Page 100 of A Bloom in Winter

“Mayhem wants to leave.”

“Oh? You better go see him off.”

That stinging sense the wolven was about to pull another disappearing act tightened every muscle in Apex’s body. And just to prove—to himself—that he was not completely entangled, he nodded even though he was looking at the profile of the male and had no intention of going anywhere.

Unless he was getting kicked out.

When there was only silence, Apex glanced down at himself and realized his pants were still open. He hadn’t even fucking noticed.

“So yeah . . .” Getting to his feet, Apex put himself back together. “I think I am going to head over to the big house—”

“I’m leaving, too.”

“Oh?” Apex felt himself go still. “Really?”

“About an hour ago, I sent my resignation in to the owner. I was going to tell you that when I came looking for you—but then . . . I saw you through the window, and . . .”

“Things happened.”

Actually, the wolven’s departure was good, Apex told himself. Safer, considering what would be arriving at Ghreylke soon. And better for Callum.

Yet the mourning returned, a load that had been put down for a moment—and was now twice as heavy for the brief respite.

“Where are you going to go?” he heard himself ask.

“I don’t know. I just know . . . not here. I think I’m looking for a fresh start.”

“Fair enough.” What the hell was he saying? “I mean, good for you. Yeah, that’s really healthy. Ah, anyway, I think I’ll head over and chat to Mayhem—”

Callum looked up. Finally. “Will you come back here? This feels . . . rushed. It’s not how I want to leave things between us. I did it wrong once already.”

“I know. I was there.” Glancing at the cold hearth, Apex found himself blinking quickly to clear his vision. “But, yeah, sure. I’ll be back.”

Callum got up, but it wasn’t for some kind of hug. He went over to lie down on his bed. As he stared up at the ceiling, Apex sensed the departure had already happened, even though they were still technically in the same room.

As he hesitated, he learned a truth about himself that he could have done without: This awkwardness was proving that everything he’d said to the wolf had been right, yet there was another layer to it all.

He was waiting to see if Callum was going to change his mind.

Not about leaving the estate, but about needing Apex to stay, right now.

Mayhem didn’t matter. The job didn’t count. The big house could have been on fire and he would still be standing here, waiting to be called into service.

The reality was . . . there was still nothing he wouldn’t do for the wolven. Even if letting Callum go remained the way this was all going to end.

Fresh start, indeed.

“I won’t be long,” he muttered as he headed for the door.

He got some kind of indistinct response, and there was no reason to ask for a repeat of it as it had just been a sound, made in the back of the throat. A dismissal.

Apex closed the door quietly behind himself and descended the stairs. Halfway to the big house, he glanced back at the garage. Callum had gotten up and turned the lights all the way off, the windows dark as the night.

Goddamn, this was like being back at that bedside, in the prison, reading tea leaves for improvement, and ultimately being disappointed—

The door of the big house opened, and Mayhem leaned out. “You coming or going?”

Wasn’t that the question of the hour.

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