Page 92 of The Woman

He turns to us a moment later, his eyes focused on Avery when he tilts his head toward the other women. “Why don’t you go visit with them for a bit.”

She turns and looks up at me, a mixture of excitement and nerves forming the smile on her face right before she walks toward the stairs that lead to the grass and then over to the garden where they’re standing.

My eyes stay glued to her the entire time. Partly because I don’t want to lose sight of her so shortly after getting her back and partly because I just can’t help myself from raking my eyes over her body and remembering how it felt to be inside her not long ago. Her hair is still a little wild from having my hands in it.

I don’t recognize the clothes she’s wearing, so they must have given them to her to wear at the place she was held. Hearing her story about what happened the day she was taken and how scared she was gave me the compulsion to storm into that place and make them all pay. But I know that would end badly for more than just Avery and myself. The only thing that made it marginally better was that she had Harold there with her.

“Come, sit,” my father says, pulling my attention.

I walk over to the chair he indicated to and settle in. For a minute, we sit in silence, just watching the women as they converse. To say this whole situation is bizarre is an understatement. My life was normal a couple of months ago, with no women to speak of. I was happily working my way up in the company.

Now, here I am, watching three WOUNs interact just like men would, one of which I can’t imagine my life without. And apparently, I have that same blood running through me.

Avery was pleasantly surprised to learn that piece of information.

“What now?” I ask.

I can see him turn to me from the corner of my eye. “That all depends on you. She would be happy here if you chose to leave and go back to the city. You could pretend none of this exists.”

Avery glances around the area at that moment with a small smile brightening her features. Then she looks over her shoulder in our direction before returning to the conversation. I’m sure she would be happy here, roaming free and having friends to talk to. But being separated from her and forgetting this place exists is preposterous.

“I’m not leaving her here without me.”

“Then you could take her back to the city. But she may get fed up with being hidden away most of the time and having to pretend for the rest.”

That was already beginning to happen. I could see it in her eyes each day I would come home to her. The day Avery was taken, she had been frustrated when I didn’t allow her to go with me. It’s just like keeping a precious jewel locked away in a drawer and being the only one to open it and look at it before putting it back away.

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees and clasping my hands together while still watching Avery.

“What is the third option?”

“You do what I do. Live between both worlds.” I finally tear my eyes away from her to look at him. “It can be tough when you’re used to being free out here and become lax. Then suddenly, you’re back in the real world where you have to be careful. There is also a lot of driving involved.”

“She’s worth it,” I reply.

There is no distance I wouldn’t go for her, so the driving is a non-issue. As for living between the two worlds, I think we could make it work. We were already trying to be on guard anytime we weren’t at home. We would just have to double down on our efforts.

A smile that will probably take me some time to get used to lifts the corner of his mouth at my response. It almost makes him look younger, somehow. Or maybe I’m just looking at him in a different light.

Turning serious again, he glances back out at the women. “You need to be extra careful, though, since we still don’t know who reported her. They may be keeping a closer eye on her even though they’ve already been told it was a success and she’s been returned.”

I suck in a deep breath, nodding my head. I know this situation is not over. I’m not sure if it ever will be, and by choosing to keep her, I’m accepting this fate.

“What made you decide to keep her – my mother – after you found out what she was?” I ask. “Besides being attracted to her.”

His look becomes tender as he watches my mother, and then his hand lifts to rest on his chest, rubbing slowly back and forth.

“I felt it deep in here. I knew there would be an unbearable ache if I didn’t have her. And yet, it almost feels like it will burst when she’s around. In a good way, of course.” After a pause of him getting lost in the thought, he adds, “Regular men with normal women don’t get to experience this. But you no doubt have similar feelings.”

My eyes land back on Avery. “I do.”

I just lived through that ache of not having her around and fearing I would never have her back. It’s something I wish never to experience again.

On the other hand, I don’t ever want to live without the feelings evoked by staring at her right now.

A sigh escapes my father’s lips.

“I’m not sure what to do about your sister,” he comments, changing the subject. “Rayne has only ever interacted with the men here at the compound, but lately, she’s been expressing interest and asking questions about what other men out there are like and what it’s like in the city.”

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