Page 20 of The Bonds of Nyx

His lips twitched, but he didn’t show any amusement as he dropped the fabric into my lap, and he didn’t say anything as he resumed his position across from me. There was a careful blankness to his face that made my stomach twist.

Slowly, I held up the material and frowned. “A shirt?”

“It belonged to your mate. Now, it’s yours,” he said.

Letting the shirt fall back into my lap, I leaned back. “Why?”

For a few long moments, he stared at me. The intensity of his eyes shifted, alerting me to the wolf joining him. Strangely, I could identify that subtle shift in him, but I tried not to dwell on that realisation too much. Elias had always been pretty clear on his thoughts about me.

“His scent will calm your magic,” Elias stated, voice low. I hadn’t expected him to respond, but his voice was oddly…soothing. “The nightmares are linked to your magic and the mate bond.”

I nodded slowly and ran my fingers over the soft cotton. Even in my lap, I caught his scent. But would it actually keep the nightmares away? It seemed implausible. It seemed too good to be true.

“Beginning the mating process will be better than a t-shirt,” he grumbled, scratching the back of his neck. “But for now, this should help.”

Tightness filled my chest as I glanced down at the t-shirt. He was right—though I wouldn’t say it to him. The nightmare issue could be solved by simply completing the mate bond with Adrian. Letting him in and trusting him completely.

But I was terrified it wouldn’t be that easy.

Instead, I clutched the shirt to my chest and offered Elias a grateful smile. “Thank you. I really appreciate that you did this for me.”

His eyes darkened slightly, and his brows furrowed. His gaze was discerning, almost like he could see right through me, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it.

Clearing my throat, I finally climbed to my feet, taking Adrian’s worn t-shirt, and holding it close to my chest. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Elias. Good night.”

The shifter grunted, his gaze heavy on me as I slipped up the darkened staircase.

I felt like I could finally breathe again when I entered my and Thea’s shared bedroom. The lights were low, the ensuite bathroom door closed, though the shared walk-in was open and lit up, with Thea standing in the doorway.

“Do you think the supes will give us alittle more clothing?” Thea asked, resting her hands on her hips as she stared at our shared wardrobe. “Because this is pathetic.”

I couldn’t help but snort as I made my way to the unmade bed, Adrian’s shirt still clutched tightly in my hands. “On your days off, you live in yoga pants and the trophies of past boyfriends. How is this any different?”

Thea pouted and spun to face me. “Iearnedthose shirts. These?” She motioned towards the random plain black t-shirt that had been amongst the clothes we’d found inside. “I did not earn.”

Shaking my head, I dropped onto the bed and ran a hand through my hair. With the t-shirt and the girls tucked into bed, I wasn’t sure how to feel about the rest of tonight. Dinner had gone well, but Ginny and Maisie had wanted to return to Kerry immediately, and I hadn’t blamed them. They’d busied themselves with telling her about what they’d learned at lunch, which had included some simple magic from Rowan and Adrian so they wouldn’t be scared when faced with it later.

It’d been hard being so close to Adrian yet so far. The pull for him was strong, and it’d taken a lot of strength to keep myself in my seat. Never mind the longing glances that promised a much-needed discussion about everything.

I stared down at the fabric in my hands. Maybe it was as good a peace offering as anything.

“You okay?” Thea asked, unease filling her voice.

I heaved a sigh and lowered my head. “Everything is so…”

“Complicated? Messy? Completely unreal?” Thea crawled onto the bed and fell against the pillows with a huff. “What a strange turn of events.”

I snorted and joined her, watching my friend from the corner of my eye. “Tell me about it.”

“How’re you feeling about Kerry?” she asked quietly, reaching her hand out and taking mine. “She might have been an absentee parent, but she was still your mom.”

I blew out a breath, shrugging as her fingers entwined with mine. “I don’t know how to feel. I look at the body and…I don’t see Kerry, just someone I don’t recognise.”

Thea gave my fingers a quick squeeze. “You’re allowed to mourn, Ivy. You don’t have to be strong all the time. I get why you are with the girls because we all have to pretend to be adults for them. But with me—and I bet with the supes, too—you can be a little vulnerable.”

My eyes fluttered closed as I sucked in a heavy breath. “So many conflicting feelings all wrapped up with a pretty bow.”

“Well, I’m no therapist, but I think it’s time to let a lot of that go.” I opened my eyes and found Thea sitting up. “A lot has happened and changed. The situation is a hell of a lot different now compared to last week. So, will you really let that dull what should otherwise be exciting?”

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