Page 130 of Gift from the Tree

I nod rather than reply so he’ll continue. “My mom and dads were all E.F. members, also a true Nexus. She was their true Primary. One of my fathers served in the same role I hold many, many years ago, so it put their entire Nexus on the same level as E.F. members. Same will happen with you, even though of course you don’t have to join or do anything with the E.F.s, but because you’re my Primary, you’ll have the same standing and respect.”

I don’t know how I feel about that. I haven’t earned that level of respect from other E.F. members, nor am I anywhere near qualified enough to accompany them on any sort of important mission. Rescuing him and Caspian was the exception.

“They were already semi-retired, only helping on missions when my aunt, Corentin and Caspian’s mom, asked for their help. When Caspian was kidnapped, that was one of those times she asked them to come out of retirement to get him back. And of course, they all agreed.”

Oh, Elementra, please don’t let this go where I think it is.

“The three of us already had our elements and gifts and we’d been trained our entire lives, so we refused to stay behind when they received intel on where he was being held, so when they were ready to move out, me and Corentin went as well. When we made it to the location where he was being held, it played out a lot like our last mission just did. There were far more rebels there than we had prepared for. My mother’s team was able to infiltrate the building while me, Corentin, a palace team, and two of my fathers held off the outside forces.”

He takes a deep breath and pauses for a minute. This part is about to be bad. I can tell by how tense his entire body is, and the tears are building behind my eyes. I don’t want him to stop because of me crying, so I blink my eyes rapidly, trying to clear the water away.

“My other two fathers burst out of the building, leading the way for my mom, who was carrying an unconscious Caspian. Her element was water, and her gift was a Shield, but instead of shielding herself, she was shielding Caspian and my fathers in front of her. She was hit from behind with a massive fireball, incinerating her uniform and burning her back. This is the reason the uniforms are now fireproof. My aunt spent years and countless resources making sure they are almost completely fireproof.”

Draken told me that they were basically fireproof. Only a few people with fire elements are able to burn through them. I wonder besides him, who else can do that.

“She fell to her knees, dropping Caspian, but never dropped the shield she had on him. One of my fathers grabbed Caspian and ran toward us, while the other tried to reach her, but he was sent flying through the air by an earth element who flung the earth up like a spring trap. I took off running toward her, but I was too late. That same man with the earth element wrapped a vine around her neck and snatched, breaking her neck instantly.

“Power like I’ve never possessed, nor have I ever been able to do again, surged out of me, and I commanded all the remaining rebel group to kill themselves. Bodies all around us hit the ground as each of them took their own lives. I kneeled by my mom’s body and lost my mind. She was my best friend, and she was just gone.”

“Where are your dads now?” My tears are pouring uncontrollably, and a sob tears through me, despite my effort to swallow it down. Fuck, I feel his pain like it’s my own and it’s suffocating, debilitating, and never ending.

He rubs circles on my hip and kisses the top of my head, then murmurs the worst news possible. “When a true Primary dies, if she’s completely bonded, her Nexus dies with her, little one. They all died within the day of her dying.”

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry, Tillman. Fuck, I’m so sorry.” I sob into his chest as pain laces through me, both mine and his, mingling to create a surge of deep anguish within me. I thought it was just his mother, but it was all his parents at once.

“Shhh, baby. Don’t cry. I miss her, I miss them, like crazy and I always will. But I was blessed with many loving years with them. Especially her. She was only blessed with me, and she spoiled me rotten. She was the best mother I could’ve ever asked for and she died doing something she believed in. She loved Corentin and Caspian almost as much as she loved me. She and my aunt were just as close as those two are and she would’ve laid her life down to bring them home to her a thousand times over. She was both a strong, yet gentle woman. An amazing Primary to my fathers. And she would’ve loved you,” he tells me sweetly as he wipes my tears and brushes my hair off my face.

“Was that your nightmare tonight?” I ask him as I continue to sniffle.

“It started out how it always does. Me running toward her but never being able to reach her. She gets farther and farther away. But instead of her tonight, it was you, and I couldn’t get to you in time,” he rumbles out, arms tightening around me.

“I’m here, I’m safe, and I’m not going anywhere. The four of you will do everything you can to keep me safe.” I know they can’t promise to always keep me safe—that just isn’t possible—but I do know they’d do anything in their power to try.

Tilting my head up at him, his hardened features soften as he regards me like I’m something so precious, something worth protecting. Leaning up, I lay my lips to his softly. He freezes, not moving at all. Feeling like I overstepped, I go to pull away, but he tenderly runs his hand to the base of my hair at my neck and pulls me closer, completely taking over the kiss.

He leisurely runs his tongue across the seam of my lips, patiently waiting for me to open for him. And I do. It’s not hungry or rushed. It’s slow, all-consuming, sensual. He’s savoring the taste of me as I follow his lead.

Pulling back, he kisses both corners of my lips, then rests his lips on my forehead. “I’m so sorry for hurting you, Willow. Not just tonight, but by not telling you the truth. I promise from here on out to always be honest with you. I promise to turn my fear into more. I’ll love you more than I’ll fear losing you.”

“I forgive you, Tillman.”

“No, not yet. I’ll work for it and prove I’m worthy of you.”

I open my mouth to argue with him, but he presses his finger to my lips to silence me.

“Get some rest, little warrior.”

As if my body is under his control, my eyes begin to droop. My senses are filled with his mahogany and sandalwood scent, and my body is snuggly tucked against his much larger one. I fall asleep with dreams of running through the woods, promising rewards waiting for me when I get caught.

“I can’t find her any-fucking-where. I’ve searched everywhere in this fucking mansion. We fell asleep together in her bed. What if something’s happened? Where could she be?” Draken’s yelling pulls me out of my slumber, and I’m hit instantly with guilt. I’m sure it scared the fuck out of him to wake up alone in my bed and not be able to find me.

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I hear the bathroom door open and watch as Tillman steps out with just a pair of sweatpants on. My voice dries up in my mouth and all I can do is ogle his body. Fuck, he’s a mountain of a man. I’m pretty sure his muscles have muscles. I’d lick every last groove on those washboard abs of his if he’d let me.

“See something you like?” he asks with a smirk.

“I, uh, yes,” I blurt out.

He chuckles just as banging starts at the door.

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