanked Atlas into his arms. “Are you okay?”

“Get that bloody hand off of me!” Atlas shoved Kellen’s arm away. “I’m pretty damn far from okay! I just killed a guy.” His mate sobbed. “I just…I just…”

Kellen sat on the floor and cradled his mate to him, keeping his bloodstained hand away from Atlas. “You didn’t kill him, sweetheart.”

“You saw what I did.” Atlas curled up in Kellen’s arms as he cried. “I drove that makeshift stake—” He slammed his eyes closed. “What did I do?”

“Atlas, look at me.” He gripped his mate’s face, forcing Atlas to meet his gaze. “The stake didn’t even fully penetrate his jaw. The only thing you did was piss him off.”

“Don’t,” Atlas whimpered. “Don’t lie to me, Kellen. I couldn’t take it if you were just like everyone else.”

Kellen would do anything to take away Atlas’s anguish, but he wouldn’t lie to him just to bring him comfort. He brushed strands of black hair from Atlas’s forehead. “Baby, do you remember what happened to your hand when you punched Colt?”

“Colt!” Atlas tried to jump up, but Kellen kept a tight hold on him.

“He’s in his wolf form healing in the kitchen. I promise he’s safe and going to be okay.”

Atlas collapsed back onto Kellen’s lap.

“Do you remember?”

“I messed up my hand because his jaw is made of concrete,” Atlas replied.

Kellen chuckled. “It might have felt like it, but it’s not. Though I do wonder about his head sometimes.”

“But your brother is a shifter. I killed a vampire.” Atlas gazed up at him with those shimmering gray eyes.

“They’re both not human, hon. You are. And you’re one hundred pounds soaking wet.” Kellen wasn’t trying to diminish his mate. He was trying to drive home a point so Atlas would stop thinking he’d taken a life, because he hadn’t.

“I didn’t kill him?”

“No.” Kellen shook his head. “I came in behind you and drove your stake through his skull and tore out his heart. That’s how he died, and I would do it again because no one fucks with my mate.”

Kellen rocked his mate when Atlas curled into him.

“I don’t want to be in the same room as him,” Atlas said. “Tell me this is finally over.”

“It’s over.” Kellen kissed the top of his head. “I’m going to take you into the bathroom.”

He shoved to his feet, keeping Atlas against him, and strode to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Kellen set his mate on the closed toilet seat so he could wash the blood off his hand.

“I want you to stay in here until I dispose of the bodies. You don’t need to look at them.”

“I’ll keep my eyes covered, but I want to check on your brother. I have to make sure he’s okay.”

Kellen dried his hands as he eyed his mate. “I think you’re smitten with him.”

“We have each other, Kellen. Who does he have?” Atlas asked. “I know you have trust issues, but please don’t think for a second I’m attracted to Colt. I just care about him like I would any family member.”

Kellen hunkered in front of Atlas. “I was trying to use levity to lighten the mood, Atlas. Poor choice on my part. The thought of you desiring my brother has never entered my mind.”

Atlas’s caring and compassion knew no bounds. He was also the bravest guy Kellen knew. His mate had slugged a fully grown wolf shifter, fought to get to Kellen in the parking lot of his job, drove a stake through a vampire’s jaw, and had survived the betrayal of someone he thought was his best friend.

And he’d put up with all of Kellen’s shit.

Most importantly, Atlas gave his love freely to a guy who felt so damn broken inside. Kellen wasn’t going to heal overnight, but he was going to fight to become the man his mate deserved.

If Atlas could be brave despite his fears, Kellen could do no less.

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