Page 160 of Gift from the Nexus

Caspian drags Draken into a hug, and I see it’s about to break Draken’s dam. He’s holding on by a string. He wants to rage, cry, question. His heart is being pulled all over the place all while Caspian’s seems to click fully in place. His love for Draken shines bright.

“I’m so sorry, my dragon. I wish I could’ve or would’ve told you under different circumstances.”

Reaching out, he drags me between him and Caspian, sandwiching me between their polar opposite bodies. One cold, one burning up. It mixes perfectly, smothering me in the most glorious warmth.

“I assume there was a good reason not to tell me before now?”

“Yes. The explanations are long, and I’ll explain everything I can. But the main reason was because I didn’t know how you all would react to the situation before we got here. I had to face Keeper alone for other reasons that I can’t tell you yet, but telling you anything could’ve altered many courses.”

“Then you have nothing to apologize for. There’s never really a good time to drop a bomb like this, but I’m glad it was you who told me and not him. I probably would’ve punched him if he had announced this and honestly, I don’t know how I would’ve reacted if you’d told me before now. I’m…not sure how I feel, but I do know I needed to know this.”

“We need to get ready to pull out. The vampires are being held back for now, but Will’s still bleeding. She needs to be healed, and no communications are working in here. We’re blocked off from knowing what’s going on outside of this forest,” Tillman says.

“Son—” Keeper says, but Draken holds up a hand.

“Too soon. Draken for now. I…I need some time to process this.”

“I understand,” he says, bowing his head slightly. “I will hold the vampires back while we leave. They’ll be no issue for us nor will they come near your beloved.”

“We?” Corentin asks.

“Yes, we. He’s coming with us. I need to get the cord out of his neck.” I say, then remember that was another part of this plan I didn’t mention to them, so I wince. “I’m sorry.”

I know I don’t have to apologize for things like this, they’ve told me plenty, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilty every single time for every single secret. It feels like an unintentional lie. It eats me alive.

“We’ll talk about it later, princess. What can we know from here on out?”

“I need to get the cord out, and I know how. Then we leave straight from here to get Tanith.”

“And who is this Tanith person?” Caspian asks.

“She is my—”

“She’s his bond. I need Oakly too. She’s got to track the location. I don’t think I can transport there, much less send out an impression to everyone here. Jamie will need to heal Keeper when I’m done.”

“Good luck with that, little wanderer. She’s mad as shit. So are the others. You blew them away like they were a bunch of wishing flowers,” Draken says teasingly, and I smirk when I sense the actual playfulness in his tone.

“I know you’re mad as hell, but can the rest of the family join us now?”

“Oh, are we free now?”

Rolling my eyes, I watch as she stomps ahead of the others with her Nexus hot on her heels. She’s seething. If she were a dragon, smoke would be blowing from her nostrils. Aria, Lyker, and the others are no different, but they keep it to themselves for now. Unlike Oakly.

“I could and should kill you,” she says, crossing her arms when she stands in front of me. To which I lean forward and kiss her on her nose. She absolutely hates for shit to touch her nose and she starts swatting me like a pesky fly.

“I’m sorry, but I knew he was coming in hot. You were planning on intervening, and I needed everyone out of the way.”

“Speaking of which.” She turns her devilish glare on Keeper, not giving a single fuck that he’s the strongest vampire in this forest. Quite possibly the strongest vampire in this realm and the next. “If you ever hurt my sister again, I’ll cut your hands off and beat you to death with them.”

“I apologize. No harm will come to my son’s beloved. I swear to protect her with my life. You all as well. Family of my son is family of mine,” Keeper says sincerely, leaning down to lay a kiss to Oakly’s hand. She just stares in shock and confusion, but Ry’s quick with it and snatches her away, causing me to chuckle.

“Son?”

Shaking my head, I tell her with my eyes now isn’t the time, but she’s a smart cookie and works it out quickly. He called me his son’s beloved. The process of elimination in my Nexus on who’s missing a dad is pretty simple.

“Shit.” She whispers to me, but still, I ignore it.

“I need you to track Tanith for us. You’ll have to use Keeper’s blood. It’ll be strong enough to pick her out. If not, I’ll take you into my mind and show you where I was.”

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